@bomerr Thanks for taking the time out to post, but I don’t want this to be a financial aid thread. And you also don’t know my family situation, so I can only take your word with a grain of salt. I will not be consulting CC for advice with regards to specific financial aid packages before I even get my acceptances. It makes no sense. Thank you though.
OP, I promise not to mention FA if you keep updating us! You have a great list of schools, an interesting major, and a sense of humor. It’s a nice distraction from the long winter wait for decisions happening at our house.
Update! Just got into the University of Miami!!! So so excited! No word on merit money yet, but if affordable, I would def go to this school! The wait was antagonizing, but I’m so happy!
I also got into UBuffalo as a Daniel Ackers Scholar with 1/2 tuition, but that was a safety.
Accepted: SUNY Albany, SUNY Buffalo, SUNY Stony Brook, UMinnesota: Twin Cities, Alabama, Miami
Waiting: USC, Northwestern, Northeastern, Syracuse, UFlorida
Rejected: Nowhere
Congratulations!!!
Wow, that’s amazing 
It means your list was very well done.
And when the unavoidable rejection comes, you’ll have all these acceptances and scholarships to cushion the blow. 
Can you write the costs, too, if you do (tuition, fees, room board) - (scholarships, grants)?
@MYOS1634 Sure thing!
SUNY Albany
Presidential Scholarship: 1/2 Tuition ($4,300 per year)
Room and Board: $11,986
Total: $16,213 (Affordable!)
SUNY Buffalo
Daniel Ackers Scholarship: Little more than 1/2 Tuition ($5,000 per year)
Room and Board: $12,400
Total: $17,400 (Affordable!)
University of Alabama
Capstone Scholar: ($3,500 per year)
Tuition: $24,950
Room and Board: $8,866
Total: $30,316 (Affordable with undergraduate loan. Probably would take out $2,500 per year for a grand total of $10,000 in loans. Which is very manageable!)
University of Minnesota:TC
Scholarship: Pending
Tuition: $20,876
Room and board: $8,920
Total: $29,796 (Affordable with loan. Same as Bama, but believe there is a strong chance for a merit scholarship)
SUNY Stony Brook
Scholarship: Pending
Tuition: $8,430
Room and board: $11,648
Total: $20,078 (Affordable, but pricey for in state tuition. Hopefully merit aid will bring this down)
University of Miami
Scholarship: Pending
Tuition: $44,350
Room and board: $12,684
Total: $57,034 (NOT affordable. Still in contention for the premier full tuition scholarship. Really hoping for the Ronald A. Hammond scholarship! If that doesn’t pan out, I will definitely have to consider taking out the max on undergraduate loans.)
Don’t discount travel costs including how often you would want to go home, when you compare colleges. As well as whether you would plan to stay on campus during the summer.
@rhandco I didn’t include the traveling cost because they fluctuate and it would be too hard to try to accurately include it. Also, I’m flexible with travel. Unless I go to school in the Northeast, I don’t really plan on coming home for every break. It’s not economically feasible. And for summer, hmmmm, I haven’t thought about that. I doubt I would be staying on campus, but I will have to think on that a bit more. But I just wanted to include the price of things that we set in stone.
My brother went to Northwestern and we grew up near NYC, and we couldn’t afford to fly him home at all. So he never came back for Thanksgiving, and ended up not coming back for Christmas past freshman year.
Yes, travel costs fluctuate, but some people would rule out further away schools if they can’t come home that often.
And congratulations on the acceptances!
My opinion, based on my preferences, is that SUNY Albany is better than SUNY Buffalo because it is much closer to NYC (and civilization), but some people like that SUNY Buffalo is close to Canada and would want to travel there. Minnesota and Alabama would be totally different climates (and cultures), so I’m surprised both are on your list. Stony Brook is probably the most prestigious of the SUNYs on your list, hopefully you will get some merit aid. It’s also closer to NYC and near the beach.
@rhandco I kinda structured my list around diversity, availability of my major, sports, and availability of a campus tv station. After those 4 things, I’m pretty flexible. I’m from Central NY, so I have faced some pretty bitter winters, but I also can enjoy a hot summer day.
Also, I made my list based on the availability of merit aid. Northwestern is the only school on my list with no merit aid, so I likely will not be able to afford it. But it is an amazing journalism school, so I figured it was worth the application. But aside from that I, I really think that getting substantial merit aid will create flexibility with travel and even if I can come home, that’s okay I just have to make sure the school allows students to stay over winter break.
