<p>If the OP does not feel he is ready to make the step to college, perhaps a gap year is in order. Americorp, volunteer work, a job, travel, specialized study in something he loves, are all things he can do as he hones into what colleges he wants to choose. It is getting a bit late to put together a list if you are looking for good merit awards as some of the deadlines have passed. </p>
<p>The problem with this whole college admissions process is that one often does it all wrong the first time which tends to be the time to do it. Once you learn how it works, it is done. So it goes for merit awards. I know so many families who are sitting there at the end of the year having learned so much from the process but with the wrong results. They did not know how financial aid worked, how merit awards are, etc,etc. They learned everything one step, one beat or so too late. So a gap year could be an answer to someone who is coming into December just beginning to see what needs to be done to get into an affordable school.</p>
<p>I suggest running your parents’ numbers through some financial aid calculators just to see what the results are. Pick a few schools that you like and see what the likelihood of financial aid from them would be, given your parents financial situation. You can also get a good grounding on which colleges are likely to come up with merit money for you as you see what your classmates get.</p>