@AroundHere @thumper1 my parents will have an EFC of around $30K. Sometimes they say that they will help pay for college. One time they mentioned $60k over four years, so around $15k a year. Other times they say they can only afford one or two thousand a year. I try to have a serious talk with them about this, but they avoid it and want to push it off until after I get my acceptances. I am just going to assume that they will pay none and try to get as much merit that I can. I think they still believe that I will magically get a full ride to a school like Penn State, no matter how much I say the opposite. Neither went to college so they are uninformed and really don’t bother to have conversations about this stuff. It’s difficult to get a concrete answer from them.
Also, for anyone asking for my stats:
3.93 UW GPA
4.48 W GPA
Top 5%
Small public high school
14 honors courses
Senior courses:
AP Lit
APUSH
DE Calc
AP Calc AB
a few other dual enrollment courses
SAT: 1350 680 EBRW 670 Math (retaking on Saturday)
ACT: planning to take this next month. my practice tests were around 31C, so we will see.
Hispanic
First-gen
ECs:
Newspaper (president)
Debate (no leadership but very dedicated)
Volunteer at a cat shelter
Work part-time
Nothing too impressive, but I am working on bringing my test scores up so I can get merit.
You might want to try the ACT as well.
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One time they mentioned $60k over four years, so around $15k a year. Other times they say they can only afford one or two thousand a year. <<<
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Is each parent giving a different answer?
So in addition to UA, FSU, USCarolina, OSU, ASU, Ole Miss - all strong merit aid including OOS tuition waivers at some on list.
The money talks are difficult but 2000 is a community college or a competitive full-ride budget, while 15000 is a full tuition scholarship with budget left over for room, board, travel, and books.
This makes a big difference in your options.
I don’t think it’s a guarantee of merit aid, but my son was offered $15K/year at UVM, OOS. His stats are slightly lower than yours but pretty similar.
If you retake SAT or ACT, and with your grades and 5% class rank, you might qualify for a diversity scholarship at Pitt.
There is also a Stamps and Nordenberg Leadership scholarship for instate students.
But I don’t know what schools you are looking for that would give you huge merit, if you don’t think Pitt is good enough.
You need to look at merit schools where you would get full tuition or full ride, because with an EFC of $25-30k you won’t get enough ned based aid, and parents won’t help.
Ohio State might be an option if you get the Morrill scholarship. Also Ohio University.
The best way to prepare for a career in PR is to study history, literature, a foreign language, political science, and econ and finance (with at least one semester of statistics). And a one semester course in programming would be fantastic as well-- you won’t learn enough to be able to actually program in Xml or do the heavy lifting for the technology platform to host a podcast, but you will understand when your tech team says, “if you do this, you will crash the company’s website, let’s find another solution”.
The days where PR folks just blasted the media with press releases about a new flavor or dog food or the latest version of the little black dress are over. These days PR is strategic communications, and requires real analytic and thinking skills- plus fantastic writing skills, the ability to analyze social media data on usage and views, great financial skills, etc. I have a lot of colleagues in senior positions in both corporations and PR firms and they hire new grads plus more experienced mid-level managers. On the wish list? A broad, liberal arts education. What they don’t need? Someone with three classes on social media and PR which are obsolete before the kid even graduates.
Any major which allows you to write and think will be a great launching pad for a career in PR. You will be able to beef up your resume with internships which are more specifically apprenticeships- but get yourself the best and broadest education you can.
Find a college you can afford with a respectable English or History department and you’ll be all set. Summer after Freshman year you’ll get an internship doing PR for a not-for-profit (hospitals, local museum or historical society, etc.) Summer after sophomore year you’ll get a badly paying job writing for a newsletter or trade association. Summer after junior year you’ll get an actual internship which pays with a PR agency or a bank or corporation on their communications team, and then you’ll be set with a robust portfolio and tons of practical experience.
University of South Carolina will waive out of state tuition once you reach a certain SAT (off the top of my head, I think your score qualifies). And, for some scores will give additional money off. I can’t get my phone to let me post the link, but Google “university of south Carolina out of state scholarships” and look at The info there. The only thing I haven’t figured out yet is if that’s automatic, or if your scores just make you eligible.
Look into University of Montana (Missoula is a GREAT college town!!) and Montana State College – both offer merit for OOS students, and with your grades/ECs you should qualify. Depending on your need, you could get $15,000/year scholarship/FA at Montana, bringing the cost of attendance to less than $20K/per year.
OP -We are in PA as well. The Ohio State gave many of my dd’s friends solid merit $ making it less expensive than Pitt or PSU. Miami University of Ohio was also quite generous with the merit 4 but still came to close to $30K a year when we included travel. Pitt offered some $ but not enough to make a difference for you. I would take a closer look at some of the PASSHE schools if you can get your tests scores a bit higher you might some solid merit $ for your state school.
@MSMead We live close to West Chester and it is a wonderful PASSHE school. I know many high stat, bright, motivated students who attend and love it. The campus is lovely and growing. I also know many graduates who are successful. We know IUP grads as well as grads from Shipensburg and Bloomsburg who received a great education and are working in their field. A friend of my dd received merit scholarship $ to attend WCU on a 3:2 program with Penn State - she received her Physics degree from WCU for practically free and then finished off her engineering degree at PSU - she missed WCU and felt it was a much better school in a much better location than PSU.
University of South Carolina offers instate tuition if you get certain scholarships…and if you get in excess of a certain $ amount in departmental scholarships.
These are not automatic…and are NOT based on your SAT or ACT score only.
There is an auto awards for NMF, but it’s not full tuition or anything like that,
@thumper1 Thank you! I’ve been wondering about that.
University of South Carolina DOES have some nice and generous merit awards for OOS students. They just aren’t automatic. Some do not take a special application and re awarded based on the strength of your application.
The McNair is a full ride…and it takes completion of their scholarship and honors college application…which is a doozie. If selected as a McNair finalist, you would be flown down to Columbia SC for the interview.
We loved South Carolina…and it was actually our kid’s second choice school. She received the McKissick Scholarship which reduced tuition to instate costs plus gave a $2000 a year scholarship. It was a great awards…but was most definitely based on the whole application and not just the SAT score.