You do have a few years to do the financial planning so that you can have firm numbers on cost when the student starts making the application list.
However, it is also possible that the student’s interests can change over the next few years. For example, she is very advanced in math, so if she decides to want to major in math, a somewhat different set of colleges would be academically suitable (for a very advanced in math student who wants to be a math major, a college with a strong graduate program in math is desirable).
“I don’t think the AZ schools offer full-ride for NMS. I believe the NM schools do or close to it.”
Yes I meant full tuition or better. Utah does have 30 full rides per year (competitive but not dependent on NMF). There are plenty of other options, Kevin’s list is a good place to start.
It’s a little too early to predict whether this student will have the GPA or (if they resume) the SAT or ACT scores to qualify for scholarships three years from now. In addition, these awards could very well change.
That yolasite link is VERY VERY outdated. You would need to look at every single college website for any school awards listed on it. Really…it’s so outdated it’s not really useful.
University of New Mexico might be a good option when the time comes. Their Amigo Scholarship criteria are more modest than many merit awards, and the costs would be less than instate CA.
I have no idea if they offer mechanical engineering, but they do have engineering programs.
Canadian financial is handed out by the provinces in Canada. If she is a Candian citizen, your daughter may be eligible for financial aid from one of the Canadian provinces. Each province has its own rules on who is eligible.
What paperwork are you needing to complete now? Canadian citizenship paperwork? Or what?
And again i ask…could you please give us an estimated dollar amount you think you can spend annually. You have danced around that answer more than once. Saying “a second income and loans” doesn’t tell us anything useful in terms of suggestions. That second income could be $5000 or $50,000.
Look up the Amigo Scholarship at University of New Mexico. It is a very very good award for OOS students.
You say you don’t qualify for Calgrant…which would imply that your income is above the range for that. Or are you thinking you aren’t eligible because of your home schooling?
You also don’t mention any assets, home equity, etc. For some private universities, primary home equity IS counted to some degree when need based aid is determined.
At this point, the best thing you can do…encourage your student to get the best possible grades, and then the best possible standardized test scores.
Like I said earlier, an NPR broadcast a couple of days ago stated that the UCs will be going test optional for the next two admissions rounds, then they will be omitting the standardized tests for two years after that. If this is actually happening, your kid will not be submitting ACT or SAT scores for UC consideration. I think the CSUs are included in this…but you need to check.
This change in admissions materials will also change how admissions are done at these colleges.
I recommend that she take AP Bio anyway - otherwise, she’s not as competitive with any similar students for the same positions. Believe me, I’m in a family full of people who’d rather just do more math/physics/chemistry instead. Nonetheless, it is an important class on the resume for a kid going into STEM.
For the Physics Olympiad - her teacher should be able to get her into the first round placement exam, if necessary at a different local location. I know how it works for the Chemistry Olympiad - teachers have to register their students to take the local exam, which feeds to the next level. If she doesn’t have a physics teacher at her school at all, then look yourself via google to see where the local section exam might be and how to join it. Be aware that most kids doing any of these Olympiads have at least 1-2 years of high school coursework under their belts, and you can try again each year.
Art of Problem Solving definitely has a Chemistry Olympaid preparatory course (WOOT) but I don’t know about Physics (wouldn’t surprise me).
@fretfulmother If the student is interested in Engineering or Math or Physics or Chemistry then I don’t think AP Bio is crucial if they are taking AP Physics/AP Chem
I respectfully disagree. All of the competition for those spots/scholarships will have taken it. This is different from the olden days when we applied.
I’d like to voice an alternate view here. Your student just finished 9th grade, right? It seems to me that you are emphasizing the interests in engineering and completely ignoring any other areas, some which might not even be in your kid’s comfort zone right now, but which she might actually really like…if given the chance.
Long time posters know my story. My younger child wanted to be an engineer. She claimed she always wanted to be an engineer. Her dad is an engineer so it’s not like she has no familiarity with the profession. She actually applied to a great school as an undeclared major…but by beginning of her sophomore year, she had declared engineering as her major. Her college had a very strong core course requirement which required students to take courses across many disciplines. She always liked those courses because they gave her a different view than engineering did. Well…middle of her junior year, she announced she had enough credits to pick up a second major…with just a few additional courses. She did this second major…and finished her engineering degree as well.
She will never be an engineer. She loved the coursework and the applied math courses, and received a senior honors award for her senior research in engineering. But she decided she never wanted to work as an engineer…it just wasn’t her thing.
She spent 2 years in the Peace Corps, came back and prepared for the MCAT, applied to medical schools…and graduated this spring.
My point is…at age 14 or 15, please don’t pigeon hole your kid into a future career. Sure, nurture her interests, but provide sufficient opportunities to explore other areas as well.
This will make her a more well rounded person. And that will benefit her in the end.
She may decide that this engineering path is the right one…but if she has no other experiences, she will be making that decision in a vacuum.
Re: paperwork - it’s for the kid’s Canadian citizenship. Been on the backburner but should be something we do as it will be needed in the future.
Regarding finances. They haven’t been pinned down yet. Had the Bradley scholarship been awarded there would have been a) tuition for an online high school or local day school b) time freed up for a second job and c) savings being accrued from said second job. Due to the unique schooling situation, haven’t been able to transition back to that just yet.
