<p>OP says the family had $60K in savings … is that college savings? If so, you should be able to graduate from college with little or no debt, and that’s even without going after merit money. That’s fabulous, to be able to graduate with little or no debt! Congratulations!!</p>
<p>Owlice…what am I missing? How will $60,000 in college savings pay the full freight on HYPS or schools similarly expensive. The family income is $250,000 a year. The COA at those schools is in excess of $50K a year.</p>
<p>"I’m sorry…I meant working hard and SMART. "
^HAHAHA!
But like what you were saying before- my intention was not to sound whiny (sorry for that). I’m just totally antisocialist at this point. the more you make, the more you have to pay taxes to support (most of the time) people who won’t get off their butts and work.</p>
<p>Stupefy, how did your mom afford law school? And, why isn’t the same approach something worth considering for yourself? </p>
<p>^My mom went to Rutgers because unlike me, English is not her native/best language and she couldn’t get into a better/more expensive school. my parents worked their foreigner’s butts off to be able to afford living in one of the best school districts in pennsylvania, and (they thought) to pay for a great education.</p>
<p>owlice- it took 10 years for us to save 60k…so how do you figure we’ll be able to pay 200k+ in four years?</p>
<p>oldfort is right. I’m sorry for venting (I’m actually a girl, but honest mistake lol) i didn’t realize it would cause such strife. then again we are on an internet forum…</p>
<p>aglages, no excuses and no requests for pity from me. My CHOICES do not make me any less “smart.” I cannot agree to disagree, however. I maintain my position that you do not understand the “real world” … that is, the OVERWHELMING majority of Americans who earn less than you. Many of us are no less intelligent or ambitious than you, believe it or not. Just for the record, if you are truly so “smart,” you should understand how hurtful your original “smart” comment was … considering that it was aimed at an 18 year old’s parents.</p>
<p>Stupefy, I know it’s hard to understand, but the truth is that paying for college is a struggle for most families. The parents here are explaining that they have had to struggle in order to pay for college, even with need based aid. You really do have excellent choices even without need based aid. Venting is okay … in fact, it can be helpful! 
When you are finished, though, concentrate your efforts on finding schools with merit opportunities or schools that your family is willing to pay for without financial assistance. It may not seem fair, but it’s reality.</p>
<p>Somehow, the average American household manages to survive on about $50,000 a year. I don’t care how high taxes and your cost of living are, an extra $50,000 for tuition fits in somewhere between $250,000 and $50,000! You just need to be willing to have a more average standard of living. Unless you have some extreme medical expenses to support your grandparents or something - but financial aid will hear you out if that is the case.</p>
<p>^Question? (and this is not to be rude, I am actually curious about this)
how is it that so many immigrants from Asia (and I know this firsthand) can come here with no money and hardly any language skills (my parents knew Hello and thank you when they first moved here) and still make more money than most americans? what does this say about most americans? Are they naturally less intelligent, less hardworking (or both)? is it the national mindset?
thoughts…</p>
<p>Did your parents come here on an H-1B visa? This is a common path of skilled immigrants with potential to make a lot of money.</p>
<p>"When you are finished, though, concentrate your efforts on finding schools with merit opportunities or schools that your family is willing to pay for without financial assistance. It may not seem fair, but it’s reality. "</p>
<p>^are you telling me I studied my butt off my entire life, getting perfect grades, top of my class, 2390 SAT, perfect SAT II and AP scores, a bajillion extracurricular activities, volunteering, ETC just to go to Penn state? my word, that is a cruel reality. if I get into HYP, my parents will do anything to send me there. I’m just irked that they have to “do anything” when some people get a free ride…for being “poor.” and no not poor as in your circumstance. anything under 100k is justified IMO. I’m talking about those yalies and harvardites, etc whose family income is almost 200k and STILL get a full ride. and please stop telling me to go to a school where I get merit-based aid. I’m qualified for Ivy, and thus that is what I should deserve</p>
<p>Stuperfy - my parents were Chinese immigrants too. My father didn’t start to earn a middle class salary until I was 15, and my mother worked in a sewing factory when we started to go to college. My parents took out second, third mortgage on our house for us to go to school. Because there were 4 of us, we were able to get some FA. We all went to top tier schools(that’s why my father came to this country), especially my sister (Dartmouth then Stanford law). </p>
<p>Growing up going to McDonald on a Sun night was going out to dinner, vacation was driving and sleeping in a tent. Your parents probably are in a better position than my parents were many years ago. Your parents will figure out a way, it won’t be easy. Just focus on getting your applications done and keep up your grades.</p>
<p>By the way, I think your mom is amazing to get a law degree when English is not her first language.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>“Did your parents come here on an H-1B visa? This is a common path of skilled immigrants with potential to make a lot of money.”</p>
<p>I’m not sure I’ll have to ask them. ps believe it or not, the economic recession has taken its toll on everyone. my mom (patent attorney) got laid off from johnson and johnson and the best job she could find is 2 hours away from where we live, and that requires her to be in france 3 months out of the year. thats where she is right now.</p>
<p>“Deserve” … </p>
<p>I won’t comment on that. Just think about the connotations, though.</p>
<p>There are MANY great schools where a student who is Ivy material could get merit. There are at least a couple schools between Penn State & Harvard in terms of perceived quality of education.</p>
<p>oldfort- that is an incredible story. You must be very proud of your parents’ tenacity, and also of your own and your siblings’ accomplishments!</p>
<p>“By the way, I think your mom is amazing to get a law degree when English is not her first language.”
^yeah haha she’s crazy. She gave me my intelligence for sure. Both of my parents have heavy accents but my mom is actually a very good writer. You can’t tell she’s first generation until she opens her mouth. and the scary part is, she is 10 times better at math and science, but she decided to forego that career because it wasnt stable at the time (about 6 years ago, both my parents got laid off from RPR)</p>
<p>kelsmom - yeah I sound entitled. but if I am qualified to get in to HYP (and if I do) why should my parents relatively HIGHER income keep me from going? THAT is the irony. please stop overgeneralizing my statements. I’m not talking about other schools, I AM talking about the ivies, because those schools are relevant to me. they make up more than half of my list</p>
<p>Stupefy, FA is a leveler in the US. It is used to give students who lack family resources the chance to attend college. For those whose families have done well financially there are other alternatives: pay for a college education or apply to schools which award merit aid (and there are many, and they are very good). I think the system as it has been structure does a moderately good job of providing opportunities to all people to attend school.</p>
<p>If you can get into HYPS, and if your parents will do anything to send you there regardless of not qualifying for need-based aid, then you are a lucky kid. Enjoy that good fortune.</p>
<p>However, be a little more precise in the venting of fury. It’s not socialism when HYPS make financial aid policy decisions about what to do with their private endowment funds that have grown (and recently fallen) in the capitalistic world of investments. Why don’t you write them an aggrieved letter and tell THEM about the unfairness of giving FA to students whose families earn <180K, and none to families making 250K. Why rant about “poor” people, or whether Asian immigrants are better at making money and are consquently punished. This all a lot of psuedo-sociological/political hogwash, when the fact is you’re mad at the fat, capitalistic trustees of HYPS.</p>
<p>Bingo! Look at match schools and they will throw money at you.</p>
<p>hopefully the ivies will see you for who you are, and deny you.</p>
<p>“Enjoy that good fortune.”
If the OP has the grades, ECs, recommendations, essays and test scores to get into HYPS, it seems to me as though both the OP and her parents have earned their “good fortune” the old fashion way. Working hard and smart. One without the other usually results in poor academic and financial success.</p>