<p>So yesterday I was accepted into Duke University.:-) I am hugely ecstatic about this. However,i am in a really tough situation. Because my parents have been so fixated on me attending the state school and are not willing to pay any more than they would at that school, we are just about to file the FAFSA(waiting for parents' pin). The only way in which I can attend this school is if I obtain some sort of significant scholarship equivalent of about 30000 dollars. This seems about as impossible as it can get..I have applied for scholarships but to no avail..I am planning on calling the financial office and explaining my situation but I'm not sure if this could make an impact. Considering that our EFC is quite high and FAFSA usually only gives my family a 3000 loan, I wasn't expecting much from that route. However, I doubt I am a scholarship recipient at the university. Basically, unless I can find a way to obtain the 30000 per year, I would have to settle. Any one else been in this predicament or have any advice ??</p>
<p>Yes, many have been in the same predicament, and the usual result is to go to a cheaper school.
It certainly did not help that you did not apply for finaid. Duke also requires the Profile which I assume you did not do yet either.</p>
<p>It seems to me you're pretty much screwed, as far as going to Duke goes. As other people have pointed out, if colleges accepted "my parents won't help," then no parents would ever help. Which would probably be a good thing, but colleges are in business to make money, not to give it away.</p>
<p>I bet that Duke's financial aid office is getting 100 calls a day from kids whose parents won't help. And I bet they have a "too bad, so sad, can't pay? buh-bye" line all prepared. </p>
<p>The silver lining is that a school's reputation and prestige depends a lot on the kids that go there and graduate. As more and more bright middle class kids go to state schools, the reputations and prestige of those schools will continue to increase. There was a time when a shocking number of Nobel prize winning scientists were graduates of the City College of New York. I don't think it would be such a tragedy if those days returned.</p>
<p>Good luck to you sweetdaisies.</p>
<p>I understand that you are distraught, imagine how your parents feel.</p>