<p>I live in Connecticut.
I have about a 3.7 unweighted GPA (my school doesn't weight GPAs), 29 ACT, and I believe I am in the top 10% of my class. I'm also a member of NHS, French Club, Student Government President, newspaper assistant editor, varsity golfer, and I hold food drives in my neighborhood.
I would rather not attend a college in Connecticut since I don't like it here whatsoever and would rather explore a new area. Connecticut's so small and I've pretty much seen the whole thing!</p>
<p>So, is it easier to get into a school as an out of state student? The public school I'm looking at is University of Washington. Combined with my grades and the fact that I'm out of state, would you say that I would have a good chance of getting in and that I would be given more money? Also, what schools are notorious for giving out money to students like me?</p>
<p>Money is a major issue. My parents cannot afford to pay for my complete college tuition and I do not want to take out $200k in loans. I'm really looking for a place that will provide a good financial package, because if I want to attend college (which after some debate, I have decided to do) financial aid is crucial.</p>
<p>Thanks! (:</p>
<p>Well the most obvious answer would be to apply to a state school, where you would get generous financial help. However, seeing that you don’t want to attend school in Conn. and “Money is a major issue” it would be common sense to apply to public universities. </p>
<p>However, a problem arises because many “state schools” not in your state limits the number of “out of state students” and often have annoyingly high tuitions and low financial aid for those people. In addition, it is difficult to gain admission relative to state schools in your “state.” So to answer the first part, it is (most of the time) harder to get into a state school as an out of state student. : (</p>
<p>What I would recommend for you now is to simply think about a range of public AND private schools which you like, and see which offers a better financial aid package on average. Then apply to those schools and see what happens. </p>
<p>To answer your second question, are you talking about University of Washington in Washington, or University of Washington in St. Louis? While I am unsure of what kind of financial aid you will get, I think you have a chance at both.</p>
<p>Hope this somewhat helped you : ) Best of luck in your application!</p>
<p>Thank you very much for the information! Also, I am talking about the UW in Seattle, WA. (:</p>
<p>oo haha gotcha : ) </p>
<p>Historically, the purpose of “state schools” is to help residents of their respective states. However, dont be afraid to apply to private schools or other public schools because many offer extremely awesome financial aid packages!</p>
<p>I’ll be attending the University of Washington in the fall, and I’m also from the east coast! With what you provided, you should be able to get in easily. (But it is often a crapshoot, just make sure you write a decent essay! Also, your stats/ec’s are fairly similar to mine.)</p>
<p>The only drawback would be the financial aspect. Fortunately, I earned a scholarship from the UW so that helps a little. Still, the OOS tuition is killer, especially if you compare it to in-state. The UW is fantastic for in-state students. From what I’ve heard, they give some fairly nice aid and grants to Washington residents. But for the rest of us OOS children, it’s pretty much a barren wasteland in the world of aid. HOWEVER, just apply anyways and see how the aid turns out - you’ll never know if you don’t apply.</p>
<p>Also, what is your intended major? UW has direct-admit programs for certain majors, so that could be worth looking into.</p>
<p>Finally, I am in sort of the same financial situation as you. Helpful information: AP credit is your friend. I’m going in with a LOT of credits from AP’s, so I intend to graduate in 3 years instead of 4. This will significantly help from the financial standpoint and is worth considering if you still have a year of high school left.</p>
<p>Just PM me if you have ANY questions at all. Also, if you give me a bit more info (scores, interests, etc) I could try to help you find some other schools!</p>
<p>Best of luck!!</p>
<p>Every state is different. Some have a set percentage that go to instate leaving oos students in a different applicant pool with generally tougher competition (think UVa). Some states give guaranteed admission to instate students that are in the top 10% of their class (both GA and TX have a form of this). Some state flagships welcome oos students with high stats and will offer up great scholarships and spots in honor colleges to attend. (both Alabama and Auburn are known for this).
The trick is to find the ones that have the program you want and favor good oos students in admissions and merit aid.</p>
<p>If you want to play the geography card as an admissions advantage, you need to find a school where (a) OOS students are strongly desired, and (b) Connecticut is an underrepresented state. In general, large OOS public universities probably are not your best bet. They typically reserve 80-90% of their spots for in-state students, charge much higher rates for OOS students, apply higher admission standards for OOS students, and don’t give much aid to OOS students. At full-pay rates, they usually are cheaper than selective private schools, but after aid, your out-of-pocket costs may not be a bargain at all.</p>
<p>One of the best schools in the state of Washington is Whitman College in Walla Walla. This is a small, private liberal arts college comparable to some of the NESCAC schools in your region (Connecticut College, Trinity, Bowdoin etc.) Check out its “Semester in the West” program. If you really want to break out of your East Coast, small state box, that would be a great way to do it.</p>