- Sit down with parents and find out exactly how they are willing, and able, to pay for your entire college bill.
- Find out their definition of elite college. For it is only HYPSM, or the Ivies, or Top 20 Unis or LACs. If they are expecting a Top 20 college, that may not happen, even with your stats. Are they willing to pay just as much for CMU or JHU as for Harvard or Stanford?
- Make sure they understand the more merit an individual student gets, the less elite the college.
- Even if they are willing to spend way more than you think they should, consider that maybe more than anything, what they want to give is the best college education they can afford. It will pay off in financial and other ways throughout your entire life. It’s not just about them bragging where their kid went. It’s what is best for you.