<p>iaquilter:</p>
<p>Argh... Tough choices.</p>
<p>Some questions. Is the Grinnell package in loans or outright grants? Can your son make up for some of the gap? For example through work-study, summer jobs, or is this already accounted for? Could he get an RA job in his years 2-4 that would get him free room and board? Are there jobs in the Grinnell area that are not work-study but could pay more than the work-study rate?</p>
<p>I'm keeping my fingers crossed that something will work out!</p>
<p>The Grinnell offer is $15000 scholarship, 9200 grant (need based) loans and work study. I believe they offer $2000 for NMF which would reduce the loans. If I remember correctly, they do not have paid RA positions. Students volunteer to to do this - because they really have no rules in the dorms to enforce. Son has applied for a job for the summer that I think he has pretty much been told he is hired for - working for Well's Blue Bunny (if anyone is familiar with them) in the freezer for 50+ hours per week. He is hoping that he doesn't have to do this every summer. (And if he went to IA State he wouldn't have to). There are always choices to be made. His life could be fairly easy if he went to IA State, but easy is not alway better.</p>
<p>Marite - thank for the finger crossing!!</p>
<p>There are always choices to make and my sense is, once he's in at Grinnell, there are research grants, paid internships etc. he might not get elsewhere. Again, certainly not trying to say what he should do but keeping your mind open might not be bad.</p>
<p>i read over the thread and noticed the stats for the op's son. wow. congrats on his ACT score and gpa. congrats too on his college acceptances. well done :)</p>
<p>would he be in an honors program at iowa state? </p>
<p>what are his thoughts about where he wants to attend? </p>
<p>would it help if he visited grinnell, chicago, northwestern, and iowa state all again? ...............maybe..........he could sit in on a class, meet with a professor, have lunch in the dining hall, etc.? </p>
<p>iaquilter.......feel free to pm me. my d was faced with a similar decision last year at this time. among the schools she visited were grinnell and chicago.</p>
<p>While an EMT course wouldn't get him any credit at a college, it is a HUGE ec. Everyone volunteers at soup kitchen and hospital and Key Club, but EMTs are rare. If he takes it and joins his local rescue squad he would get such a huge boost. I got into every single one of the colleges I applied to, including Cornell and Princeton, and I truly believe it had everything to do with my being an EMT/volunteer firefighter. If he's interested in being an EMT, I say encourage him.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Son has applied for a job for the summer that I think he has pretty much been told he is hired for - working for Well's Blue Bunny (if anyone is familiar with them) in the freezer for 50+ hours per week. He is hoping that he doesn't have to do this every summer. (And if he went to IA State he wouldn't have to). There are always choices to be made. His life could be fairly easy if he went to IA State, but easy is not alway better.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I don't quite get the impact of the finance on you and your husband, except that Iowa State would be mostly "free" for parents/child, correct?
If the the bulk of the remaining financial burden for Grinnell can fall on son, then perhaps the paragraph above is telling you to let him make his decision. If he were mine and asked my advice, with what you have told us about him, I would say go to Grinnell for a year and follow your dream. He may find out that working is worth it.
The only caveat - will Grinnell continue a doable FA package all 4 years? If he transfers to Iowa State, can he still get money if his grades are acceptable? Our big state U is still generous to high achieving transfers, they want the smart kids whenever they can get them.</p>
<p>Just letting you all know that my son is going to Grinnell. Thanks for all your insights.</p>
<p>Thanks quilter. It's nice to hear the end of the story even though it's really another beginning.</p>
<p>Wow! Great news!</p>
<p>thanks for the update iaquilter. he may want to look into their internship program and the study abroad opportunities. both sound very attractive. kudos to your son. he put himself in a good position to have some fine schools from which to choose. good work :)</p>