I am going to try to be as anonymous as possible with this post. I don’t know my purpose in posting this. Maybe I just want to “let it all out” and never look at this thread again. Maybe I want to find other people who are on the same boat as me. Or maybe I hope people will reply with useful information with what I could have done better, so that people like me can pave a wiser path with more knowledge in the future.
One of the biggest obstacle for me in the college admissions process has been finding a true safety school, since I cannot afford academic safeties. Instead of applying to a financial safety, my plan was to apply to many needs-meeting colleges. But as many on this site know, they are among the most selective and I realized too late that attending a automatic full ride/tuition college in Alabama is better than not going to college at all. Furthermore, although I am a US citizen with legal residency in a state, I don’t qualify for instate tuition, which would have made instate public universities affordable safeties.
I am scared that the less selective schools (30-40% acceptance rate) I applied to that give great merit + financial aid will reject me because I have not shown interest (because I am first-gen in the US and I was unaware about the college process and I live abroad so I can’t visit to demonstrate interest). There is also a possibility that I will be rejected by those schools because of my financial status. I am terrified that each college will find a reason to reject me, shutting me out from all 21 schools that I applied to.
Overall, I feel trapped, and even though I have given my best in my academics (4.0 UW GPA + top 2% test scores) and extracurriculars, I can’t help but think that I’m not meant to go to college. It’s been difficult knowing that regretting this and that and “I should’ve/shouldn’t have done this” will not make my situation any easier. My parents have been so supportive of me and they tell me not to worry about the finances, but I know better.
Please excuse this messy post and my victim complex. I am frustrated and exhausted, but I know that there are worse things out there. Even if I am admitted to the “best” college, I really hope to learn to find my value and happiness in things NOT college admissions related.
Several comments and suggestions:
(1) Are you absolutely sure that you are considered a resident of a state but don’t qualify for in-state tuition? Have you called or emailed the Admissions office? Even if it says in print somewhere that you don’t qualify, exceptions can sometimes be made in unusual situations and you might qualify that way.
(2) The University of New Mexico and New Mexico State offer in-state tuition to students with certain stats which sound similar to yours. It’s called the Amigo Scholarship. It does not require a separate application and the UNM application doesn’t even require an essay. You have to apply directly, not with the Common App, and it will cost $20 plus the cost of sending your test scores. Even though the “priority” date of Feb. 1 has passed, not by much, so it would be well worth applying now. New Mexico’s in-state rates are very reasonable. If you meet the criteria, I highly recommend you do this and do it right away. You will probably qualify for their Honors Program too so you can avoid worrying about being lost in a big university. You are also guaranteed on campus housing.
(3) 21 is a lot of applications so if you chose a wide variety, you may well get at least one affordable result, but nobody knows for sure.
(4) You showed interest by applying even though you could not do more. Hopefully you showed interest in your “why I want to attend X College” essays. I think the colleges will see that you live abroad and are first generation and will cut you some slack.
I think the posts on cc overestimate the value or necessity of showing interest. In your spare time, instead of worrying, you can search for each school’s Common Data Set on their website and check out section C7 where the college will show what factors they consider and the importance of each. I just checked a few random CDS’s. Carleton and Earlham, for instance, do not consider level of interest at all. Kenyon and Skidmore consider it “important.” I’m sure you will find a wide variation in your 21 colleges and that should help you relax.
The idea one can only show interest by visiting is off. I agree with alooknac that you show it in how you match yourself and show that match in your whole app, including any Why Us questions.
did you apply to any schools that admit over 50% of applicants? if not, you may want to look into some that are still taking applications, Hendrix College is an example. it’s a solid LAC that would perhaps still have money for a high stats applicant. final price would be similar to an instate school. there are other schools like this. research 50/50 schools (over 50% admitted and over 50% graduation rate). Hendrix is just one example, there are others still taking applications. do a quick search.
If your grades and test scores are as good as you say, then you would have been flat-out guaranteed admission as well as significant financial aid at the places on this list: http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/ How many did you apply to? If you didn’t, ccontact the admissions offices, and ask them if they are still accepting applications from students like you. It is almost certain that some will still be able to admit you and award the money.
As a US citizen, you also have the option of moving back to the US, finding a job, and working for a while. Some public colleges/universities will allow you to establish in-state residence on your own, so check the policies for the different ones in the state(s) where you might like to live. Check the community colleges as well. Often they are more flexible about this than the 4-year institutions.
It appears that the OP found out about Alabama’s merit offers too late to apply for them. Or maybe I’m misinterpreting. But UAH would probably still be an option.