Because… I haven’t gotten around to the kid’s ECs/other life. Still answering great feedback upthread re: schools, budget.
For now: the kid is a consecutive national medallist in a non-recruitable sport, who also competes state in another sport (the second is not our choice, but the pre-requisite for the conditioning training that leads to the first sport). A huge amount of time & money is spent here. The current competitive season is shot, along with the volunteering associated with it. No family vacations but travel for competition with a day or two tacked on the end. She has seen museums and galleries in 10 states over the past four years.
Busy summarizing some of Kevin’s thread to show what is similar, and what isn’t.
Being national in a sport (even if not NCAA) ups the odds for those hard-to-get full-tuition/full-ride scholarships at elite schools like Duke. Also USC.
Another voice to say that AP bio isn’t necessary for an engineering hopeful and not “everyone” will have it. At many schools there aren’t enough periods in the day to take all three of the AP core sciences because of pre-reqs. My D’s HS had H bio in 9th, H chem in 10th, H physics in 11th, and then one of those as AP. Some students got special permission to double up senior year but it wasn’t possible to meet all the graduation requirements and do all three. My D’s graduation class (Class of '18) had 9 NMFs and 25 students with 4.0 GPAs and 98th percentile scores. More than 1/2 are studying engineering either with full rides or at T10s for engineering, without having taken all three.
My D is a chem e and just now as a junior has to take a bio selective. It’s only one course. The mech es don’t have to take any unless they are doing BME concentration. Math and physics were much, much more integral for engineering.
(Interestingly, when I was in school, in the olden days, I was able to take all three but there were no pre-reqs so students went straight to the AP level with that was your track).
@momofsenior1 - in a high school where it’s impossible, I can see a kid not taking AP Bio. In a school where it’s possible, it will put OP’s daughter at a disadvantage if she doesn’t take it.
Look, OP wants to maximize DD’s chances of getting merit aid and/or T10 admissions in STEM. The more AP sciences, the better, and the more she’ll compare well with her competition. In fact, adding APES (environmental) as a fourth would be even better. I’ve been teaching/advising for over 20 years, and that’s my professional opinion. Maximize STEM APs with scores of 5 (most crucial being Physics C, Calc BC, and Chemistry), then maximize other APs with scores of 4 or 5, then maximize APs taken in time for the application (by end of 11th grade).
Do kids sometimes get into MIT or get tricky merit awards without AP Bio? Sure. But we’re talking about a general strategy for maximum success here. Why tie one hand behind her back?
Interjecting to voice my appreciation for the differing opinions/expertise. AP Bio is a third rail for the kid due to a Cronenbergian dread of blood/innards. Good luck with that if wanting children - which the kid does. Will have to get over that. Perhaps she can take AP Bio senior year.
“STEM” is a rather broad category. Biology is the biggest STEM major, but it is rather likely that, if admission readers are distinguishing by major, what they are looking for in prospective biology majors and pre-meds may not necessarily be the same for prospective engineering majors.
A biology major or pre-med would normally prioritize chemistry and biology in high school (but should include physics, not necessarily AP). An engineering major would normally prioritize physics and chemistry (but should include biology, not necessarily AP). Not all high school students can fit all three sciences at the AP level in high school (many realistically can only take all three regular and one at the AP level).
First best estimate for our family’s budget, if no masters:
*$15k for tuition/board
*$5.5k the kid’s loan first year for tuition/board
(then $5.5k, $6.5k, $7.5k - offset somewhat by summers working)
*$5k for incidentals (fees, moving in/out, unexpected what-have-yous)
There are a few years to go, it’s why the figures could change. But not something like $50k per year.
Again, per the kid’s current interests, a masters will be required. The school that would be a great fit set tuition at $45k this year. So a low-cost undergrad will be important.
Kevin’s thread was so interesting because even though things seemed set (junior year applicant with GPA & testing established, ECs clear, budget in place), there was so much growth. He ended up with 23 applications, which is more than our family wants to deal with - essays, then more essays, anyone? - but worked incredibly well for his bank account.
Since we are looking for merit, there are NPCs that don’t indicate the unicorn scholarships (like Rose Hulman’s ultimate $0 option). Now, his kid had impeccable credentials. But it’s nice to know not to reject an application out of turn.
Already this thread has been invaluable for my parental education, and way less noise for the kid to deal with (especially from me) down the line.
There are subtleties in auto-merit vs competitive merit, whereby some auto-merit scholarships prioritize UW GPA (particularly a 4.0) without looking at the courses taken, whereas competitive merit considers courses, ECs and everything else. So different approaches may be needed, particularly in terms of whether you take the most challenging AP courses and risk losing the 4.0. At least for the moment I would prioritize keeping that for sophomore year and then think in junior year about whether a 4.0 is still a feasible option or if you need to put more emphasis on ECs etc.
For example, Utah (at present) gives full tuition OOS scholarships for 4.0UW/33-34 ACT. If you lose a 4.0 then you may not get that scholarship at all. But you can still compete for the full rides which are judged mainly on the overall portfolio (and consider things like URM status as well).