Please Suggest Some Finance Schools!

College Search & Selection
1

(Can you guys suggest some Finance schools for this profile)
I am a Highschool Senior. I live In Florida. I came from India Last Year. I am a Permanent resident in the US.
*** Major: Finance.
**UW GPA: 3.5
*Weighted GPA: 4.3
*Top 45% in school. (Our school is a public charter school and have only 52 Seniors so it’s hard to be in top 10%)
(3rd Best School in Florida, Very Competitive)
*First Generation.
*Family makes only about 15000$ a year.
*SAT: 1150/1600 (I know its low, but I didn’t know English before coming to the US)(Taking Toefl in October)
*AP Classes: Human Geography, US History, Statistics, Macroeconomics, US government.(11th and 12th)
**Honours Classes: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, World History, Journalism, Greek, Discrete Mathematics in Greek3,4, Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Political Philosophy, English 1,2,3,4, Earth Space Science, Physical Science, Global Studies, Anatomy and Physiology, World Cultural Geography, Practical Arts General HE, Web Scripting Fundamentals/Level 3, SAT/ACT Verbal Preparatory Study Skill.

**Have an Impactful Essay and Recommendation Letter.
**Increasing trend in GPA over four years of high school.

***800+ Hours of Committed Volunteer Hours in Churches, Orphanages and other organizations.

*** Class Representative in 10th grade.
Mathematics Honours Society President 11th Grade
4H club Secretary 12th Grade
Arts Club Secretary10th Grade
Varsity Volleyball 11th and 12th Grade
Librarian in Church
Peer Counseling
Finance Club Founder 12th Grade

***Worked in Subway for 5 Months
Working currently in a Spanish Restaurant
Tree Cutter
Garage Mover
Summer Internship at FIU.
Interior House Painter.

2

Affordability is going to be a huge issue and you don’t have the stats to get into schools that give great aid.

Will you qualify for Bright Futures? What level?

You’re taking TOEFL in October??? What is your primary language?

I think you’ll need to focus on FL publics because of the affordability issue.

Which FL publics did you apply to? Some deadlines have passed.

I know that your family has a very low income, so should we assume that they can’t contribute anything towards college? Or does your family have a financial sponsor and therefore your family can contribute towards college costs? I’m guessing that your family might have a sponsor since you’re new to the US, and it would seem odd for the US to give PR status to a family with a very low income w/o a sponsor.

3

The following are FIU’s merit scholarships.

http://admissions.fiu.edu/costs-and-aid/scholarships/

Scholarship
Eligibility
Award
Presidential
4.0 GPA
1390 SAT Post-March/1330 SAT *Pre-March or 30 ACT
100% tuition and fees plus books

Ambassador
4.0 GPA
1280 SAT Post-March/1210 SAT *Pre-March or 27 ACT
75% tuition and fees plus books

Other Florida publics will have similar scholarships.

The OP might considered taking a gap year to work and build up finances, retake the SAT/ACT to boost scores and re-apply next year. If not, the community college system in-state is very strong.

4

My family’s estimated college contribution is 0. I already got accepted into FIU and Rutgers. I really really want to go to colleges in big cities like NYC, Boston, Chicago etc. If money ain’t a problem what are the some of the good colleges that I could get into with my stats. My first language is Malayalam. I came from India last year barley speaking any English. I know other 4 Languages other than English.

5

How will money not be a problem when you apparently have very low income? IMO you should always start with the money. Are you eligible for Bright Futures? Have you checked on that?

6

Yes, I am eligible for Bright Futures. Even though I may not get in, I was planning to ED to NYU. What do you guys think? The reason behind I told money is not an issue because I believe that I will get a full ride if I get into. My dad is not here and my mom does not work. we pay our rent from my part time job and my sisters job in a cafeteria. In my FAFSA my parents don’t have any assets what they only have is a 1000 dollar in their savings. My counselor told I will probably get a full ride hopefully, she told me to apply to any private or public regardless of money need and decide after once I get into. Since My application is free I can apply to as much as I want.

7

I bike to the school 5+5 10 Miles every day. and there are a lot of other factors. We receive food stamps and Obama phone. I have 2 sisters and a younger brother. Total of 5 people. I would be the poorest person in our entire school.

