If you prepared, there’s always a part even if it’s not the planned one.
Since it sounds like you are going to law or an MPH, your options will not likely diminish based on the undergrad you attend.
What’s the budget again - ie what, if any, can you pay if you had to.
I can probably pay max 3-5k out of pocket, my efc using the old calculator is around 4k, and my efc at schools is ranging from 0-8k a year. I’m on my own with college costs.
Elite college adcoms had different score levels depending on family income anyway (since scores correlate so well with income) so it’s less work for them to have FGLI TO applicants, they use different ways to control that you’re able to do the work there (typically your LoR will already say you’re the best student they’ve seen in 5, 10, 20 years… so “able to do the work at our elite college” is the main criterion before they move to “what do they bring to the class”) and of course once in a blue moon a FGLI kid scores a 32 or 33 and submits.
It’s more concerning for the gadzillion upper class kids who presumably had tutors and good schools but don’t submit.
Elite colleges are definitely going to be the best deal for you since they’ll cover everything (ful ride ++). But if your state school is affordable then you have a sure thing. You could always add less selective/meet need colleges if you wish.
Is the state school you’ve been accepted to affordable without merit scholarships? Most state schools do not meet full need, does the one you’ve been accepted to meet full need?
This is an accurate FAFSA SAI estimator: 2024-25 Student Aid Index (SAI) Calculator – College Money Method
haha, no. its the university of minnesota, and around 20k a year including tuition and books (can commute from my house so that saves me the dorm costs). trying to get scholarships and use my college credit so that i end up in less debt. idk if they meet full need, but i will be able to get fafsa aid hopefully.
If all the NPCs came back like that it’s good. Does the state low income program help with room and board ?
I don’t see GW or UM as possibly affordable.
I see tons of possible rejections besides UMN and maybe Mac.
You need to look at easier entry cover need schools. Run the NPCs. Berea, Franklin and Marshall, Denison, Holy Cross, Trinity, Miami. Not easy but easier
W&L Johnson. SMU Presidential are others to look at.
UMN is great but how will you afford to live on campus ?
Maybe this was discussed earlier and I missed.
I am aware of those schools, but my mentality with college admissions was to apply to the schools in my state, a few matches, and many reaches mainly because I am content with attending the university of minnesota. I plan on commuting the UofMN. I hope I am not flooded with rejections…
UMN does not meet full need, they don’t care what your FAFSA SAI is. Did you receive any merit aid from them yet? You can take out $5,500 in loans your first year. Let us know your SAI estimate from the calculator I gave you, as it sounds like you will qualify for at least some Pell grant.
Work with your HS counselor to identify local scholarships. Those offer by far the best chance of success. Most scholarships are relatively low $ amounts and not renewable for subsequent years, something to think about.
This is what UMN says about any outside scholarships you receive:
When you receive a scholarship from an organization outside of the University of Minnesota, your existing financial aid awards will be reviewed and adjustments may be made based on the receipt of your scholarship(s). You may see a reduction in other types of aid, such as loans, work-study, or institutional aid.
Big picture: Prioritize college applications and essays before you spend time on outside scholarship apps/essays.
They don’t meet need but there are state grants and if you applied to the honors college (I HOPE YOU DID) they have generous merit scholarships.
You should still add a few apps (Berea, Denison, St Olaf,and F&M are good suggestions).
so I did the SAI and it came out to be 6,414, so I am pell eligible. I am waiting on merit aid because they release it a lot later.
Yeah, they don’t have an application but instead automatically consider you for honors. I am hoping for it!! But, I cannot add any schools because I met the 20 college limit on the common application and have used school specific applications. Maybe I could use coalition?
That will probably mean your Pell grant will be between $1K and $2K.
This UMN page shows some of their scholarships, beyond the merit they may give you based on your app. There is also link to more scholarship offerings in their portal. There are likely some for URM and FGLI students: Scholarships | Twin Cities One Stop Student Services
I think Berea and St Olaf have their own application. Otherwise, yeah, Coalition app. It’s different from CommonApp though so you’ll need to budget time to familiarize yourself with it.
Getting multiple rejections is VERY difficult. It’s like getting battered and being black and blue and THEN AGAIN you get hit, etc, and again, and again… so, having a few acceptances helps.
yes, I know of st olaf and might add it to my list, but it doesn’t have my major. Most lac’s dont. I am fine with rejection though these schools are barely accepting people anyways. Do you think Yale REA was shooting too high?
Shooting too high - no. Likely - no.
Good luck
Ps St Olaf has a major and concentration to match your list - Poli Sci and health care. Even in majors, you need to check curriculums. There are often sub majors within majors.
Thank you, I saw the public health concentration but I don’t want a poli sci degree as I feel like that might not translate well to further education/jobs.
I noted that because you had government and public policy. Any social science major will be fine for your goals. It and most schools can work for you is the point. You could find something there. Look within the majors - at my daughters school there are several tracks within poli sci including policy.
Check the NPC - and F&M, Denison, Trinity, Holy Cross. You need - just in case - easier but not easy admits - and Berea and I noted the two full rides - W&L awards 10% of its class and likes FGLI and SMU has a decent sized Presidential.
Your major is everywhere. You can put together the classes you are interested in across disciplines. Just because the name of the department doesn’t match up with what you are interested in, doesn’t mean you won’t find the right courses and professors.
Make a list of the courses you are interested in at Yale… and then you can go through the other colleges and see the best way to make them work for you.
Ethics, Politics and Economics are taught everywhere. They are broad and deep fields with lots of different concentrations and paths.
No, yale wasn’t “shooting too high” but since 95+% are rejected despite being exceptional applicants, odds are that you won’t get in even though you could have. It wouldn’t be because of sth you did or didn’t do. The 95% were almost all qualified and fantastic but there just isn’t enough space for all the terrific applicants. IOW, you need to prepare for a rejection even if I really hope you’ll get in! 
Wrt St Olaf, this would likely be of interest:
1st year cohort/LLC dealing with public policy
https://wp.stolaf.edu/pacon/
You’d need to do coalition if you used all 20 slots. No one wants you to apply to that many hence the limit - it just seems that maybe you didn’t optimize for acceptance and / or affordability.
What does the St Olaf NPC say ?