<p>*Getanzt’s Quote:
It’s pretty much just my mom who will be helping to pay, and I’m not really sure how much. I’m not terribly concerned with the tuition factor right now, as I’m sure if I found a perfect college, we’d be able to make it work some way or another *</p>
<p>*Erin’s Dad’s quote: Please, please, please get over this now. It is unfair to yourself and to your mother to target schools where you won’t get aid and which you can’t afford. Please keep a financial safety in the pool THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO ATTEND. If you won’t attend it, why bother applying. *</p>
<p>Erin’s Dad is soooooo right. Frequently we have kids say that they’re “just looking for schools” and don’t want to consider finances because they’ll “find a way to pay for it somehow.” That is just naive. Many schools cost $35-55k per year, and most schools cannot give significant financial aid. Student loans are for small amounts. </p>
<p>Most out-of-state publics do NOT give financial aid to out-of-state students (only UVa and UNC do) in excess of small federal aid. Some give good merit scholarships based on high stats.</p>
<p>Most of the privates in the western part of the US don’t meet 100% of need, either. Stanford is an exception; there may be a couple of others.</p>
<p>So, if your mom can only contribute - say $5k-15k per year - then looking at schools that cost a lot more than that is just setting yourself up for a lot of frustration - if they don’t give aid or give big scholarships. </p>
<p>First…find out how much your mom can contribute. Find out what your EFC is. [FinAid</a> | Calculators | Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and Financial Aid](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org/calculators/finaidestimate.phtml]FinAid”>http://www.finaid.org/calculators/finaidestimate.phtml)
If it’s low enough, you may get a SMALL amount of federal free money. Not enough to pay for your eduction, but a small amount to go towards your education.</p>
<p>Once you get your SAT and ACT scores, if they’re high enough, then you could target the few schools that give HUGE merit scholarships. </p>
<p>You need a strategy based on facts. First, knowing your EFC and your mom’s contribution. Once you know that, we can help you come up with a list that fits your personal needs as well as your financial needs. :)</p>