Can anyone help me find some relistic college options? I have a 2220 SAT, 3.9 unweighted gpa, and decent extra curriculars.The real issue for me will be finances. My parents don’t really like to talk about it, but I know it’s unfair to expect much help from them, especially because my brother will be entering college a year after me.
Is there any schools that I could reasonably optain generous financial aid from? Prefferably close to home. Of course I have other preffences, but first and foremost I want to be able to afford the college I eventually attend.
I’ve run a few cost calculators on school websites and the efc has always been close to nothing. Still I don’t want to get too comfortable with that idea because my dad has small apartments to his name. He doesn’t get much from them but would that affect the type and amount of aid I could receive?
Thank you in advance
Find a college that will accept you with your stats for merit aid. Yes, your financial aid will be affected by your father’s assets.
If you look for need based aid you have to understand that need-based is what the schools think you need and not what you would really need to attend.
Look at the links on the left to help you find some schools. They may not be in “popular” areas of the country, but they would like diversity from other states.
You could try the merit scholarship route in addition to the need-based financial aid route:
http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/
http://competitivefulltuition.yolasite.com/
http://nmfscholarships.yolasite.com/
Indeed, if the need-based financial aid is too uncertain or too unlikely (due to uncertainties in financial aid due to rental real estate and/or parental unwillingness to discuss finances), the merit scholarship route should probably be your primary application strategy.
The rental income may or may not weigh heavily in the need-based aid outcomes.
Did you account for that income in your NPC inputs?
If so, and you still came out with near-zero EFCs, then I suggest you consider “full need” colleges in addition to “big merit” colleges.
http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2015/09/14/colleges-that-report-meeting-full-financial-need
Note that a few colleges are on both this list and the “competitive full tuition” list cited above. Although. a full tuition merit scholarship might not be enough to cover your needs.