<p>Your situation was just like mine!–well somewhat I migrated from the Philippines about seven years ago. But my parents wantED me to enroll in a college in the Philippines (UP, La Salle, etc.). They said that it would be much cheaper —which is true. </p>
<p>With an EFC of 0, I couldn’t expect them to pay for my education anyways. So, I decided to just follow my “dream” and apply to US schools. </p>
<p>ALSO, think about this. WHERE DO YOU PLAN TO LIVE IN THE FUTURE? A Philippines degree won’t hold much “credibility” here or in Europe, regardless of the prestige it has within the Philippines. There is still that bias against degrees from colleges in third-world countries. If you do plan on living in the Philippines, then a Philippine degree is the best way to go.</p>
<p>@bigcrit: Yes, community college is something I’ve thought about. In fact, a Filipino girl I know resorted to this because of her own family’s pressures and financial situation. But I’m not so keen on staying with my family any longer than necessary, and living on my own would be counter-productive to saving for college. Plus, my guidance counselor gave me a *** kind of look when I talked to her about it, since she assumes I’m one of the few in my school who are 4-year private college bound.</p>
<p>@banmaisen Yay, someone who understands! Yes, schools in the Philippines are cheaper, but there’s a reason for that. I see myself living/working in the US or western Europe, and Philippine degrees don’t hold much water in those places unless they’re accompanied by an MBA from an Ivy or something. I love the Philippines to death, but I just don’t see it any more than the place I was born and the place I’ll be retiring in.</p>
<p>First off: thank whatever deity or lack thereof you believe in that you’re a permanent resident. You’ll be treated equal to U.S. citizens in the application and financial aid process–for both need- and merit-based aid.</p>
<p>Your EFC -might- be doable through the maximum federal loans, if you’re awarded Perkins and/or you can get a small private loan. That’s a lot of debt to take on, but the alternative–going to university in a foreign country where you are illiterate in the native language–is especially unappealing.</p>
<p>If the EFC is too high for you to cover independently without co-signers, you basically have two options: 1) school in the Philippines, or 2) a merit-based full ride in the U.S., probably at a “non-prestigious” school. What kind of SAT scores do you have, if any? Have you taken the PSAT for practice (many schools administer it to sophomores)? If you can make National Merit Finalist, that will open up full-ride opportunities at “lesser” schools–but in your case, those schools may well be preferred to the family alternative.</p>
<p>
On the surface, this is excellent advice; however, the implied advice is terrible. Do not “just” focus on doing well in high school; ignoring the elephant for two years will not make it magically go away. You are right to start thinking about the ramifications of your parents’ decisions early.</p>
<p>I can understand your parents’ wish to save money by having you educated “back home”. However, you aren’t a US citizen yet. Choosing to complete your college degree while still in greencard status can be very problematic. In order to maintain your US permanent residence you will have to travel back to the US roughly every 6 months or you will have to get a re-entry permit before you leave (an apply for new re-entry permits periodically during the time of your studies). Two round-trip tickets to the Philippines each year would almost certainly be more than full tuition and fees at your local community college! A re-entry permit will allow you to be out of the US for almost two years at a stretch, but at least a month is required to process the application.</p>
<p>You need to talk with an immigration lawyer before you make a decision to study abroad while trying to maintain your greencard. You may be better advised to naturalize ASAP.</p>
<p>Another thing to take into account when talking with your parents about your college education, is that they may be hoping you will find an appropriate spouse during your college years. It would be much easier for you to meet the Philippine boy/girl of their dreams (and maybe yours) if you study in that country. Not to mention that you would improve your spoken language skills, and that you would master the written language. These cultural items may be very important to them.</p>
<p>As to the guidance counselor’s funny look when you mentioned community college: guidance counselors have their dreams too! And one of those dreams is to help good students get into colleges/universities that the counselors think are the best ones for those students. You need to make it very clear to your guidance counselor that while you appreciate her good thoughts, you have to deal with your family’s particular problematics. Community college (some have dorms so you wouldn’t necessarily have to live at home) may end up being your best option. If your counselor wants you to go to X College or Y University instead, she is going to have to help you come up with the money, and she is going to have to help you convince your parents.</p>
