delurking from parent2019 thread to mention that the way the College Board does its “race/ethnicity” pie chart has always bugged me. It’s white, black, asian, hispanic, two-plus races … and “non-resident alien.”
I’m always brought up short and thinking they are aliens from another planet, because who’s left? I guess it’s international kids? But aren’t they various skin colors also?
LOL.
@labegg ’ A virtual rainbow of multicultural diversity. It made us laugh.’ That description makes me laugh, as it is so spot on! Arm-in-arm, so maybe someone at the end had a free hand to wave the state flag?
I usually prefer statistics over anecdotes, but when it comes to racial diversity on a campus, the best gauge is to actually visit the campus, eat in the dining hall, look at the students walking to class. I have suspicions of some of the self-reported race stats colleges publish.
@PetulaClark I agree there is no substitute for an actual visit when trying to assess diversity. We visited a school this past spring that seemed to have a pretty good diversity mix on paper, only thing was that when you where there in person, it sure felt like there was a very distinct self segregating vibe. I didn’t really notice a whole lot of mixing amongst the various groups. I kept my observation to myself and when we got back in the car, the other mom and daughter immediately asked if we had noticed the cliques.
Ran across this thread and after reading a few posts realized should have been on this sooner; the 2018 thread just didn’t fit us at all.
DD is also looking for a campus that isn’t overwhelmingly white, but knows self segregation is going to happen. She just doesn’t want to be overwhelmed w/ Caucasians.
At this point we are probably looking at the PA state schools. With all the NPC’s I’ve run, they come out the best. Just feel I wasted a lot of my life researching different schools, in and out of state, looking for enough aid to make them affordable, and never found any.
@laralei I’m feeling the same way. I’ve been researching for a year to find merit to bring down costs to a reasonable level. But the reality is even finding colleges like that, it’s probably not going to result in a better education or grad school or work opportunities. I’m getting burned out by the search. So I think unless a school offers something D wants and can’t get elsewhere (theology?), we’ll focus on IS publics.
And we’ll get the diversity at IS publics I think D would miss otherwise.
@laralei I think you didn’t waste your time researching schools. You actually have taken the time to run NPCs to know ahead which schools are financially feasible for your family. Problems arise when parents do NOT consider the financial aspect of college, and their kids get into dream colleges, and then are told by parents they cannot attend
@laralei look at University of Toledo good OOS auto merit aid starting at $10k for 2.75 gpa and 20 ACT and more for better gpa/ACT moving through the merit table http://www.utoledo.edu/admission/freshman/scholarships/2018/out-of-state.html and they are launching a new diversity plan http://www.utoledo.edu/diversity/diversity-plan/
Looked at Toledo and still far more than our own state schools. Really, this is my third kid through, and have done a lot of research. Youngest is good student, but not good enough for any significant merit awards, and our EFC is way too to make generous aid enough.
Like @MACmiracle, we are not finding than any of the schools that would be in our very limited reach to be any better educationally than our own PA schools. I just have to stop myself from looking every time I read “really generous aid” ( I have come to absolutely hate that phrase! 
@laralei I feel the same way. I went through another phase of intensive research before sending in our deposit and I came to the same conclusions as you. There is no other school that we can afford that offers as much as the school we have chosen. It will be tough to stop myself for the next 10 months from looking at other schools but I would really like to stop myself! I just have to cross my fingers that the NPC was accurate – or at least within 5K accurate. How horrible would that be? 5K is a decent buffer, isn’t it?
@laralei like you, I feel as though I’ve run every NPC there is. It is exhausting! We’re in CA and my daughter would like to stay in state, so we have some good options here as long as she gets accepted. However we did choose a few OOS schools to apply to, just to see what happens with merit and to give her some options in case she doesn’t get into the CA schools she wants. We don’t expect any FA, so it all comes down to merit. We’re hoping for some great scores on her Oct. SAT!
Parent of a junior here, in the same boat as @laralei (same state too!) and @MACmiracle and @Kardinalschnitt and @bacmom … Watching y’all’s journey with interest and empathy and many crossed appendages!
This is one of my favorite threads on CC. I do get tired of posters with 4.4 GPAs and 35 ACTs and more ECs than I’e done in my life (I’m 59), asking ‘Chance me, chance me’ and then are miffed when the responses are anything less than an Ivy or Stanford.
