Just add a couple thing regarding UMich. First, affirmative act has also been banned in Michigan for admission. Second, $79k family income is above the second threshold for getting significant financial aid from OOS. The first cut off is around $35k for great aid, and the second cut off is around $65k for decent aid. Their CoA is $55k-$60k per year. You need to bring your ACT to 30+ for a chance.
If I don’t get accepted through Posse, QB, GMS, or through regular decision of the elite schools, I’ll attend University of Illinois @ Urbana Champaign. I applied before the priority deadline, so I can get the most of their scholarships. they contacted me saying that I was a good candidate and invited me to these ceremonies/dinners I never knew existed. As with Davis, I want to see what happens. Of course, I’m not going to attend the schools that are going to bury me in debt. I just want to see. If anything, once I go to college, I’ll keep in contact. @LushLillies
U of Illinois is an excellent school – that would be a good outcome. Still, give some of the dream schools a shot – just get that test score up.
I was going to reply to you with a personal messgae, but you replied so fast! thanks for the additional info! and I will try my best. @prezbucky
You are relying too much on scholarships in general. As @billscho has indicated, you can apply for hundreds of general scholarships and it won’t make that much of a difference. You have to apply to the schools that have money to give to you on a yearly basis. That ACT score is not helping you.
My 3 children have been through this process. All three were at the top of their classes. (Their stats were higher than yours such that they were recruited for their academics and their sports, URM status helped a little). Only the eldest chose to accept a full ride, but at 3000 miles from home, in a town where she wasn’t near a relative or classmate.
My son was a NMF and eventual winner. As a NM winner and URM, he received full ride offers at schools that were in farmland. At the schools he applied to, like Harvard and Stanford (legacy), he was waitlisted. USC offered him 1/2 tuition which means we would have been left with $40k per year in fees to pay. As for scholarships, those only materialized at the schools that were not easy to get to geographically, and which he did not have any interest in attending. I tell you this because he did have the perfect scores, ECs and athletics and he had to be realistic about our budget and his chances.
Make a list based on what your parents can afford and where your stats will get you in. Try to use Questbridge and Gates, but there are no guarantees, so you have to think with your head, not your heart.
Ok. I’m not sure I agree with a lot of what has been said to you so far. I haven’t read absolutely every post though, but here’s the deal as I see it with you:
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Yes, that 27 on the ACT is a bit too low for most of the schools you are targeting.
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$79,000 is NOT too high a family income for you to get some AMAZING financial aid at schools on this list - http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2014/09/15/colleges-and-universities-that-claim-to-meet-full-financial-need - you need to look at them and use the Net Price Calculator. Most of them are very hard to get into, but not all of them are. As others have said, if you can get that ACT up to 30 minimum, yuo have a better chance of getting admitted. I just ran the Net Price Calculator for Bates College for a family of 7 with an income of $79,000. Assuming your parents don’t have a pile of cash somewhere, Bates will cost you $9,015. Then, you take a loan of $2,000 and do work study to the tune of $1,700. This leaves your parents a cost of $5,315. Of that, $950 is for “personal expenses” and at least $2,000 of that is for Board. Your parents would pay for that if you lived at home, so we can subtract those costs from the $5,315 and you are left with $2,365 that is extra your parents would have to pay. If that is STILL too much, then you could up your loan the first year to $3,500 (which is still not that much) and your parents would have to come up with an extra $865.
You are a strong candidate for many of those schools IF you get that ACT up to 30 or better. Good luck.
OP, it is fine (and sometimes good) to be optimistic. What is important is that you include some financially and academically matches and safeties on your list. Don’t be too excited when you receive those promotional material from UIUC or other schools. Most of them are just advertisements that they send to thousands if not more students and do not promise you anything.
what about University of Texas? Or, what about Oklahoma State? OSU gives scholarships to native Americans and UT is good at helping Hispanics. I think you might get money to attend OSU. Out of state it is $28,000 and in state it is about 21-22. You might get a lot paid for since you have such stellar grades.
I just checked and with your score and grades I think Baylor would offer 14,500 per year but it is a rather pricey school. (50k per year) There is an online calculator and you can put in your numbers and see what they would offer you. https://www.baylor.edu/estimator/index.php
@woodlandsmom Don’t you think Texas has enough hispanics there already? After the auto admission, UT Austin is extremely competitive for both in state and out of state students.
billcsho not sure. I have heard they are interested in encouraging Hispanics to apply. (our babysitter is there now and she told me this as she is Hispanic but I have no idea because she also had awesome grades) I just know UT seems to value a diverse crowd. I could not believe how expensive it is for out of state students.
@woodlandsom Yes, they may encourage Hispanics to apply but they do have plenty of them within Texas and many are admitted through the automatic admission in Texas. The automatic admission policy actually makes it pretty diverted economically. There is no shortage of Hispanic applicants in Texas. Being OOS is the major barrier for the admission at UT Austin particularly without stellar grades and scores. They can easily find Hispanic applicants with better stat within Texas.
I can only speak for UIUC, you will get quite a bit of aid. My D1 got entire tuition paid for with school grant and federal aid paid for her room and board. D2 got entire tuition paid for. UIUC you will get in but apply to all your schools and if accepted you can make decisions later. But yes, OOS tuition is ridiculous. Go to grad school or get a job in another state but UIUC is an excellent school.
60,000 with two kids single mom. UIUC is good with aid with kids that truly need it.
@glassculpture That is the first time I have heard that UIUC gives good aids. Usually, it really sucks in financial aid. What OP should do is check the NPC at UIUC.