I'm applying to colleges independently. I was hoping someone could help with my list.

Paying for College
1

<p>Hey I'd really appreciate it if anyone could give me some input on my list!
(I'll take new schools or won't apply if you tell me I have no hope at these schools)</p>

<p>Well I'm a senior looking at schools like so many people here. At the end of sophomore year, I lost a parent. I became very interested in trying to help other people as best I can. I also invested a lot of focus back into school. Among other things, I went to Haiti, got an internship at a local lab, cut my class rank in half, and raised my gpa significantly. </p>

<p>As of right now, my only real help is my high school counselor and she'd have me go to a local school (which aren't bad - they just aren't right for me)</p>

<p>Uh well I don't want to make this too boring</p>

<p>I'm a junior
2040 sat highest sitting
I took it twice and my highest scores were
Reading 730
Math 680
Writing 670</p>

<p>US History - 690 (Winged it? Wung it? Wanged it? I think its winged it)
Bio - 740
Chemistry - ??
Math II - ??</p>

<p>My ap exams:
Bio - 5
Us History - 5</p>

<p>Class rank is 11/173</p>

<p>My unweighted gpa is about a 93/100</p>

<p>Weighted is about 101 (I think that's about a 4.1?)
Freshman : 97.48
Sophomore: 99.40
Junior: 105.13</p>

<p>I've taken 5/5 ap classes for my school in junior and senior year (as far as I know, there's only one or two students that are doing three in one year like me).</p>

<p>I have a few years of track and a few unremarkable clubs and I've worked a paid internship at a lab since my junior year. </p>

<p>My community service isn't remarkable, but I feel that it is very strong. I've had a service internship and started drives at my school.</p>

<p>So I'll take any kind of advice. I'm not a college confidential super-student, but I think I might have a fighting chance at a few of my non-safety schools. </p>

<p>I'd like to study chemistry and I would love to get my phd eventually, but obviously things change.</p>

<p>My current list is:
Swarthmore
Haverford
Colgate
Maybe Dartmouth</p>

<p>University of Southern California
UCLA
UCSD
Boston College
Boston University
Rutgers
Texas A&M or UT</p>

<p>My list is pretty weak. I will cut my final list down, but I have money saved up from working specifically for applications so I need more suggestions if you have any! (especially upper mid range or low reaches)</p>

<p>What's a high, yet achievable, reach where I should I apply early decision? (I'd like to think this might get my application a little more attention, if not demonstrate strong interest)</p>

2

<p>What is your budget for college, and/or family income?</p>

3

<p>What is the financial situation? Are you aware of the33,ooo per year OOS supplement at the UC’s that you will not get financial aid for?</p>

4

<p>Well I’m going independent. I have no taxed income and I don’t think my guardian’s assets are counted. So my efc shouldn’t be very high. That said, I should be able to get by at most schools that will give me at least a little need-based aid. Ucla is an issue because of the money but I’d save money at ucsd by staying with family. (Their presence isn’t really a positive or negative point for me)</p>

<p>Edit: Boston College and the (far reach) liberal arts schools meet need, which is great.</p>

5

<p>Oh, so you are a Ward of the Court? You may not have income, but you may have assets that will be expected to be used.</p>

<p>Sorry about the typo above, the OOS supplement at UC’s will be $23,000 per year and will not be covered by financial aid.</p>

<p>For financial aid all you will get is Pell Grant up to $5,600 per year plus Stafford loans which start at $5,500 for freshman year. After that, aid will come from the college itself. You are not likely to get covered by OOS colleges, so take those off your list. There are only a couple that will give any aid (UVA, UNC?? not sure)and then your stats must be very, very high.</p>

<p>Take a look at colleges that promise to meet need. That will include the colleges on your first list.
[Universities</a> That Claim to Meet Full Financial Need - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2013/02/11/universities-that-claim-to-meet-full-financial-need]Universities”>http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2013/02/11/universities-that-claim-to-meet-full-financial-need)</p>

<p>Is Penn State a sure thing for you?</p>

<p>I’m sorry about the loss of your parent. You have done really well with that upward trend in spite of that. 2040 is good but not great for reach schools.</p>

