<p>I've been reading a lot of web pages and forums where they encourage college bound seniors to apply to every college because "you can afford college". But I'm really worried that I really can't afford some schools and if I should eliminate schools that I probably couldn't afford and not send applications in at all. Or should I apply to these schools and wait to see what financial aid and scholarships I am awarded and make my decision from there?</p>
<p>Also, my family is in the upper middle class and both my parents earn more than $100,000 a year which makes it difficult for me to receive aid. I don't feel rich even though my EFC says that I could afford to pay CRAZY amounts. Sometimes we can't afford things and we don't have disposable money to throw around. So I am actively looking for merit aid and colleges that offer a lot of it. Should I still try to apply for financial aid?</p>
<p>It’s a myth that each student can afford any particular college.</p>
<p>there’s a big reason why MOST college students commute to their local CC or state school…because that is all they can afford. </p>
<p>Most schools do NOT give enough aid. Most schools do not have a lot of free money to give away.</p>
<p>In your case, you have an unaffordable EFC. That can mean that various schools will not be affordable because they won’t give you the aid that you need.</p>
<p>ASK your parents how much they’ll pay each year. Once you know that, then you’ll know how much merit money you’d need to afford college.</p>
<p>UMass Amherst has an excellent CS program as does UMass Lowell. If your GPA is 3.9 out of 4.0 (unweighted) then that is really good, though your SAT’s aren’t quite as good. Anyway, they do award merit aid to top students. I know a few who got full-ride MERIT scholarships as well entrance into the Honors program. Yes, tuition, fees, room, board and guaranteed internships. So it depends on your stats relative to the rest of the applicants. UMass Amherst is harder to get into…
Are you female? If so that will help A LOT, especially if you apply to engineering schools such as RPI, WPI, Case Western, RIT.
There are lots of good CS programs at LACs and universities as well as the engineering schools. Lots of options.</p>
<p>Yes I am a female and also a URM Is Amherst really that hard to get into? Because 18 people from the previous graduation class at my school went there.</p>
<p>My son applied to 11 private colleges plus UMass Amherst and UMass Lowell. He had them at the bottom of his list but at the end when all the analysis and research and visiting had been done, UMass Lowell ending being his third pick. He disliked the Amherst size and campus. He wasn’t too wild about Lowell’s campus either but the CS program and professors are really great. Don’t discount it until you learn more about it.
Plus UMass Lowell has been on a great growth trajectory with new facilities opened recently and others in progress…</p>
<p>The good news is that there are LOTS of good schools with good CS programs. Being a URM and female gives you a bump up in admissions, and may be factor in merit aid. Bringing up your test scores could have a major impact.
Use some of your other criteria and your stats to identify schools you would like (use a good college search tool) and then cross reference that list against lists showing what schools give out lots of merit awards and the size of the awards. [Best</a> Values in Private Colleges, 2011-12](<a href=“http://www.kiplinger.com/tools/privatecolleges/]Best”>Kiplinger | Personal Finance News, Investing Advice, Business Forecasts)
My guess is that your best bet for merit aid lies in the engineering schools because they are short on females and URM’s. Check out WPI, RPI, RIT, Clarkson for example. You might also check the numbers for BU, Northeastern to see if you are competitive there.
What is your guidance telling you?</p>
<p>Ooops. I didn’t look at the previous posts and answered what I thought was the question. I do know UMass (and Amherst). Yes to 66% admitted. The 75%ile for SATs nearer to the OP’s scores.</p>
<p>*Sometimes we can’t afford things and we don’t have disposable money to throw around. So I am actively looking for merit aid and colleges that offer a lot of it. *</p>
<p>Since the OP’s parents have a high income, she first needs to find out if they can pay what they’d be expected to pay.</p>
<p>It sounds like they have cash-flow issues, so it may be impossible for them to pay anything close to their EFC…which will be very high. </p>
<p>Comic…Ask your parents how much they’ll pay each year. </p>
<p>Are you saying that your parents’ combined income is $100k+…or are you saying that each of your parents’ income is over $100k??? Your post isn’t clear. </p>
<p>If your parents’ combined income is about $120k per year, then their “family contribution” will be around $40k per year (or more!). If they’ll pay that, then great. If they can only pay a much smaller amount, then you’ll have to have a carefully chosen list.</p>
<p>Which URM are you?</p>
<p>What is your M+CR score? And will you take both the ACT and SAT again? You need to.</p>
<p>Once you know how much your parents will pay, then you can make a strategic list that might work.</p>
<p>If your parents can’t pay much of their EFC, then even a school like RPI that wants more women won’t likely work. Even if RPI gave you a $10k merit award (which would be a lot for your SAT score), the remaining amount would still require your family to pay the full EFC.</p>
<p>Even UMass-A may not be affordable if the family can’t pay much. If she’s a residential student, the cost will be over $26k per year.</p>
<p>My math + CR was 1230. I will be taking the SAT again in October and probably will try taking the ACT. My guidance councilor is basically encouraging me to apply to top schools because he believes I might be able to get in but he hasn’t talked to me about financing these schools which is my big worry… I’m African-American. And both my parents earn more than $100,000. So combined income is also above $100,000. AHH planning to go to college is so hard</p>
<p>Amherst is generally harder to get into than UMass Amherst, but the latter is much better for a computer science major, based on course offerings. UMass Amherst is also significantly less expensive, at $23,167 per year for in-state cost without financial aid or scholarships.</p>
<p>If your EFC is significantly higher than what your family can afford to contribute<em>, you need to find colleges with either large merit scholarships</em>* that lower the price to an affordable level, or list prices within your affordability range, since need-based financial aid will not be sufficient (except possibly at a few super-generous but reach-for-everyone schools). You can check the net price calculators at the various schools to see what need-based aid will be like.</p>
<ul>
<li>Talk to your parents to find out what they are able and willing to contribute so that you have some numbers to guide planning your application list.</li>
</ul>
<p>** Some may be guaranteed for your stats, which can make them safeties if they bring the cost down to the affordable range, while others are competitive, so that you would assess the school as a reach or match depending on the difficulty of getting the *scholarship<a href=“not%20just%20admission”>/i</a>.</p>
<p>*My math + CR was 1230. I will be taking the SAT again in October and probably will try taking the ACT. My guidance councilor is basically encouraging me to apply to top schools because he believes I might be able to get in but he hasn’t talked to me about financing these schools which is my big worry.</p>
<p>… I’m African-American. And both my parents earn more than $100,000. So combined income is also above $100,000. AHH planning to go to college is so hard
*</p>
<p>I’m still not sure if …</p>
<p>A) EACH parent has a salary of more than $100k…OR…</p>
<p>B) EACH parent earns LESS than $100k but when the two incomes are combined the total is more than $100k.</p>
<p>Which is it…A)…or …B)</p>
<p>And, please ask your parents how much they’ll spend each year on college. That is VERY necessary info.</p>
Is Amherst really that hard to get into? Because 18 people from the previous graduation class at my school went there.</p>