<p>*or maybe going to physician assistant school. *</p>
<p>That is a grad school program. Someone who wants to be a PA majors in what they want, but also takes some required science/math courses…similar to those who want to go to med school.</p>
<p>1) Figure out how much you can spend each year. Keep in mind that colleges believe that FAMILIES are the first source for funds for college.</p>
<p>2) Most colleges do not meet need and do NOT have much money to give away.</p>
<p>3) Often, aid is really just loans and work study.</p>
<p>4) Run some FA calculators…but keep in mind that these will only tell you the MINIMUM that you’ll have to pay…often you’ll have to pay MORE…sometimes a LOT more. Most people are SHOCKED to find out what their EFC’s are. So, get a rough idea NOW.</p>
<p>5) If your child has a non-custodial parent, then many of the best schools will require the income/assets info of that parent and any new spouse. If your child’s NCP (or spouse) will not cooperate with this (or may not cooperate in a future year), then it’s probably a good idea to avoid these schools.</p>
<p>6) If you have remarried, then your current spouse’s income/assets will also count.</p>
<p>7) If money is a concern, then make sure your child has applied to at least 2-3 financial safety schools. These are schools that you know that she’ll get accepted to and you know FOR SURE that the costs are covered by ASSURED grants, ASSURED merit scholarships, small loans, and family funds.</p>
<p>8) Your child can only borrow the following amounts
frosh 5500
soph 6500
jr 7500
sr 7500</p>
<p>If your child wants to borrow more than that (not a good idea), you will have to co-sign those loans. </p>
<p>8) Even students with the best stats get rejected from the best schools because those schools get more apps from TOP students then they can accept. So, be sure to apply to match schools and safety schools.</p>
<p>9) If your child balks at applying to financial safety schools, then insist on a few “parent picks”. Some parents insist that their child apply to 1 or 2 schools that the parent has picked. </p>
<p>10) Until your child has test scores, it’s really going to be hard to know what schools she should apply to. Many “A Students” end up with test scores that are not “top school quality”. </p>
<p>11) Big merit scholarships tend to be awarded to students whose stats (test scores/GPA) are in the top 5-10% of the school. Many schools do not award ANY merit scholarships (ivies don’t give any). Test scores are very important for determining merit scholarships at the schools that give them. There is a LARGE pool of students with high GPAs. There is a smaller group of kids with high test scores. There is an even smaller group of kids who have high test scores AND high GPAs…these are the kids who get the big merit (from the schools that give big merit.)</p>
<p>Her grades and scores will be good enough to be able to go to a state school for free</p>
<p>Do you mean “free tuition”? If so, then be aware that room, board, fees, and books can cost more than tuition at many state schools. So, if your D would only get “free tuition”, you’d still need to pay several thousand per year for those other costs.</p>
<p>I keep telling dd not to get her heart set on this particular school, but she tells me it’s too late.</p>
<p>Keep telling her. Many/most kids do not get accepted to dream schools. And, some find them to be unaffordable. Keep in mind that schools that are known for giving great aid get to decide how much YOU should spend…not you.</p>