<p>First you need to figure out what colleges will expect your parents to pay. With 6 kids, unless your dad has a high income, it may not be that much. Use calculators such as the one on this site and Princeton's, why I think give a good example of what profile schools will want.</p>
<p>If your EFC is low and you have the stats for top colleges, you'll be in good shape at schools that meet 100% of need. Then, if you have good stats, there's always merit aid to consider.</p>
<p>Spit out your stats so far, and we'll tell you how easy it will be for merit aid. Since you're not opposed to going to an instate university, that's a very good option. Many liberal arts colleges will throw merit money at you too. My guess is that you won't get much financial aid unless you apply to the very top schools, like Ivies. You might also be eligible for lots of outside scholarships, especially if you have good ECs. Look up some PA universities on CollegeBoard, and then you can look at their financial aid information.</p>
<p>I am was in a situation similar to yours in high school. I actually applyed to Penn State, got into the College of Engineering, sent in my deposit, and then couldn't go because it was too expensive for OOS. You should apply to PSU because it is a great school, however in-state schools may not be your cheapest option. A lot of great private schools might have a high sticker price, however the real cost of attending after aid is awarded is usually significantly less. For example, I attend Case Western, and my flagship state U. (UMaine) would cost me around $19,000/yr, while im only paying around $14,000/yr at Case (all in student loans, of course). This is with NO MERIT AID what-so-ever, and all of it is need based.</p>
<p>I'm 2/215 in my class
4.0 U.W. gpa
1080 SAT C.R. and Math ( will retake in October )
Tons of EC's (class president, lead in school musicals, community service, ect.)</p>
<p>Somes schools i was thinking about were PSU, Syracuse, and Ithaca College.</p>
<p>The first thing you need to do is talk to your parents about how much they are able and willing to pay for your college education. To be honest, that is more important than what the finaid calculators spit out. The reality is that you need a realistic estimate of what your parents can and will pay. Sometimes, the amount indicated in the EFC is not consistent with what families feel they can afford. Now...as an aside, you might want to look at York College in PA. It is a very nice LAC, small with good programs. Their costs are quite modest compared to most private schools, and my understanding is their financial aid is decent enough that often the cost to the family is similar to that of the state schools. If you can get your SAT scores up you might be in line for merit aid from them.</p>
<p>You're lucky you're in Pennsylvania! You have great state schools there that many would kill to attend - especially at in-state costs! Don't forget U Pittsburgh too.</p>
<p>Kyle, you may be in a good position to receive financial aid and merit & need aid. How about University of Southern California? good school, good financial aid packages. Review before retaking your SAT. You have the grades, class rank, extra-curriculars, you are in a good position for merit aid in many schools. Make sure your SAT score matches the rest of your qualifications. Don't let the financials stop applying to your dream schools.</p>
<p>Kyle, take a review class or review in your own before your next SAT - you need scores very close or above 700 in each area. You want to aim for SAT of 2000 or above to get the merit aid in the top schools. You probably will qualify for need aid, but remember that not all the need aid is grants, a lot of it is loans and you have to pay that money back when you graduate from college.<br>
Just study, study, study for your SAT. You can buy/borrow the study guides and take prep tests from the guides and online from sites like the Princeton Review & Kaplan. The more you practice the better you’ll do. Send me an email. We have SAT study guides at home I could mail to you. Also, we have college guides with schools and majors info my D used last year in her college search.
Also, start thinking about your essay topics - think about your passions, your goals, something that you can write about to let the schools know more about you and what you are passionate about. Download some of the college applications and start looking at the essay topics in each. Make a list of the topics so you can start preparing those essays. Don't wait to start essays just before the deadline; start doing your homework now.</p>
<p>P.S. > Sorry about the typos in my previous post... this an example of doing things in a rush; need to proofread when we write.</p>