<p>Hello,</p>
<p>A friend suggested that I come here for advice. The bottom line is that my parents won't pay for college out-of-state, and I'll have to go to the local state university and commute.</p>
<p>Here's my situation, more specifically: I had a really hard time moving to TX. Something or another led to depression and low grades for most of my high school career. This year I've done a little better-- straight A's this semester and just 1 B last grading term in 7 AP classes. I applied to 1 they'll-accept-anyone safeties, 2 match/safeties (both in TX), and 4 reaches, from UT to private colleges. I know, people discourage applying to too many reaches, but I wanted to think there was still a chance. I've been moderately successful in my extracurriculars, etc.</p>
<p>So when I get my letters I am accepted to my match/safeties, CAP'ed at UT, waitlisted at my top choice and rejected at my super-reach, and surprisingly, accepted to a top 20 LAC. Herein lies the problem: My parents knew that I was applying, and I asked my mother to turn in the CSS PROFILE. Well, she didn't, and I've asked her a couple of times. While she turned in the profile for one of the schools I applied to, and two that I never ended up applying to... Now, my parents say they don't want any more loans. They're uh, Asian immigrants if that means anything. They have an income of 90k and our EFC was around 20k. They insist my need will not be met despite not applying for financial aid in the first place... And testament to the barriers of communication in my family, NOW they're telling me they have 60k in debt, only now are they telling me that I won't fit in to a women's college, etc., the typical concerns that should be addressed in the college selection processed but, woefully, were not. They won't let me visit this college, even though they're paying me to visit.</p>
<p>I can see where they're coming from in some ways: my mom has a lot of grad school debt, buying this new house, etc. She wants me to stay close to him because I tend to get sick often. She doesn't think paying 20k in loans is a good investment out of state, because she thinks I'll drop out.</p>
<p>As a sidenote, this is what's been so disappointing... That perhaps this is all my fault and it's been coming since I moved here. </p>
<p>Anyway, back to the gist of the topic; my parents are allowing me to go to another local LAC, or go away to UTA and transfer in a year. But... If I go to those colleges, I probably won't be happy. Is that how you define maturity, to be content whereever you end up? I'd rather get my own place with food stamps, earn enough to pay for airfare to colleges and try to convince my parents that I could take on responsibility. I'd rather go to Americorps, I'd rather consider new options. This forum seems full of contradictions: here I read that students should go to colleges which are a 'good fit' for them, there I read that you should just suck it up and go to state uni, because special people can really succeed anywhere. </p>
<p>So, whatever advice people can give me despite this probably confusing post, I'd be grateful.</p>