@JustGraduate
Thank you. Yes, we’ve talked about finances. I have a spreadsheet breaking down each expense, financial aid categories, travel home, etc. She expects to take out loans, work during school and over breaks. She knows we will do what we can but it can’t be counted on, but we just never expected there would be so much unmet need. If she was offered a merit scholarship with her acceptance, or shortly after, can we expect more aid to follow? That’s been very unclear. I pray we see more. Even Alabama’s offer is only a merit scholarship, although very generous. Do we have to accept to see what can be added, but then how could one ever choose without knowing.
I have been saying “we” a lot, but the truth is that our daughter has been running this herself, updating us as she receives info. I believe she has applied to additional scholarships whenever a school had them, except for Case Western, Wash U., and Drake (because they were due at a time that she was overwhelmed with other responsibilities, like studying for her Calc 3 Final and other semester exams). She let Case and Wash U slip by because she wasn’t passionate about them (had more dislikes than other colleges she applied to). Keeping up with 12+ applications, essays, recommendations, honors college applications, and scholarship deadlines consumed much of her time. She was advised to cut back, narrow done her options, sooner verses later by her teachers and counselor. But she might have shot herself in the foot. And we weren’t involved enough to make her do otherwise. Which was what we thought we should do, let her drive her own plans, take responsibility and own it.
We were proud of her independence and management of all this on top of school, tutoring, and her job (which she’s been working nearly every Fri, Sat, Sun). LOL, ya, adopting 27 teens is a huge exaggeration, but she has little desire for money unless it is to help others (like teens waiting for adoption who rarely see it, because she personally knows such a child). She is a minimalist at heart, rarely spends money on herself, doesn’t feel she needs any more clothes because all her sport t-shirts and sweats are fine. She was dissecting worms with pins on cardboard when she was in 1st grade, dissected hers and half a dozen others’ crayfish that were cut open to look at for a zoo class in 3rd grade (grouping body parts, eyes, etc). Thanks to a special grant, she participated in a video-conference in 6th grade where she dissected a sheep heart, again exploring other students’ hearts who were more squeamish. This crazy kid brought several pieces home in her pocket (against the rules) and tossed me one when she walked in the door (I screamed and threw it in the air). She was fascinated by the texture and that it was a “heart”. She took Advanced Bio A/B (human anatomy and physiology) in 9th grade to dissect other animals but was extremely upset when Marquette Univ wouldn’t allow her to attend their tour of the cadaver labs because she was under 16 years old. She go her shot at that later in AP Bio. I would be shocked if she didn’t become a surgeon (for a while it was medical examiner), or at least a doctor. But I agree with you, many students change their majors in college. Both me and my husband did, so we have often encouraged her to make sure whatever her undergraduate degree is, that it can also lead to a nice career (in case she doesn’t go on further).
I’m sorry. Rambling on. That’s a sign of me being overwhelmed, trying to talk my through the fog and find an answer. (sigh) Again, thanks for your thoughts. I’m grateful I stumbled on this group, and I appreciate your time and thoughtfulness to reach out.
