I’m a Canadian high school junior looking into American colleges. I am an american citizen, so i would be paying out-of-state fees. I know tuition and fees in the US are much higher than in Canada, I’d say approximately 50k a year, if i’m not wrong…
This is something my family can definitely not afford. I don’t know anything about how financial aid works. What is the average amount of financial aid that students receive? What about scholarships? What else can I do to hopefully pay less?
Average amounts of aid don’t matter. You need to know what your family might get. Run the net price calculator on each school website to get an estimate of what it might cost. If your stats are high you may qualify for merit aid. Check college financial aid pages to see what they offer.
How much can your parents pay per year without borrowing? If they haven’t told you yet you should find out.
Without financial aid some private schools will run you nearly $100k Canadian, all-in. At those prices it’s a short list of US schools with that kind of value proposition over Canada’s best.
Well…if you are a tippy top outstanding student with excellent high SAT or ACT scores and an excellent GPA, you could apply to University of Virginia and University of North Carolina Chapel Hill…both are public universities that meet full need for all accepted students…if they calculate you have financial need.
Or you could apply to some of the private colleges that guarantee to meet full need for all students.
Does your family have financial need? Or not?
There are Net Price Calculators on each college website…try running those.
How much are your parents willing and able to pay? You need that info from them along with financial info to complete FAFSA and NPCs to get an idea what schools are going to expect you to pay.
Your grades and test scores will determine what schools are good targets for you. You should be looking for schools that are sure to take you and that you can afford. Once you nail some of those, you can play the lottery at those schools where you at least have some chance of affording.
If you want to let us know what your family estimated EFC is and what your parents Can pay, along with your grades, class rank, courses completed, test scores, we can help you a bit more. All of these things make a difference.
You do not need what your parents are willing to pay to complete the FAFSA or the NPCs. In fact, neither cares at all what you are willing to pay. If you are starting college in 2020, you need your parent 2018 tax year income and assets…and if your parents are U.S. citizens, their 2018 tax return. And you need the values of their assets…bank accounts, savings, money in the mattress, etc.
That is the information you will enter in the NPCs and the FAFSA form…and the Profile if you apply to colleges requiring that.
The schools will use that data to calculate what they feel your family CAN pay. And really…what you think your family is willing and able to pay doesn’t get factored into the school calculations.
My dad is a single father, and he would be able to pay about 20k a year without borrowing. I’m planning to apply to highly competitive bs/md programs. My GPA should be about a 3.85 by the time I am applying. As for my SAT scores, i’m yet to take the test. However, I most likely won’t be applying to schools unless I get higher than 1450-1500. In terms of courses completed, that’s all the mandatory ones, i.e. english, maths, sciences (biology and chemistry), 2 years of french, history, geography, etc. Canadian schools don’t do class ranks… however I would say i’m in the top 10% of 350. Thanks for the help.
Is your mother alive? A lot of the schools that offer the most financial aid will want her financial information if she is alive. If you have had no contact at all with her, a non custodial parent waiver can be requested.
How much is your father willinhband sbke to borrow?
I would start by completing an EFC estimator with your father’s Info.
Which highly competitive BS/MD programs do you plan to apply to? Frankly, the finances are not the biggest concern here…you need to get accepted first, and these programs are more competitive for admissions than the elite colleges in this country.
What else have you done EC wise that would make you a competitive applicant for BS/MD programs?
@WayOutWestMom your thoughts?
BS/MD programs are highly selective. The also cost money. Unless there is one with instate rates, $20k a year is not going to cut it.
It’s very early for this student. No test scores, not the highest GPA. Both are future hopeful guesses which really mean nothing. When all courses, are completed after end of junior year, and we have an ACT or SAT score, we can talk about possibilities.
I have only began to look at BS/MD programs recently, and I’m aware that some of the top students in the country do not get accepted. Once I look further into the possibility of me getting accepted, I will decide whether or not its worth going through the grueling application process when I will most likely not get accepted, at least when I compare myself to others planning to apply.
As for EC, here they are:
I’ve also received a few awards within my school. Unfortunately, I don’t have any research experience since it’s very hard to achieve within my area.
