<p>My parents combined salary is 30k a year. Could this hurt me in getting accepted into colleges? We're pretty poor and require financial aid, but we're still living pretty comfortably so we won't really be a "low income family". Would colleges be more likely to admit a rich guy with my stats so that they would actually pay to attend? Darn recession :[</p>
<p>Thanks guys, I love you all <3</p>
<p>Yes, the vast majority of colleges would let in someone who can pay first. Relatively few colleges meet need, and most that do require high stats for admission.</p>
<p>The low income in the US most often have few college choices beyond their community college.</p>
<p>On the flip side, low income kids with very high stats can get a free ride at very top colleges. The problem is getting in.</p>
<p>At $30K, colleges will consider you low income unless there are also assets.</p>
<p>depends. some colleges are “need-blind” (most of the top ones), while some other private schools might consider the fact that you can’t really pay.</p>
<p>you’ll want to find a school that will meet your “full need”, and that is need-blind.</p>
<p>[Need-blind</a> admission - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Need-blind_admission]Need-blind”>Need-blind admission - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>also, look into Questbridge. they offer full-scholarships to people of your income bracket.</p>
<p>questbridge.org</p>
<p>you’ll need the stats though, because most of the colleges that will not care if you can’t pay are the top ones.</p>
<p>Most colleges (the exceptions are University of Virginia, UNC Chapel Hill and the very top private colleges – places like HPYS–) can not afford to meet the full demonstrated need of all of their accepted students. They even may meet all or part of the need with hefty loans. Consequently, it will be vital that you make sure that you have at least one safety school that you know you can afford. For many students – including students with higher family incomes than yours – such safety schools are the local community college that they can commute to from home.</p>
<p>You can check for colleges with need based financial aid</p>
<p>Here is US News’ list of colleges and universities that say they meet 100% of need (note the caveats):</p>
<p>[Schools</a> That Say They Meet Full Need - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/education/paying-for-college/articles/2008/09/05/schools-that-say-they-meet-full-need.html]Schools”>http://www.usnews.com/education/paying-for-college/articles/2008/09/05/schools-that-say-they-meet-full-need.html)</p>
<p>I’m not sure where you are from or what you are interested in majoring in but for a NY kid interested in the sciences SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse is a great deal and is one of a handful of publics that say they’ll meet full-need. ESF also allows you to cross-register with adjoining Syracuse University and it is a LOT easier to get admitted to than many of the 100%-of-need schools.</p>
<p>Sorry, I might not have phrased my question very well. At this point, I don’t really care about how much need based money they’ll give me. I’m just worried about getting accepted.</p>
<p>Will having 30k/yr hurt my chances of admissions? I have good stats (31 act, 3.85 gpa with most rigorous classes). My top college choice is University of Michigan Engineering and maybe UIUC Engineering (I live instate Michigan, but OOS for UIUC. Also, I know UIUC’s aid sucks, but I’m just worried about getting in o_O).</p>
<p>Yosup, there’s no point in getting accepted if you can’t pay. “how much money they’ll give me” and “getting accepted” are mutually existing statements when you are low-income.</p>
<p>^ Well, I’ll get loans, a job, and my parents do have some savings to help me pay. We’ll make it work. I’m just worried, because on the app, it just asks for my parents income, and I’m wondering if putting a low amount will hurt me. Should I leave it blank if its optional?</p>
<p>You have nothing to lose by including info on an app about your parents’ income. Anyway, the colleges that are need-sensitive for admissions would be using your financial aid info to find out whether they could afford to accept you. </p>
<p>“Sorry, I might not have phrased my question very well. At this point, I don’t really care about how much need based money they’ll give me. I’m just worried about getting accepted.”</p>
<p>It is not difficult to get accepted to college in the U.S. The majority of applicants–something like 80% --get into their first choice college. The majority of colleges accept the majority of their applicants.</p>
<p>The rare exceptions are the colleges that you hear about most on CC-- places like Harvard, Princeton, Yale, MIT, Stanford. Unfortunately, such colleges also make up the bulk of the colleges that can afford to meet 100% of all of their accepted students’ demonstrated financial need.</p>
<p>It is very unrealistic to apply to college without thinking about the financial aspects and making sure that you can pay. Only very wealthy people do this. Most students apply only to colleges that their parents can afford and that’s why, for instance, so many students apply to their in-state public universities.</p>
<p>When all costs are considered – tuition, food, board, books, travel, entertainment expenses, the cost of a 4-year college will be about $15 k (for an inexpensive in state public) to about $48 k a year (for a private college). There’s no way to come up with that kind of money if you get no or next to no financial aid. You wouldn’t even be able to get outside loans to cover such costs. You may be able to make $3,000 working during the school year and the summer, but that would still leave a large gap. On a $30k a year income, your parents aren’t likely to have much savings, and it may be unwise for them to use all of their savings on your college because that would leave them nothing for emergencies.</p>
<p>I seriously recommend that you actually worry about the financial aspect. You should be looking at need blind schools (Amherst, Williams etc.) and schools which meet 100% of demonstrated need (look at the list someone posted above).</p>
<p>Seriously, my parents make >25k, so i could bust my @ss working 40 hr weeks + classes and STILL have not even close to enough of the money that i would need to pay for a good school, regardless of how much money my parents put. You really have to think about this stuff.</p>
<p>^ I don’t really have a chance to get accepted into a good need-blind school =[ My academics are great, but my essays and ECs are really bad :[ I’m just hoping to get into U of M and get at least a little aid…</p>
<p>No it’s a viable concern. Privates want money, and this is a business. I think you have every right to wonder if they will look unfavorably on you because of this. I personally am not sure how they will take your situation, but I have to admit that IMO, if a school isn’t need-blind, $30K/year will definitely hurt you…</p>
<p>There are plenty of schools that meet need you would have a shot at, even with weak ECs. They are not the names that trip off every tongue on CC, but there are plenty where you’d be a contender.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.cslf.com/investinyourfuture/payingforcollege/collegesthatmeetneed.htm[/url]”>http://www.cslf.com/investinyourfuture/payingforcollege/collegesthatmeetneed.htm</a></p>
<p>If you live in Michigan, you also should look at other public school including those within commuting distance. If you live outside of Mich., you probably won’t be able to get the financial aid you need from Michigan publics because no publics except UNC and UVa guarantee to meet the full demonstrated financial need of accepted students. Even if you are instate, expect a large gap between the aid you need and what you get. The exception might be if you are accepted to a public where your stats are much higher than is the norm at that school.</p>
<p>You can also look for colleges in your area that may have made commitments to meet full need of local students. For instance, Boston University last fall announced an initiative to meet the full need of admitted Boston public school graduates in exchange for a community service requirement.</p>