I’ve been pretty indecisive about my plans for fall 2016. I’ve attempted to enroll at three different colleges and I previously planned on taking a gap year until I had a extremely helpful phone conversation with an adviser at one of the schools I’ve considered. He asked me a bunch of questions about my future goals and he informed me about a major that wasn’t full and left me to think about the decision. I originally planned to take a gap year sort of, I planned on taking part time classes like electives and maybe a core class or two and I planned on doing this internship gap year program half the time. I changed my acceptance to the school I originally was gonna go for to fall 2017. I planned on doing this just to save as much money as possible.
I didn’t originally plan on going to this school at all so I never really read my financial aid award, I just remember confirming it my aid right after the acceptance back in october, just in case. I ended up sleeping on it for about a week. Registration was still 100% open, I reviewed the financial information with my family and really processed the numbers and seen that I received a scholarship and the tuition was do-able.
However, obviously I would have housing issues because I’m doing this SOO late in the game it’s ridiculous. I signed up for housing and was put on a housing wait list last week. The way this particular schools housing wait list is ran, freshman have top priority regardless when you sign up for the wait list. The school has a strict year live in requirement for students under 20 and so the woman explained that as a freshman I would get top priority. I kept my roommate preferences SUPER broad because I’m a pretty adaptable person and I’m desperate at this point.
I emailed the woman yesterday just to ask her about the list and I explained my situation that I would like to attend this school but since it is the end of July, I need to be realistic and make up a backup plan just in case.
I asked for a wait list number but she told me that they don’t have numbers for their wait list and that I’m likely to get a room.
This doesn’t give me much ease because I have back up options that I can’t afford to drop without having full security that this dorming issue will work out. It’s almost august and I’m trying to be optimistic but also very realistic.
I took my compass test for community college and I’ve did every step but register for classes because I will need to pay shortly after and I don’t what to do this until I know for sure that I absolutely have to.
My family is pretty unbiased about it. My mom is very optimistic that I’ll get a room because the woman said that it’s likely but I still have MAD anxiety about possibly throwing away my back up plan for a shaky uncertain plan.
Basically, my main issue is that I’m pulling my hair out stressing about the wait list. I had it in my mind that if I wasn’t at least in the first 10-15 I would just continue on with my original plan but since they don’t do numbers I am very unsure on the probability of me getting housing at this time. Orientation for this school is September 20-25th and I’m unsure when the community college quarter starts but I know that I have up until the week before the first day of the quarter to register. I would personally like to do it sooner but I’m concerned about them taking my aid too soon or something.
DISCLAIMER: Yes, I already know I registered late and this is what I expected. Estimating most colleges/community colleges start in late September but I’m wondering when exactly you would advise your child to look to the backup option. The financial aspect of this situation is FULLY taken care of in both directions so I’m asking more about classes filling up and aid being distributed at the wrong place and time. I can’t commute to the school because the commute is 1HR and 45 minutes. This may not seem like a long time but I would need to do a road trip worthy drive everyday that includes me living my home city and driving through the next city over