<p>Due to financial situation and other factors my junior in high school son who wants to do things by himself has yet to pick his college yet.He wants to go to large university that provides a lot of need based aid. He has gotten a 32 on ACT and is in top ten of competitive high school in Chicago suburb.The bad news is he has a chronic disease that has left him ****ed at the world and somewhat of a loaner. He has very little extra curricular activities to put on his resume so that will hurt him. What universities would anyone recommend that would fit what he is looking for? His wish list is North Carolina and Wisconsin but he would be hard pressed to get into North Carolina and Wisconsin gives no money so those two are pretty much out. My idea would be Northwestern but he says he wouldn't get in there.</p>
<p>Have you run the financial aid calculators enough to know if you need need-based or merit aid?</p>
<p>If you need need-based aid, he might consider Georgetown, Rice or Duke. </p>
<p>Is he a Natl Merit scholar? If he needs merit aid, you might look at U-AZ, U-Md, ASU, Indiana. They would all be safeties for him but I think he would have a good chance at merit $. </p>
<p>By the way, most schools don’t factor ecs into admissions. I would think it’s a bigger issue for private scholarship $ and for the private schools. For those schools, he will probably need to address the ECs and talk about a passion. What are his interests?</p>
<p>He has an interest in business law and politics. The one thing that might hurt him also is has gotten a “C” in APUSH due to not liking the teacher but he thinks he did well on test.Would a university take that into consideration seeing he did well on test but not in class?</p>
<p>What are his stats?</p>
<p>What are your financial constraints?</p>
<p>Don’t worry about his picking “his college” yet. First, don’t think about one college for yor S. Given financial constraints and the competitiveness of admission and the fact that there are literally thousands of good colleges in the U.S., it’s not wise to confine a search to one dream school.</p>
<p>It’s best to build a list from the bottom up meaning start with picking one or two safeties that your S would love to attend, you know he would be accepted to and could afford. Often safeties are in-state public universities or colleges that a student can commute from home to.</p>
<p>Since your S has a chronic disease, it also would be wise to apply to colleges where he can get good treatment for his illness. It’s likely this means applying to colleges in urban areas.</p>
<p>Does your S really want to be a loner? If he doesn’t, a large university may not be a good place for him because it could be hard for him to break out of his habit of being a loner. A smaller environment probably would be an easier place for him to make friends and learn social skills if that lack has been causing him to be a loner.</p>
<p>I also suggest letting your S take control of his college apps. Certainly take him around to see colleges – starting in state and at places where he’s likely to be able to afford and to be accepted. When it comes to actually finishing applications, however, let him take responsibility for that. If he doesn’t get around to doing this, then that’s a big hint that he’s not yet ready for college. A gap year of living at home and working while paying rent could be what he needs to become ready to go off to college.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/148852-what-ive-learned-about-full-ride-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/148852-what-ive-learned-about-full-ride-scholarships.html</a></p>
<p>In looking at your other posts, I see that your S had a 670, 700 SAT CR, M, and a 3.76 gpa, 32 ACT. Due to his illness, he is very tired after school. His first choice school was UNC. You had posted this, and said your income is about $60 k :
“How do you tell a kid who has worked his butt off his whole life that he can’t go to a good college because we have no money to help you out.”</p>
<p>UNC is extremely difficult to get into from out of state. I suggest regarding it as a reach school, and suggesting that your S concentrate on finding a safety that he loves and can afford. I don’t think that UNC is one of the few public universities that guarantees to meet the demonstrated financial need of all accepted students including ones from out of state. If it isn’t one of those schools, then you may want to steer your S to apply elsewhere as it’s unlikely he’ll qualify for the generous merit aid that UNC typically reserves for students who are HPY quality applicants. </p>
<p>I also would be concerned about sending a student with a chronic illness so far from home to college. </p>
<p>There’s no reason, however, that your S can’t go to a “good” school despite his financial need. There are many good schools right in your state – public and private – where he could get acceptances and the financial aid that he needs.</p>
<p>The overwhelming majority of students applying to college do so with finances being a consideration. That’s why the majority of students go to public universities and also go to school within 250 miles of home. The people whom you see on CC who are applying from coast to coast and appear to have finances as no concern are a tiny minority of college applicants.</p>
<p>Many students who apply to college have worked very hard and have high achievements, but still have to consider finances when they apply. In wise families, finances are considered before the student submits applications. Schools that would be unaffordable simply aren’t considered among the places that the student applies to. There’s no reason to feel apologetic if one’s kid has to do this. </p>