<p>But if the OP does well in high school to earn enough merit aid, then the elephant WILL magically go away. If he/she doesn’t get enough financial support (from college or parents) and doesn’t want to accumulate a huge amount of debt or go to a non-prestigious school in the US, then the options are limited.</p>
<p>@Keilexandra My 10th grade PSAT score was 185 (CR 61, M 65, W 59). My 7th grade SAT score (thru JHUCTY) was 1650, so with that upward curve and enough studying I think I’ll be able to get my junior year PSAT up to around 200-220. I’m not sure if that will be enough for a Merit scholarship. But I am looking at instate publics that could possibly give me more financial aid and more of a chance of a full ride, but that would require me to get near perfect test scores. I’m also looking more at private schools (and UNC & UVA) that help meet full need, since that would alleviate the burden I would shoulder.</p>
<p>@happymomof1 I think that my family actually wants me to lose my permanent residency, and have me stay in the Philippines - going against all of my plans, goals, and dreams. We’re a very family-centric culture, so they want to have all generations living together. My parents said they only came here so I could have my primary & secondary schooling in the US, which doesn’t even make sense. With exorbitant airfare prices and migration issues, there would be no way I could return to the US periodically. And I can’t be naturalized since my parents don’t want to be US citizens, and even if I could force one of them into it, the years-long backlog would cause the process to exceed my 18th birthday. As for the cultural things, I think my family likes how ‘Americanized’ I am, and would prefer if I married into an American family. Which basically throws off all of their arguments for staying in the Philippines.</p>
<p>I honestly think my family is just dangling this unknown sum of money over my head, trying to force me into a decision I may regret. I know that going to school in the Philippines won’t be a complete loss (one of my aunts in the Philippines is doing well at a multinational corporation and is one the biggest proponents for my higher education in the Philippines), but having spent 2/3 of my life in the US and knowing all the great things about the schools here, I don’t see why I should be forced to go back.</p>
<p>My likely EFC (assuming one of my parents is working and earning the usual) is $11000 (FM) or $8000 (IM). </p>
<p>The lower one is the full 4-year cost of attendance at an top institution in the Philippines, which highlights the disparity between tuition here and tuition there.</p>
<p>Schools that meet full need might still be problematic because often the financial aid package they offer you will include loans. Some schools have no loans in their packages, but many do. If you are borrowing to meet your EFC that might get to be too much.</p>
<p>I’m originally from the Philippines as well and was in exactly the same predicament you are. My family is well-off in the Philippines, I’ll be a legacy student at UP-Dilaman, etc. But in the end, I decided to go to school in the states. It’s so much more diverse here and, since you’ve grown up here, you’ll feel much more comfortable. The college experience just isn’t the same over there.</p>
<p>You can get into competitive business schools in the US with an undergrad degree from the Philippines. One of my cousins went to UP and then got her MBA from the Sloan School at MIT. Her husband, also UP, went to Harvard Business School. But don’t think I’m taking your parents’ side.</p>
<p>It sounds as if your parents may be second-guessing themselves on moving to the US. I’m assuming you’re the oldest in your family? You may want to talk with them about the fact that you won’t be seeing them as much if you go to college in the PI. And how difficult it will be for you to focus on your studies if they’re not nearby. If they give you the grandparent argument, as much as you may love your grands, they can’t take your parents’ place.</p>
<p>@TheConquistador I’m having the same feeling as you. College to me isn’t just about the academics (though actual school is like 90% of the deal for me), it’s also about independence and and experience. I just can’t get that with a school in the Philippines, since I’ll be living at home with some relative or the other. My parents have dominated my life for a decade and a half, I think I need to go off on my own now. I’m a legacy at Ateneo & De La Salle and a whole host of other great Philippine schools, but they won’t offer what I’m looking for in college.</p>
<p>@Little Mother: I know it’s not impossible to go to a good grad school with an undergrad degree from the Philippines, but grad school is just another expense and chunk of my life going to school that I haven’t really taken time to consider. My parents are definitely second-guessing themselves - once the recession hit, they almost dropped everything and flew us back. But I told them it wasn’t fair of them to do that to me (and my younger siblings, but they aren’t old enough to care what country they’re in), since all of my plans involve me staying put. As for help from my guidance counselor - my parents have thus far refused to speak with her, saying they don’t want to “look mean” in front of her or be “brainwashed” by her.</p>
