So I finally used the Net Price Calculators to estimate the cost at my colleges, and the results aren’t too good. Many are $40,000 and up, while I’m hoping to attend college for $20,000 or less. Should I simply take these colleges off my list or maybe keep the ones that offer merit and take the ones off that don’t?
For those which are too expensive in the net price calculator, but do not offer merit scholarships, you can remove them from your list, since you would not be able to attend them even if you got in.
For those with large-enough merit that could make them affordable:
- If the large-enough merit is automatic for your stats, they can be safeties.
- If the large-enough merit is competitive, they can be reaches. If they are already reach for admission, they can be super-reaches.
After reassessing the schools where merit money is necessary for affordability, you can then decide whether it is worth applying to them.
If the NPC shows a cost that is too high with FA then take the school off the list. Try the NPCs for schools that meet full need…some may be affordable, others will not.
If a school does not offer you enough FA but it has competitive merit, you can keep it on your list as a huge reach, as noted above. Examples of schools that are competitive for acceptance and for merit are Vanderbilt, Duke, etc. Throw in an application if you can afford to…but understand that it will be a huge mega reach.
You need to spend the summer investigating SUNY schools that will give you merit, since you do not want to use Excelsior. Albany and Buffalo are two, Binghamton will not give you merit and will therefore be unaffordable. You can keep Binghamton on your list just in case you change your mind about Excelsior. Can you commute to SUNY or cuny? What about Pace in NYC? You may get $$.
You also need to spend the summer researching other schools:
- Schools that will give you assured merit based on your stats will become safety schools for you. While I understand that you don’t want these schools....you are not in a position to be picky. Many smart students like you attend these schools and have great experiences. If you ask about finding these schools, you will get some suggestions.
-Schools that appear to be safety or match schools that give merit, but the merit isn’t guaranteed. Schools that come to mind would be Pitt (you may get merit, you may not) and the University of Rhode Island. URI is a safety for you…I know somebody who received a tremendous scholarship…but I do not believe that merit is guaranteed based on stats.
You have a budget to adhere to. While I understand your desire to attend schools such as Cornell or Michigan etc, if they are not affordable and you get in…you can’t go. You need to find affordable options.
You might also utilize the Fafsa4caster to get an estimated EFC…if that is $20k plus, you know you will be merit hunting because meet full need schools won’t get you to your goal price.
https://fafsa.ed.gov/spa/fafsa4c/?locale=en_US&_ga=2.265135631.1204465431.1563881359-1855193142.1524794171#/landing
Why would you not use the Excelsior if you qualify?
Don’t want to stay in New York after graduation. Isn’t that required of the scholarship?
It appears as though you would need to live in NYS for 4 years following graduation. Take Binghamton off of your list… it’s not affordable for you.
You have some work to do over the next few weeks. You have no schools that are guaranteed to be affordable. Albany and Buffalo are likely, but not guaranteed (do they have assured merit?).
In your UM post you said your budget was $30k. http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/university-michigan-ann-arbor/2151122-university-of-michigan-price.html#latest What is it? It makes a HUGE difference for SUNY schools where the cost of attendance runs about $27k.
People here are trying to help you but if you keep giving inconsistent information it makes it hard. You now have over 30 posts most of which come down to the same basic issue and the answers are all basically the same.
Before you post again PLEASE:
–Find out your max budget.
–If SUNY schools are affordable in that budget then you should use those as great safety options.
–If you need merit aid for SUNY schools to be affordable then look for ones that offer it. Anytime you need merit aid to make it affordable and the merit aid is not guaranteed, that school becomes a reach IMO. Apply to some additional SUNY schools where you think you can get merit aid such as SUNY Albany, SUNY New Paltz etc.
–Seek out other schools where either the NPC makes the school affordable or there is significant merit aid opportunity. If you need merit aid you should focus on schools where you will are in the top quartile academically (maybe a school like UScranton which has a full tuition Presidential Scholarship you might qualify for)
–Eliminate unaffordable schools from consideration. Stop thinking about them.
–You have tight financial restrictions that you have to work with. That has to be your primary concern at this point.
–Understand that many many people do have financial restrictions and don’t end up at their dream college. You are smart and should be able to find success wherever you end up. The goal should be to find a 4 year college where you can graduate with minimal/no debt.
This was very helpful, thank you.
Besides @happy1 ‘s great suggestion of U Scranton, you might look at St. Joseph’s in Philadelphia, which is quite good for business and offers some competitive full tuition merit scholarships. This presumes that Catholic colleges aren’t a no-go for you.