6

<p>Are you a Ward of the Court? Are your parents deceased? Or, do your parents live abroad, and you’re living with relatives now? Do those relatives have court ordered legal guardianship? Or do they just have something signed by parents to deal with school and medical and such?</p>

<p>Your EFC is largely irrelevant for many schools, especially OOS publics. It won’t matter that you have a 0 EFC, an OOS public doesn’t have to give you much money. They charge high OOS rates for a reason. Doesn’t make much sense to then cover those high costs with need-based aid, right? Why bother charging the high rates. ;)</p>

<p>The UCs are going to require you to pay the $23k per year OOS supplement. Your statement that as long as you get a little aid, you’ll get by. that makes little sense unless you have a lot of assets. How else would you pay $23k per year? plus you’d have commuting costs if staying with family (car, gas, etc)</p>

<p>Where are you going to get $100k+ to put towards 4 years of a UC?</p>

<p>What is your home state? </p>

<p>If you retest and get better scores (you’re only a jr, so that’s possible), then apply to the top schools that give the best aid, and apply to other schools where your stats would get you merit scholarships. If you won’t have a source of money to pay the OOS costs at UTexas or the UCs, those apps may be a waste.</p>

7

<p>I’ll second Questbridge. Are you a senior or a junior? It says both in your OP.</p>

8

<p>Swarthmore and Haverford have great financial aid. So does W&L. I would drop the state schools where you would be an Out of State student. The financial aid in Texas is awful. I live here and the won’t meet need. Try questbridge too.</p>

9

<p>Also, I am very sorry about the loss of your parent. But, if you still have the other parent, you will have to declare them on your taxes, unless you are a ward of the court. So, you have to be an orphan (have no parents left) or a ward of the court (like a foster child).</p>

10

<p>Do we know that the OP has lost a parent or parents?</p>

11

<p>I agree that you should take the OOS schools off your list and add an affordable in state as a safety. I would also look a Bates, Colby, Gettysburg, Grinnell, St. Olaf. I know Grinnell has amazing science facilities. I think all of these still meet full need and aren’t quite as selective as Swarthmore/Dartmouth. Try the ACT instead of the SAT.</p>

<p>I think you show some great qualities and maturity by doing this independently, and also by showing an upward trend even after what you have gone through. Make sure you get this across in your essays, and find a teacher who will be willing to look them over.</p>

12

<p>“But, if you still have the other parent, you will have to declare them on your taxes, unless you are a ward of the court.”</p>

<p>I am sure that undecided meant to write that you will need your other parent’s financial information for the financial aid applications unless you do meet the criteria for independent status.</p>

<p>If you do have independent status for financial aid, you need to know that that won’t suddenly make a lot of money magically appear when you apply to college. Most places. will not meet your need. Sit down with a trusted adult, and sort out just exactly how much money you do have available from your own resources for your education, and then stroll on over to the financial aid forum for advice specific to your situation.</p>

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<p>Swarthmore Haverford Colgate Boston College Boston University = all are reaches but the first 3 would cover your financial need, the last 2 are very impredictable with FA.</p>

<p>Dartmouth, University of Southern California = out fo reach. Only apply if you want to say “I tried”</p>

<p>UCLA, UCSD, Rutgers, Texas A&M or UT = not affordable</p>

<p>I second Bowdoin for a reach. But only apply ED if you’re absolutely sure that’s where you want to attend. In addition, if admitted, you won’t be able to compare financial aid packages so as an independent make sure you apply to a school that has a no-loans policy.
Look into Colby or Carleton too.</p>

<p>ACS accredited schools near your state: Check out Hamilton, Lehigh, Grinnell, Dickinson, Case Western, Union, Allegheny, Bucknell, Franklin&Marshall, Goucher, Hiram, Juniata, St Lawrence.
If you’re willing to go farther away, especially to states where you’d bring geographical diversity, look at these ACS accredited schools: Beloit, Butler, Centre, Davidson, Earlham, Hendrix, Lawrence, U Richmond, Rollins, St Olaf, Truman State, Valparaison, Willamette. THeir selectivity level varies but you’d be within range for all of them.</p>

