I’m new here. I’m looking into LACs that have either strong “meets needs” or VERY good merit scholarships. Our FAFSA forecast gives us an EFC of about $5000. I’ve run the NPC on lots of schools and I’ve gotten just under $20K on most of them since they also include my father’s income and sometimes my stepmother’s income. They (dad and stepmom) are not planning to contribute so my mother and I are trying to cover their portion as well as our own.
My mother can pay about $5000/yr. She will also buy my plane tickets and continue to pay for my cell phone and car insurance. She is working some overtime shifts, but can’t do too many since I have 3 younger siblings. I am willing to take out Stafford Loans, but not more beyond that. I hope to earn about $5000 each summer. I plan to do a work-study and estimate making another $2000 a year with that.
I want to major in theater. I don’t necessarily want to attend THE BEST theater schools because I want to have a better shot at being cast. Musical theater would be ideal but I realize not a lot of schools have that specific major.
I’m currently a HS junior.
Here are my Stats:
33 ACT on my first try. I have 2 more chances to take it. And I have been working with a private tutor.
Working on IB Diploma
Testing for Seal of Biliteracy.
UW GPA right now is 3.85.
My current weighted GPA is 4.2, but could go up quite a bit more because most of the remainder of my classes are AP/IB.
So far I’ve taken 4 AP tests; AP Human Geography 4, AP Spanish 4, AP US History 5, AP Calculus 2.
My IB HLs are English, Spanish, and Music.
My IB SLs are Math, Economics, and Physics.
I’ve been really involved in theater and have had several lead roles.
I did track and field for 2 years but got too busy with theater to continue.
I have had a summer internship with the Utah Symphony and the Deer Valley Music Festival for the past 3 years.
I’ve won some local awards for playing guitar.
Next year I plan to be president of A’Capella and be involved in student government in the school senate.
I also have a part-time job.
I’m not sure about my class rank but I attend a very competitive public high school.
A few schools on my radar are Oberlin, Whitman, Occidental, and Pomona. I’m open to other suggestions.
You need to concentrate on FAFSA only schools. Schools won’t consider that your father/stepmother don’t want to pay and will expect you to contribute a lot more than the FAFSA only schools (that have merit).
U of Utah has a great theater program. Also Wyoming where you’d be eligible for WUE/Brown and Gold scholarships. U of Northern Colorado
My mom and I can work to cover my dad and stepmom’s portion. The NPCs I’m getting that include NCP income/assets are about $20K or less. I’m looking for meets needs schools that are a good fit for me.
My mom and I can work to cover my dad and stepmom’s portion. The NPCs I’m getting that include NCP income/assets are about $20K or less. I’m looking for meets needs schools that are a good fit for me.
My EFC, even with dad’s income is still less than tuition, room and board in a state school. It’s a good back up plan. But I’d like to have a better fit for the same price.
Just make sure you shore up Utah, with regents and your stats, your COA there will be very low . As your ACT will improve, you might get at least free tuition and possibly some room and board (although off campus living is probably more sensible in SLC). NPCs’ EFC might well not be accurate for your situation, If you have to match state school’s COA, and the U is almost free, make sure you are all on the same page with the numbers. Most of your peers will end up instate. Have you gone the theater subforum? That is probably your best bet. Read old threads about admission and competition and audition stuff.
I would qualify for almost free tuition at UAB, and they do have a musical theater major. So it’s definitely on my list. The NPC is get from their website is right around $20K, which is about the same (or more) as I’m getting from private LACs.
You will need to fill out the profile for some schools, you really do seem to be on top of your game so just make sure you know what that entails. You think your EFC is 20k including your dads financials? He will fill out the NCP profile? He has given you accurate numbers thus far, you think?
I will check out the theater subforum. Thanks for the heads up on that. The University of Utah is 3 miles from my house. And they do have a musical theater program. I really wanted to get away, but it’s a good back-up plan.
Yes. The $20K NPC does include my dad’s income. It does not include my step-mothers. I’m not 100% sure how that works but the schools who mention is say that they do not expect the non-custodial step-parent to contribute. My mom’s estimated FAFSA EFC is only $5K. Although some of the profile schools have our NPC as high as $12K since we have some home equity. I think my dad will complete the NPC but my mom might have to get him court ordered to do so. While the courts cannot force him to contribute, she seems confident they will order him to fill out the profile or at least submit the necessary information. The numbers we plugged in are estimates for dad’s income/assets, but the income portion should be quite accurate. My dad has to report his income to my mom for child support.
I also recommend Vassar and as you go along in the process I suggest you call their financial aid office to see if you could get a better estimate of how they calculate aid. My D’s situation was somewhat similar to yours with dad being unwilling to pay and she and I covering his portion. Just make sure he is willing to fill out the CSS all four years. If you are male your admissions chances there will be better. I think the school definitely fits what you are looking for if you can make the price work.
Run the NPC on St Olaf (and do prepare for their music scholarships - the music there is conservatory level, they do have theater and "meet need) and Muhlenberg (great theater).
