<p>I'm Emily, and I live in North Carolina. Because of grades I made my first two years of high school, I'm not going to be able to go to my dream school (UNC) and am having to consider other options. I've been accepted to East Carolina, and plan to apply to UNCW and Appalachian State.
I go to a school where everyone there is highly motivated, and most of my friends are applying and going to schools like NYU, Yale, UNC, UGA, UVA and other great places. It's highly embarassing for me to say I'm considering East Carolina.
Recently, I've come up with the idea of going to the University of Alabama. I'm almost 100% sure I'll get in, and it's a school I wouldn't have to be embarassed to say I was going to. The campus is beautiful, and the academics are solid. I feel like Alabama is a better school than I would be able to get into here in NC.
Here is the problem: my parents say that they will help me in no way whatsoever in regards to going to Alabama. They won't even pay the $40 to let me apply. I'd pay myself if I had a credit card - I offered to pay for it with my own money, but they still won't do it. My parents say it's completely off the radar as far as my college search goes because it's out of state, huge, and a party school. The main reason, though, is because my mom thinks we can't afford it, when "so many good schools are right here for so much cheaper" </p>
<p>Do you have any ideas on how to convince my parents to let me apply? It's not like I'm deciding I want to go there, It's just where I really want to go, and I would like to have the option open.</p>
<p>Have you checked to see how much Alabama would cost for an out of state student? I would check to see if your mom has a valid point. The state schools in my state are a great bargain for in staters, but really, really expensive for out of staters.</p>
<p>I did a quick check comparing East Carolina with out of state Alabama–$17K vs. $31K. Over 4 years, that’s over a $50K difference. </p>
<p>I’d have a serious talk with your parents about how much they think they can afford to pay for your college and then find colleges in that price range. No use collecting BMW brochures if you can only afford a Honda Accord.</p>
<p>Emily, I hate to say this…but if your parents won’t pay for U of Alabama, how do you think you will be able to attend? Regardless of any other issues…the bill must be paid and unless you have the money in the bank to pay out of pocket yourself…well…I think you’ll have to take your parent’s opinions seriously.</p>
<p>Also, you say yourself that you didn’t do the necessary hard work to get into even your flagship U. That being the case, perhaps your parents would like to see you prove yourself in college before they shell out large sums of money for an OOS university. Perhaps you could start at one of the UNC campuses, do well…and transfer to Chapel Hill or elsewhere.</p>
<p>That’s odd, because I thought Alabama was 15k out of state? Maybe I read the wrong thing… I suppose I’m being insolent and greedy, you do have a point. I just want to go to a school I’m not embarassed of. Maybe ECU isn’t so bad after all.</p>
<p>Oh jeez. You’re right. Sorry for ranting and being this ignorant everyone! If I’m not happy where ever I end up, I can always transfer. Plus Appalachian IS a good school, as is UNC wilmington. Thanks everyone…</p>
<p>Why are you embarrassed regarding your college choices? North Carolina has a bunch of UNC campuses that are “go to” places for folks from OOS. We know kids at UNC-Greensboro, Charlotte, Wilmington. Our son went to UNCSA. You have some great choices that are financially doable for your family.</p>
<p>Alabama is about $31k for OOS. you may have been looking at the “per semester” cost.</p>
<p>The problem with going OOS is usually cost. </p>
<p>If your parents are committed to only pay in-state rates then you’ll be limited to that, if your stats don’t qualify for a scholarship. Will they pay for tuition, room, board, etc for your in-state school, or will they just pay tuition and expect you to commute (I don’t know how close you are to your public states)? </p>
<p>What are your stats? Maybe another school can give you a scholarship?</p>
<p>It’s just hard because a lot of my friends are going to really selective schools that I’m smart enough to be at, I just didn’t apply myself my first two years of high school to have the grades. It’s really frustrating.</p>
<p>GPA is 3.5
I have really good extracurriculars, varsity sports and i’m the president of a service club and officers in a couple others.
