<p>Thanks all for the clarifications on safeties. And the financial advice.
Yes, I do plan to work during my senior year and the summers before and after that year. I cannot work yet as I am only 15.
I definitely do not plan on relying ONLY on the AFROTC since I know it’s extremely competitive, but I am definitely going to apply anyway.
I take the PSAT next month and I started studying. But even those scholarships aren’t guaranteed. I will put effort into achieving my best possible score though.
Regardless of whether or not I get the scholarship, I’m more than likely going to join AFROTC even if I’m not offered any scholarship, since anyone qualified can choose to participate.
Also, thanks ucbalumnus, I will consider the Air Force Academy. Somehow that option escaped my mind.
PurpleTitan, yes, I have been granted an endowment to attend private school for my academic performance and my dedication to certain ECs.<br>
I guess my parents expect me to pay for college because then they’ll consider me an “adult” who needs to get her stuff together and figure this out.
They won’t leave me completely in the dark though, but they’ll just cut off a considerable contribution. They’re relying on me to get a good scholarship, which are hard to come by nowadays…
cpofthehouse, I am in the honors program at my school. This school is considered one of the most rigorous private schools in the state.
GPA: 4.68 weighted, not including this year. 3.97 simple.
All honors classes, 1 AP. Juniors are limited as to what AP classes they can take. The big year for AP is senior year.
As an eighth grader I took Algebra 1 at that school, so I’m a year ahead in math compared to most of my classmates.
I skipped a grade (5th).
I’m projected (or expected) to take 5 APs next year (Calculus, Spanish, English, European History, Biology or Chemistry (I’m not sure which I wish to take yet, I have time to choose)). Not guaranteed, but more than likely I will be required to take these subjects next year.
ECs:
Cross Country (coach tells me I’ll be captain next year. Only seniors are captains.)
Math Team
Art and Literary Magazine (running for Editor this year, elections held tomorrow)
Spanish Club (we do service projects for the Spanish community)
Respect Life Club (community service, respect for humanity marches, donating, etc.)
I volunteer my time at my local parish for certain events.
I’ve been score keeping at my old grade school.
Obviously my ECs don’t seem stellar, but they are things I dedicate my time to and they are things I love.
That’s why I’m not going to rely on any certain scholarship, and I need to think of back up plans.
I’m taking my SAT II math and science subject tests and the ACT later this year. I’m studying for all of these.
Also, I am taking a dual credit Precalculus H course through my local community college</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids
My parents will pay for cell phone, car insurance, car repairs, etc. If I go out of state far away, I probably won’t have a car, I’d be dropped off and picked up at campus. I’m not “on my own” as far as those concerns. I’m on my own with a lot of paying for college.
I don’t know my EFC, I will have to ask my parents to clarify. I only got a rough estimate of “a couple thousand dollars” last time I asked.</p>
<p>I forgot to add Spanish National Honors Society to my ECs.</p>
<p>Your parents are unlikely to know what the family EFC is for them unless they’ve been on top of the college financial situation. Ask them to run their numbers through the EFC estimator as well as some NPCs for some colleges on your list. See f you qualify for an financial aid, though qualifying does not guarantee you get it. Just the first step, as you get none if you don’t qualify. </p>
<p>You’ve got a bit of a head start on the process,and a direction, so do go to it. But also keep an eye on high probability and sure things as well as highly selective options. </p>
<p>@cptofthehouse Thanks very much, will do. I still have a long way to go, and I will definitely keep my options open.</p>
<p>You mention AROTC… have you also looked at service academies as an option? I am most familiar with the Coast Guard Academy, because that is where my dad attended (and later where he taught). His undergraduate degree was in EE at the CGA, they then paid for his MS in Optical Engineering at URochester. He spent 23 years working in the Coast Guard, and then made a smooth transition to the private sector in Engineering. </p>
<p>
Only 5% of AFROTC scholarships are Type 1. So, definitely do not plan on getting one. Okay, make a small plan, just in case. Sketch a plan for MIT with a Type 1 scholarship, plus a back up or two (I recommend Virginia Tech, and will get to it below).</p>
<p>Odds are you will only get a Type VII scholarship, which is only good in-state for UIUC, UI-Chicago, and Southern Illinois University. Aim for UIUC. It’s a great engineering school which can take you anywhere you want to go (in or out of the Air Force). The stipend starts at $300 per month for up to ten months (never partial months, $300 or nothing). So $2700 to $3000 per year. With room and board running $10,000 to $12,000… you have a good down payment and can work on the other 75%.</p>
<p>THE GREATEST BARGAIN IN AFROTC is the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. They will take your Type VII scholarship, make it a full tuition scholarship, and give you room and board for three years (freshman year is on you). Yes, they have electrical engineering. Personally, I take that deal.
