<p>So, I'm in a bit of a pickle with this whole financial aid thing.</p>
<p>I know that I'm not going to get any federal need-based loans or grants--I'm just going to be frank here and say that my family has a great deal of money invested in various places. The problem here is that my family is not willing to spend more than twenty grand on my higher education per year.</p>
<p>My first choice college costs around $50,000, including tuition and board. It's a private school, but I just found out that in order to be considered for its scholarships I needed to have scheduled an interview by a month ago. To make matters worse, I was supposed to fill out a CSS/Profile for the school a few weeks ago to meet the school's priority deadline.</p>
<p>I know this makes me come off as very irresponsible, but I applied to this school in December seeing it as a backup plan in case I change my mind about my old first choice. Well, I feel now that I deserve better than my former first choice and have since realized that what was once this "back-up" school is actually everything I look for in a University and more. I feel that this school is the perfect match for me...but it might be too late, unfortunately.</p>
<p>This is probably a lost cause, but if anyone has any advice on the matter I'd really appreciate it.</p>
<p>All you can do is call the school and ask if they will still consider you.</p>
<p>I would also ask, since they want the Profile, if income/assets is a factor in awarding this scholarship. If it is, that might make you unqualified for it.</p>
<p>$30K is a huge amount of merit money to be looking for. Make sure you have some colleges on your list you can attend with what your parents will pay.</p>
<p>Perhaps you could go to a much less expensive school and then apply to transfer to this school as a junior to finish your degree.</p>
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<p>By completing the FAFSA, you would be eligible for an unsubsidized Stafford Loan which is a loan in your name only. It won’t cover $30K…but it’s something. You should also be working now and plan to work during the summer and for about 10 hours a week during college. Doing that will give you some additional money.</p>
<p>The $20K your parents are offering, plus a Stafford loan and money from your own employment would likely come close to…or cover the costs of your instate public universities…in most states. Is that the case for you?</p>
<p>On another post (done in Feb) you indicate you are interested possibly in medical school. If that is the case, you need to factor in the costs of that (if you don’t change your mind!). Keep in mind that many medical schools ask for PARENT information for financial aid regardless of student age, marital status, etc. </p>
<p>I hope you have some schools on your list that your parents WILL pay for. Have you discussed this with them?</p>
<p>Hopefully, your original first choice school is an instate public because your chances of getting a scholarship to cover the $30k that your parents won’t pay for is small.</p>
<p>I’m wondering if your parents chose the $20k figure because that’s how much your in-state flagship costs. If so, and that’s where you applied to earlier, then go there. :)</p>
<p>Since you want to go to med school, consider this…</p>
<p>1) you don’t have to go to a private school to get accepted to a good med school. A good state school can prepare you for med school. Take the right classes, get a strong GPA, and a strong MCAT. I saw your post about majors for pre-med. Major in what you want, but be sure to take the recommended courses for pre-med. Your college should have a list for that of bio, chem, physics and math classes that all pre-med students should take regardless of major.</p>
<p>2) do NOT take out loans for undergrad if you plan on going to med school. You’ll need BIG loans for med school and you’ll likely run out of borrowing power if you also borrow for undergrad. Some med schools will NOT accept you if you already have significant debt for undergrad, because they fear that you’ll run out of money before completing their program.</p>
<p>Call the college. Give them the facts. Tell them you just applied in December and you’re behind in getting information together for them. Tell them “when” you will have their required financial aid forms submitted (if you haven’t already done this) and ask them if you will still be considered for any scholarships.</p>
<p>It’s not really all that irresponsible because this application process is a MASSIVE undertaking, and it’s difficult to impossible for kids to do it alone - especially regarding financial aid. I have a very bright girl. But, like you all…she’s lived at home all her life (duh), has never paid a utility bill…let alone managed a household or corporate budget. These HUGE dollar amounts are things that teens can’t even fathom. So…don’t sell yourself short. But…you may have to accept something less than you’d “planned” for. LOTS of kids are in the same boat right now (geesh, it should be SINKING from overload). Lots of kids who WANT to and are QUALIFIED for “better” schools…are having to “accept” their state school. So, if that happens, know that you are FAR from the only one. FAR!</p>
