<p>Before you "leave" Wisconsin in the dust, check out Beloit, it might appeal to you more than Lawrence. It's getting up there in cost I think, but I believe they may have better merit scholarships not based on financial need so do the due diligence. There are many other midwest schools with classics, also and Oberlin would certainly "fit" your list but it's become very difficult to get into in the past couple years and I don't have knowledge of the merit structure. Macalester in the Twin Cities and Carthage in outstate Minnesota both have classics but I haven't done any research on them regarding merit money not contingent on financial need so can't speak for those. What constitutes "classics" is different from school to school also, so you really need to look into the program for each college and make sure it's what hits your hot button. Some require ancient language and others don't. Some have a particular focus to the curriculum...and so on. BTW I landed at and got my BA from Kalamazoo College which was a very cool place to be in the 70s. Can't speak to the school now and no conventional classics major for you!</p>
<p>I've looked at Beloit before, and my scores look like I would qualify for some of their merit-based scholarships. One of the things about it being in such an isolated place, though, is that working freelance I can't charge as much as I could if I lived somewhere more urban or at least...connected. Chicago, Portland, and Annapolis (close-ish to Baltimore/D.C.) are all more city-centered than Beloit and I think that would be an issue.</p>
<p>I've looked at Kalamazoo--I read about it in Colleges that Change Lives. :)</p>
<p>For Macalester, I fit in the mid-50 percent of applicants for my scores but that doesn't mean any aid, per-se. The Carthage College I found is in Wisconsin. Do you mean this</a> place?</p>
<p>Oops I meant Carlton...Carthage is a college in Kenosha my parents drove me to, they said I didn't want to get out of the car, but I do not hardly remember that trip...you have me thinking about my past I guess. But Carlton is out in the boonies, too. I'll have to put my thinking cap on and see if I can come up with any other potentials that are closer to more urban areas. Beloit is a "neat" school, but you are right, it may not fit with your business or conversely there might be a lack of competition in the region, you'd have to do alittle internet googling and see how much competition turns up. My company utilizes a number of suppliers and vendors in Wisconsin that are somewhat in the boonies but have sprung up because people like the quality of life in Wisconsin. There are also gigantic printing companies out in the fields in Wisconsin because land is cheap, paper is "close" because the "trees are close" so you never know where needs will be located. The other thing, too, is that electronic design can happen anywhere because it is electronic, so you could at least maintain your clients with minimal effort from just about anywhere and perhaps grow your client list regardless of where you are located. If I think of any other possibilities, I'll post again.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I landed at and got my BA from Kalamazoo College which was a very cool place to be in the 70s. Can't speak to the school now and no conventional classics major for you!
[/quote]
MOTB-- S is a sophomore there and loves it since it's still a very cool place to be...;) My nephew is a soph at U-Chicago (sooo expensive-no merit) and also was accepted to Kalamazoo w/big merit. Very similar student vibe according to him.<br>
OP-- I just picked up on the last few posts of this thread. K College is very generous with merit scholarships, is located in a mid-sized city so fairly urban, although not at the level of Chicago, but plenty of action/work opportunities for a college student. I don't know if their Classics program is what you're looking for, but take a look: Classical</a> Studies Department. Kalamazoo College.