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<p>As others have stated, unless you are in court ordered legal guardianship, you are not an independent student and you must provide the income/assets of your surviving parent (and spouse if they have remarried). It does not matter, whether s/he supports you, where s/he lives, files you on their taxes, visits you, or is willing to pay. No parent, no aid.</p>

<p>The best that you could hope for is a dependency override (if your situation with your surviving parent is extreme). You will need a lot of documentation and granting the override will be at the discretion of each college.</p>

<p>If you are a Pennsylvania resident, unless you can throw long, have a great rushing game, and have amazing 3 point shots from half court/top of the key, remove all public universities that are not in your home state from your list as they are not financially feasible options.</p>

<p>You need to have a meeting with your GC who will have to be your advocate in this process and will be the person writing the 3rd party letter (if needed). Your list is extremely top heavy and you do not have an academic or a financial safety in the mix. You should also start with a bottoms up approach making sure that you have a couple of financial safeties on your list. You should also focus on schools where you are a good candidate for merit $$.</p>

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<p>Edit: Thank you guys for the input by the way!</p>

<p>I have actually done a lot of looking into this. Both of my parents are deceased so I am an independent student. Obviously my emphasis is on schools that meet need or at least have good financial aid. </p>

<p>Rutgers is my in-state school, so that’s affordable. I’m not gonna find any schools that are going to be as good a value as that so its my only real safety. I’m just hoping to get further away.</p>

<p>Thank you MYOS1634, that list has given me a few new schools to look at. F&M was a miserable school to visit but I’ve heard good things about some of the others.</p>

<p>I’m in love with the whole atmosphere that Bowdoin pushes but I would have assumed that would be further out of reach than USC or BC?</p>

<p>I’m a senior. </p>

<p>I had Dartmouth on the list because a couple of kids from my school with worse or different stats than me have gotten in in the last decade.</p>

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<p>Six years ago my DD’s friend, who was on her own, having her rent and other living expenses covered by the state, applied to college. She had no assets. She got virtually all costs covered at Colby College (including them buying her a laptop), although she did need to do a work-study job.</p>

<p>With all the upheaval in her life, her HS freshman grades were not that super. But she had an upward trajectory and did better and better every year. </p>

<p>If you can bring up your SATs just a bit, you will have very good options with excellent financial aid – as long as you don’t have a lot of assets.</p>

<p>Also, you should make sure your situation is known by colleges, whether by you in an essay or in letters from teachers or your guidance counselor.</p>

17

<p>Apply to Rutgers and to schools that are known to give full aid to low income students. Forget the UCs, etc.</p>

<p>Don’t know how CSS Profile schools handle this. One time a person claimed that guardians’ income was required by some. Don’t know if that’s true or not.</p>

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<p>Should I take the October or November SAT? I’d reserve the other one for subject tests.
How much improvement do I need to aim for?</p>

<p>I’m almost positive guardian’s income isn’t brought into the css profile.</p>

<p>momfromme - Colby is a college that I’ve never heard of, but it actually looks like it’d be a good addition to the list. Probably also makes the list a little more top-heavy.</p>

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<p>I just looked at the SAT range for Colby last year and you are already very competitive there. It’s a very strong liberal arts college and it meets full need.</p>

<p>Definitely check on the assets question. Perhaps post something in the financial aid part of CC.</p>

20

<p>OK we at least know you have a viable instate option. You have Pennsylvania in your profile. So disregard my reference to Penn State. But your first list will give you a closer community and more personal education which will be nice for someone on their own. </p>

<p>Colby is a good suggestion for a match school. I know a pediatrician who went there, so really you can get anywhere from there. Stick with the meets needs schools.</p>

<p>You aim for as much improvement on SAT as possible, you don’t aim lower than you can. Try a systematic prep approach, see xiggi and silverturtle’s pinned threads.
[SAT</a> Preparation - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/]SAT”>SAT Preparation - College Confidential Forums)</p>