I’m a year ahead here, as my D is class of 2019. But she fits the pattern here, with 3.4 GPA, but got a 1070 on PSAT as a soph, and just got a 22 ACT for all juniors at her private school. Even with tutoring I don’t see anything higher than a 25 or 1200. We are looking at mainly test-opt LACs, and would be full-pay and go the ED route. My 2 older Ds had better tests scores and of course thsi D is the most diligent at studying, turning in home work, doesn’t hang out with sketchy kids (am I implying the other 2 did?)
Sometimes you just need to check your spam email. I have been wondering why Texas Tech was taking so long with a decision. I have been checking the portal and trying to figure how long it would take. Well lo and behold I went on sons email account for his colleges and was just making sure he is staying up to date with everything and was going to clear his spam file. Their it was “Congratulations you are a Red Raider”. Why in the world it would go into his spam folder is a mystery. I wouldn’t put it past him to move it their but I know he doesn’t check that folder. I am just going to wait for the mailer to come. I think that it is more exciting to open up the mailer then an email.
@PetulaClark there is one for 2019 too if you are interested
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/2018547-parents-of-the-hs-class-of-2019-3-0-to-3-4-gpa.html#latest
I have done my research too, and even with an EFC of $6,000 with 2 in college, the net price at privates is only slightly less than our state schools. And even if it was much cheaper the first year, that aid would go down a lot when there is only one in college.
I am just frustrated that the tuition has gone up so much in our state schools, and also the housing costs. The school S is interested in only has suite-style housing which is expensive.
Add to that the fact that he wants to become a teacher, so really shouldn’t have more debt than the direct loans.
Dd, who has spent a very limited amount of time in the US (and none since she started HS) and who has also had a very Waldorf-y TV-free childhood, is having a ton of fun going through the ISU admissions office FAQ! “What on earth is a George Foreman grill???” :-))
I mentioned getting 0 tuition on an NPC the other day. I emailed admissions but they never answered me. I tried it again yesterday and did get tuition but still very, very affordable for OOS. That school was U Wisconsin La Crosse. Seems like a very nice little school in a pretty town with some interesting programs. Just putting that out there for those looking for affordable OOS. U Minnesota Morris is also a great, affordable gem (public LA) for OOS.
Always love this thread! Trying to add some match schools for dd - SAT 1210 superscored, weighted GA 3.6. Has an interesting background with homeschooling so she could study ballet full time for a year and a half; she is back a public school. 3 APs, mostly honors. No ECs, except for literary magazine at school.
She is actually highly intellectual, super informed, quiet, and would like a school that is not highly greek or preppy. She is a nonconformist. Loves to write.
We are considering adding Juniata, Allegheny, Knox, Kalamazoo and Knox.
Our list now consists of Wooster, St John’s College (attended camp and loved it; worried about job prospects), Susquehanna (attended writing camp), Agnes Scott, Lawrence, Beloit and Muhlenberg. Mt Holyoke is also on there - and personality-wise, I would say it’s the best match. BUT…
So what are the cultures, writing programs, and academics like at Juniata, Allegheny (too preppy/athletic/conservative?), Knox, Kalamazoo and Knox?
She is the fourth and hardest for me to decipher. She really needs quirky and intellectual, but she is a poor test taker and doesn’t have much else to show to a test-optional school. She is a great essay writer and interviewer, though.
An application fee waiver came in the mail for Ohio U. I had been thinking we would let it go, but the fee waiver makes me think twice.
We got College Board application fee waivers in the mail, too. I still feel guilty about using them since I think our income will be higher this year. I think our monthly income is still low enough but I think we’re getting some interest on an investment fund this year, not that we see it. Maybe I’ll just call the colleges and ask so I won’t keep questioning it.
@MACmiracle I am an Ohio U alum…am I just going to say I loved my time there, my fellow classmates/alum with kids now attending Ohio U say their kids love it. Apply.
@MACmiracle I would not worry about fee waivers. Colleges now what they are doing. Many very selective LACs make all applications free, as they find it jacks up the applications, though may reduce yield. And there will be some matriculants every year who only applied because it was free, got in, did a visit, and loved it.