<p>@ClassicRockerDad I don’t know tbh. I’m assuming it’s too long a commute. I’ve got no clue of where the relative lives in Boston. </p>
<p>Wellesley permits you to take classes at MIT for sure. I don’t know if you could major in accounting though so you make an excellent point. You may want to investigate that further. It looks like you can cross register with Babson which is a business undergrad program in the same town. Not sure if you can get all the courses you need to have an equivalent of an accounting degree, but may be worth checking out.
<a href=“Opportunities at Other Schools | Wellesley College”>http://www.wellesley.edu/academics/theacademicprogram/otherschools</a></p>
<p>OK. You need to run some of the college-matching search engines to find out where there are accounting programs. My guess is that there are several in the DC/MD/VA area, as well as in other cities that your father thinks are OK. </p>
<p>Then, spend some time in the Financial Aid Forum reading the threads at the top of that forum on the topic of merit-based aid. Your grades and test scores might put you in the range for some of the full tuition, and full ride scholarships. If you can pay for your education yourself, you won’t absolutely need your parents’ approval of the institution.</p>
<p>You have laid out some significant financial barriers. Are your parents willing to pay for the private colleges and OOS public universities on your list?</p>
<p>What about colleges in the DC area? If you are a serious contender for Georgetown (are you??), then what about American University? You might get some merit aid there.</p>
<p>Your list seems odd to me. It seems based solely on geographic location…there are tons of colleges in the greater Boston area, and many that offer accounting. </p>
<p>Would it be wise to find a school with a Muslim presence and center…one where you could take your parent so they would know that it exists? Check the larger schools to see what they have…Boston University, for example, might have this.</p>
<p>What about Northeastern? They have a BS in Business Administration with an accounting concentration, with or without the coop option. (If your goal is to get a good job ASAP, the coop is a great way to do so.) They have an on-campus housing requirement for the first two years, but they also allow students to apply for a waiver of this. They also have various merit scholarships for which you may be eligible, some of which are very substantial. It is also an easier commute from more areas in and around Boston than BC.</p>
<p>Wellesley runs an hourly free bus in and out of Cambridge. You could take accounting classes as a cross-registrant at Babson if you <em>really</em> want to be an accountant. If you are interested in a broader business career, an economics degree from Wellesley will take you almost anywhere.</p>
<p>A question: are you a US citizen living abroad or are you a citizen of another country? That may make a big difference in the FA you are eligible for at many schools. Northeastern has merit awards up to $15K per year for international undergraduates.</p>
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<p>Not even with the full ride merit scholarships listed in <a href=“Links to Popular Threads on Scholarships and Lower-Cost Colleges - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1678964-links-to-popular-threads-on-scholarships-and-lower-cost-colleges.html</a> ?</p>
<p>Since you mention living in the KSA, are your father’s reasons for the restriction based on socially conservative reasons? I.e. that even an adult woman should be under the supervision of her husband or a male relative at all times?</p>
<p>@thumper1 My dad said he is able to fully pay for instate college, however he did warn me that private colleges will be hard to pay for but hopefully we’ll qualify for some aid. My dad currently pays around $20K for my school tuition and therefore he is able to contribute around that amount per year for college. I’ve asked my dad to complete the EFC calculator, we’ll get a better idea of whether private colleges are a possibility. </p>
<p>I believe I’d stand a good chance of getting into Georgetown as I’ve got greater stats than the person who got accepted there from my school (checked naviance). Plus, I’m a URM (Somali American) so I think that will also increase my chances of getting accepted. </p>
<p>I’ve not put AU on the least because well I’ve got no intention of going there. I’m certain that I want to go to either College of William & Mary or UVA, if I get in. I won’t even consider those expensive OOS/private colleges as I’ve got great IS options at a much lower cost. </p>
<p>Yes, i understand what you mean but I’ve got limitations, there is nothing I can really do about it. However, I’ll definitely be asking my school’s counselor to schedule an appointment with my dad to discuss this issue. </p>
<p>@Consolation NEU is really expensive and doesn’t offer an accounting major, it’s just not ideal. But since you’ve mentioned they’ve got great financial aid i’ll consider applying. </p>
<p>I’m a US citizen living abroad. My VA resident relative has found out that I’ll qualify as an instate applicant when applying to VA schools. </p>
<p>@ucbalumnus Certainly not, that is not part of MY culture, it’s just Arab culture. I’m actually not from the middle east, i just reside there. I’m African (Somali).</p>
<p>Btw does being a URM increase my chance of getting those scholarships?? </p>
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<p>No for the automatic ones based on stats. Yes for the ones based on URM-related National Merit status (e.g. NAF or NHRP). Maybe for competitive ones.</p>
