@allboyz We are looking at a University of California school. Unlike other state university systems, there are very complicated rules in California about how to qualify to even be considered for admission, and those rules are more strict for out-of-staters. Not so strict, however, because the UC system is admitting more and more OOS students (likely because of their $$), which makes some of the in-state applicants unhappy. I don’t know how likely it is that S16 would choose to go to California or that we would choose to pay the cost. Our in-state flagship is higher rated than the UC campus we are considering and will be much cheaper. However, he’s not admitted to either place yet.
Just going to echo a few parents’ comments that were in the minority. That is to take time off before starting community college, then transferring.
My S’16 with maybe 3.0 gpa if we’re lucky has opted to take time off before any kind of college. everyone says “gap year”? and I say: No, much more than that!
He’s super intelligent but school has been awful for him from the start. Personally I’m looking forward to him having a chance to “unschool” and discover himself before college. I figure that college is always out there waiting. School has been tough (for all kids! IMHO). It’s much more intense now than when we were growing up. Students don’t have that time to relax and get little jobs and such to figure out who they are and their true interests. They’re constantly doing homework, ECs, worried about grades. It’s exhausting! For him also he just hates the day-to-day grind of this assignment then that assignment, forever and ever.
He’s going to figure out the world during his time off, or as much of that as one ever does in one or two years. He will work in whatever jobs he can find, anything from in a coffee shop to interning at a national park. My deal with him is that he needs to save his first year’s tuition at CC. That’s about $5K. When he’s done that, I figure, he will have grown in many ways. Physically he will be more mature. Boys’ brains especially don’t mature until age 25. A few years closer to age 25 before college won’t hurt him at all. He will also have matured in terms of understanding the world. Having to put his own money into his first year of school (and then we pay all over expenses and his tuition for the rest of the time) will further strengthen his resolve and help him become more directed.
Our plan is for him to attend CC to raise his grades and find his academic focus. Then transfer to schools that readily accept transfers.
@Dustyfeathers It sounds like you’ve found a perfect solution to meet the needs of your family. Unfortunately for students who rely on merit scholarships to attend school, many must enter schools right after high school to receive those scholarships. Good luck to your son.
There’s talk over on the Temple board about the weighting of gpas for merit scholarships possibly not being as generous as in the past. A couple of applicants are getting less than expected. We haven’t heard yet, so I’m still crossing my fingers.
@carolinamom2boys I’m not sure if I’ve found the perfect solution for my family, but it’s a solution! And I completely sympathize with seeking merit aid. That’s an important approach. In addition, I also offer this idea: my husband didn’t start college until he was 26, having almost failed high school. Neither of us come from money. Currently he’s a professor at a super-selective universities. We both supported ourselves through undergrad and multiple layers of grad school and paid our school loans. I also work at a highly sought after educational institution. For starters: 1) some schools offer fellowships or programs for non-traditional students (for women for example Smith has a program, but there are others; my husband found such a program through the 5-college consortium in Massachusetts). 2) some schools offer complete aid for students regardless of their income levels once they’re accepted (Grinnell, Vassar, and Cornell for a few examples). This means that if they transfer in, aid is guaranteed and all of those–plus others–ensure that their students graduate with minimal student loans. The ones I mentioned do take transfer students. In other words, there’s ways to go about this beyond seeking merit aid. Finally, community college-then-transfer is in effect from a purely financial standpoint a fellowship, as the student can live at home and pay about $6K tuition per year (that’s the expensive East Coast City price of community college). Two years at CC then transfer with high grades (now that the student is mature) to an LAC (fully supportive or otherwise) or university is also a viable scenario, in my opinion.
@dustyfeathers In my state, if my son were to wait to go to school , he’d be losing $7500.00 to $10,000 in scholarships from the state . I’m lucky that we have those resources and good schools available .
@Dustyfeathers can you explain a little more about the aid noted is guaranteed regardless of income level? When we looked at some of the schools you mentioned it appeared that they offered great financial aid to people who they determined met the criteria for “need” but when we ran the NPC for Cornell, for example, it showed our EFC as 70,000 per year. So needless to say no application was made to that school. It seemed like the only type of aid we could find that our DD could qualify for at Cornell was some minor research stipends which she already would have access to through other programs unaffiliated with any particular university. Is there something we are missing about all of this? It did not look like Cornell offered any merit aid and the OOS tuition rates are really high.
I think that all of the colleges I mentioned base their aid on “need” and that’s certainly a difficult thing to parse without actually applying, even with the calculators. Cornell I placed on my list based on what they explained in the presentation by the Admissions administrators, that it’s a common misperception that in-state students are advantaged at Cornell in terms of how much they pay, after calculating need. They pay about the same amount as in-state students’ 'need" is lower from Cornell’s POV because their tuition costs are lower. That being said, it’s virtually impossible to graduate from any of the schools that I mentioned (or any other schools) with zero debt, because some debt helps the student invest (literally and figuratively) in their education process. Bearing that in mind, Cornell’s average debt burden is $21K. While not the lowest debt burden (Princeton’s is something like $6K on average), it’s also well below the nation average of $25K. These schools don’t guarantee zero debt. They (and some others) guarantee that the student will graduate with manageable debt, and usually below the national average. This list is old, but it is a decent starting point for researching schools that have “pledged” to keep student debt within reasonable limits-- http://ticas.org/sites/default/files/pub_files/financial_aid_pledges_to_reduce_student_debt_2009-10_0.pdf
If that link isn’t allowed by moderators, just google “student debt pledge” and “project for student debt”.
