<p>I recently got admitted into St. John's, I'm very happy to say!! I visited the MD campus a week ago or so, and I was very happy with what I saw. My mother is a hag and she was saying how everyone looked "depressed" and how "dirty" it was and all this stupid nonsense but she's rather superficial so <em>shrug</em> I highly doubt any Johnny is depressed to be at such an amazing school but whatever, haha :)</p>
<p>Anyway, I absolutely want to go here. There is no doubt in my mind. My parents are absolute skeptics and my mother doesn't want me to go. My father hasn't said anything but I'm sure he shares my mother's opinion. My parents make around 170kish a year, so I don't think I'd be eligible for much, if any, financial aid... right? I really want to go here, but my parents tend to manipulate us using money (which is why my sister is up to her balls in debt for her grad school; she goes to Central St. Martin's for anyone who's into the arts and knows what I'm talking about. My parents refused to cosign a loan so her interest rate really sucks haha) so yeah XD</p>
<p>I was accepted into the Annapolis campus but could I send my profile and FAFSA to both campuses and see which one will be the most generous? Or do I have to pick a campus and can only send it there?</p>
<p>If I talk to the financial aid officer(s), do you think we could somehow find a way for my parents to pay less (which is unlikely) or for me to be declared an independent student and just take on all the debt myself? I very much want to go St. John's even if I end up having hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. If I worked on campus (e.g. giving tours, working the bookstore, doing stuff over the summer and just not going home, etc.) would that help with the price?</p>
<p>I should probably go talk to a financial aid officer but I just want to talk to students who have been there to help me before I turn to them. I probably will, but I just want some opinions from you guys. Thanks :)</p>
<p>You can submit your FAFSA to both campuses, as I know people who selected one over the other because of the financial aid offered, but warn them first. Both campuses meet almost all demonstrated need, so the difference will probably not be that great. What was your EFC? </p>
<p>My parents make ~100k and our EFC somehow ended up at a ridiculous 41k (couple that with a 300k mortage and you can imagine the fireworks). My parents also encouraged me to (demanded that I) call and explain the situation (beg for more money), but there's not much the financial aid office can do about what your FAFSA says. I applied late in the year and so was put on the waiting list for work study, but they do offer the type of jobs you listed, which will give you a few thousand. </p>
<p>Our strategy is to spend all our savings the first year, so that we'll be eligible for more money next year. (I realize this is unrealistic.) My parents, while not thrilled with St. John's, are willing to give me at least a year - something that almost everyone we know opposed. I have several younger friends who want to go to St. John's and all of them are fighting their parents for it, so you're not alone. If I attend all four years, yeah I'll probably be in debt for the rest of my life, so again, you won't be alone. While I don't want to encourage anyone to accept the idea of being deep in debt right out of school, there are jobs that will forgive debt, and of course tons of scholarships out there, so don't give up.</p>
<p>And I have no idea about declaring yourself an independent student.</p>
<p>Sorry it took so long to reply, I was at Yearbook camp for a little while and I just got back yesterday evening.</p>
<p>I have no idea what my EFC is, actually. I tried to do the calculator business and I really couldn't answer half of the questions but I'll try and get my parents to do it before we file FAFSA so I have an idea of what is going on.</p>
<p>Yeah, maybe I should just ask my parents to just give me a year and if it ends up not working out financially, the credits are transferrable. I'd probably hate to transfer but I can try and work that out w/ my parents. Do you know if by deferring admission at other schools (usually up to like, a year, right?), you'd lose any scholarships they would have otherwise given you or any of that business? Or if it even works in this situation (would it be used for like, going to work for a year and then coming a year later more financially stable)? I was just wondering, I don't expect you to know but yeah haha.</p>
<p>You've really inspired some ideas in me!! Thanks so much!! Good luck yourself! :)</p>