<p>Hi guys. I'm trying to figure out which colleges to send my SAT scores to (I'm a junior), but one of the major factors my dad is stressing is cost. ("There's no point in sending your scores if you can't afford to go there.") So I was wondering if anyone had any insight into how good the FA is at the following colleges? </p>
<p>About Me: 4.2 GPA, my parents make about 30K a year. I work part time, but I don't make much.</p>
<p>** Colleges: **
~Northwestern University (IL)*
~Georgetown University (DC)
~Pitt (PA)*
~American University (DC)*
~Mercyhurst College (PA)
~University of Chicago (IL)</p>
<p>*These are my favorites! :)</p>
<p>Thank you!! Any other help is welcome, too.</p>
<p>You also should read through the general information about financial aid and run the CSS Profile calculators (also called “institutional methodology”) at [FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org%5DFinAid”>http://www.finaid.org) and at [College</a> Calculators - savings calculators - college costs, loans](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>Calculate Your Cost – BigFuture | College Board) Since all of the institutions that use the CSS Profile adjusts this calculation a bit according to their own polices, it is harder to predict the final package based on the published formula. But, you will get ballpark figures.</p>
<p>Thanks, but wouldn’t it also depend on the college itself? I’ve heard of college of the same caliber having completely different ways of determining FA (yeah, they use the equations and such, but School X may not give as much as School Y…even if all factors were the same).</p>
<p>And I always felt that that was the wrong sentiment. (And I’m sure some poster’s going to start attacking me about it as soon as I write this.) Don’t get completely attached to one college if financial aid is a huge issue, but never completely give up on a school from the very beginning even if it had seemed unaffordable at the time. You may be surprised by the amount of financial aid you can get from a certain school. At least apply, and if by May of senior year it is still unrealistic to attend the school, then turn to your other options.</p>
<p>Northwestern and UChicago both offered pretty good financial aid for low income students. (In fact, being relatively low income, it actually would have been much, much cheaper for me to attend there two than, say, the state public.)</p>
<p>Do you have divorced parents, lots of assets (like do you live in a very expensive house or do your parents have lots of stocks, any rental properties, etc) or do your parents own a business? </p>
<p>If the answer to all of that is no, then your best bet will probably be to look at some of the top colleges that meet full financial need. These are colleges that have a lot of $ and target their financial aid to needy students. Are you competitive for a top college? (By that I mean, do you take AP/IB classes? Are you somewhere near the top of your graduating class? How are your test scores?)</p>
<p>Copy that gadad…OP your gpa is decent and if you do well on the sat you have a good shot at some significant merit money from Pitt. They offer a good number of full tuition scholarships…I would say definitely send them your scores.</p>
<p>Interesting list–mind if I ask why Mercyhurst is on it? I would like to know more about this school.</p>
<p>You are correct that each school sets its own financial aid policy. It is also important to recognize that those policies can change at any time. Not to mention that two students who look alike to you may look very different for some reason to the admissions and financial aid offices. The reason why I encourage you and your family to run the calculators and to read the info at [FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org%5DFinAid”>http://www.finaid.org) is so that all of you can become better educated about the factors that you actually can control.</p>
<p>Like every other student, you need to identify at least one clear rock-solid academic and financial safety school, your “True Safety” as it were. This is an institution that you can pay for without any aid other than federally determined (FAFSA formula) aid, that guarantees admissions based on your grades and exam scores, that offers the major(s) you are interested in, and that you would be happy to attend if you aren’t admitted anywhere else that you can afford. Until you know your financial situation, you don’t know how cheap this place has to be. Perhaps it will be a public community college or public university that you can commute to. On the other hand, if you have good grades and test scores that mean automatic admissions and automatic merit aid at UniversityX, that place might suddenly become a “True Safety” for you. </p>
<p>Thanks to all of you who replied…To answer a few questions:</p>
<p>** More about me: **
~White Female, PA
~My parents are married…to each other.
~They actually make about 40K a year (sorry, I wasn’t factoring in both of my mom’s jobs…even now this is only my dad’s and her one job…not sure how much she makes in the other).
~My part time job gives me about $200 a month, I’ve been working there for four months.</p>
<p>~GPA: 4.2
~PSAT/SAT: N/A (I took them both within the last month…scores aren’t available yet. I’m pretty sure I did decently on them though.)
~2 APs this year: Eng Comp & APUSH. I’m registering for a college course (Anthro) Spring semester and I think I’ll take one over the summer, too. Senior year I plan to take AP: Bio, Euro, and Eng Lit.
~Intended Major: International Studies and/or Anthropology</p>
<p>@quilll: Mercyhurst is on the list because it’s my safety. I live in PA, not too far from campus, and according to the American Board of Forensic Anthropology, Mercyhurst has a program including certified ABFA diplomats on staff.</p>
<p>@gadad: Thanks for the PR list! Do you (or anyone else) happen to know if legacy plays a factor with Pitt? My dad went there, and my sister will have finished her Master’s and PhD there the month before I graduate HS.</p>
<p>One good resource is the college board website. For each school, you can see the number of students who receive aid, and much more importantly, the percentage of need that was met.</p>
<p>I wasn’t really sure about College Board because when I was looking at tuition prices for my sister’s alma mater last summer, they seemed off…I checked the school’s site and it turns out CB was wrong… (about their SAT/ACT scores too).</p>
<p>I wasn’t sure if CB was wrong about some schools’ FA, too :)</p>
<p>The financial aid calculators on the college board site are pretty detailed, so these might give you a better idea.<br>
Since sending scores is free for up to a week after you take the test, it can’t hurt to send the scores to good schools and save yourself $40 down the road. This link contains information about schools that limit loans in the aid package that you might consider:
[FinAid</a> | Answering Your Questions | No Loans for Low Income Students](<a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid)</p>