yes I know, which is why I have questions about my merit competitiveness.
And it WAS 16k EFC for me. With the new FAFSA it will be 32K for me. 64k for my family-- a completely absurd amount for my family.
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You are conflating two things. Yes, schools do use merit aid to attract top students…but not necessarily ones who require need based aid as well. Many high achieving students seek merit aid to help their families save money. Some don’t qualify for need based aid at all.
Adding merit aid and need based aid awards together is done by SOME but not all colleges. You need to check.
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Congrats on your acheivmants. You are big fish in a very small pond graduating class of 60-70.
APs will not hurt you. If you only took one and lets just say 10 were offered that would hurt you
2 yrs of FL is the minimum colleges look for with some top ranked schools looking for more should not disadvantage you.
SAT scores it looks like you haven’t taken it yet but are disappointed in your practice test scores
Test Optional may be the way to go but would study over the summer to boost score
Financial aid is a top consideration family 6K you estimate and 5K loan most you can take out as a Freshman
So where does that leave you?
State Schools any where you can commute from?
Western exchange
Chase merit OOS Private/Public
This link explains the type of Cal grants available to you. Cal Grant High School Entitlement Award - California Student Aid Commission
Here is the link for Cal grant income/asset limits: https://www.csac.ca.gov/sites/main/files/file-attachments/2021-22_income_and_asset_ceilings_for_new_applicants_and_renewing_recipients.pdf
I am not that savvy on financial aid questions for California schools. @aunt_bea might be able to help with your specific questions or @kelsmom.
I would run the net price calculator on a couple of the Cal States and UC’s to see how much FA you will qualify for as a Freshman applicant.
UC’s tend to be more generous with need-based aid vs. Cal States since CSU’s assume you will be commuting to your local CSU.
If your family is willing to contribute $6K and you take out the Federal student loan of $5500, then you have $11500 as a budget which should cover tuition/books and part of room/board at a Cal state or if commuting, then all costs would be covered.
I know that students feel that if they work hard and get good grades that their local schools are a let down, but do not dismiss the educational opportunities afforded you at several of the Cal states.
You can look up your local Cal state based on your service area here: https://www2.calstate.edu/apply/freshman/documents/csulocaladmission-serviceareas.pdf
You will get priority as an applicant at your local CSU.
What is your local CSU? What do you plan to study?
If you are considering Pre-Med, then where you go for Undergrad will matter little. You want to attend a school where you have the best chance for a High GPA in the Medical school pre-req courses, access to medically related EC’s and a school with good Pre-Med advising. You also want to keep undergrad costs at a minimum. In general you need a place where you can thrive as student–academically, socially and personally. Medical schools are looking for students who are not just top students academically, but also interesting, well rounded individuals with specific social competencies and leadership skills.
I would also look at the Pre-Health advising centers for more information.
Make sure you have a backup plan since 60% of “pre-med” students never make to the application round.
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What you need first, both to quell the understandable panic and to provide an acceptable baseline for other options to exceed, is a financial safety - someplace you know you could afford based on the sticker price and guaranteed merit.
For this, I would suggest looking at Truman State. It is Missouri’s public honors college, and it’s actually an excellent school, with about 5000 undergraduates, small classes, strong pre-health advising, and a nice variety of majors. The full-pay cost of attendance for an out-of-state undergraduate living on campus is $25,573. With a >3.95 GPA, you would need just a 1300 SAT or a 28 ACT to claim the maximum guaranteed merit scholarship of $8000. That puts the yearly cost at $17,573. If you take the maximum guaranteed Stafford loan ($5500 the first year, a little more in subsequent years), that reduces the out-of-pocket to around $12K. Could you make that work if you had to, between family contribution, your own income, and small additional loans? (Truman also has competitive merit, up to full ride, so it might end up looking better than this, but I’m looking for a workable default plan.)
You may well have potential to get some full-ride merit-scholarships, but those are competitive and you won’t know until the process plays out. My hope is that you can figure out a plan you know you can fall back on if none of the competitive full rides pan out.
Does your twin have similar qualifications to yours?
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Go back to your question - colleges understand what you have available - so if you have two years of Spanish, they won’t penalize you. It will be in the counselor’s report. Can you take a 3rd year Dual Enrollment, etc? That can show initiative but you’ll be fine at 2.
Same with AP - if your school offers 2, they won’t penalize you vs. the kid who took 10. I’ve read enough of these CCs now to see kids who got into Rice, Chicago, with 0-2 APs, etc. because it’s all they offered. That’s why colleges get a counselor report - so they can measure your rigor vs. school offerings. If you took 2 and they offer 20 APs, not good. But 2 of 2 that’s all you can be expected to do. Not every school has massive offerings.
