Financial safety schools?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I have a stellar application, so I don't worry so much about getting into colleges, but I do worry about paying for them. So I have on my list some colleges (mostly in-state) that I think I ought to be able to pay for without help from my parents. They are:</p>

<p>[ul]
[<em>]University of Virginia
[</em>]William and Mary
[<em>]Virginia Tech
[</em>]Southwestern University (in Texas. They have a chart on their website that says they'll give me about $20k in scholarship money, and I think that would make it quite comparable to in-state schools. With financial aid and outside scholarships, I might not have to pay a thing.)
[/ul]</p>

<p>Out of these, I think I like Southwestern best, but none are all that high on my list of Places Where I Actually Want to Go. My dad says "Just apply to them all," he'll pay for the application fees, as he's sure that the few hundred dollars spent here is much less than what my brother spent in one semester without a scholarship. But at this rate I'll be applying to 15 colleges and universities. </p>

<p>People say UVA is a great school, besides its size, and that I have the perfect application for a full ride. I hear good things about W&M, as well. VT is supposedly great for math, which is what I'll most likely be majoring in along with classics, but at this point it seems the most likely to be dropped off my list.</p>

<p>How many financial safeties would you say is good to have? How do you determine what's truly a financial safety? Would it benefit me to visit these schools? I haven't had the opportunity to go anywhere yet, but I'm kinda baffled as to why visiting a school would help in this instance. I'm choosing these schools for whether or not they want to give me money, not whether or not I'd love it there.</p>

<p>Opinions? Advice?</p>

2

<p>You only need one if it’s a true safety. Have you established what your EFC is using calculators? And what your parents are willing to pay? </p>

<p>Knowing these things will quickly tell you if an in state school is a safety (UVA meets need) and if schools like Southwestern, which give exact amounts you will get with certain stats, are.</p>

3

<p>Not to sound like a broken record, but the University of Minnesota offers fairly inexpensive tuition for out of state students. The 2009-2010 estimated cost of attendance for an out of stater is right around $26,000 and if you get superior grades, you’d more than likely be eligible for decent scholarships.</p>

4

<p>EFC for my brother is currently about $5000, though will likely increase a smidge by the time I’m in college as my dad just got a promotion. My dad would pay it, though he’d rather not (there are two more kiddos down the road). If a college could offer me all but EFC in grants and scholarships, I could take out a small loan and it’d be covered. If they give me loans as financial aid, that’d make it harder.</p>

<p>Thanks for the input, I hadn’t really considered it at this angle before. :)</p>

<p>I’ll look into Minnesota. Price sounds decent, if the school is good I might apply rather than SW.</p>

5

<p>if u have a 1350 on the SAT I and a 95 GPA st johns university in NYC gives u a ful lride and half room/board.</p>

<p>i was considering it lol</p>