Classical</a> Studies Major Requirements. Classical Studies Department. Kalamazoo College.</p>
<p>The OP should fill out the UA application. It doesn't take long and because their essay question is so broad, she can use one she has already written. Here is why, she will pay a small application fee and spend less than an hour on the application. Come April, she will have a financial safety. Perhaps she will not need it, but if she does, then it will be there for her. If she does not, and things do not work out as well as hoped for with merit aid, then April will too late to start applying again. Can't hurt, might help. Choices are good to have.</p>
<p>I have a hard time seeing even Evergreen or New College as a financial safety for you. For New College, the 2007-2008 school year costs for an OOS student are: $21,625 tuition, $3,500-$4,500 room, and $2,163-$2,448 board. There will also be costs for books, travel between AZ and FL, etc. The maximum OOS scholarship awarded by New College is $11,000 and this award amount requires a 4.0 GPA and a minimum 33 ACT! You said your folks are willing to contribute $6,000 and you can earn $3,000 each summer but I still see a large gap. You may hate AZ but you can obtain a good education there without amassing debt and if you do well, after four years you can pursue a graduate program in classics at no cost to you and with a stipend. You do not need an undergraduate major in classics to pursue a graduate degree in classics; the necessary background in languages, philosophy, literature, etc. can be obtained at your state university. Your parents have been honest with you about what they are willing to spend and your father has refused to complete the financial aid forms so financial aid will not be forthcoming. I think you need to be honest with yourself. You are fortunate to have college options that you can afford, even if they are in AZ, and parents who will support you to the extent that they can.</p>
<p>If I applied to the UofA and -God forbid- was forced to go there, what do my prospects look like for transfering after two years to a better institution? </p>
<p>The UofA has classes with like 800 people in them (I have friends that go there, obviously) and I seriously can't see myself being motivated in that kind of environment. I mean, it's a will-power issue, but like the people I know who go there rarely go to class (even after getting good grades at our HS) and some have gotten even more mixed up with drinking and drugs--it's easier to do when you already have friends that do it, too. I just don't know if I want to put myself in that environment. I just can't see any pros for going to the UofA save finances.</p>
<p>What about taking a gap year? I could defer my admission and work full-time before enrolling somewhere.</p>
<p>In regards to dntw8up's post--I plan on getting my MFA, not a master's degree in Classics (at least, right now that's the plan).</p>
<p>You might find that the honors college at ASU or U of A is better than you think. I've heard great things about ASU - both from the college counselors at my son's school, and parents of kids who have gone there. The dead is the former pres of Swarthmore, and is clearly trying to beef up the academics by recruiting highly qualified kids, and giving them excellent benefits at the honors college. At least in the early years, when you would take many honor-only classes, you would be able to avoid a lot of the apathy you refer to in your last post. Maybe then you could transfer if you're still itching to get out.</p>
<p>I can't remember if you mentioned your National Merit results, but New College has very favorable aid for semi-finalists. And it seems likely you could get a scholarship at ASU, whether you are a NMSF or not.</p>
<p>ASU is a HUGE party school and seen (at least in Arizona) as a 4-year community college. I would never go there.</p>
<p>Aren't transfer admit rates way lower than regular admit rates?</p>
<p>I'm to the point where, if I can't pay for a school I get into and want to go to, I might just defer my admission, take a gap year, and enter college with that money.</p>
<p>After a gap year you MIGHT have enough money to cover one year of college. Do you plan to take time of between each year? Financial aid decisions are generally made when a student begins at a school and committed to for four years, and such financial aid decisions change only if circumstances are exceptional, like the death of a parent. If your father were to change his mind and decide to complete the CSS Profile for your second year, your school would likely say that it has budgeted its financial aid based on first time admissions and won't reconsider your need. </p>
<p>Regardless of the stereotype perceptions you have of public universities in AZ, the schools available to you are well regarded nationally and you need to look at your situation with some maturity so that you don't lose the opportunity to obtain a college education. A school may have a party reputation but that doesn't mean there aren't scholarly students there. The AZ public universities are large enough that every type of student resides within them so you should be able to find like minded serious students.</p>
<p>Why don't you consider using those web design skills to find a job near an affordable school you'd like to attend in another state, work for two years to save up and gain financial independence from your parents, then go to college? Yes, you'd be a couple years older, but that would seem to take care of a lot of the financial issues you're facing.</p>
<p>My parents were also unwilling to fill out financial aid forms even though our family was huge. It really constrained where I was able to look for college, but fortunately we lived in California and the UC system back then was cheap. I still worked 20-40 hours a week throughout college, and it took six years, but it worked.</p>