Chances of financial aid? (High income)

Paying for College
1

<p>I have applied to four schools: </p>

<p>Fordham
New York University
Macaulay program at Baruch
Columbia</p>

<p>What are my chances of getting financial aid, and how much (if any) could I expect to receive? Below are my stats and information</p>

<hr>

<p>GPA: unweighted 3.43, weighted 3.945
Class rank: 30/367</p>

<p>ACT score: Composite 33
English = 33
Math = 34
Reading = 34
Science = 31
Writing = 6
Combined English/Writing = 28</p>

<p>Extracurricular activities:
- Gay Straight Alliance member (2011-2012)
- Class Board member (2019-2011)
- Student Council class rep. and co-president (2009-2012)
- Volunteering at National Alliance of Minnesota (2012-present)
- Volunteering tutor at elementary school (2011)
- Volunteering craft teacher at nursing home (2009)</p>

<p>I also spent a large chunk of my personal time in 2010-2012 in a group called Dialectical Behavioral Therapy AND personal therapy, which is for teenagers living with mental illness. These combined accounted for over 350 hours during those 3 years. </p>

<p>I participate in the Post Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO) program, which is where high school students take classes on the college campus, just like regular college students. Last academic year (2011-2012) I attended 3 college courses and received the grades A, A, A-. This year I am enrolled in the program full time so I no longer attend high school, though I am still technically enrolled there. I am taking 4 college courses (16 credits) and have received grades A, A, A, B. Those last 4 grades have not yet been calculated into my GPA, though I suspect it is now around 3.8/4. By the end of this year I will have completed 1.5 years of college. </p>

<p>I work two jobs while technically attending college full-time, which is somewhat uncommon for high school students (I'm hoping it will help me stand out a little). My first job is at a family-owned grocery store, where I've worked for 2.5 years since I was 15 years old; I work there 10-15 hours/week. My second job is at Perkins restaurant, where I've worked for 5 months; I also work there 10-15 hours/week. To be clear, I don't work two jobs because I need the money-- I really enjoy working and it helps with my social skills.</p>

<p>Gender: Female
Ethnicity: Korean (adopted)
Age: 17
Siblings: I have 2 siblings (age 20 and 23), one of whom just graduated and another of whom is currently in college.</p>

<p>Income: Upper middle class (parents are divorced, dad is remarried. My mom earns $180K, dad earns $270K, and Step-Mother earns 90k)</p>

<hr>

<p>Thanks for your opinions!</p>

2

<p>The chances of you getting any financial aid are about zilch even if you are living with your mother which would give you the lower family income on FAFSA. FAFSA is the government form for financial aid that you will have to complete in order to get aid at any of the schools, but you will also need to fill out PROFILE for the private schools in order to get any of their private funds. PROFILE will ask for your NCP financial info which would include your step mother, and put you way over for any such aid, unless there is something in the picture that is missing. So you are not likely to get any financial aid. </p>

<p>I don’t know what the scholarship situation is at Baruch, but the sticker price is low, and if you file a FAFSA form, you will be permitted to borrow up to $5500 on you own as well. This would hold for any of the other schools. For Baruch, that would pretty much cover the cost if you commute.</p>

<p>For the privates, Columbia gives no merit money so you would have to pay full freight there unless you get some outside awards. NYU gives very little in merit money, so that would likely be the situation there too. Fordham does give merit money, and you look like you are in the running for some serious awards there. Look at the descriptions of their scholarships, and you can see the possibilities. None are guaranteed, but the chances look good. At minimum, you would get a commuter award , if you commute there, so that would be less expensive thatn Columbia or NYU unless possibly if you live right in the areas of either of those schools so you can walk from home to go there.</p>

<p>It appears that NYC is where you want to be. You picked a good spread there.</p>

3

<p>Financial aid with that income is doubtful. You should run the financial aid calculators for each school.</p>

<p>Best shot is to target schools that offer merit.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

4

<p>Did you mean to ask about your chances for merit aid?</p>

5

<p>bethix, just to clarify how many refer to various forms of “financial aid”… Most here consider “finacial aid” to mean need-based aid given to those accepted to a college but unable to afford the full tuition. “Merit aid” is grants and scholarships you earn based on your grades, test scores and other. Some schools, like Columbia, give little or no MERIT aid, only need-based financial aid. You very likely will NOT qualify for any need-based aid at any school due to your parents’ income.</p>

<p>Merit aid is a different story. As was said, Fordham tends to give decent merit aid to students with attractive stats like yours. How much? I really don’t know, but I’ll throw out a guess of $15k-$22k or something like that. The more over-qualified you are for a college you apply to (and they believe you really want to attend, in some cases) the more inclined they are to give merit aid to entice you to pick them.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

6

<p>+1 to CPToftheHouse</p>

7

<p>The Macauly program is merit based, and in addition to tuition, gives help with housing (which is located on the upper east side, and you need to take a subway to school) and I think a computer and other stuff. I do not know if they take ACTs for this, so you need to call the school right away. Fordham does give merit aid, and has housing (dorms at Lincoln Center are to die for, views of the Hudson). What are you looking to major in?</p>

8

<p>*I have applied to four schools: </p>

<p>Fordham
New York University
Macaulay program at Baruch
Columbia</p>

<p>What are my chances of getting financial aid, and how much (if any) could I expect to receive? Below are my stats and information</p>

<hr>

<p>GPA: unweighted 3.43, weighted 3.945
Class rank: 30/367</p>

<p>ACT score: Composite 33
English = 33
Math = 34
Reading = 34
Science = 31
Writing = 6
Combined English/Writing = 28*</p>

<p>Your only chance of any aid is merit, and Columbia doesn’t give any. NYU seems to only give “need based merit aid,” so no aid there.</p>

<p>Fordham can be hard to estimate unless you’re a NMF. Are you? </p>

<p>What kind of aid did your sibling get?</p>

<p>How much will your parents pay each year?</p>