Attending a community college when you have these stats means forfeiting lots of scholarship money and due to your parents’ income, wasting money isn’t a good idea (I actually don’t understand why you’re not trying to do everything in your power to apply to colleges that meet need so that your parents get the best value for their money). In addition, CC’s in Illinois got horrible budget cuts and once you’re done with the CC, how will you afford the $36,000 it will cost you per year for UIUC CS? (And there have been terrible problems with scholarships and state grants due to the bankruptcy).
You didn’t get those results by being passive and lazy. My guess is that you’re a high achiever with strong work ethics and drive. Why balk right before the finish line?
I don’t understand. You have a unique chance of going to excellent colleges for a low cost and you’d rather sabotage that than ask your teachers for a recommendation?
Letters DO NOT have to be personalized. Anyone who knows Naviance will tell you that. They just upload the letter once, and connect it to each school. If they write a personalized letter, it’s their choice, but not a requirement. In fact, most schools specify in the teachers’ section that the letter must work for all schools and should not contain any college name. So, contact your teachers - it’s finals week, which means you’re in school. Don’t look for excuses. Ask tomorrow. Let them know the letter DOES NOT need to be personalized.
Also, YOUR deadline is Jan 1st. THEIR deadline is Jan 10. If your deadline is Jan 15, theirs is Jan 25. Etc.
BTW I mentioned colleges where you have a real shot. Check the CDS. Consider that the bottom 50% is for first gen/lower income students. And then consider that in most cases you’re above average for these colleges.
You could even run the NPC on these colleges, choose the one where the net cost would be the cheapest, and apply ED2 there.
My daughter got accepted to Madison and it is our state school. We have not received a FA package as of yet, but I’m kinda feeling like none of these school are really affordable. I don’t want her to come out of college with a lot of debt and a 40K job. I haven’t started having financial conversations with her yet (was waiting until all of our applications were completed), but I think it might get thick in my house when we have to start talking money.
@blackspiderman I went to Purdue and had a really good time socially. However, if I had to do it over again, I would not pay that out of state tuition, unless my major was engineering. It’s not worth it. With that being said, graduating from a Big 10 had gotten me some really good jobs. I hate to say it, but the College name does carry some weight.
@1123Mom: Your daughter cannot carry “a lot of debt”. She can take a 5.5K loan. That’s it. The federal loans add up, over 4 years, to what a college graduate can reasonably pay back over 10 years. She can take that amount without worry (most universities will expect her to.) Issues start when parents take on loans for their kids’ college on top of these loans.
In case you have younger kids: Basically, the time to have the cost discussion is junior year after running Net Price Calculators on each of your child’s long list, since the application list has to be drafted in accordance to those results. Fortunately for you, in the grand scheme of things college-y, Wisconsin’s costs are relatively reasonable (good instate tuition, good state grants - check out HEAB) and you have the additional bonus of the tuition reciprocity with Minnesota. But yes costs have increased a lot 
so I can understand your shock!
That being said, if you’re instate for Wisconsin, it’s likely your best deal unless you qualify for substantial financial aid at schools like Beloit, Lawrence, St Olaf, Macalester, Grinnell. She could also apply to UMN Morris and UMN TC. Big budget cuts have been made to the UWisconsin campuses like Eau Claire, River Falls, etc, so Madison and MN (which has actually increased its Higher Education budget) are your best bets for the best value.
Have you run the NPC’s? Can you afford any of the above universities? (If you haven’t run the net price calculator, you have to do it on each website in order to know how much you’ll be expected to pay).
@1123 I’m doing comp sci, which should have a good return on what I spend on tuition.
@MYOS1634 My local CC is actually very well-funded, in recent years they’ve added all new facilities. It actually looks nicer than some of the universities I’ve seen. What my brother did after graduating from the CC was go to UIC, and he’s able to pay for his remaining tuition with the money he had leftover from the financial aid provided for him while he was at CC. My older brother also did a science major, and he’s turned out fine.
Also, like I said, I don’t have much power at this point to do anything. There’s not enough time for recs, and I neglected to mention that my school stopped sending out transcripts last week…like, they won’t send out any anymore, it’s past a deadline they set.
I know that in my case, the letters were personalized, and she did not submit it once. She submitted it to each of my schools separately on separate dates. II know they don’t have to be personalized, but that’s how they were done, and like I said…there just isn’t enough time, and it’s kinda pointless if I can’t send a transcript.
Not being lazy, just telling you my situation. It just isn’t possible. I’m gonna try to see if I can get some good scholarships with Madison though.
What kind of school do you attend?
This just doesn’t sound right.
Colleges accept applications well onto February. Kids apply ED and don’t get accepted and THEN want to apply regular decision…which would happen about NOW.
Are you saying your school prohibits students from applying to colleges in January? Or even in February?
Did you even ASK? Your situation is one where your college choices will likely not yield enough fo you to attend. BUT you could add a couple of options if you could apply the first week of January.
I just can’t believe that your school has this sort of cutoff.
Our HS had a cut off Date for transcripts to be sent before Christmas. I’m betting that is what your school has.
Reality is…students apply to college later in the admissions cycle for a LOT of reasons…I’m betting your school transcript deadline date is for transcripts to be sent before Christmas.
But clearly…you don’t want to pursue this path…so you haven’t even approached the higher ups at your school to ask.
It’s your choice.
Don’t hold your breath about getting a LOT of aid at Wisconsin. Maybe it will happen…but maybe it won’t.
The real issue to sort out id the withdrawal? Is that done? The rest is pointless as you seem to have decided it is too hard.
I understand the OP is reluctant to get lots of additional applications in – in the midwest, private, with excellent CS – Case Western. Worth a look, Jan 15 deadline for Regular Decision, on the Common App. Only the student’s own materials have to be submitted by deadline, the recs can come a little later.
Finding it odd that this is all a surprise to OP, seeing as how there’s an older sibling who obv. had the same financial constraints…
IMO, if OP is not motivated to put the apps in, then he/she is not motivated to go to these highly selective colleges. I think he/she is happy with the community college option.
Just to update everyone. I have just received my loan offer back from UW-Madison. They have offered me $51,641 in financial aid per year (including ~$44,100 in grants and waiver, and a $4000 subsidized loan). After the loan I will have to pay just my EFC: $1,563. I’m going to call their financial aid office to go over everything and I will consult some family friends but I think I will accept. I feel incredibly blessed. Thank you for all your help.
@blackspiderman is that $51,000 in grant money? Or is it a Parent Plus Loan?
If it’s a grant…terrific.
@Gatormama My brother wasn’t as academically well-off as I am so he would have had to go to CC even if we were better off, that’s where the surprise came in.
@thumper1 I’m not lying about my school’s transcript cutoff date. They sent out a whole email and everything. I wish I wasn’t. It puzzles me too.
But do tell us- grants (free money) or?
@lookingforward I was accepted into their BANNER program which is apparently for financially needy OOS students. The total cost of attendance was: $53,205. The gift aid (grants and a waiver, no repayment required) offered was: $44,141. They offered $3,500 through work-study, and a $4,000 subsidized loan. The total estimated remaining cost is $1,563 (if I do work study and take out that loan).
@thumper1 No PLUS loan, just a subsidized institutional loan and work study. We can definitely afford a subsidized $4,000 loan, and I have no problem doing work study for $3,500. I am thrilled.
That is excellent…but do remember…that $3500 in work study won’t be available to you until you actually work…and earn it. So…do have a summer job, and such to help pay that amount for your fall term…at least.