My freshman year, I failed a class, and made a D in chemistry my sophomore year… :/</p>
<p>You are lucky to live in a state that has some of the best public universities in the country. What’s the point of spending an extra $15 k or so a year to go to an OOS public that’s ranked similarly or lower than are public schools in your own state.</p>
<p>I agree with your parents. </p>
<p>Go in-state for two years, get wonderful grades, and then if you want to transfer OOS to a BETTER school, your colleges may be willing to make that financial investment in your future. With strong grades, you may even be able to transfer to your in-state flagship, which is one of the best universities in the country.</p>
<p>Your own laziness/lack of motivation caused you to not have the options that you desire. It’s not fair for you to expect your parents to shell out more of their hard earned money to allow you to feel better about your college options when it’s your fault that you’re in this situation.</p>
<p>Actually, Alabama is $19K per year tuition, but adding in room & board, books, personal expenses and travel expenses, collegeboard.org estimates about $31K a year.</p>
<p>Doing very well at your first school and then transferring (if you still want to later) sounds like a great plan.</p>
<p>It’s hard to learn the lesson that actions do have consequences. You mess around your first two years at high school, you may be limited in your choice of colleges, no matter how bright you really may be. </p>
<p>You may be able to salvage something from those bad years. You might want to see if a college does or does not look at freshman grades. Your record will look better if they don’t count 9th grade. Also, re-take the chemistry class and get an A in it.</p>
<p>*I think that when all is said and done, you will be surprised at how it all turns out. * A few will actually attend amazing schools and most won’t. Some won’t be admitted. Some will be admitted and won’t be able to pay.</p>
<p>Son’s friend talked for years about wanting to go to Yale. He had the grades and scores to make this a possiblity. In the end, I don’t even know if he even pressed the “send” button on the Yale application. He was offered an absolutely free ride at a school 20 miles away and took it…I have a feeling his parents had a financial “facts of life” talk with him.</p>
<p>Another girl who was at the very top of the class is going to the local commuter U.</p>
<p>A LOT of the top of the class kids are going to decent but not top state schools. Many of the kids are at the local community college, for financial reasons.</p>
<p>Thanks northstarmom. I understand, and agree. I’m glad I could have other people’s opinions and thoughts about this. I CAN do better, I think I just really wanted to go there because It’s huge, and is greek oriented, which are superficial and not really valid reasons. NC does have really good schools. I just need to get over the fact that I’m not going to go somewhere like all my friends are, and make the best of it, because I can still go to a decent school in state</p>
<p>*It’s just hard because a lot of my friends are going to really selective schools that I’m smart enough to be at *</p>
<p>* I think that when all is said and done, you will be surprised at how it all turns out. A few will actually attend amazing schools and most won’t. Some won’t be admitted. Some will be admitted and won’t be able to pay.*</p>
<p>This is sooooo true. Right now, kids are talking about their reach schools - acting as if they’ve been accepted and are definitely going.</p>
<p>However, some will get rejected by their dream schools. And, some will get horrible FA packages and/or learn that their parents can’t afford their EFCs (This happens EVERY year.) Some kids apply to these schools “just to see” if by some miracle they will get some fab scholarship/FA package. Sometimes that happens, but most of the time it doesn’t.</p>
<p>“I just need to get over the fact that I’m not going to go somewhere like all my friends are”</p>
<p>Come May, you’ll find that many of your friends are staying in-state and at schools other than UNC. Due to the economy, public schools are becoming harder to gain entrance to, and excellent students who a few years ago would have been virtually automatic admits to in state flagships now have to settle for other in state publics.</p>
<p>Many students who’d love to go to OOS public and private schools will have to turn them down because their parents can’t afford them now.</p>
<p>Many students also will be rejected by their dream schools. Applying to a school doesn’t mean one will be accepted to that school.</p>
<p>Too bad you didn’t apply to Alabama earlier, you would have gotten a 2/3 scholarship ($60k total). It would have cost the same or less than your in-state school. Your tuition would have been dropped to about $6500.</p>
<p>But, you might still get such a scholarship since you’re OOS and Alabama wants more OOS students.</p>
<p>oh mom2collegekids, please don’t tell me that! ugh. I was under the impression that scholarship consideration ended dec. 1st for just about everywhere?</p>
Your tuition would have been dropped to about $6500.</p>