<p>You want to be really certain you can get in-state tuition in Virginia. I would not trust a relative to check it out, I would check it out yourself. Here is a link to the W&M page on this, and they have links to the Virginia residency laws:</p>
<p><a href=“In-State Residency | William & Mary”>http://www.wm.edu/offices/registrar/studentsandalumni/domicile/</a> </p>
<p>@intparent I’ve already looked at those documents with my dad. The relative we asked is very knowledgeable on that sort of stuff so it’s not a problem. </p>
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<p>Maybe that’s something you can find out. There is a free bus from MIT and Harvard, so it’s probably commutable. That would make everybody happy. </p>
<p>Boston College and Wellesley are in neighboring towns so it is hard to see how one would be commutable and the other not. Both are walking distance from commuter rail or T stations. However, Boston College is a Jesuit school with a bit of a party/sports school reputation so you might not find that strong muslim community you are looking for. Northeastern still has a significant commuter student population, so may be better set up to support students not living on campus, and the coop program is a great way to get real-world experience.</p>
<p>Also, you do not have to major in accounting to be an accountant or go into finance. Many people major in economics and it does not seem to hold them back in the job world. Go visit some of these schools if you can. Talk to the muslim chaplain and leaders of the student communities. They will be able to give you a realistic picture of the day to day life. </p>
<p>Ah… it would be VERY difficult to pass the CPA exam for a non-accounting major. Econ and accounting are not the same. If you want to be an accountant, you need to go to a college that offers accounting as a major. Question, though, have you taken any accounting classes? I think people have a hard time really understanding it very well until they have done some coursework in it, and it is not for everyone. Certainly there are jobs in finance and tons of business jobs that don’t require an accounting degree, but if you want to be an accountant, you have to study accounting.</p>
<p>I’m not sure why Wellesley would be too expensive, but you would consider Georgetown - I would put these two in the same category in terms of expense and the type of financial aid they would offer someone such as yourself.</p>
<p>I agree with those posting that you should investigate Wellesley and taking classes at Babson.</p>
<p>I also agree with intparent that accounting is one of those very specific, professional majors which suggests a different set of schools than those more oriented toward liberal arts.</p>
<p>In addition, I have the sense that it is not at all uncommon here in the States to graduate from college and then get additional schooling (Masters in Finance or similar) before taking the CPA exams.</p>
<p>Mostly agree, but a Masters in Finance will not prepare you for the CPA exam. There is a significant amount of coursework that is very detail oriented to learn accounting. You can’t get it through any other major. Actually, Georgetown also does not seem to offer an accounting major.</p>
<p>I am not sure Wellesley would want to accept a student who is interested in a pre-professional major they don’t offer, honestly.</p>
<p>@1012mom Ah, I see. Thanks for the advice. But you HAVE to major in accounting to become a accountant. That is something I’m absolutely certain about.</p>
<p>@intparent I agree, majoring in accounting is a must to become an accountant. My dad is a chartered accountant, I’m very much aware of what it entails as I’ve talked to him about the courses he’s taken at university and his job numerous times. Plus, I’ve talked to the big4 representatives at my school’s career fair several times. I haven’t taken an accounting class per say but I have looked through several textbooks. From what I’ve been told (by other accountants) I’d probably do well in it (of course, i’ll only know until i start college). I’m aware that there are other jobs in the business field but from the extensive research i’ve done over the past year I think accounting would suit me best as it offers the best work, stability and salary balance (and no i wasn’t pressured into it by my dad). </p>
<p>@fendrock True, they’re both very expensive private schools, I do know that much - I do consider Georgetown to be very expensive too but unlike Wellesley it offers accounting as a major.</p>
<p>Really? From what my dad has told me you need to get a bachelors degree in accounting and then you need to get a masters in accounting to complete your credit so your eligible/prepared to take the CPA exam. </p>
<p>Re: costs…Georgetown, Wellesley and Boston College would all be on the $60,000 range including housing. And their tuition costs are mighty high as well.</p>
<p>This student is attending college abroad, presumably as an expat. OP…are you positive you qualify for instate tuition in Virginia? Where do your parents reside? </p>
<p>Family members here…owned property and paid property taxes in a state. But they were expats residing abroad, and their kids attended high school abroad. They did not have instate status for tuition purposes anywhere.</p>
<p>What makes you think you will qualify for instate status in Virginia? You could be right…but you might be wrong!</p>
<p>Ah, got it, accounting is in McDonough. So… can and will your dad pay for an expensive school or not (whether you live on campus or not)? I thought there was an issue with that. No point in applying to places your family can’t afford… the money won’t magically appear just because you were admitted.</p>
<p>Have you looked into Babson?</p>