Hi there!
So the deadline for committing to colleges is nearing and I am still undecided. I’m a first-generation college student so my parents don’t understand the purpose of dorming; I have tried to explain it in the best of my ability to my parents, but they are very against it. Yes, I do want to attend a college 6 hours away but my parents are not giving me their full support and it honestly sucks.
In addition, my financial package for this school isn’t the greatest. In the end, I still have a total of 10,000 to pay off by myself; parents, is this worth it? Should I be going away for college despite my parents protests and the price?
Again, my parents never went to college and that element really makes things a hundred times tougher for me.
I could do that but I hear a lot of people say that freshman year is the most important. With that being said, the commuter college near me is ridiculously overcrowded; I just don’t see myself getting the connection and networks I want in this commuter college.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with attending Hunter. When it is time to get an internship or even a part time job, you are already right in the city at 66th and lex.
How much did you get from Geneseo; because3 even with full tap, full Pell and the full federal loan you will still need about 7k to make it work.
@sybbie719 I received around 12k in aid for Geneseo, leaving me with 12k to pay on my own. I really want to study in the sciences and I know Hunter has a great program but I hear the all their introductory, 101 classes have 600 students in it. I’m not sure if every school operates their science programs like that but 600 students seems terrifying.
Sounds like full tap, full pell and a SUNY credit. Even with the loan you are going to be short. If your parents have a 0 EFC, how do you propose that they pay the balance? It would be unwise for them to take a plus loan.
We’re you eligible for HEOP OR SEEK from either school?
Are you graduating in the top 10% of your class ? What do you plan to do in stem? You may be eligible for a STEM Scholarship for full tuition minus ant Tap.
Even if Hunter has a large lecture section, you will meet for smaller recitation and labs
@sybbie719 No, I wasn’t aware of the HEOP/SEEK program schools offered at the time so I didn’t apply for it.
Yes I am; I’m still undecided in what I want to do, but definitely something in the sciences.
Hunter is a pretty strong option here. I would want Geneseo in your situation, but if it isn’t affordable, then it isn’t. It’s not likely you can come up with $10k/year on your own.
If the finaid award isn’t including student loans, you can get a loan for $5500 and that leaves $4500 to be paid from summer earnings, work study, and maybe the Bank of Mom and Dad? Have you not saved anything for college since you were old enough to work? Do you have a car you can sell? Electronics you can hawk? Really, $4500 is doable if you give it some thought.
I understand your desire to go to Geneseo. It will be life-changing for you. It’s a SUNY school, so you are not asking for anything unreasonable – like NYU or some other wildly-expensive-and not-worth-it college.
The only thing is, you have to come up with the $10k. Do you have work/study? Can you get a full-time job in the summers and on breaks? Can your parents contribute even a little—like $500 or $1,000?
As for convincing you parents: First you have to convince them that you can cover the costs. Then, have they seen the campus? Maybe after they see it, they will understand why you want to go there.
@brantly Yes I was offered work/study for Geneseo; I most likely won’t be able to come up with ten grand off the top of my head. I’m trying to apply for as much scholarships as I can, but the price still seems highly unlikely for me to afford.
My parents are just a bit stubborn and, because I am their only child, I can understand why they won’t want me to go away. I’ve been considering studying at Hunter for one year and transferring to an out-of-state college my remaining 3 years. Is that an option I should be considering?
@Hanna Yeah, it’s a very tempting offer. I’ve been considering talking to my parents about staying for Hunter for one year and transferring to Geneseo or other out-of-state colleges my remaining years. Is that a viable option that I should be considering?
@nerdmaster If you are not likely to come up with the ten grand, then you have no need to convince your parents to let you dorm. You can’t afford to go to Geneseo. Of course you can apply to transfer, but you’d still have to come up with the money.
Hunter is a great school. Are you a Macauley Scholar?
Can you ask Geneseo if you can defer for a year and come in as a sophomore from Hunter? I dint know if it even works like that. Or defer for a year and work to save up money. Surely you can earn at least 15k in a year that will greatly offset your costs, then you can work during summers. I see that your parents don’t want you to go, but you will get a great educstion and experience at Geneseo and they should want you to have the best start in your adult life. Geneseo is a lovely school, my kid was accepted there. Good luck to,you!
@Lindagaf I went to Geneseo’s overnight multicultural trip and fell in love with the students and campus. It was honestly my dream school.
No, I think my parents want me to start college the Fall of 2016, they’re pretty strict about that. I was planning to transfer to Geneseo my sophomore year, as a transfer student. Is that a good option?