My college list currently makes no sense, my dad wants me to go to MSU and won’t really consider anywhere else, and so I need help.
Stats
ACT: 31
SAT: 1420
GPA (unweighted): 3.83
Involved in dance, theatre, choir, sports, volunteer work, church, etc.
I don’t qualify for need-based aid, so merit based is what I’m gunning for. My reach school is Tulane and my safety is MSU, but that’s really all I’ve got. Also considering University of Houston. Thanks.
My D had stats similar to yours and less ECs . She got offered merit at Elon, Salem (womens) Agnes Scott (womens) and Warren Wilson.
However if your Dad is paying you really do have to listen to his opinions. I don’t know if any of these will offer enough to get tuition down to the same price as your in-state options.
Which MSU, and is it an inexpensive in state option? What do you not like about it?
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/20798968/#Comment_20798968 has some merit for stats colleges.
^^ I assume Miss State. I believe you can get 100% tuition at UAH: http://www.uah.edu/admissions/undergraduate/financial-aid/scholarships/merit-tuition-scholarships
What’s the cost of MSU? You likely would get in-state rates at UofSC, but I don’t know how that stacks up with MSU.
Centre College in KY, if you would look at smaller schools.
Do you have a preferred major? If so, that could limit your options.
Sewanee and perhaps Rhodes in Tennessee; Wofford in SC
Trinity in San Antonio and Southwestern in Georgetown if you would consider Texas
Florida State would probably let you pay the in-state rate for tuition (which is quite low), and they might give u an additional scholarship. Kentucky would probably give you some merit money.
You seem to have yet to define a budget, despite several repetitive threads Your sibling attended instate CC despite getting is COA to 10K a year that your dad declined to pay, IMO that means (as you have 4? siblings) that you are going to stay in state and ? commute. In order to get residential OOS 4 yr college you need more than full tuition, right? Because room and board will cost more than 10K. Tulane is just pointless. You won’t get merit to get you anywhere near full tuition. Merit is not the same as needing full tuition, asking the same question without defining the financial parameters is not going to help you. Have you run any NPCs? How many kids will there be in college when you start? What is a rough estimate of your family income, are your parents married to each other? These questions have probably already been asked.
Note that the list in #2 does include some automatic full ride (tuition, room, board) schools for the OP’s stats, so those may be options (they are in AL, FL, MS, and TX).
Fact is, I don’t know my budget. I think he’d be willing to pay more for me than my brother bc I “apply myself more” but I still don’t know how much. I keep asking the same questions because the only information I’m getting out of my dad is that “college is a business decision”. Frankly I just don’t know much of anything, but if I don’t reach out and search for alternative options, I know he’s going to ship me off to Miss. State.
As moooop said, you likely will qualify for an OOS tuition waiver at Florida State, which is significantly higher ranked than MSU. In state tuition at FSU is about $6,500 a year, which is about $1,200 less a year vs MSU (before merit scholarships).
Also significant merit at USF and UCF. At USF (which is also ranked higher than MSU), for example, you would qualify for the USF Green & Gold Presidential Award; $48,000 (up to $12,000 per year), plus they offer a few other merit scholarships that stack with the Presidential Award. OOS tuition at USF is $17,324 a year (before you take into account the merit scholarships).
http://www.usf.edu/admissions/freshman/admissions-scholarships/nonflorida.aspx
When comparing other schools to MSU, don’t forget to consider that MSU also offers merit scholarships. You likely would qualify for the $4,500 a year scholarship + the $2,000 Freshman scholarship.
http://www.admissions.msstate.edu/freshmen/money-matters/scholarships/academic-scholarships/
Which means in-state tuition is under 2K.
You should assume that (a) the budget limit is that cost of Mississippi State, and (b) if he has any other reason to prefer Mississippi State over other schools, your choice schools must be substantially less expensive than Mississippi State.
The real question is whether you can be a residential student? Is the uni in commuting distance?
I would be a residential student.
Well that is a bonus.
smu, rice, tulane, lsu, la tech, ole miss kinda fit there.
Tulane would be almost full pay for this student. Rice? Really? The OP doesn’t have a budget, but it looks like dad would pay R&B at the local 4 yr that would also cost them @ 2K a yr in tuition. Kid needs rebuttal that would come in under 15K a yr including R&B to have a businesslike discussion IMO.