Overwhelmed; where to start looking?!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'm so overwhelmed and miserable with the whole college admissions process. I tend to shut down when I'm overwhelmed so I've been avoiding it all but I can't keep doing this. I need serious help and guidance!</p>

<p>I'm 17 (a senior), female Pakistani, from IL.
ACT: 26 the first time I took it as part of the PSAE, and I didn't study or anything. I'm taking it again this month with more preparation than before, so I'm hoping for at least a 28, otherwise I feel like I'm screwed for scholarships.
GPA: 3.63 weighted, 3.4 unweighted
AP: 5 Psychology, 4 U.S. Government & Politics, 3 Lang & Comp, 2 U.S. History....hoping I don't continue my trend and get a 1, as well...
I'm an AP scholar, but that probably doesn't mean anything. I've been on honor roll all throughout high school, but that probably doesn't matter either.</p>

<p>I don't do any sports and not much volunteering, and I'm not a very "loyal" extra-curricular club member. I did FBLA freshman year and I only went to a few meetings and helped with homecoming, I discovered International Club junior year and was a big part of that, and I was involved with Prom committee junior year, as well. </p>

<p>I just moved this summer, so I go to a different high school. It doesn't offer AP Macroeconomics as I intended to take at my old school, so that's one less AP class. I was also planning on taking Honors Spanish IV but it only has AP Spanish IV which I refused to take, despite getting an A and B+ in Hon. Spanish III and Hon. Spanish II, respectively. Hopefully it doesn't look bad on my application that I just dropped it senior year.</p>

<p>I want to go to U of I in Urbana-Champaign because my brother goes there and I like the campus, but I don't know if I'll have enough money. Loyola is also an option of mine because why not. I like larger schools with a slight city feeling, if that helps.</p>

<p>I'm probably moving to Texas next summer, however, in either Dallas, Houston, or Austin. I have no choice but to move with my family if they end up going there for my brother, who will likely attend medical school in one of those cities. My family is just like that, so going to a college out of Illinois or Texas, any state where they aren't in, is practically out of the question. I feel pretty imprisoned in that way but....oh well.</p>

<p>If you read this far, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I think I'd have a breakdown if I didn't get at least some guidance. Anything helps. Thanks!</p>

2

<p>You need to check the residency requirements for each college in each state (it sounds like Illinois and Texas). Some states consider you in state if you attended and graduated from high school in their state. So you may still be able to have in-state tuition at U of I. But you need to understand those rules. Then based on that, run the net price calculator for each school you are interested in to see what the cost will be. But you need to understand if you would be considered in-state or out of state before you do that.</p>

<p>Loyola is a private school, right? So residency does not matter.</p>

<p>Illinois also has some reciprocity agreements in place with some other colleges that you should investigate. Depending on residency in Illinois is defined for the purposes of those agreements, that might give you some additional choices. One program that I think Illinois participates in is:</p>

<p><a href=“http://msep.mhec.org/MidwestStudentExchangeProgram[/url]”>http://msep.mhec.org/MidwestStudentExchangeProgram&lt;/a&gt; </p>

<p>But I think there might be more than this (some deals with specific colleges), you might be able to figure out with some Google searches.</p>

3

<p>Thanks a million! I’ll check that out for sure.</p>

4

<p>This article is a couple of years old, and maybe these agreements are already part of that agreement I linked to above. But the second paragraph of this lists a few colleges that had reciprocity agreements of some kind with Illinois in 2011.</p>

<p>[Out-of-State</a> Colleges Not Out-of-Reach: Tuition Reciprocity Programs](<a href=“http://www.careervision.org/about/Tuition_Reciprocity_Programs.htm]Out-of-State”>http://www.careervision.org/about/Tuition_Reciprocity_Programs.htm)</p>

5

<p>I’m looking into that right now, it’s very helpful. Thanks again!</p>

6

<p>Loyola Chicago a fine school. But its not cheap. I assume you will file the FAFSA for financial aid. I MUCH prefer a smaller private school anyway. Small classes. Close friendships and academics take precedence over athletics. </p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