You later came up with - you have no money. How do I pay? Well each school will decide. Those that meet merit aid use the CSS and what you deem you can pay and what they deem you can pay are two different things.
But everyone gave you the list for the “big” merit schools. If you don’t have need, then these are your best bets. btw - you mentioned merit and need. Many schools don’t stack them - so if you get $30K of one and $20K of another, you’d likely just get the $30K.
Fill out a net price calculator for an Ivy or a few schools of interest and see what they say.
In regards to merit, it was mentioned, but your best school is typically Arizona - if you have a 4.0 unweighted, you get $35K vs. $37K tuition. A 3.9 is $30K. They use unweighted and core classes. It’s easy to figure out.
ASU is not as aggressive. New Mexico, Utah, Arkansas, and Mizzou are also good. Alabama is very generous, MS State as well and for mid-size UAH. Check out South Carolina as well and actually Bradley U can be quiet generous but will be heavily midwest. They publish their scholarships on line - just fill in their calculator.
Depending on your overall makeup, you might look to American U who has the Frederick Douglas Scholars and Washington & Lee which has the Johnson Scholarship.
I don’t see your whole make up - including ECs, etc. but check into them. They are merit - but W&L also meets need.
Finally, whatever schools become of interest - get on their email lists. Why? They’ll often send you application waivers - from Wash U to Washington & Lee to Pitt - my daughter had 7 free apps of 21. Chicago gives a freebie too if you do the FAFSA. If money is an issue, you can also ask your guidance counselor to provide a waiver.
Good luck.
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UNM has waived SAT/ACT test scores for admission for the 2021-22 school year for both in-state and OOS applicants.
UNM has also waived the SAT/ACT test scores requirement for most scholarships, including those for OOS applicants.
The Amigo Scholarship still requires a ACT or SAT score, but WUE and LUE Scholarships do not.
WUE requires a 2.8 GPA to be eligible. WUE Plus requires a 3.0 GPA.
WUE Plus give in-state tuition rates to OOS students, (Basically it’s the AMIGO scholarship without the $200/year travel stipend.)
UNM tuition & fees = $8,514/year
UNM housing & meals = $10,090/year
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The problem with living in a high COL area is that it’s not factored into FA. When we had 2 in college, we didn’t get a dime, now with 3, the most expensive public school is giving us $8000. Your best bet is not to get into the “best” school you can, because you probably won’t get merit. My kids pretty much applied to safeties knowing they were full pay.
First: will you be penalized?
No, if they know about it.
Unfortunately, most small and/or rural high schools don’t have a school profile because they don’t have a need for one. As a result, find out whether your guidance office has one it sends with transcripts, or not - if not, find a diplomatic way to show what it is and explain you need it to apply to college.
(If your school is small because it’s private and college prep, then there should be a school profile.)
Keep in mind your parents will no longer pay for your sport, music lessons, food, and clothes next year, so that might free up some extra money and bring their contribution closer to 10-12k a year. Check with them. If they’re eligible for the AOC (money to help them pay for college) it’d add something too.
UCSC and UC Merced both offer “merit” to CA residents. Since you get the instate tuition discount, it may bring your costs at a UC to something affordable.
Same thing for your local CSU and some CSUs with Honors colleges, like Chico, CPP or Sonoma.
Fafsa-based schools don’t meet need thus don’t care all that much about your EFC, and will thus offer merit to a strong applicant regardless of parents’income.
What’s your current SAT or ACT score? Any chance it might reach 1400+ or 32+? If so, use Khan Academy to improve your score.
If not, then focus on improving curriculum rigor. Taking a “recognized” CC class or 2 (for instance college Spanish 2 and calculus 2) would vouch for your academic preparation, small graduating class or not. Well, as long as you get an A 
! And it can be done during the Fall, not just summer.
Most of all, make sure your ECs are as good as you can make them, preferably with external recognition or some form of local usefulness.
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What may be more common is limited stacking, where merit can first replace student loan and work expectations but then replaces grants. But many colleges do not say what their policies are on their web sites.
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Is there a way to check if a merit + need offer can be greater than need only at any given college?
I only see language on some websites that indicate a college is trying to be aggressive with merit aid which may be a signal that merit can benefit a needy student.
I was explicitly told by my GC and my Principal that I could get a good deal and make it to college despite my family not being able to meet EFC (the old EFC!) if I did well. I believed her, and she seems to know what she’s talking about, and it makes sense on the side of colleges competing for a more prestigious student body, and I put my whole life into that belief…
Should I have talked to thumper1 instead?
Thanks that’s some good advice. But the thing with UCs and FAFSA is after my first year, my EFC will DOUBLE when the new law takes effect. Will UC compensate for that? Hell no.