<a href=“http://www.stthomas.edu/engineering/undergraduate/”>http://www.stthomas.edu/engineering/undergraduate/</a>
<a href=“http://www.stthomas.edu/afrotc/scholarship/”>http://www.stthomas.edu/afrotc/scholarship/</a></p>
<p>University of Portland in Oregon offers a slightly less generous program, but is similar. Also, the University of Kentucky offers free room and board in addition to taking your Type VII as full out of state tuition (this actually is a better financial deal than U.St.Thomas). <a href=“Crosstown Schools & Academic Calendars | University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences”>Crosstown Schools & Academic Calendars | University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences;
<p>Finally, take a look at Boston University. They have some good subsidies for AFROTC scholarships.
<a href=“http://www.bu.edu/finaid/types-of-aid/scholarships-grants/merit-based/rotc-scholarships/”>http://www.bu.edu/finaid/types-of-aid/scholarships-grants/merit-based/rotc-scholarships/</a></p>
<p>So, in sum, with an AFROTC scholarship there are some good options for getting your room and board paid for. None of those schools will be confused with MIT, but a free engineering education is a fantastic deal no matter where you attend.</p>
<p>I mentioned Virginia Tech. It is probably only workable with a Type I scholarship but definitely worth looking into. VT offers a leadership scholarship worth between two and four thousand dollars per year. Add this to your stipend and you almost can pay for VT’s incredibly low $8,000 per year room and board cost.
<a href=“http://www.vtcc.vt.edu/join/scholarships/scholarships.html”>http://www.vtcc.vt.edu/join/scholarships/scholarships.html</a>
<a href=“http://www.admiss.vt.edu/cost/”>http://www.admiss.vt.edu/cost/</a></p>
<p>Virginia Tech can at least be mentioned in the same breath as MIT. </p>
<p>If you get into MIT and get a Type I AFROTC scholarship, I say you should do whatever it takes to pay room and board. Probably even worth taking out loans. MIT is the premier engineering school in the world. Don’t let room and board stand between you and an MIT degree.</p>
<p>Other assorted thoughts:</p>
<p>I don’t see much reason to explore Purdue or NC State for AFROTC. UIUC is better than either one. University of Minnesota will also accept your Type VII as full out of state tuition. It is generally considered better than Purdue or NC State. I have nothing against those two schools (in fact I just recommended that my nephew explore Purdue) but you have better options.</p>
<p>I see that you are currently 15. Make sure that you will actually be 17 when college starts in two years. Otherwise, you won’t get a ROTC scholarship.</p>
<p>If you are at all interested in Army or Naval ROTC, let me know.</p>
<p>I know from some students, Army ROTC that paid for 4 years on older sibs offered 3 year to current freshman - he is in ROTC but they are not paying his tuition (I think it has to do with funding cutbacks) - also my niece that is a Captain in the Air Force and worked closely with a college program said the first year student drop out rate was high - so expensive on a cost/benefit measure. The funding cut backs this spring passed down through the ripple effect certainly had a paradigm change - and the slots are in some cases harder to win.</p>
<p>I know a student that went coast guard academy and is doing exactly what she wanted in engineering/ship design and is happy in coast guard.</p>
<p>So you have options (UMinny as a backup to UofI seems smartest, assuming you don’t get in to MIT), but since the AFROTC drop-out rate is high, keep that IL Air Guard option in mind. If you go to UofI, you’d have that as a safety plan.</p>
<p>UIUC is poor in financial aid while their admission rate is relatively high. I think it is not that difficult to get admitted from in state, but it may be difficult to afford it. Getting a great PSAT score for NMF would be a great idea if apply to UMinn and you may end up paying less than going to UIUC in state. UIUC is now off the NMS sponsor list although they use to give around 30 scholarships to NMF/NHF/NA from in state.</p>
<p>@billcsho:</p>
<p>Difficulty of gaining admittance in to UIUC varies greatly by major. BTW, did you read the thread? AFROTC and National Guard (for a kid interested in the military) has been pointed out as methods to pay for UIUC. </p>
<p>@PurpleTitan Yes, I do know the admission rate vary by major at UIUC. My D has gone through the process last year. We visited the campus and attended the admission information session and the engineering information session too. One may still apply as undecided (General Study). The overall engineering admission rate at UIUC is over 60%. I did read through the thread and I do see it is still competitive even AFROTC and NG would be some ways to get funding.</p>
<p><a href=“http://profiles.asee.org/profiles/6085/screen/19?school_name=University+of+Illinois+at+Urbana-Champaign”>http://profiles.asee.org/profiles/6085/screen/19?school_name=University+of+Illinois+at+Urbana-Champaign</a></p>
<p>@billcsho:</p>
<p>Though of that 60%, how many were offered admission in to something other than their first-choice major?</p>
<p>UofI has a habit of not rejecting many kids outright, but admitting them in to their 2nd-choice major (which may be something outside of engineering). There also seems to be an imbalance between what’s desired and what’s available there. For instance, while CS, EE, and CompE seem to all be more desirable at UofI, MechE has far more slots available than any of those 3.</p>
<p>CS in Engineering had a single-digit acceptance rate last year. I don’t expect EE to be anywhere near as hard to enter, but the acceptance rate in to EE is probably lower than the overall Engineering or University acceptance rate.</p>
<p>Most ENGR students applied to specific major and accepted into that or the second choice major (which can be Genral Study). For admitted students not declaring major on application, majority of them got accepted into their desired major too.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Can you share the source of the admission rate for individual program?