<p>Look at Fordham in New York as well. Main campus in Bronx-Rose Hill.</p>

<p>Also look closely at Marquette. Fine school. Good financial aid.</p>

7

<p>Yes, I’ll be applying for FAFSA. However, my only options are schools in either Illinois or Texas, but mostly Texas, since there’s a 90% chance I’ll be living there at this time next year. Specifically, the Houston and Dallas area. I did look at Marquette, though, but I’m not going to apply to any place I wouldn’t be okay with attending if I had to, so that includes Marquette. Thanks for the advice nonetheless.</p>

8

<p>I am not sure of the rules, but you may not be able to get in state tuition in Texas if you are moving there over the summer. Really not sure… but you have to check that out. Won’t your parents let you go to school in Illinois or a college with reciprocity if you can figure out the money?</p>

9

<p>I am almost positive they won’t…I have a 1-year old baby sister and they want me nearby so I can visit and keep in touch easily. Going somewhere in Illinois if they’re in Texas would never work out. They wouldn’t let me live in another state by myself, and I don’t think I really have the independence to do it.</p>

<p>As for the tuition, I won’t be able to get in-state tuition, unfortunately. I have to be a resident for at least a year prior, but we didn’t even find a house there yet. But if my brother can manage to go to a medical school there, he probably knows the rules better than me, so he can help me out with all that.</p>

10

<p>Don’t tell your parents :wink: , but in the US, when you’re in college (a residential college), the goal is for you to become independent, so you don’t visit “often”, unless often is “during Thanksgiving and Winter Break”, with Spring break usually dedicated to student pursuits (ranging from partying to volunteering in underprivileged communities). A residential college doesn’t let you live by yourself. In fact most colleges REQUIRE that freshmen live on campus. You’ll live in a dorm, have a roommate (another girl), eat in the cafeteria, be part of study groups after dinner, etc.
Your parents may be willing to let you attend a women’s college. Those are colleges where no boy attends, although you may meet some outside of class through a consortium. Famous women’s colleges include Wellesley, Bryn Mawr, Barnard, Mount Holyoke, and Smith, but they’re all on the East Coast. There are women’s colleges in many states though: [The</a> Women’s College Coalition](<a href=“http://womenscolleges.org/]The”>http://womenscolleges.org/)
In Texas, you need some private universities where your being out-of-state won’t matter (it’s almost impossible, or at least very very very hard to get into the top Texas public universities when you’re from out of state.) Look into: Rice if you can increase GPA and ACT scores (it’s a reach even then); Austin College, Trinity University, Southwestern university would all be a match for your stats if you increase your ACT score; perhaps Southern Methodist (not sure how comfortable you’d feel at a Christian school but compared to others SMU isn’t as religious - University of Dallas is very catholic, for example.)</p>

<p>Why are you so adamant about not taking AP Spanish?</p>

<p>Perhaps you can create a club at your new high school to improve your extra curriculars - what are your passions?</p>

11

<p>When you are in college you don’t have time to go home often no matter how near you are, that’s why it is just as well to be a bit farther, so you won’t have that pressure. Anyone can live on their own at college. It is a semi structured supportive community that is ideal for learning to live on your own in a semi protected environment. You will be with hundreds if not thousands of others doing the exact same thing for the first time.</p>

12

<p>It sounds like you have some cultural issues to work through if you are going to attend a residential college. If you move to Texas, you may have to wait to apply for a year until you have a year of residence there if you want in-state tuition.</p>

<p>If the money worked out for your brother to attend U of I, why can’t it work out for you? Are your parents not willing to pay as much for your education? Since you are familiar with that campus, maybe you could be comfortable going there if you are admitted. Also, some colleges (especially larger ones) still have 1 or 2 all female dorms, or at least all female floors in dorms. Which might make your parents (and maybe you) feel better…</p>

13

<p>MYOS1634 - Oh my parents very well know all that. I think the problem is that no one in my culture does that, their kids all go to college within the same state. That’s how it’s been for all of my cousins. My parents also don’t care if I go to a co-ed college, in fact, my mom wants me to. She’s hoping I find a guy there hahah.</p>

<p>I didn’t want to take AP Spanish because I’m really not good at speaking it, I mean I’m not terrible, I’m okay, but I get very nervous and blank out. I’m really good at writing in Spanish because my thoughts aren’t as scrambled, but my mind goes blank and I freak out when I have to speak it. AP Spanish relies heavily on speaking it, and on the College Board exam, there’s a verbal section, and I know I’d do bad on that. 3 years of Spanish was enough for me.</p>

