Hi everyone, so i’ve always been attracted to the big name colleges in California like UCLA, UCSD, etc, but now that I am a senior and it’s actually time to apply, i don’t know if I even should. If I do get accepted, I 100% will not be able to afford it, but is it worth it to even apply? No financial aid, with an efc of about 57k, but my parents won’t be putting more than 10k toward my education so i’m just wondering… I know it’s not worth it to get my hopes up but is it even worth it to apply? Will I regret not applying in the future? advice? tips? thank you everyone !
No, don’t bother.
Many of us understand what’s it like to not to go to schools that were your first choices, but over the time, that disappointment dies off, especially the reason you want to go to those schools is and only is their name values. Unless you are going to major in business or law schools, your undergrads often dont matter.
Don’t bother, unless (a) you have a realistic chance of earning a large enough merit scholarship to make it affordable, and (b) you consider the college as reach/match/safety based on the scholarship, not just admission (for competitive large merit scholarships, the only realistic assessment is reach or high reach).
If you do apply, and you get in, and you still can’t afford it, won’t that make you miserable? Why do that to yourself.
Instead, apply to a group of schools that you’re likely to get into, that you KNOW you can afford, and that you can actually see yourself attending and loving. That way, when you see which ones you’re accepted into, they’re all good choices, with no nagging “should’a, could’a, would’a” regrets.
If it was a school that may have given you merit aid, I would save said turn in the Hail Mary application. But if you are OOS, the UC schools don’t fit that category. Look elsewhere. Perhaps research and apply to some private schools in California that might be affordable.
Affordability is a precondition before you even start applying for schools 
Otherwise you’re completely wasting your time. If I have $15,000 to buy a car, there’s no reason to start shopping around for a Porsche. Car shopping is a big enough hassle as it is. Just focus on a good list of schools in your price range. If you can get into UCLA, you can get a scholarship. That, in my opinion is a much better deal. Check out TCU and Alabama.
Complete waste of the money to apply, send test scores, etc. Be glad you figured that out before spending it.
What we’re saying is: don’t dream, be rational. It’s ok to try one, to know. But trouble if you make this emotional. You need to be able to let it go.
And while this seems major now, do well wherever you land and grad school opportunities open up.
Time is your most precious resource. Spend it seeking out and applying to schools you would be happy to attend and that appear to be affordable.
What is it you want from this? Some kids treat admissions as a stamp of approval & source of prestige among their friends. Others are looking for a place to continue their education.
No but that doesn’t mean you have to give up getting into a “dream” school - you just have to open your dreams to include the large number of schools that aren’t UCLA, UCSD etc. What makes those a dream? Location? Size? Majors? Figure out what you want in a college and then find out what schools in-state or out of state/private that will offer you need-based or merit aid will meet those requirements. Don’t bother applying to schools who absolutely won’t give you the aid you need to attend, it’s a waste of your time, energy and dreams.
I don’t think it is “worth the money”. Why spend it at all? You aren’t going even if you get in. Spend your time and admissions money on schools you might be able to actually attend.
We went through this with my daughter. Her dream school was not possible due to distance and dollars. It was tempting to let her apply in hopes that she would be rejected and stop feeling sorry for herself and angry with us. But if she’d been accepted her feelings would have intensified. She ended up at a state public, lived her professors, made friends, and did well academically. She is very happy in her career and location.
If the net price calculator indicates that you cannot afford the school, it’s not worth it to apply. The money won’t magically appear. If you had a decent shot at a competitive scholarship, the NPC would have likely indicated that in some way (but also letting you know that it is in no way guaranteed).
Getting in, but not being able to go seems to be resentment and bitterness waiting to happen.
Some colleges’ NPCs list only estimated need-based aid and do not mention possible merit scholarships, for which the potential applicant may have to dig around the colleges’ web sites.
However, competitive merit scholarships should generally be considered reach or high reach, since there is little information available on how selective they are (e.g. how strong students were who historically were awarded the scholarships). If not otherwise affordable, admission without sufficient scholarships is the same as rejection.
You guys are amazing, thank you…
Well if i’m being completely honest prestige and just moving out to California is the main thing… not education, as bad as that may sound. Education is a big part in it, but don’t get me wrong, but the main thing drawing me to these schools are the non-education elements, which may sound dumb but they really appeal to me. I’ve decided to just not apply to the UC’s and focus on some Cal States that are more affordable and or private institutions with more merit scholarships like USC. Thank you everyone for your input!
The only time its worth applying to a school you can’t afford is if its a safety. My D attends a school I specifically told her not to bother applying to because the NPC put it way out of reach. In the end, they offered her a fantastic package, some here call it preferential packaging, because there was something about her they wanted in their class profile. Applying to a reach or solid match school, no. Just setting yourself up for disappointment.
Given what you want I would say your strategy is as good as any. If the schools are unaffordable they are unaffordable. As you have learned applying to UCs is financially futile. To others not CA who may be asking this same question I would add this. If the school has a competitive merit scholarship you can apply as long as you have the understanding that you only can attend if you get the scholarship and the scholarship makes the school affordable. On the whole though you are likely only enriching the school by $50-75.
It was not a safety if it was unaffordable. At the time of application, that school should have been considered a reach to get the needed merit scholarship or preferential packaging, since there was no way to know competitive such merit scholarships or preferential packaging was. Obviously, reach does not mean impossible, and she was one of those who was successful in getting an affordable offer out of that reach (of course, once the affordable offer is in hand, then it becomes a safety).
Sorry, should have said an academic safety.