So I’m a soon to be H.S. Senior and I have no one to help me with this whole college process. I’ll be a first-gen college student and my whole life I’ve been told I’m not smart enough to go to college so no one is here to tell me the truth. I need to know if my college choices are good ideas or if I’m wishing on a shooting star. So please be real with me and don’t sugar coat it! Thanks.
So My UW gpa is 2.81 (I know bad) but this last year i had a cummulative 3.5 for the year I started out high school not even thinking about the future because mine was already decided for me.
My SAT scores are 1270 out of 1600.
Math: 570 R&Wr: 700
I want to go to college for one of these: Environmental Science/Natural Resource Management/Evolutionary Biology
My college list is
- University of Colorado-Boulder
- University of Alaska-Fairbanks
- Oregon State University
- Green Mountian College
- University of Oregon
- University of Arizona
- The Evergreen State College
- Colorado State University
- University of Montana
- University of Maine
Also not sure if this makes things better, worse or doesn’t matter but I’m from Michigan
Your SAT score, which is in the 88th percentile, will help you at many of the schools you have listed. If possible, try to raise your GPA to a 3.0. I’m sure many of these colleges wouldn’t have a problem admitting a B student with a pretty good SAT score.
Thank you so much! I know some of them are kind of reaching but I just hate that one mistake could cost me the rest of my life
Why would anyone tell a young person that he/or she is not smart enough for college? Ignore those toxic comments and try your best.
On the left side of this webpage, there is a link for college search and selection. Use it to see where you might fit in.
A lot of those schools you’ve listed are unaffordable to OOS students because the state taxes fund those schools for taxpayers kids. Can your parents afford those public state schools?
Each school has a Net Price Calculator that estimates what it will cost to attend the school. Use that NPC to figure out your costs; you need your parent income to fill them out. If the amount is too much, cross the school off of your list.
Start first with your instate choices, then check out the private schools to see what you could be offered. Take the ACT this fall; you may do better on that type of task, which will increase your choices. Please see your guidance counselor for more personal information and your letters.
Good luck!
Also want to add that if you have any advice or colleges you think would be a good fit feel free to post it! I need all the help I can get. Thanks!
Hi Aunt Bea, and thank you for the comment. I am going to be paying for college on my own but I have an automatic grant type thing from the government that’s I think around $6,000 a year because I’m adopted and I am in a program with Delta College in Michigan where they plan to help me. Also I figured because my mom won’t be helping and she only makes ~$20,000 a year anyways that I would get a lot of scholarships/grants. My sister was going to go to college but decided against and she was getting around $20,000/yr off tuition and she had a 1.9 gpa and 18 ACT
You have to take most of those public schools off of your list because you won’t be able to afford them.
The best and most funding/scholarships comes from the universities themselves.
You’ve chosen a number of universities that you may get into, but, you won’t be funded. Public universities fund their instate residents, because their parents pay the state taxes, so, very little money is leftover for OOS residents (unless your stats are extremely high, which, in your case, I’m sorry to say is not in the tippy top).
CU Boulder is over $50k per year because you are not a state resident:
https://bursar.colorado.edu/tuition-fees/annual-cost-estimate/undergraduate-nonresident/
Evergreen is over $36k: http://evergreen.edu/costs/home
It doesn’t matter that you are low income. The fees at those schools will be harsh. You won’t be able to pay for those on your own. You also have to consider how you will pay your travel and health insurance costs.
If you can find a scholarship, that fully funds adoptees, then you may be able to perhaps, go to some schools. And no, you can’t easily get instate residency.
Please see your guidance counselor.
Start with your in-state colleges which you seem to have done and see what pathways are available to you to get into a 4 year university. Your GPA will make it difficult to qualify for merit aid at any school. Your best chance academically and financially would attend a community college and transfer.
As @“aunt bea” stated, many OOS will not give much financial aid. You need to explore more viable options close to home.
Try this link in your search:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1678964-links-to-popular-threads-on-scholarships-and-lower-cost-colleges.html
Okay I understand what you are all saying thank you for your help, really. I just never thought that in the 21st century paying for college was going to be my deal breaker. Should have worked harder I guess. Thanks again!
Paying for college is a deal breaker for most students. That is why you see a lot of folks here suggest checking out the Net Price Calculator before getting time and emotions invested in a school.