<p>Techie - Earning enough merit aid for the OP to be completely self-sufficient IS the same as going to “a non-prestigious school in the US.” The OP needs to do well in HS -and- seriously consider starting now the ramifications of his situation.</p>
<p>OP, start studying now for the PSAT. 223 will qualify you in any state; I think NY (is that your state of residence) is a few points lower.</p>
<p>No, I unfortunately do not live in NY. I live in one of the states directly below. :(</p>
<p>I’ve obviously been doing my best in high school (except for that unfortunate B in AP Euro last marking period) so maybe I’ll qualify for some merit-based aid, depending on what school I choose, and I’ll be counting on federal aid and other need-based aid. </p>
<p>I don’t think I qualify for Pell Grants, since I’m not impoverished (unless my parent manages to stay unemployed for two years), but are there any specific scholarships or grants any of you would recommend I apply for in the coming year? Perhaps one geared to Filipino students?</p>
<p>Hmm. So you live in NJ? That state has one of the highest PSAT cutoffs in the country for National Merit Semi-Finalist.</p>
<p>GPA is important, but as long as you maintain a 3.7-3.8, what really matters statistically is your test scores. There are too many valedictorians in this country, but many fewer vals with 2300+ SATs.</p>
<p>You shouldn’t depend on outside scholarships for aid; they will help, but the balance will come from institutional (school-specific) aid. The top schools promise to meet full need (but you’ll still have to cover EFC); alternatively you could look for 3rd/4th-tier full rides.</p>
<p>Ravenclaw, it sounds like your parents’ position is unlikely to change anytime soon. The only thing you have control over right now is your studying habits, grades, and test scores. You, as a child, probably should not expect to change the minds of several adults whose opinions on this matter are firm. Further, you don’t know which U.S. schools will accept you two years from now and with what kind of financial aid. And until you do, you can not realistically map out a strategy now except to expand the list of schools you’d like to apply to in addition to the top publics and privates. A full ride to one of these schools would, of course, be ideal to you.</p>
<p>So if I were you, I would study like crazy as if my life depended on it. (Your future does anyway.) Then when the time comes to apply to colleges, give yourself more options by applying to more schools in the U.S. (and possibly Canada too?) if you don’t want to return to the Philippines. </p>
<p>That’s the point of my suggestion, Keilexandra.</p>
<p>^Then I misinterpreted your original post as implying that the OP should just forget about his financial predicament for now. It will affect his options two years from now, no matter how hard he studies–though he certainly should study as if his future depended on it. For instance, I would recommend against Canada because he’d be paying international tuition with very little chance of receiving need- OR merit-based aid.</p>
<p>I should probably clear this up: I’m a girl who lives in Pennsylvania. So maybe I should reconsider Penn State, which I wrote off very early in my college search as a big party school that would be a very bad environment for me. But beggars can’t be choosers. :(</p>
<p>I don’t see myself even being valedictorian, since my school gives lots of credit for band, orchestra, and choir; none of which I am a part of and definitely screwing with my rank. I’m probably the only kid in my entire grade studying during Spring Break, but the end should hopefully justify the means. My UW GPA is around 3.9, and maybe I’ll get it up to 4.0 by the end of the marking period, which will probably result in a 4.0 for my entire sophomore year.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of the advice. I’ll try to summarize all of these options to my parents, and try to get them to speak with my college counselor. All attempts at communication with my parents usually end terribly (just today I tried giving my mom a brochure on finaid and she just laughed at me and told me I didn’t need finaid), but I have a year to try, right?</p>
<p>PA, well, that is a bit better for NMF. Not a lot, but some.</p>
<p>If you think Penn State is too big, do consider UPitt. If you can get your SATs high enough, you may qualify for a full-tuition scholarship there; which still leaves a chunk to pay, but much less.</p>
<p>i’m in a similar situation. i’m a junior in high school right now in the US and i could go to college in korea for free at a lib arts school thats taught in english within a large university that my dad teaches at. the academics are top notch and admissions are really competitive, but the prestige is obviously lacking worldwide. my korean’s been stagnant for a long time and i’d like to learn my native language and culture but my parents want me to go to a good school in america, but they say that going there isn’t a bad option either. what i think i’ll do is apply to the school in korea as a match and consider it one of my options if i don’t get into my reaches here in the us.</p>
I migrated from the Philippines about seven years ago. But my parents wantED me to enroll in a college in the Philippines (UP, La Salle, etc.). They said that it would be much cheaper —which is true. </p>