Help with a direction

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi everyone, This is my first post on CC(moved from different section), though I have read many posts before. I just received my ACT scores in the last few days and I scored a 32. I am a junior in high school, so I have time to decide on college, But to my question....</p>

<p>University of Michigan or full tuition to Oakland University(pretty small local school)?</p>

<p>I realize these schools differ greatly, but I'm stuck. Is U of M worth going into debt or should I consider OU?</p>

<p>With my GPA (3.9 unweighted, 4.1 weighted) and ACT score, 32, I could get the presidential scholarship(full tuition for 4 years) to Oakland University. But I have wanted to go to U of M for a while. I'm not sure if I could even get into U of M, but if I could, would it be a better choice to go to the University of Michigan with debt or OU almost debt free then U of M for graduate studies? Obviously, U of M is a very strong school but does anyone know OU's strengths? And while on the subject of Michigan, do I have a chance to get in? I'm an in-state white male. I'm looking into Economics or Finance by the way.</p>

<p>GPA: Unweighted:3.95 Weighted:4.1
ACT: 32 (31 reading, 35 math, 35 reading, 27 science, 8 writing)
EC: a little weak here I think, Part time job since Freshman year, teaching kids how to skateboard, managing a small inventory, running a cash register, in a position of trust since the summer of 2012, with a key to the building(Its a small business).
Another EC (I think?) Letting my neighbors dogs out everyday for two years (shows responsibility?) I'm also doing Track and Cross Country and community service.</p>

<p>I have visited OU and I like it but don't love it. I'm visiting U of M in the next week.
I'm not sure how much aid I will get from FASFA or anything like that but paying for a college would be on me, with little help from my parents.</p>

<p>Please give me your opinion. Sorry if I missed anything and for being unorganized, Ive kind of been stressing over this even though the decision is a ways away, I like to have a direction.
Also, if there is another school I should look into, please say so. I'm not too interested in MSU though.
Thank you</p>

2

<p>Any help would be greatly appreciated. To sum up my question, Is the University of Michigan worth the extra money, and therefore, debt, compared to a local smaller university?</p>

3

<p>Probably not.</p>

<p>However, you have not even applied to either of these, so you cannot know 1) whether you be admitted (unless OU admits by numbers), and 2) what your final aid package is going to be like.</p>

<p>Since you write “paying for a college would be on me, with little help from my parents”, I suggest that you go spend some time in the Financial Aid Forum. Start with the sticky threads at the top, and then scroll down to take a look at the threads on guaranteed merit-based aid. You may find a safety for yourself in one of those threads that you can like better than OU.</p>

4

<p>Thanks for the reply! “Probably not” as in I probably will not make it into Michigan or what? I will have to check out the financial aid forum, thank you for the help! And also, If the “probably not” was directed towards my acceptance into Michigan, which I’m thinking it was, how can I improve my chance? I realize it is a little late in high school but the thought of what it takes to get into U of M didn’t hit me until this year. I feel my ECs are weak but any good suggestion on how to improve them with only so much time until my senior year and application time?
Thanks</p>

5

<p>I disagree. I think going into some debt to go the the University of Michigan as an in-state student with your background is potentially worthwhile. </p>

<p>You need to run the numbers and figure out just how much debt you’ll need. I suspect the problem is going to be whether you can borrow enough money, not whether it’s worth borrowing. For most states, an instate option can be done. Also find out exactly what your parents can contribute, even if it’s not much. </p>

<p>Also, I know it’s sacrelig, but I know that Michigan has some scholarships for Ohio residents just to “save them” from Ohio State, so I suspect that Ohio State has some scholarships that you could get to “save you” from Michigan. </p>

<p>Basically apply to a range of schools and make sure that you have a financial safety, but you have pretty competitive numbers.</p>

<p>If you are really that poor, you might actually fair better applying to good private schools.</p>

6

<p>Mich00 -</p>

<p>The “Probably not” was in answer to your question “Is the University of Michigan worth the extra money, and therefore, debt, compared to a local smaller university?” I missed the bit about you being in-state. I thought you were comparing U of MI as an OOS vs. your own local cheap place.</p>

<p>Once you have applied, and have been admitted, and have received your aid packages, then you will know which institutions remain, and of those which are affordable. You are smart to want to avoid debt, but ClassicRockerDad is correct that a low level (such as the federal loan maximum) of debt is readily justified for U of MI.</p>