Not to be rude, but I’m just going to comment on your FAFSA post because you yourself are also talking about your financial situation at different schools. I knew a famy that made almost the same amount as your parents do, had a kid in college, and had other extenuating circumstances. When given their efc from FAFSA they were also given hope, but keep in mind that THe CSS profile is a lot less I would say generous than FAFSA. Also, FAFSA only accounts for tuition really and not room and board so you’re giving too much hope to what FAFSA said your EFC is. Also merit aid at miami, usc, and northeastern will be very hard to come by. I think miami already released their lower scholarship amounts, and people who get full rides at Miami are at the top of the applicant pool. I don’t know your situation, but I’m hoping that’s you! Good luck
The Journey Continues! I just for accepted into my dream school, the University of Florida! I’ve been dreaming about this school since sophomore year! So happy! I was afraid that I would get rejected as an OOS student but I got in. And now, I have a shot to become a Gator!
How much will UF be? Did you get scholarships?
No matter what, that’s great, because indeed few OOS students are admitted.
SUNY Albany
Presidential Scholarship: 1/2 Tuition ($4,300 per year)
Room and Board: $11,986
Total: $16,213 (Affordable!)
=> probably not the best value though. Wouldn’t be very challenging.
SUNY Buffalo
Daniel Ackers Scholarship: Little more than 1/2 Tuition ($5,000 per year)
Room and Board: $12,400
Total: $17,400 (Affordable!)
=> more challenging. Not Ideal for someone who wants Florida weather, but academically better than SUNY Albany.
University of Alabama
Capstone Scholar: ($3,500 per year)
Tuition: $24,950
Room and Board: $8,866
Total: $30,316 (Affordable with undergraduate loan. Probably would take out $2,500 per year for a grand total of $10,000 in loans. Which is very manageable!)
=> did you get into the Honors College?
University of Minnesota:TC
Scholarship: Pending
Tuition: $20,876
Room and board: $8,920
Total: $29,796 (Affordable with loan. Same as Bama, but believe there is a strong chance for a merit scholarship)
=> Same question as for Bama. If you have a scholarship, would be cheaper than Bama and an equally strong school. Not ideal for someone who wants FL weather though.
SUNY Stony Brook
Scholarship: Pending
Tuition: $8,430
Room and board: $11,648
Total: $20,078 (Affordable, but pricey for in state tuition. Hopefully merit aid will bring this down)
=> do you live nearby? very suitcase/commuter, can be lonely in the evenings/on weekends if you don’t have family nearby or can’t head into the city. Good value. After UMN, it’d probably rank number 2 with SUNY Buffalo, or number 3 is weather wins out and you put Bama as number 2)
University of Miami
Scholarship: Pending
Tuition: $44,350
Room and board: $12,684
Total: $57,034 (NOT affordable. Still in contention for the premier full tuition scholarship. Really hoping for the Ronald A. Hammond scholarship! If that doesn’t pan out, I will definitely have to consider taking out the max on undergraduate loans.)
=> scholarships are super competitive, so … I’ll hold judgement till you hear back about the Hammond.
@MYOS1634 I have no clue how much I got. Even if i can’t afford it, that will be okay. For me, knowing that me dream school wanted me too feels pretty darn good I’ll update the list when the package comes in the mail. Stony Brook would be a 2 1/2 hr commute by train (i dont have a car). I can’t be a commuter student at any of the schools listed.
Do you have family near SB? Even if you can’t commute, having people around on weekends would help. Of course, you can always hang out with the international students and you can plan outings into the city together.
Congratulations on UF and on having such a great attitude
@MYOS1634 As far as I know, I don’t have any family out there. And thank you!
Oh yeah, and so far, I’m 7/7 with admissions! No rejections!
And so the journey continues! Finally got some financial aid packages.
UMN: Twin Cities- There was a $306 subsidized loan, an subsidized loan, and then the parent loan option of the cost of tuition and room and board. I expected that though.
Stony Brook- This is just for merit based aid. I received two seperate offers that I can combine.
I received the Academic Program Scholarship with an annual value of $1000 for for years totaling $4,000. I also received the Presidential Scholarship with an annual value of $3,500 for 4 years totaling $14,000. So annually, $4,500 per year. Here’s the breakdown after the scholarship:
Tuition: $3,930
Room and Board: $12,648
Total: $16,578
That would be completely manageable for my family. UF is #1 for me, but this is still a very good option
Hopefully I’ll be getting more updates for you all soon!
What about stuff like Golden Gopher? (Ask, just in case)
Stony Brook is excellent news, congratulations for the stackable merit scholarships!
@MYOS1634 I still have to wait for a merit package