I’m just going to say that I know that Maryland had to pick between a lot of equally strong candidates. I would also like to congratulate everyone that did get the invite. You really deserve it, and you succeeded where I failed. I wish you the best of luck during the interview process! I’m also going to preface this by saying that I’m normally not the type to complain or post something related to my emotions. I just feel really really sad, and I’m really trying to keep my head up and be okay with it all. My friends say I’m one of the most optimistic people. I might come off as entitled in this, but in reality, I’m just really disappointed in myself.
When I heard that B/K invites went out, I checked my email, my Coalition at least ten times. I had gone into this college application process really wanting to get an invite. I applied to Princeton EA and got deferred. I applied to 24 colleges in total, most of them in the top 20, yet I cared about this scholarship so so much. My family has a ridiculously high EFC because FAFSA doesn’t really account for the fact that my family has 10 dependents on just my dad’s income. I’m not really getting financial aid anywhere. I applied for scholarships, and focused on public schools that had merit scholarships and private schools that were worth the pricetag. I just wanted to make this easy on my family and still go to a school that I’d really like. I wrote three new essays for the UNC Robertson scholarship. I was accepted but got no merit or honors. I am applying to outside scholarships, but it’s really difficult to scrap together enough to pay for even one year. I competed in a math and science competition last year against hundreds of students selected from the top four of every high school in the area. I was able to get the fourth largest scholarship award. I thought that I was a qualified student, but I just feel like I’m failing. I know that if I get into one of the Ivies and related schools, my parents will be okay footing most of the bill even if they have to put our house behind it. I’m freaking out because I thought I did everything right to have a chance at paying less for UMD. I’m the valedictorian of a class of 617 with a flawless ACT score. I’m the vice president of NHS, the president of Science Olympiad, and I’ve won many awards and medals. I’ve spent hundreds of hours on community service, running missions trips and community service events in Philadelphia and China. I’m a photographer and a painter. I run my own tutoring business. My teachers loved my bubbly personality and absolute adoration for learning. I made it clear that UMD wasn’t just like any other safety school to me. I drove for three hours to go visit Maryland and remained in contact with admissions. I’m just so sad because if my college journey has looked like this so far, what will come of the 16 decisions I have left? How could Brown or Rice possibly take a second look at my application? I need to stay optimistic, but it’s so hard. I’m so scared.
I’m concerned that you said that most of your colleges are T20 schools. Those typically don’t give much in terms of merit $ and focus on need base aid.
@momofsenior1 I’m out of state. I applied to Penn State (in-state for me), but it gives little merit. At the beginning as I was forming my list, my parents told me to pay no attention to how much a school would cost. But of course, I cared even if I’m not the one paying for it.
In state starts of cheaper than out of state. So no aid instate is still far, far less expensive than no aid out of state.
There’s still time. Apply in state to several Penn State campuses. T20 is only a good idea for those who have the money to go there. With 10 dependents on one income, I’m guessing that’s not you. Putting the house on the line for one of those 10 people simply does not seem like a financially sound plan.
College will be what you make of it. For now, hedge your bets a bit.
Are you in-state for MD? If your EFC is too high, then your focus should be on in-state (to you) publics and lower-ranked schools that award merit aid.
If worst comes to worst, and I don’t get any of the smaller UMD scholarships, I’ll pay 30k and study at the University of Edinburgh or 35k at Penn State. My family doesn’t have a problem paying that especially with my dad’s stocks. If I was to get into Princeton, Columbia, or one of my top private school choices, then my dad will take up a job in New York that pays enough more that I can graduate almost debt free. I really love Maryland, but I can’t justify paying 50k for it. That just kind of sucks because I grew a little attached to the school.
It’s all OK. You’re not the first senior to have a minor freak out when the results come back. So much emphasis is placed on this whole process, it’s perfectly normal to feel somehow “less than” when things don’t go your way.
The best of luck to you as you figure out your options!
And you may still get a Presidents Scholarship which could be up to $12,500 per year so I wouldn’t write UMd off until the other scholarships have been released.
What happened, happened for a reason. I don’t know why I was so moody earlier XD.