<p>Most of us would love to live in a mansion, have servants and be able to travel around the world first class, but we live within our means and are happy. We don’t assume that because we work hard, we deserve to live our dreams. Instead, we modify our dreams so they match what’s realistic for us and our finances.</p>
<p>My son has pretty much given up on North Carolina since he only scored a 32 on ACT. He has come to realize since I last posted that he needs to find a college that will provide need based aid. That is why I posted this to get some ideas of schools that give that type of aid.</p>
<p>Yikes!! Only a 32 on the ACT!! In the bigger scheme of things that is a GOOD SCORE!</p>
<p>What does your son want to study? Is he an intellectual (U Chicago or WashU) or into engineering (UIUC)? Does he intend to write an essay in which he reveals his chronic illness (this is something to think about–while it could help explain the huge challenge he’s had throughout his life, and why he may have fewer ECs, it is a private disclosure).</p>
<p>Depending on family income, there could be FinAid available to your S.</p>
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<p>This JUNIOR hasn’t picked his college yet?? There are a LOT of other juniors in the same boat. Many students finalize their college lists in the summer prior to their senior year or even in the FALL of their senior year. Some don’t even apply to college until January. </p>
<p>What is your instate flagship university? Many of these schools have honors college programs that your son might be eligible for. Some also offer decent merit aid to instate students. And your instate public university will be less expensive than private schools that do not meet full need.</p>
<p>Politics makes me think of DC which has plenty of hospitals and doctors. I would think that profile may be worth merit $ at American.</p>
<p>If finances is a big problem, it might be a good idea to go to community college, save up some money, and then transfer to some better schools like UNC.</p>
<p>We live in Illinois and our top state school (U of I) is too high priced even for in state tuition.And what I meant by only a 32 on ACT was that would not be a high enough score too get him in a school that does give need based aid.And yes we have discussed community college but due to my wife losing her job last year our financial picture looks bleak for awhile,so even in a year or two we will be hurting for cash and with my son’s condition he has never worked.And I know other kids that our juniors haven’t selected their school of choice he hasn’t even visited one school yet and has no plans too at this point.</p>
<p>Bruce, the financial picture is not impossible. Don’t let cost be a barrier initially. See what the financial aid policies are at the schools your son is interested in. Do they meet full need? How? Loans, grants, work study, a combination of those? When my D was looking and applying, I was laid off. Next year she will be attending our state flagship and we will be paying nothing (and yes, it’s all need based; no fantastic scholarships). She got a nice scholarship to an OOS public that was her first choice. It was her choice to stay closer to home and avoid huge amounts of debt. So, I would encourage you to look first at fit for your son but don’t write off schools simply assuming that tuition will be too much. It sounds as if your son has some special circumstances healthwise that if properly explained on his applications will make up for any perceived shortcomings (lack of ECs for example).</p>
<p>"We live in Illinois and our top state school (U of I) is too high priced even for in state tuition.And what I meant by only a 32 on ACT was that would not be a high enough score too get him in a school that does give need based aid.</p>
<p>Your son probably can get some need-based aid from U of I. Need-based aid at public schools typically is allotted to in-state students only, and is provided on a first come first served basis and to in-state students whose scores, grades make them very desireable. Your S’s 32 ACT and grades may put him among such students.</p>
<p>It is worth it to pay the $15 to access US News on-line college guide because you can find detailed info about colleges’ admissions and financial aid practices. Paying now, allows access until Aug. Paying in Aug. allows access until next Aug.</p>
<p>If you can find on-line the common data sets of colleges that interest you, you can find the same info that U.S. News provides. Unfortunately, not all colleges’ common data sets are on-line.</p>
<p>There are other good public schools in your state that your S probably could get excellent aid to attend. There also are private schools where he could get good aid.</p>
<p>But if he has chronic physical problems, do keep in mind that it may be best for him to be relatively close to home and the doctors who have been treating him. It also would be good for him to be in an area that has accessible doctors highly skilled with treating people with his condition.</p>
<p>College - particularly freshman year – is very stressful for students, and medical problems often temporarily get worse. In addition, students may not know how to manage the medical aspects of their condition – including flare-ups --without parents’ help.</p>
<p>And there are other public universities in Illinois you probably should consider for financial reasons. You might find some terrific programs. I got my Masters at Western Illinois University in a program that was highly regarded. I loved it. It wasn’t Northwestern but it sure gave me a fine education and a well respected career in my field. And the price was right (grad school price was free…I had a fellowship).</p>