<p>ive noticed u live in CA... well berkeley is free for CA residents...</p>
<p>Berkeley is free??????????? Is it just me or is there a full moon?</p>
<p>Yea, like Josh said, low income is becoming a bigger "tip" than it usually was before because colleges are pushing for a more diverse campus in terms of socioeconomic status</p>
<p>If you have great stats, top 10%, SATS over 1400 then being low income is an admissions advantage at many of the top schools. Depending on where you apply you may receive a very favorable fin aid package. Unfortunatley most of these schools rely heavily on ED admissions and that is risky for lwo incomes. Top 20% in the 1300's things get "iffy" and below that you're probably heading to a lower level state, unless you want to take on major loans. The problem especially in the Northeast is that many state flagships, Penn State for example are out of reach financially for most low income students.</p>
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<li><p>Many schools are need-blind (look this up since it varies from school to school), meaning they will admit you first, and only after that will they look at your financial aid application and award aid. For the top schools with huge endowments, this means that once you're admitted, THEY WILL DO EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER to make sure you can afford attending their school.</p></li>
<li><p>If being from such a low-income family drastically affected your educational experience/life/outlook/obstacles/character, you can definitely weave it into your essay. Admissions officers do understand the difference between a high GPA received by a well-off student with access to private tutors and one achieved by a first generation student who has had to navigate the school system herself, act as translator for her parents, and fill out paperwork by herself since the tender age of 7 (my experience anyways!). Sensitive topic that can become too cliche, use your judgement.</p></li>
<li><p>Questbridge is the best! Congrats squiggle22! Although I did not end up using the college match program, the opportunities it opened up were amazing. Williams actually contacted me after I told them I opted out of the college match program to tell me that they wanted me back in so that they could give me a full ride scholarship to their school that also included a full ride to any graduate school of my choice. Ridiculous offer but I couldn't because Williams lacked the one thing I absolutely refused to compromise... location close to a True Jesus Church. Also, I was invited to Princeton for an all-expense paid flyback weekend. Princeton, along with the other Ivys, is really stepping up its outreach to students of all socioeconomic levels and is succeeding quite well in my opinion (no loans!). Finally, Questbridge gives you the option of forwarding its application to schools like Stanford and Princeton as well as scholarship programs such as Gates Millennium which adds a real plus to any application. The Questbridge application is so extensive that it lets individual personality shine through. With that said, if you apply to this program, start early because the application process is long and the deadline EARLY.</p></li>
<li><p>A huge scholarship available to low-income minorities (though difficult to receive) is Gates Millennium (covers all loans/workstudies/unmet need... basically full-ride if your EFC is 0) for any undergraduate school and graduate school as well if you go into the sciences for a MA or PhD. For scholarships specifically geared towards Asian Americans, check out <a href="http://www.ocanatl.org/%5B/url%5D">http://www.ocanatl.org/</a>.</p></li>
<li><p>Don't forget about FAFSA (file Jan. 2007) or that many college financial aid applications are due in Jan.</p></li>
<li><p>Be agressive about asking for financial assistance for everything from AP exams to SAT exams to college application fees. Talk to your counselor about this. Is he/she aware of your financial situation and academic aspirations? If yes, great! If no, get to know him/her as soon as possible.</p></li>
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<p>Apologies for the long post but after having such a wonderful college/scholarship application experience I need to tell the whole world about QuestBridge, Gates Millennium, and schools that were completely accomodating of financial needs in hopes that it'll help someone else.</p>
<p>Oh! And for virtuoso<em>735, you're lucky in that the UC system is very strong academically. Go to <a href="http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/payingforuc/fin">http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/payingforuc/fin</a></em>aid.html for financial aid information, as well as a financial aid calculator. </p>
<p>And no, the UCs are not free (though we all wish they were!)</p>
<p>Virtuoso...you're family's income is under $15k and you can afford to shop at A&F?</p>
<p>Yeah i've read books on admissions saying, " I can't resist a good first generation (college) kid"</p>
<p>berkeley is definately not FREE to california residents .... even if ur low income (like i am) you'd still have to pay for college sooner or later depending on how much of the loans you get....</p>