OP wants to be a meteorologist. Some people don’t test well, but that doesn’t mean they can’t go to college.
@Tenjin99, Is Trident anywhere near you? That looks like it might be affordable.
@austinmshauri It’s like 30 miles away but I doubt I could get down there
Are there any college closer to you? I don’t think you have any safeties on your list (schools you’re likely to be admitted to and that are affordable for your family).
@austinmshauri I could join the national guard.
I don’t advocate the service as a way to fund college. A 30 mile commute isn’t too bad. Is that the closest college? Does your mom have a car you could share? If not, you could take a gap year and work to save money for one.
@austinmshauri I don’t even have a permit because of her.
Why won’t your mother let you get a permit? What is she saying she wants you to do after high school?
@Tenjin99 - I have to disagree that the military or national guard would not be a good option for you. This has been a vehicle for several generations of young men and women from disadvantaged backgrounds to gain life experience, discipline, some skills, and college funds. If you are interested in meteorology, there may be something like that available in the U.S. Army, if not as a primary specialty, then as a subset of some other job. You have to take a critical approach, of course, as recruiters can try to sell you more than they are really offering, but it may be worth a look.
@suburbancat the OP has some conditions that may keep him being accepted into the military.
@austinmshauri she doesn’t even take me down there to try it and additionally she doesn’t think I’m mature enough for one. Yet my dad back when he was alive mistakenly bought the family a stick shift car, so that understandably pissed me off.
Maybe you should consider taking a gap year then. You can work, save money, and continue your volunteering with the National Weather Service. Show your mom how responsible you can be.
@austinmshauri I doubt she would do that even if I wasted my energy and did that.
I don’t understand, @Tenjin99. How is working a waste of energy?
@austinmshauri I just want to pay my dues and get out that’s why
If you get a job, you have a better chance of doing that. If you don’t work, your options are limited. The colleges on your list aren’t affordable for most out of state students. If you can save some money, you might be able to afford classes at one of the SC community colleges. That’s what you want, to go to school, right? You’d probably have to get housing closer to the schools, but there are usually apartments available to share. You’ll have to have a job to be able to rent one though.
@austinmshauri I’m applying to both in stage schools and out of state schools you know.
Good. See what response you get from the state schools. Good luck.
You are in a “can’t always get what you want” sort of situation here. Working to earn money, getting a drivers license, etc. are going to have to be part of you paying your dues. Some kids have rich families and don’t have to earn their own money, but most kids do earn at least part of their expenses.
You probably need an in-state public for lower costs. If you have to live on campus until you can get a license and afford a car, there are only four public colleges in South Carolina with guaranteed housing for freshmen: Clemson, SC State, Citadel, and Winthrop.
You just need a place to get started on general education requirements, and take basic math, physics, and computer science for a year or two, and then transfer to major in meteorology. It would be easier to save money if you could live at home and bike or bus or something to community college. The community college would also be easier to attend part-time (dorms are usually for full time students), which would let you transition to college a little more slowly which might reduce your stress.
@AroundHere I’m going to go straight into college.
I found a list of community colleges that have residence halls. Take a look and see if that could be a plan.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_community_colleges_in_the_United_States_with_campus_housing
I know the list is not complete as it does not list the community college in my state that I know has housing.