Thanks @Dustyfeathers I think the problem is that we aren’t considered in the “need” category, and we just can’t bring our selves to consider 70,000 a year for college when we know grad school is looming for two kids too. I had harbored hope that maybe there was some thing I had overlooked in researching schools. It is a great thing that some of these schools have pledged to keep debt down for the kids who fall into the need category. I hear over and over from students who have graduated how much they wish they did not have such a burden of school loan debt. It is really nice that you posted to remind people that there is more than one path to success out there.
@Themommymommy thank you for your encouragement. I’m probably not reading the $70K for family contribution correctly. Is that for one child for one year?? That seems like graduate school prices, not undergrad . . . .
maybe it was a typo in your last post but I read " 70,000 a year for college"
Also, in the Expensive East Coast City where I live, “need” for private schools is for any family making $250K or less per year. I am not joking. This is the cut off for private K-12 schools in Expensive East Coast School. Breathtaking.
Since Cornell is not all that far from an Expensive East Coast City of some prominence, you may want to toss your app into the ring to see what they come up with . . . just a thought.
One of the LAC’s my D is planning to apply to is $70,000/year. S12 is at a private university which is $65,000/year. We are not full pay though, and with financial aid pay less than half of that price.
Indeed the 70,000 was the per year cost for EFC we got back. The listed price on the website for cornell for example is $65,494 per year for out of state students , plus you have to figure in travel and storage of goods etc.Alot of colleges are in this 60,000+ range per year if you don’t qualify for financial aid. It has gotten out of hand in my opinion.
We don’t live in the east coast so I suspect our cost of living is considered to be much lower for financial aid purposes. My daughter figures maybe for grad school it will make sense or perhaps try for a summer internship there during college
@Dustyfeathers That 70K is not out of the realm of the possibility. Two years ago the typical cost of attendance for competitive private schools on S14s list was $60K, with one school as high as $64K. S16s list has one school with a COA at $67.5 K (not the most competitive one; it does provide merit aid but maybe not enough). I would prefer not to encourage that kind of sticker price even if we don’t actually pay it, it isn’t a top contender yet.
That’s flabbergasting. You’re right. If it were me, however, and I had my sights set on Cornell (or any other school) I would still apply and see what they offered me. In my albeit limited experience both working at a much-sought-after higher ed institution and having attended them, there are fellowships that are not advertised publicly. Often there are several that are earmarked for a specific sort of student, because the school typcially doesn’t develop these funds. Donors do. Student apps that mention X experience or interest are put in piles as candidates to compete to receive that money. There’s no application for the student to fill out, other than the application. Because the donors want to see their money used, the school attempts to use that money. One fellowship that I know of at School that Shall Remain Nameless is full tuition for someone who during the interview says that they are X status that’s traditionally maligned. In other words, because the status potentially causes discrimination, the donor donated funds to support those candidates. However it’s hard to give the money away because by the student declaring in a high-pressure interview that the student has X status, the student could potentially be inviting discrimination, and not be admitted. Also, because X status is potentially cause of discrimination, the interviewer can’t ask the candidate. When someone does bravely declare X status in interviews, you should see the jumping up and down in the school because the money can be awarded. Crazy, right? All this is to say, it’s impossible to know what deep-pockets donor has created what kind of funding pool until you apply–especially at well endowed fancy school with lots of appreciative alumni. The school may see a talent or past experience on your S or D’s app and say: do we have the scholarship for you! It’s a long shot, but a shorter shot that the lottery.
We’re in the same boat. our EFC for my S’s fave school says we will need “$5000” in “other resources”, and no monies from the school will be granted (like grants or need based aid), and the school is $65,000. The school says it does NOT meet all need, but certainly tells you what it thinks you can afford…I’m looking for a second job!
We are thrilled that S16 has been accepted to his first choice! We don’t know about merit $$ yet. The school has a good reputation for it, though his gpa might lower the amount. He has another app or two to submit today, but the pressure is definitely off and it will be interesting to see if he goes ahead. It isn’t 100% that he’ll decide on this one, but it is good omen he’ll have some fine options.
lot’s of tension in my house these days. No more applications being completed. S is waiting on an EA and ED. I am really hoping he gets accepted; otherwise…it’s going to be a very “busy” and “stressful” holiday season!
Two of the schools DS16 applied to send out notifications the week before Christmas . Could prove to be a very merry or blue Christmas . My son is still completing scholarship and honors apps. Will be so glad when he’s done.