<p>My parents and I disagree on where I'm going to college, and they said if I don't go where they want me to, they aren't going to contribute a dime. However, my dad makes upwards of $200k/yr, so I figure I wouldn't be eligible for much need-based aid. Would it be feasible to go to the college I want to, or do I basically have to listen to my parents? I don't know how much of it I can pay in loans, but I only really have like ~$2k in savings at the moment, probably ~$5k by the time I go to college.</p>
<p>What are you college choices and what are your academic statistics - this will open you up to many grants and scholarships.</p>
<p>On January 13, you posted that your parents were not well off financially…but your dad made a lot of money…and could not contribute much to your college costs. $200,000 is not exactly low income. So…what is the truth?</p>
<p>You can only borrow $5500 in your own name freshman year. That is it. </p>
<p>You should look in the thread here for guaranteed merit awards and see if your SAT/ACT score and GPA make you eligible for any of these. It might NOT be at the school of your choice!</p>
<p>Keep in mind that there are precious few completely full rides even for top students. There are more full tuition scholarships, but you would still have to pay the room/board/fees costs which would likely be >$10,000 a year.</p>
<p>Where do you want to go to college? Where do your parents want you to go to college? This might be the time to come to some kind of compromise. Will they pay in full for the college of their choice? What is so awful about that school? What makes you 100% positive you will be accepted to the college of your choice?</p>
<p>You can accept any college’s offer of admission if YOU can pay the tuition, room and board.</p>
<p>If your family will not contribute, you’re choices narrow.
YOU as a student can only borrow a small amount. Which is a good thing.</p>
<p>Do you have VERY high stats to qualify for merit scholarships?</p>
<p>@Jdpaul88: I am an incoming Junior, so I have not taken the SAT. However, I got 670 on the reading, 620 on math, and 520 on writing. With some studying I could easily bring the writing ~620, and you can bump the math and reading up some as well because I didn’t take the PSATs very seriously. So in summation, I figure I could score low 2000’s. I have gotten all A’s and B’s throughout my high school career thus far, usually in the most rigorous class available. I also go to a highly respected high school. I think my unweighted GPA would be in the neighborhood of 3.7. Next year I am taking 3 AP classes, last year I took two. Out of the two, I took the AP test for one: AP Psychology. I scored a 4. I don’t think this matters at all but I scored the highest in my grade on the Algebra keystones.</p>
<p>My “dream college” is Occidental College, but I’m also looking at Azusa Pacific and California state schools. Really most colleges in California are right up my ally, although I probably couldn’t get into a lot of them. I am relatively certain I wish to be a Psychiatrist, which of course requires medical school. With that in mind, I will likely major in Biology. </p>
<p>@thumper1: All of that is true. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, I am no “top notch” student. Perhaps if I had applied myself extremely hard, but I have not so far. If you’re referring to the thread I believe you are referring to, then you can see my grades and what not in there. I ended the year with largely similar grades, no huge changes. </p>
<p>I am pretty much dead set on wanting to go to college in California for a variety of reasons. There are tons and tons of reasons for this, I cannot stress that enough. It is simply not a case of me being a stubborn sixteen year old. My parents want me to stay local. No, they will not pay in full, there is no way they could do that. They don’t really have any money to help me immediately, but my mom said that she will cosign on loans. </p>
<p>@musicmom: I don’t believe I do, unfortunately.</p>
<p>Oh, and some things have changed since that last thread, so don’t take everything there as fact. The only thing I can see right off the bat is that at the time I wanted to play football in college, but I do not anymore. The only instance where I would is if it could help me out financially.</p>
<p>I’m going to guess that your parents do not want to pay the high cost of attending any of those schools in california. You are from PA, or near there, right? On your “January thread” you were given some good school selections that we’re closer to home…which seemed to be what your family wanted.</p>
<p>I would suggest that you look into schools,that meet your families criteria for undergrad…and save California for either a job or grad school…or both.</p>
