<p>Hi, I'm trying to change my name. I'm under 18, AKA as a minor. It's absolutely ecessary to change it before i apply for college. So, how should i go about doing this, with a lawyer, etc? ALso, it's only for my first name. How much does it cost, with and without a laywer and have any of you done it before and what's your advice with it? I'm worried becuase i need it changed ASAP, hopefully in less than 4 or five months. </p>
<p>I heard that in my area VA it's $400 to change your first name. But you need to go through all the legal stuff. Why do you want to change it before college? Does it give a negative impression?</p>
<p>I got my first name changed from my Chinese name to an English one. I'm registered at school and everything with my English name, but on my social security card, my 'official' name was still my Chinese one. My dad and I went and got it changed this summer. It cost under a hundred dollars (I live in Washington state, if that makes any difference). We filled out some paperwork, had it notarized at a bank, and then went to the county courthouse where a clerk and a judge looked through the papers, and signed them. It was pretty low key. Afterwards, we went to the social security office and had them change the name on my social security card.</p>
<p>Yes, as was I...Is your first name that horrible?...Or are you trying to make it very ethnic so they believe you to be a minority? What's your name right now? And what would you change it to?</p>