<p>Then…get back on the horse and do what everyone above said. See/ask the school if there is anything you can do. I know that at my D’s school…the deadline was 11/1. So…they’re OUT of scholarship money now, she’s already received several, they’ve given it all out and aren’t accepting any applications involving scholarships any more. Maybe your stats are “all that” for this school in question and, when you explain, they’ll think “we really want this student, maybe we can cut them a break since it’s only 9 days after FAFSA due”. PROBABLY they’ll say “yeah, send it…and we’ll just see”. Best luck.</p>
<p>^^I like your post R124etc. So much energy is devoted to propelling kids into the search for the ultimate college but so much less energy is devoted to helping young people undersand how to interpret the marketing talk regarding the finances of college educations. The OP is in an interesting spot because the OP does have somewhere to go. It’s also an interesting year as many non-tippy top colleges are keeping their application cycles open longer. On the other hand the “race for the money” has never been more important. OP, start with your admissions representative, they may transfer you over to finaid, but telling admissions of your desire to “explore” the possibility of their college is not going to hurt you.</p>
<p>In my experience, for public schools, the date deadlines are usually hard & fast, for private schools, they can often decide to be more flexible, if it is possible (so if nothing has yet been done with the info)</p>
<p>My guess is the school will accept the OPs Profile or FAFSA submission late. My GUESS also is that they will NOT “adjust” their scholarship interview deadlines because he/she missed them. Usually scholarships requiring interviews are done within a timeframe and the awards are given to those who interviewed…money is not left over.</p>
<p>Of course…the person could ask…but I would not expect the school to be particularly flexible with a missed scholarship interview deadline.</p>
<p>It’s harder to move the interviews because of the logistics but it’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no, and you’ll still be able to apply for outside scholarships. And if that falls through, the OP still has parents willing to fork over $80,000 to attend any school in the country, which most people definitely don’t have.</p>
<p>Since two of you don’t think a state uni will be flexible…I’ll add my own situation -just so OP doesn’t lose heart. I’ve said it so many times I guess I figure everyone has heard it. </p>
<p>My own D filled out her in state public uni application in plenty of time. At this school, your stats are checked, and you’re then sent an application for merit scholarships if you apply. My D also submitted this in time. </p>
<p>BUT…her TEACHER didn’t send in the recommendation on time (NEITHER of two teachers…one just didn’t get it done, the other didn’t get the invitation e-mail). It was an online/upload submission process, and she’d been cut off. It was a VERY scary day for me as this was her ONLY financial and academic safety. I spoke to the school and they said they would extend it because … “They were losing too many good students over it”. It was a VERY short deadline (teachers had two weeks!), and they seemed to have changed this for many/most/a lot of kids. I don’t KNOW that for a fact. But, they’re exactly right. Had my D not gotten to apply for scholarships (she’s pushing a full ride right now), there is NO WAY she’d be attending this university (still up in the air, but it’s under very heavy consideration, whereas it would have been a firm no). So…it’s sometimes POSSIBLE. No guarantees, and don’t count on it. But…you can’t know until/unless you try.</p>
<p>I remember my daughter saying, about age 8 “Susie gets to play the piano during our choir recital”. I said , “Oh, that’s nice, how did that come about?” My daughter replies “She just asked”. My daughter learned a BIG lesson that day,and she’s taken advantage of it every chance since then. Don’t sit back and moan and wait. Don’t be pushy, or act “entitled”. But a simple, straightforward, kind question can go a long way so one doesn’t stew silently. Next choir recital - MY daughter got to play the piano.</p>
<p>The OP says it’s a PRIVATE school that she has missed the deadlines for…not a public university. What <em>I</em> am saying is…she should call the school and inquire…but personally I think they will take her FAFSA/Profile late but they probably will not schedule a scholarship interview that was supposed to be sheduled a month ago. I think she has missed the scholarship op because of the missed interview schedule.</p>
<p>BUT call and ask…maybe they haven’t HAD the interviews yet…and maybe she is a tippy top student that the school really wants. Maybe they can squeeze her in IF the interviews haven’t already happened. Maybe.</p>
<p>Just as a general beware, I was on a parent chat today with a college where my S2 applied. I could not believe how many parents were asking questions about scholarship applications…all of which the dates had passed and were in fact “awarded” although not announced or for the big ones the chosen bunch of students had already been invited for the interviews. Parents and students need to read the web pages for the colleges being applied to and make note of the dates and requirements. The colleges and unis are very good about marketing for the applications, but much of the scholarship “digging” needs to be done by the students and parents.</p>