<p>I was just thinking about creating a club…my brother created a club at my old high school, FDA (Future Doctors of America). Maybe I could do the same since I’m interesting in Physical Therapy. It was a club for anyone interested in the medical field. Or I could create a Photography Club, because I love photography. I also enjoy badminton but I don’t think I could create such a specific club only for that, it should be more generic. I’ll see.</p>

14

<p>BrownParent - My parents know all about how the college is supposed to make a person independent. I was trying to convince them of this yesterday, and my mom said, “You have a baby sister. Don’t you want to see her grow up?” And, honestly, she’s like my own daughter so it would be hard for me to not see her after several weeks. It’s also in my religion to keep in touch with parents, and they think that would be much harder unless I’m right in front of them. They’re just very attached, idk. Overly caring and overly concerned. They call my brother, who is 21, almost everyday. And he’s only 4 hours away. That’s just how they are.</p>

15

<p>Intparent - Oh no, nothing like that. My parents want me to go to college more than anything. My brother didn’t have any issue with money because he had a 32 on his ACT and a 4.0+ GPA. He also had quite a few extra curriculars and volunteered at a hospital, nursing home, etc. Basically, he got a lot of scholarship money since he was such a good student.</p>

<p>As for the U of I ordeal, I just talked with my mom, and she said she could stay here in Illinois with me (at our current house) while my dad and brother go to Texas. She doesn’t want to move, anyways. So there’s a possibility that I can, thankfully, attend that school. However, I still don’t think my parents are willing to let me go to Illinois if they all move to Texas, so I’m hoping my mom is serious about her decision. I mean, the only reason we are planning on moving to Texas is because they baby my 21-year-old brother. He’s going to MED SCHOOL and they won’t let him go by himself. He doesn’t want to either, which is ridiculous because he’s traveled to so many countries without them! And yet he can’t move a few states away. So stupid.</p>

16

<p>Yeah… it is kind of silly. But good for your mom to be watching out for you, not just for him! I wonder if part of the reason your family all goes in-state is because it is the most cost effective option most of the time. And I do wonder if your mom has run this idea of her staying in IL and dad moving to Texas by dad yet. :slight_smile: </p>

<p>But you are coming up on the time when you have to complete college applications. In fact, U of I’s priority filing window is open now, so you should get going and complete that application while you finish up your school list and decide where else to apply. You can do everything except the test scores, and send the ACT as part of the free ones you get when you take the test this month (just be sure you go add them to the list before you take the test if you haven’t already). I would take your mom’s word for it and get started on applications.</p>

17

<p>I second intparent’s advice about filling out the application for U of I.
Then, request information from some Illinois colleges (no specific order): DePaul, Northwestern, Knox, Illinois Wesleyan, Augustana, Lake Forest, Shimer.</p>

<p>If your women’s college is part of a consortium, you still meet boys socially (and in fact you can always take some classes in the coed “partner” institutions.)</p>

<p>When your mother says “Don’t you want to see your little sister grow up?”, that’s called emotional blackmail. Mothers are very good at that. :slight_smile: :wink: I’m sure you want to see your little sister grow up. But you must grow up too. Part of growing up is becoming independent and no longer being a child in the family, but an adult. It’s normal to feel a pull to stay with your family, it’s normal to miss your little brothers and sisters, but it’s also normal to find your own space so that, later on, you can have your own family. Finding a balance is also part of growing up. It’s tough but you’ll be able to do it.</p>

18

<p>Unless your brother has already been admitted to med school, there is no reason for your family to assume that he will get in, let alone be admitted to a specific U in Texas. Will they move to Alaska if that’s where he gets a space? </p>

<p>You can apply in or near Illinois so it is easy to get home to see your parents and sister. Or you can plan now for a gap year and hold your college applications until your brother’s med school admission issue is settled.</p>

19

<p>Texas med schools mostly only enroll Texas residents. Your brother may not get accepted to a Texas med school.</p>

<p>It’s kind of crazy for your parents to move for med school. Your brother may be elsewhere for residency four years later when he specializes. Are they going to move every time?</p>