Yes, I agree with you. Unfortunately I do not have much information to predict much as of right now. The soonest I am able to take the SAT is in October. Until then, do you believe that practice test scores can give a ball-park estimate on where I stand?
No, my mother passed 2 years ago. Does that change anything?
I will have to speak with my father about how much we are able to borrow.
I will look into an EFC estimator. Thanks
Also, regarding which programs I am thinking of applying to - unfortunately I don’t know that either. Im just beginning this process now. However, I do know that I am not picky, and would frankly go to about any school that offered me admission, as long as I could afford it and they will offer me a quality education.
I have a list going, and have so far narrowed it down to about 30 schools, mainly because a lot only want state residents. Of course, I’m planning to narrow this list down further, and then look into my chances of being admitted to basically any school on the list.
OP needs to look at what US colleges recommend for hs course breadth. If you mean 2 years foreign lang, 2 of history, that may not cut it.
If you mean 350 hours in a hosp setting over, say, 3 years, that’s only a couple of hours/week. Time to get your coat off, check in, do little. If you did more at a time, that’s better.
“whether or not its worth going through the grueling application process.” It’s not grueling. It’s a supplement. See if you can look at a few.
These programs are highly competitive. The colleges are taking a chance you’re ready for this decision, at 17. For top colleges, your record needs to show more direct experience. You need to describe some responsibility in the vol work you do with patients, their health care, not just being there. For that reason, hours at the senior place, shadowing, or certifications are not the level for a top bsmd program.
I am sorry about your mother. I should not have been so direct and I apologize. The question really should have been if you have a non custodial parent in your life, or a step parent. That is relevant because the top schools tend to use CSS PROFILE to determine financial need. For divorced parents, both need to fill out financial information unlike the FAFSA. Both Fin aid apps include your stepparent if your farther is currently married.
For now, find fill out a FAFSA EFC estimator with your dad and find out how much at least, he is expected to pay. Then, he should advise you how much he can commit to paying each year for the next 4 years.
There are schools at around the $20k mark if that is what he can pay. Especially if you take out the Direct loans to which you are entitled. $5500 for freshman year. Then, some commitment of work from you. That would be a good base.
Once we have grades that we can meaningfully covert to a GPA and test scores, we can add more schools to the very basic list.
Take some sample ACT and SAT tests and see which one you do better. You can pick some up at the book stores. Do them with pencil and paper and simulate test conditions as much as possible. Then take on line tutorials for them as well as work through the book of the test you choose.
Are you going to be a junior or senior this coming fall? You should look at what colleges require for admissions and make sure you are taking what you need
What Canadian options do you have?
You are a US citizen, so many of the net price calculators should work reasonably well for you. Be sure to run them at each college/university website. That will give you a general notion about costs.
“No, my mother passed 2 years ago. Does that change anything?”
I am very sorry to hear about your mother. That is very tough.
The reason that someone asked is that this might make a different with respect to the cost of attending university in the US. If your parents were divorced then many schools would consider both parent’s income for the purpose of computing need based financial aid. With one parent deceased of course only the income and assets of your remaining parent will be considered. This also means that the Net Price Calculators at schools in the US are likely to be accurate for you. Therefore you should be able to get a reasonable guess at the cost of US schools.
How is it that you are in Canada? What is your status there? If you are a Canadian citizen or a Canadian permanent resident, then you would pay the same tuition and fees as a Canadian. A budget of US$20,000 per year would be enough for many very good universities in Canada as long as you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
Make sure you use US dollars in the NPC.
I am so sorry about your mother.
Your guidance counselor should note that when writing your recommendation.
Would you consider taking the ACT?
You may have to take the French subject test because 2 years or French wouldn’t be enough in a US high school, except I’m guessing it was French 5&6 due to the Canadian system requirements. A strong score on that test would prove that you learned French through the intermediate level (not just beginners and elementary). Otherwise, having only 2 years would be a problem.
Even if your high school is only years 10-11-12, US colleges would look at year 9 too, + any Year 8 class normally taken in a US HS (Biology, Algebra).
Why BSMD programs? Why not apply to a strong science college with good financial aid and merit (Whitman, Grinnell, St Olaf…), major in chemistry or anything, then apply to med school?
What your EFC?