7

<p>I wouldn’t say I’m poor. I would classify myself as a White Middle class male. But my family has a complex financial situation that hinders my parents ability to help as much as they would like. From my understanding, a 32 and 3.9/4.1 (weighted will go up) are pretty good numbers, like classicrockerdad said, but not the best. How mush do ECs matter in addition to gpa/ test scores? Thank you for all the help. I’m pretty new to the college search scene but want the best for my future.
Thanks</p>

8

<p>you replied as I was typing happymomof1, but thanks for clarifying. I know it really matters on what I get accepted into but I’ll have to wait till my senior year to apply. I just like having a direction and a goal.</p>

9

<p>The single most important factor in college admissions is your high school transcript - your grades and the classes that you took. After that, your ACT/SAT general exam score is important as a second quick admissions filter, and for merit-based aid. Some colleges and universities ask for ECs and essays and for those places those things matter. How much depends on each institution (and sometimes on each major within that institution). When you get your list together, you can ask around CC about that issue.</p>

<p>It looks like your biggest issue is going to be the money. If your parents have the income and/or savings to make it look like they can pay X well then the colleges and universities are going to expect your family to come up with X. Chances are that there is no way for you yourself to come up with X. This means that you need to be looking now for places that will give you enough merit-based aid to bring your own real costs down into the range of what you can borrow (the federal maximum for freshman year is $5,500), what you can realistically earn, and what you can chip in from your own savings.</p>

<p>As soon as your parents finish filing their taxes this month, print out the FAFSA formula and work through it with them. This will help you determine which types of federal aid (other than loans) you could have access to. It will also let you see what the minimum that any college or university would expect your family to pay (the EFC) is likely to be. Then run the Net Price Calculator (NPC) at the U MI website and at the websites of a couple other in-state publics and a few random private colleges and universities. The NPCs are not perfect predictors, but if your family doesn’t have a messy income situation (like a small business) or property situation (like a lot of land or buildings) then they are reasonably good. Here is the link for the FAFSA formula for this year:
<a href=“http://ifap.ed.gov/efcformulaguide/attachments/091312EFCFormulaGuide1314.pdf[/url]”>http://ifap.ed.gov/efcformulaguide/attachments/091312EFCFormulaGuide1314.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>A senior with a 32 and a 3.9 who applied early enough this year would have been able to score automatic full tuition scholarships and even some automatic free rides. Maybe not places you are interested in, but worth looking at if U MI is going to be unaffordable:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html?highlight=bobwallace[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html?highlight=bobwallace&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>You also should take a look at the general information and the various calculators at [FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org%5DFinAid”>http://www.finaid.org) That website has lots of useful tools for evaluating the financial aspects.</p>

10

<p>Thank you very much for the detailed reply! All the information is great and very appreciated. The whole college search/financial aid is very overwhelming. I will look into all the link and info you gave me. One more question though, are there any schools you would suggest looking into? I realize you are not in Michigan but any suggestions would be nice. The majority of students at my school go to Michigan State or Central Michigan or other smaller universities or community colleges, I guess. But those don’t interest me as much.
I would like to go to an “above average” school but I’m not sure what a happy medium is between MSU and U of M and the unreachable Ivies/other very prestigious schools. In summary, where do students with my kind of stats go to beside state schools?
Thanks again!</p>

11

<p>If you do the financial aid calculators at some top private schools and you can afford the EFC, then I’d consider a broader search. </p>

<p>Your stats are good enough to get into many fine schools that will make it affordable for you. I wouldn’t rule out Ivy caliber schools just yet. Some top liberal arts colleges are definitely in reach - Oberlin for example. Other match schools are Brandies, Rochester, Lawrence, Hamilton, Colgate, Bates, Colby, etc.</p>

12

<p>Thanks for the examples. Are any of the school you listed stronger than others in business/economics/finance areas? I find it very hard to find rankings and such besides the top 20 or so. Thanks for all the help</p>

13

<p>How much debt for UM? I don’t think you can really make this decision until you get a financial aid package back from UM.</p>

14

<p>I know i can’t make a decision until I’ve been accepted anywhere and know all my options. I don’t know how much debt I would need to have to go to U of M, I’m just guessing it would be more than going to Oakland or another school. I am a junior in high school so I can not apply till next year. I just like having a direction and a goal and information to help make a smart goal.</p>