College recommendations?

Parents Forum
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<p>I am hoping to sort of leech off all the research you guys have done for your own kids and your friends' kids, because I have no idea where to start looking!</p>

<p>My little sister is halfway through her junior year, and it is down to her and I to figure out her college stuff. Parents are not interested, that's just our family. She probably had about a 3.3-3.4 her first two years of high school cumulatively, but this semester she has gotten a 4.0 and it looks like that trend will continue-- she seems to "get it" now, so to speak. She is interested in graphic design and has a years worth of experience already working for my dad's company doing professional graphics, but she also has a budding interest in becoming a child psychologist. She is officially employed, paying whatever taxes 16 year olds pay, the whole nine yards doing this graphic design and web design stuff. </p>

<p>No ECs or APs yet, I am trying to encourage her to get more involved but apparently she's followed my high school example. :\ But she has been doing a LOT of work for my dad's company, so maybe that counts as an EC? She must have quite the portfolio coming. </p>

<p>In Michigan is preferable but schools in nearby states would be acceptable-- at present she is not quite ready to go very far away but that may change by the time she has to commit to a school, she's only 16 after all. </p>

<p>I believe my parents income, remembering from last time we did the FAFSA, is around 80k but due to many, many circumstances I have mentioned a few times, my parents really do not have any money to contribute to her education besides maybe paying for two years of community college and cosigning a private loan if necessary. So we need schools that she would be able to get some kind of financial aid at, hopefully, or else she'll be in the same boat I am in with regard to exorbitant amounts of private loan debt, community college or not. </p>

<p>A community college for two years is in no way out of the question, so if that is what's best I am interested in schools that will be good for transferring. I just know that it's been very difficult for me to find aid as someone who ISN'T an incoming freshman anymore, so we haven't ruled out going directly to a 4 year if it is a program that might provide opportunities she wouldn't have otherwise, in terms of financial aid for all four years if she could get some kind of a renewable scholarship that she wouldnt be eligible for as a transfer student.</p>

<p>She is really not impressed by prestige. She scoffed at me when she found out I was going to Umich. :P I do want her to get a good education but a name brand school isn't required-- though I would think if she goes into psych SOME level of name recognition wouldn't hurt for grad school? I don't know much about her prospective fields yet to say.</p>

<p>Any ideas where to start? I am a pre-law poli sci major so psychology and graphic design is pretty far out of my element.</p>

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<p>Couple thoughts. If she could get an apartment, do 2 years at GRCC (Grand Rapids) for the basics and take some classes at Kendall College of Art & Design (Ferris) a couple blocks away. GRCC is a large multi-building CC right in the heart of Grand Rapids that is quite strong. Or Grand Valley for 4 years (art and psychology and great proximity and free transportation to Grand Rapids which is a very cool place for young people). Also I’ve heard Northern’s art department is pretty vibrant and they also have psych - my oldest son was interested in psych when he was in HS and went up to Northern for a long weekend with the psych department. Your sis would probably qualify for a scholarship to Nothern with her GPA and dependent on her ACT and as you know Northern is a bargain and the Marquette area is very “arty.” Northwestern in Traverse City is a 2-year also with strong art and the basics and dorms but a good financial bargain.</p>

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<p>Those are all really good suggestions, thanks! She’s mentioned Kendall but I think it was just the first art school she saw at College Night and we’ve never been to Grand Rapids before, I hadn’t given much thought to GVSU or Northern but those could both be great choices. I got a small scholarship to Northern even as a transfer that would have covered books my first year, so that’s definitely worth a look. She is completely petrified of bridges, but it’s far enough away she’d probably only have to make the trip two or three times a year. XD</p>

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<p>May I ask where the interest in child psych comes from–did she take a psych elective or has she worked with children? If she hasn’t, I would suggest volunteering at some type of program where she would encounter kids who are at risk–either a hospital, social service agency program, or family court. Working with children is very rewarding but also very challenging so she should test that out before heading in that direction.</p>

<p>She might also consider looking into working at a summer camp with an art therapy component where she could work with kids in that capacity. That might also be fun for her.</p>

<p>Sounds like she has quite a bit of artistic talent and experience which is plus–do you think she intends to pursue a double major? Then she would need a school that would offer opportunities for both and that will narrow the field considering your financial requirements. Shouldn’t her HS GC be able to help compile a preliminary list? Since she wants to be in state or nearby it shouldn’t be too difficult.</p>

<p>I don’t know enough about schools in your area to be of much help to you there, but she should really pursue some EC’s relevant to her desired majors as I suggested above.</p>

<p>It’s nice of you to help your sister–best of luck with your/her search.</p>

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<p>She had a brief stay in a pediatric psych ward her sophomore year. Long story short, she is fine now that the matter is being addressed, but last year was a doozy. Apparently she felt it was a positive experience and wants to work in a hospital setting like that, and her therapist has encouraged it. Alhough, she says she always thought she was “the graphic design person” so I think she feels like she’s having an identity crisis about it, we’ll see how it turns out. I’ve just been encouraging her to have an open mind and know that she’s really too young to be the <em>anything</em> person yet if she doesn’t want to be. I agree that some sort of volunteer experience would be beneficial to test the waters more on that, I’ll have to look into what is available for 16 year olds. She will be taking intro to psych next year I expect, which is the only psych class we have before AP. Unfortunately our graduation requirements have changed so there isn’t time for AP psych anymore,which is a shame, it’s the only AP I’d agreed to take and I loved it.</p>

<p>Her GC is the same one I had four years ago, she means well but unless you come in saying “Tell me about this school!” she isn’t much use. I am encouraging sister to try anyway, if nothing else I bet she is knowledgeable about potential ECs or volunteer opportunities. At such a large school it’s hard to know what’s out there.</p>