That’s basically the bind I’m in. UC’s are now off the table. And I would be happy to go to one. I would have been less happy to be a valedictorian going to CC and then transferring to UC, but now that I found out about the FAFSA I would be happy to swallow my pride and go that route.
Ironically, my father is a UC Professor. He can’t buy the Nike’s he makes in the factory.
I am at this point not desperate enough to think of a Cal State school (sans Poly, but that’s not my thing) as an option. I would at this point consider that a massive fail and very sad outcome to all the effort I put in.
This is why I’m hoping against hope that I can get my application more competitive and get some deal somewhere.
I am looking to add some online AP courses but I’m having trouble getting my high school (small dependent public charter) to agree to put them on my transcript. Fingers crossed on that.
As I said, needs met on paper is not needs met in reality in my financial situation, especially using FAFSA. Yes I need something on top of what the form says I need.
And yes as I said the CSS schools are more promising, but they are almost all like the schools you mention-- extremely competitive and hard to get into.
Hell yeah I’d like to go to Pomona or Amherst, but why would they even admit a 2 yr language 1 AP course person like me let alone try to recruit me with extra aid? They have plenty, plenty of other straight A students to choose from.
I hear you on the SATs. But I have to say I doubt my ability to raise my SATs high enough and was thinking of applying test optional, on top of all the other things going against me.
That’s just a reality about me and standardized tests. I’m not claiming I’m a super student. I just want to go to college, and not the bottom of the barrel. Maybe I want to much given my situation.
I’m not a financial aid officer at any college. You can call the colleges and ask. When we went to info sessions, this was very often a question. And they answered.
We visited 28 colleges in total with our two kids. Two of those colleges (University of South Carolina, and Duquesne) allowed stacking…but that was over 10 years ago. I believe South Carolina still does. But check.
That will NOT help you with admission! You are over-weighting the importance of APs to AOs. They really do look at context.
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My opinion….the CSUs are not bottom of the barrel. And especially if they are affordable for you.
@aunt_bea can you explain how the Calgrant works? Is it a fixed amount or does it cover tuition…or what?
Unfortunately I cannot understand your mind set regarding Cal states since I myself, my husband and my younger son are products of the Cal state system and we have done well with our lives. I also have another son that went to a UC and I am able to see some perspective about both school systems.
At least from my point of view, it is more about taking advantage of the opportunities given than the school name/prestige (there are some exceptions) and at times the major you plan to pursue.
When you think about it there are 23 Cal states vs. 9 UC’s in California so where do you think the majority of the workforce graduated from in the end???
There is nothing wrong in trying for the stars, finding the best cost for a great education but do not dismiss good schools just because others or yourself think they are beneath you.
Apply widely and hopefully you will have several good options in the Spring from which to choose. Also make sure you are willing to attend your safety schools no matter what. I always recommend that you start from the bottom (Safety) and then work on your Target and Reach schools.
Again NPC’s are vital in determining if the schools are worth an application.
Best of luck.
I’m not sure I’m going to flat out tell the colleges I’m applying to how bad my financial situation is unless they are explicitly “need blind.” That doesn’t seem wise.
Even if you are right and my GC and Principal are wrong, I think it makes more sense to just apply a lot places and see if there is any college anywhere where I can actually attend.
I also never click on any financial aid page on any college websites unless I’m at a coffee shop with an incognito browser. Many colleges track that and it factors into their decisions, and there is no way to know who is doing that.
so they say.
I don’t see how APs hurt. I also want to see if I really like science enough to go premed. I also want to learn more than my school can teach me.
It’s just the SAT vs. AP calculation where there is a valid point here, but in my case I don’t think I can gain much from SAT study because I have so far to go.
When you apply for need based aid, the colleges will know your financial situation. You need aid…so you need to apply.
The vast majority of colleges are need blind for admissions for domestic students. In other words, admissions isn’t going to know about your financial need at all. There are some colleges that ARE need aware for admissions…but my opinion is that should not deter you from applying.
I never said your GC was wrong. I said…many colleges do not allow stacking of need and merit aid. YMMV on this depending on where you apply.
To your thread title…you are taking what your school has to offer…and that’s a good thing. If you are very worried about this…maybe do an online Spanish course to add to what you have. Many high schools allow this option.
I think you have good potential to get enough funding for college, but you need to add in your $5500 freshman direct loan to your family budget…and get a job now if you can and save towards college costs. If you can pay for room and board, or commute…you would need a full tuition scholarship.
Remember also, any scholarships that do cover room and board will be taxable income for you…so make sure you account for that as well.
Apply broadly…your goal is to get accepted to an affordable place. Lots of good suggestions here.