<p>The reality is you will not be able to pay for those California schools without the financial help of your parents. </p>
<p>$200,000 income is financially quite good. </p>
<p>If you want financial help from your parents, you will have to look at colleges that meet their criteria.</p>
<p>It’s not about the cost, my mom simply does not want me to go that far from home. I suppose I could always go to California for grad school, but I don’t really see the purpose because isn’t med school so much work that I won’t be able to enjoy the college whatsoever? </p>
<p>$200,000 income is financially fantastic, I would never dispute that. The only problem is that my family is in a large amount of debt and not improving. It’s complicated, but my family lives paycheck-to-paycheck, and we have it tighter than a lot of people that make half as much. </p>
<p>Thanks for putting it bluntly, though. That’s a shame. </p>
<p>To be clear, I would be willing to do almost anything. Including declaring independent or something thereabouts, although I heard it wouldn’t make a difference.</p>
<p>It is quite complicated, I really mean this. However, I would like to go to a school that means I have to be home (in PA) as little as possible. My mom is even coming around to Florida. The only thing is, I can’t find many good schools in Florida. Or the Carolinas. Or really anywhere on the southern east coast. Perhaps I’ll just have to look harder into that.</p>
<p>I appreciate the help so far.</p>
<p>Fb…as noted elsewhere…your college GPA and MCAT scores will be the deciding factor for medical school. </p>
<p>You cannot simply declare yourself independent for financial aid purposes. To be independent, you need to be an orphan, ward of the state, military veteran, married, have a dependent child you are supporting, or be over age 24. If none of the above…you are a dependent for financial aid purposes.</p>
<p>Family debt is not considered in the financial aid formula. If your parents are living beyond their means, that is a choice. Colleges do not award need based aid based on debt.</p>
<p>The CA public universities will expect YOU to pay at LEAST the $23,000 OOS differential. Your stats are not outstanding enough to garner merit aid there either. Occidental is expensive. How would you pay for this if your parents didn’t help you?</p>
<p>At this point you are a rising junior, you need to get the best possible course grades, the best possible SAT or ACT score, and the best possible PSAT score to be considered for significant merit aid.</p>
<p>If your family is willing to contribute to your undergrad college costs, consider that as generous, and see what you can do to choose a school that is within their terms.</p>
<p>What schools do your parents want you to consider??</p>
<p>@thumper1: I’m aware debt is not considered. My parents will simply cosign on loans, as that is really all they can do. </p>
<p>I really had no idea how I’d pay for it, that’s why I made this thread. I was aware that I simply couldn’t take a $60,000 loan out, other than that I have no clue. </p>
<p>My mom really isn’t too involved, other than the whole not letting me go to college in California. She isn’t really nudging me towards any school in particular. Both of my parents went to Villanova, so I guess that’s the only one she ever talked to me about. </p>
<p>Personally, I’ll research Florida schools. I haven’t found any great looking ones yet.</p>
<p>If your mom doesn’t want you to go far away (California) then it makes NO SENSE for her to cosign loans so that you can go to Calif (or some other far away school).</p>
<p>If you want to be go to med school (expensive) then you do NOT want to be borrowing much for undergrad. Do you know that psychiatry is one of the lower paying specialties? You do NOT want to have huge debt and become a psychiatrist. </p>
<p>From the sounds of it, your parents are talking out of both sides of their mouths. They have a high income but won’t pay no matter where you go…even if you go to a school of their choosing. However, that shouldn’t mean racking up big debt for undergrad.</p>
<p>BTW…if your parents have a lot of debt, then why do you think that your mom would QUALIFY each year to cosign??? Each year that she cosigns, her credit rating falls even more. She may qualify the first year or two, but then get denied…then what??? You’d have NO degree and be expected to pay back all the loans.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids: And that is why she is not.</p>
<p>My mom has told me this (not wanting to be too far in debt before med school), and I agree. Also, from what I’ve seen, psychiatry is definitely NOT one of the lower paying specialties.
