<p>Besides QuestBridge. My income bracket doesn't qualify, unfortunately. :(
I'd like to apply to a number of colleges. I need to pay the application fees myself. I expect to apply to around 6-8 colleges. I've been told application fees are $80-100..which is really expensive.
As for college visits, I've been told they're pretty much mandatory...but I don't think I can afford them.</p>
<p>When you’re applying to college, note that fees can range from $60-100, and then sending SAT Scores is +$11, and later on, the CSS profile is +$16. Unfortunately, if you aren’t in the income bracket for QB, you probably won’t get a fee waiver at most schools.</p>
<p>If you are from an underrepresented minority, a lot of smaller schools host free campus visits.</p>
<p>The other thing to think about when you’re making your list (please!) is financial aid. Run Net Price Calculators at each school you’re even thinking about applying to. Get a reliastic idea of what schools will cost, and what your parents are prepared to pay. Can you get a summer job to pay for the costs of applying to school? Babysit a little/mow lawns/tutor/mother’s helper? You have a summer!</p>
<p>1DSoccergirl…</p>
<p>Campus visits aren’t necessary. Many low/modest income kids don’t do campus visits…at least not before acceptances.</p>
<p>Your family has a high income. You’re not going to qualify for any waivers, etc. I think you need to come to terns with your situation. If your parents won’t help pay for apps, then money must be pretty tight. So, get a job and earn the money for the apps. Then apply to some of your dream schools, but also apply to some schools that will give you large merit for your stats. </p>
<p>You do not want to be one of those unhappy students next spring who has acceptances, but none are affordable.</p>
<p>A couple of D2’s schools will pay some or all of the airfare for her accepted student visits. They are either schools that are very far away, or in fairly remote locations. But I don’t know if they offered that to all accepted students or not. And you can’t count on it, I guess.</p>
<p>If you are concerned about schools that use “demonstrated interest” as a factor in admissions, if you can’t visit, email the admissions rep for your area and tell them that you are unable to visit due to the costs of travel, but you’re very interested in the school, and ask if they will be attending any college fairs near your home, or whether alumni interviews are available in your area. Even if the answers are no, you have demonstrated interest just by asking, and that will be at least as good as signing up for the standard campus tour and info session.</p>
<p>My nephew had several phone interviews for schools that we could not afford to visit. That is something you could ask for as well.</p>
<p>Many schools waive the application fee if you apply online. See the list at [CollegeData</a> - Common Application Colleges](<a href=“http://www.collegedata.com/cs/content/common_app_colleges.jhtml]CollegeData”>Student Stories Resources | College Data)</p>
<p>
3-4 colleges would be ok.</p>
<p>It sounds like this student has high hopes, but has money issues. If so, she may need to apply to more than 3-4 schools. She needs to apply to 2-3 schools that give generous merit (including a couple that give assured large merit) in addition to her top schools.</p>