I only saw one slide during the information session about individual program and I cannot even find that information anywhere on the web.</p>
<p>@billcsho:</p>
<p>The CS number was from the UofI class of 2018 results thread here on CC. I haven’t seen figures for other majors.</p>
<p>If I were mentoring you, I’d give you this list of questions to ask yourself and work with:
- what is your parents income? If they will give you this info, you can begin to run NPCs and understand what opportunities/limits your family income bracket give you. In your case, a lower family income will serve you very well, but you need to know. (Sounds like your private school scholarship is merit rather than needs based?)
- what are your test scores? most privates administer the PSAT sophomore and junior year. If you don’t have a score yet, you will soon. Register to take the ACT as well - February of junior year is a good first test date if you will be re-taking. High test scores will open numerous doors for you, no need to enumerate these until you know your status here too. You will be taking SAT II’s at the end of this year, and you can register for some sooner if you want to get a head start. You can self study for AP’s if this will enhance your profile. As soon as you know how you test, you will be able to plan with more focus and accuracy. Your GPA is great so far - make sure you keep your grades up this year!
- what does your college counselor advise about your situation? One of the great benefits of attending a small private is having an experienced unburdened college counselor. Take advantage of this resource. At my kids’ school there is a veteran counselor and his co-counselor for classes of ~60 students. The college counselor has an in depth (usually 2-3 hours) meeting with each family spring of junior year and again fall of senior year. You might go over Naviance, your records, your family resources etc., and he will give you his own view of your options. This will also be the opportunity for your parents to understand what the burdens will be on you having to finance your own education. In any case, you should start getting to know your college counselor now. He/she will be writing you a recommendation, which will have some weight in your applications, so take the initiative for ensuring that he/she knows you and can sing your praises in detail.</p>
<p>One of your important tasks is to be looking for your safety school. If you do it right, you only need one. This is a school where you are certain of being admitted, you are certain you can afford the entire cost of attendance, and you will be very happy to attend. Finding this school is a challenge and will be as time consuming as putting together the rest of your college list, but once you find it, you can relax a little and reach a little higher with your other choices. Many students don’t take the time to do this step - don’t make that mistake. </p>
<p>Your ROTC plans sound promising but you need to be planning based on an accurate assessment of your finances and your academic profile. Being a female pursuing EE may open some doors for you. Obviously the service academies would be a free ride, but they are extremely competitive, and require an extreme commitment.
There are other national and institutional scholarships, government programs, foundations etc. that you can look into once you know your constraints. e.g. the CIA offers a scholarship that pays up to 18K/year toward college COA (could be combined with FA and/or other funding such as AFROTC) and would guarantee you a great job with benefits every summer during college. Of course then you owe them a few years of work when you graduate, but if you want to serve your country…anyway, this is just a random example of many possible sources of funding to look into once you’ve answered the questions above. </p>
<p>Lastly, since you’re 15 now, you’ll be 16 for at least part of your senior year. This means you could very easily take a year off to work before your freshman year of college and save a good chunk of change if you’re living at home and expenses are minimal.</p>
<p>@PurpleTitan I wonder if that is from an official source. I also read that the average admission ACT for CS has increased from 32.xx to 34.xx this year. This matches the sudden drop in admission rate this year.</p>
<p>@billcsho, if I remember correctly, someone stated that it was an administrator at UofI who gave that figure, but verbally.</p>
<p>Looking through the results thread there, it seems that to get in to CS in Engineering at UofI now, you have to either already be a software developer (writing apps that sell or already working for a company) or place well in a respectable coding competition or be female/URM. Otherwise, your stats would have to be super-high and even that might not be enough.</p>
<p>EE is likely much easier to get in to, though. Especially if you are female.</p>
<p>I would not be surprised if the UIUC engineering admission rate to drop down to below 50% this year. The admission rate for UMich CoE has dropped from 30% to 20% this year.</p>