Perhaps you were confusing Psychiatrist with Psychologist. </p>
<p>My parents will help me out however they can – including cosigning loans all four years – if I stay on the east coast.</p>
<p>Actually…mom2 is correct. Psychiatry is one of the lower paying medical specialists.</p>
<p>Doesn’t matter for,this discussion. You are a rising junior. You have already changed your mind about college criteria, which often happens.</p>
<p>I would strongly suggest you concentrate your efforts on getting a great junior PSAT score, Excellent junior and senior year grades, and excellent SAT or ACT scores. Then you will have better info to craft your list.</p>
<p>If you do an outstanding job, maybe your parents will see how responsible and serious you are about your studies and reconsider where they will pay.</p>
<p>At the very east, once you have the above, you will BETTER know where you might be a good candidate for admissions and possibly merit aid.</p>
<p>Right now, you don’t have the info.</p>
<p>And at the end of the day…you, yourself, will NOT be able to pay $50k plus to attend a private U of YOUR choice or an OOS public anywhere without the support of your parents…and/or very significant MERIT aid (which right now you do NOT have the stats to garner).</p>
<p>I would go where my parents wanted and make the best of it there. It is free to you.</p>
<p>The way it works for financial aid is that students under the age of 24, unless they fall in the list of exceptions, which you can review, things like being married, a veteran, --all highly unlikely in your case and in many 18 year olds coming right out of highschools’ cases, are considered dependent and their parents financial ability to pay the first thing that is viewed. Just like if you wanted to go to private school for K-12 or to a boarding school your parents are expected to pay. Occidental is a private school. It has limited financial aid and a set amount of merit money to give it, and they have to give it out to make it stretch. More kids from families that CAN’T possibly pay than they can fund, so no, you don’t qualify. It’s up to your parents to come up with the money. If they won’t pay for you and they can, the school and the government are not going to pitch in.</p>
<p>You can borrow up to $5500 from the federal Direct Loan program as others have mentioned without parental involvement. That would pay for most community college or local state college tuitons. That’s really it for you in terms of federal aid. You don’t have need. </p>
<p>It is a blind spot in the financial aid picture that those kids whose parents can pay, but won’t pay, are left without the alternatives that those who have parents who can’t pay, but those kids have the numbers to get into schools where fin aid is good, or of course, parents footing the bill. That’s always the case for those who are lucky enough to have parents or some deep pocketed benefactor to foot the bills vs those who do not. </p>
<p>It’s your parents money, and they can choose to spend it as they please, or not. I know parents who give their kids a condo, a Grand Tour of Europe and a huge allowance, a great car, and those with the same or even more money who refuse to give their kids anything. You aren’t entitled to a private, sleep away college experiece any more thant the Grand Tour or a new car or an allowance. It’s all up to your parents.</p>
<p>The other issue is: Do you parents have money to give you towards college, or are they just willing to co-sign on the loans? If it’s the latter, you have even fewer choices. You do NOT want to saddle yourself with that much debt. No question. Don’t do it. If you want to go to medical school, even more so. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but you have to face reality. Be sure to study schools that might give you good merit aid, also. Those schools will doubtfully be ones you would consider for your first, or maybe second choice. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t the right choice for your future.</p>
<p>Cosigning on loans is the same as taking them out. You are just as much on the hook, it goes on the credit report, and in many cases if one party dies, the other is still responsible. So parents who don’t want to pay, should not be cosigning as it’s taking on the responsibility.</p>
<p>*My mom has told me this (not wanting to be too far in debt before med school), and I agree. Also, from what I’ve seen, psychiatry is definitely NOT one of the lower paying specialties.
Perhaps you were confusing Psychiatrist with Psychologist. *</p>
<p>Yes, it is one of the lowest paying MD careers…and good heavens, no, I’m NOT confusing the two. I certainly know that a Psychiatrist is a MD and a psychologist is not.</p>
<p>I would go where my parents wanted and make the best of it there. It is free to you.</p>
<p>it’s not “free” to him. Those co-signed loans are HIS to pay. If his parents were going to pay for those loans, they’d have gotten Plus loans or something else.</p>
<p>*parents were not well off financially…but your dad made a lot of money…and could not contribute much to your college costs. *</p>
<p>Again, who knows if the parents will qualify every year to cosign.</p>
<p>Alright guys, I think I’ve gotten all of the answers I need. Clearly I was being unreasonable. Sorry if I came across cranky, it’s just my dream to go to college in California and it seems like it’s not happening.</p>
<p>Everywhere I’ve looked puts Psychiatry at the #9-#4 top paying MD job… I’m aware it makes less than neurosurgeons and anesthesiologists, but it’s my passion and owning a practice has a pretty high ceiling salary-wise. Maybe I’ll just make my practice in California. </p>
<p>Now I’m kind of worried about how my parents are even going to pay for college when I go to an east coast school. I guess I’ll sit down with my mom and talk to her about it. Perhaps I’ll go to one of the less prestigious colleges in Florida for merit aid. I had originially planned to go to the very best college I could get into. I’ll also have to talk to my Uncle who went to Tufts for pre-med and Penn for med. In fact, my mom’s half of the family (other than my mom and her sister) went to Penn, so I’ll talk to them. Although I’m aware I couldn’t get into Penn for pre-med, of course. Anyway, enough rambling. Thanks for the help.</p>
<p>Edit: Seriously, everywhere I look puts Psychiatry as a super high paying job. CNN puts it as the #5 top paying job overall. Forbes puts it at the #9 top paying job overall. I could go on. But regardless, as long as I can support a family while doing my passion I’m sure I’ll be fine.</p>