8

I know My GPA for NYU is too low but I came to this country last year took all the classes that I have not even heard before like Greek, Philosophy, Discrete math in Greek, US History, English is like 2nd language which pulled my GPA down. Still I end up with only A’s and Bs.

9

You can’t use Bright Futures at NYU. You will be full pay there. Can your family afford $75K/year? No. NYU is one of the worst schools you could choose.

NYU does NOT meet need.

10

Your GC is very wrong. Most schools, including NYU, do not give great aid even if you’re very poor.

I think you think that being poor means that colleges will give you the money to go to school. No. Most schools will give you nothing but a $5500 loan and a $6k grant.

If you don’t believe me, use the net price calculator on many schools’ websites. Start with Rutgers, then NYU, and any other school.

Does your family have a sponsor? how does a very low income family, who immediately needs social services, get green card status? I thought that immigrants were supposed to show that they could support themselves so that they would not add to our over-burdened social services. I thought that low income immigrants needed to have an American sponsor who agreed to support them.

11

Madam that is not true. Maybe NYU won’t give you much money but I know my last year seniors (My Best friends) were students who were much wealthy than me (by that I mean who could afford a car) got free rides to private colleges outside Florida. (Probably 10 of them) One of my friends is in Notre Dame getting $53,000 as just grant money. Another close friend is in Duke $55,000 as a grant. That’s why I told money is not a problem. You never know what they will actually give you especially private colleges unless you apply and hear back from them. That’s why I told to suggest me some schools. Anyways, since my application is waived, I don’t want to pay for the application, I have time, then why not apply? Thank you! I appreciate your comment. If you could suggest me some PRIVATE Universities good in Finance it would be a great help.

12

Students who get enormous awards from colleges either have stats that are high enough to qualify for merit aid or they get admitted to colleges that offer a lot of need-based aid to low income students. Since admission to meets need schools is hyper competitive, your stats would have to be very high to get admitted. If yours aren’t in the upper 75th percentile for each school you apply to, I wouldn’t count on getting admission or aid there.

Have you visited the school websites to check the profile of admitted students (SAT and GPA range) and run their Net Price Calculator to get an estimate of costs? If not, you should start there. Is there a school you can commute to from home? If so, make sure you apply there.

13

You talk about grant money but that is something the schools choose to do NYU will not do that. DUKe, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame will help out financially with need based grants look into universities that offer need based grants.

14

I know that, but you don’t want to be top top of admitted students inorder to get a full free ride if you are poor. That’s why they have need based financial aids.

15

Not all colleges have money to give you. These top schools have massive endowments (in the billions), so they are able to give students in need massive financial aid packages.

You aren’t competitive for these types of full needs met schools, so you need to factor in cost.

16

Your GC is right that there is often money for poor students at good schools. However, with GPA 3.5, SAT 1150, top 45% rank you will not be competitive for these schools. Your friends who attended Duke and Notre Dame with big FA probably had much higher grades and test scores. Those things matter.

17

First of all, forget NYU. They don’t give the kind of aid you need. However there are other excellent schools.

Second, only apply to colleges that meet 100% need. Unfortunately, these are be pretty selective, and you’ll especially need higher SAT scores. Now if English is not your first language, and you’re unlikely to get a high CR score, then focus on taking SAT2 tests in math and sciences (take 2-3). If you get high scores in those it will help balance out your low CR score as it does for internationals whose first language is not English.

Third, you’re starting late. The application deadline for most colleges has passed, and if you haven’t already taken the SAT2 tests then you don’t have time now. So, unless you want to go to Rutgers (and you’re getting a full ride or close to it), I’d recommend you take a gap year after graduating to work on your English and your SAT scores. If you can boost your SAT into the 1450+ range and have SAT2s with 750+ scores, then you have a shot at getting accepted at a college that meets full need (meaning you won’t pay anything, or hardly, though you’ll probably still have federal student loans). Sure, you’ll lose a year, but you’ll significantly increase your chances of getting into a good college for free.

Here’s a list of colleges that meet full need: http://blog.prepscholar.com/colleges-that-offer-complete-financial-aid

You might not be able to go to NYC or Boston, but you’ll find some excellent choices nonetheless.

Good luck!