<p>My fear my parents don't know what to do. I'm the oldest child in the family plus I'm first generation to be born here in the States. My mom and uncle have gone to college but times have changed and honestly they aren't much help for me right now. I'm about to be a senior in a few short months. I am terrified. Is there anything I can tell my parents to do in order to get involved more? They also are against be going to the State University and would rather me attend a Community College first and then transfer up. Money is a bit tight with my family. I'm sorry for the wall of text... I just really need advice. Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>Also if it helps I'm an average student. In the B range. A couple of As. And my SAT score wasn't so good but i plan to buckle down and try again.</p>
<p>If money is tight, perhaps that is the reason for community college. Many very successful folks do their general ed requirements at the cc and then transfer to a four year school to finish. It DOES save a TON of money.</p>
<p>If you can qualify for scholarships or have the money needed to attend the state U. than you get to worry about how to tell your parents your going if you can get in - or - their plan is a sound one to help go to a college they can help you afford. Some great students started at CC’s</p>
<p>Spend some time discussing these issues with your HS guidance counselor. S/he can help you and your parents with information on the American college process, plus by knowing you and your academic data good fit options can be offered.</p>
<p>May I suggest that you talk to your parents about an amount that they are willing to pay and then apply to some colleges. Doing the applications, getting in and then seeing what the financial packages are are three different steps and a decision does not have to be made until you find out what the costs are. It’s just important that you know what the bottom line is and how much your family can afford. I hope you can get them to visit some colleges with you and “get” why you want to go to a four year college.</p>
<p>With your GPA and SAT and the tight money, it seems that community college would be an excellent option. You could try to earn great grades and transfer later, and in the meantime save tons of money.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, research your state’s flagship university. What are the requirements for application? Is an essay required? how many teachers’ recommendations? do you have some teachers in mind to approach for recommendations? Is there rolling admissions, in which case you should apply as soon as school starts. How much money are your parents willing to contribute? Will it be enough to cover cost of attendance or should they and you apply for financial aid? In that case, they will need to familiarize themselves with FAFSA.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, you should put together the kind of information that your teachers and GC will need to write effective recommendations. Put together a resume that will list not only your basic information but also your extra-curricular activities, and what you do in them (e.g., team captain or treasurer) and volunteer or work experiences if you have any.
Also provide some anecdotes from the class (e.g., "when we did a unit on the environment, I did my project on … . My conclusion was that… You commented that… "). this will help jog the teacher’s memory and provide support for the comments that the teacher will make about you. </p>
<p>Good luck, hope this helps. Come back if you need more advice.</p>
<p>Starting at CC might work for you, but look carefully into what credits will actually transfer. In our state students have found that 2+2 doesn’t necessarily work smoothly. Sometimes they end up having to take a lot more credits at the U.</p>
<p>In some ways you are worrying a bit too much too soon (good for you. That shows maturity!). Go ahead and work like crazy on getting strong SAT scores and the best grades you can manage this fall. Apply to a spectrum of places. Make sure you include at least one smaller school with lots of students in your grade/GPA range. </p>
<p>You are really not going to know what YOUR college bill will be until next spring. You will get your acceptance letters (hopefully more than one) and that letter will include any special scholarship deals. Who knows, you may be the only left handed tuba player that applied and they just happen to have a scholarship for left handed tuba players. </p>
<p>When you have that package in hand you will really know what your choices are. Even if the bill looks high, there may be ways to whack off chunks of it (we knocked off $1600 because my DH’s insurance covers our kid while away at school. We had to do some paperwork, but the school granted a waiver for the insurance part of the bill). </p>
<p>Please play to your strengths. If you do well in chemistry or math, consider starting as a chem or math major. Most schools have one or two majors where they get a ton of applicants and some other majors where they are scouting for applicants. Don’t lie about who you are (that never works) but do be smart about how you package yourself. </p>
<p>This is a very stressful time for teens. Senior year is supposed to be about being “top dog” and it really ends up being a huge gallop with lots of unknowns. Work like crazy and don’t close any doors too soon. Do your best on those grades, SAT’s and applications. Good luck!.</p>
<p>Yeah Community College seems to be one of my better options. It’s just for some reason I had something ingrained in my head saying that “Community College is not an option! Get into a University!!!”
My parents are gonna help but I’m fairly positive they don’t have any saved up at the moment.
As for scholarships are there any online places to apply to a scholarship? I need to try to get as much done before the school year starts.
Also maybe as a middle ground i could go to a college? It’s more expensive but for some reason I feel better. I’d beat myself up a lot if i go to cc</p>
<p>Where are you located? Is your flagship university a possibility? You should ask your GC about possible scholarships. Some are local (eg. Rotary Club) and you need to write an essay for them. But your parents’ limited income might qualify you for financial aid. It will depend on the university. Check out websites.</p>
<p>Do you think you would qualify for UW? It is an excellent university. I am not familiar with other state unis and colleges in WA, but consider Lewis $ Clark, Willamette, Seattle University, University of Puget Sound. Look up their websites and check out their student profiles, their cost of attendance (COA) and financial aid programs. Check out their applications procedures and deadlines.</p>
<p>Trust me, I was in your same exact position. No one in my immediate family has ever applied to college in the traditional way before. I was SO FREAKED and confused. This is what I did: I went to the library, and checked out every single book on college admissions I could find so I had an idea of the process. I read collegeboard websites to check SAT scores, etc against the colleges I were interested in. I read the Fiske Guide to colleges to get a feel of what type of colleges exist in America. I talked to past students at my high school who had applied the year earlier to colleges. I actually ended up knowing more about colleges than many of my peers! </p>
<p>You said you did not do so well on the SAT. Have you considered taking the ACT?</p>
<p>Do you live anywhere near Bellevue or Bothell? Bellevue Community College and Cascadia are the two cc’s in WA that are top-notch, but be careful with cc’s - with the budget cuts, guarantee transfers to UW and WSU may not be there for you.</p>
<p>Go to your school’s career/ college counseling office and look for a list of scholarships. You will be surprised that there are many need-based scholarships that B+ students can get (most of the scholarships are small, $1-3K, but every little bit helps).</p>
<p>I actually go to a high school in Bellevue. Newport. And haha Bellevue CC has now officially become C. And i’ve never thought about going to the library. Ill go sometime this week.</p>
<p>From what I can tell, Western Washington and WSU seem to be popular, affordable in-state alternatives to the more-selective UW. The cost of attendance is pretty low to begin with, and if you earn merit scholarships, that number could be even lower. In addition, if money is in short supply like you say, you could potentially qualify for federal and state need-based aid for Washington residents.</p>
<p>If you could put your GPA and SAT scores up, perhaps people can do a search to see if they could find scholarship opportunities. You really do not have to be an amazing student to get scholarship money a wide range of colleges offer money if you want to just go somewhere. And for the most part it is VASTLY more important that you go to college rather than that you go to a good college. </p>
<p>Many colleges will take the fact that you are the first in your family to go to college in the US into account, both for admissions and for financial aid. And a B average from a top high school might trump A’s from something less well known, particularly if you’re applying in state.</p>
<p>One of my nieces graduated from Western Washington two years ago, and it was absolutely great for her. It was the fourth college at which she had been registered, and the only one that really “stuck” and got her excited about what she was doing.</p>