Starting the seach & overwhelmed; advice please

College Search & Selection
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<p>My youngest son is a junior; my older son is already in college, but because of his stats and major, choosing a school was pretty simple. We have more to consider this time, and frankly I'm already overwhelmed and don't know how to start. He wants to go to medical school (radiologist possibly) so he'll likely major in a science or math. Here's his info:</p>

<p>GPA: 4.0 taking all AP classes. Currently ranked 5th out of approx. 750
ACT: took it for the first time in October, composite score 32. He took it again this month so we're waiting on those scores but he is certain he did better than last time.
SAT: will take in January
PSAT: waiting on his score but the school counselor did tell him he has a great shot a NMF based on his PSAT score sophomore year.
EC: light but I think okay considering his course load. Boy Scout, just completed a huge year-long project for his Eagle. He also competes in crossfit competitions and volunteers at our church and for NHS.</p>

<p>Financial: For my oldest son's FAFSA this year, our EFC was 11000. How will having 2 kids in college affect that number? We cannot contribute much, but he has a small 529 account that he can use at least his first year.</p>

<p>I've been reading a lot here and it sounds like where he goes for undergrad doesn't matter as far as getting into medical school - is that right? We are in the midwest (Oklahoma) but he's talked about going out of state and seems okay with being far from home - but that could change so I want him to apply at some reasonably close schools just in case. So far he hasn't sent any scores to any colleges - should he do that after he gets his most recent ACT scores, or should he wait until he takes the SAT to start sending scores? With his stats, what are his options as far as schools with a lot of merit based aid, and which schools would be best for science/premed courses? </p>

<p>I really appreciate any advice and direction. </p>

2

<p>Make sure that you run the NPC for any schools he is looking at. Your FAFSA efc doesn’t mean much. It tells you if you can get a Pell Grant. While some schools use the FAFSA only, they don’t usually guarantee to meet need so you might be full payers.</p>

<p>Look at the pinned thread in the financial aid forum, they are a great resource. There are ones for automatic full tuition based on stats.etc. But he will likely get a good deal at his instate schools. Some OOS guaranteed ones aren’t as good, so that is likely not the best tradeoff. Instead plan semester abroad. Also he can enter the competitive merit and need based school race for away privates. Get a Fiske Guide to browse.</p>

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<p>I second the automatic scholarship suggestion if he’s not too concerned with the prestige of his undergrad school.
Personally, Fordham University in New York and Northeastern University in Boston are both high-quality schools that gave me generous merit aid without a separate application, even though it wasn’t automatic.</p>

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<p>@sheriowaso‌: I am a high school senior who started the college search only at the end of my junior year- my parents had always assumed I would go to our state’s flagship university, but, like your son,1 I want to go to a private, out-of-state school. I started by looking at “The Hidden Ivies” a book that profiles 50 excellent liberal arts colleges and research universities, some well-known, others less so (be sure to get the 2008 edition). I also liked the Fiske Guide, as it has nice, detailed descriptions of several hundred colleges. Some people also like “Colleges That Change Lives” by Loren Pope, which details a number of “hidden gems.” Make sure to ask your son if he wants to attend a large, medium or small school; a private or public; a college with an alternative, liberal, moderate, or conservative student body, etc.
Also, I found net price calculators helpful for ruling out colleges that would be far too expensive, but keep in mind they aren’t always completely accurate. Definitely look at private colleges that promise to meet 100% of demonstrated need or ones that offer merit aid.
Your son’s grades and test scores look outstanding, and he will most likely get a even higher score the second time he takes the ACT (I retook a 32 & got a 35). And don’t send any scores to a college until you are absolutely sure you will apply there. </p>

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<p><<
Financial: For my oldest son’s FAFSA this year, our EFC was 11000. How will having 2 kids in college affect that number? We cannot contribute much, but he has a small 529 account that he can use at least his first year.</p>

<p>I’ve been reading a lot here and it sounds like where he goes for undergrad doesn’t matter as far as getting into medical school - is that right? We are in the midwest (Oklahoma) but he’s talked about going out of state and seems okay with being far from home - but that could change so I want him to apply at some reasonably close schools just in case. So far he hasn’t sent any scores to any colleges - should he do that after he gets his most recent ACT scores, or should he wait until he takes the SAT to start sending scores? With his stats, what are his options as far as schools with a lot of merit based aid, and which schools would be best for science/premed courses?</p>

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<p>The EFC will likely split in half…about $5500 per child, so likely no Pell Grant (or a tiny one of a couple hundred dollars).</p>

<p>How much is in his 529?
How much can he earn/save over the summer?</p>

<p>You are right that med schools don’t care about the school as long as it is respectable…which is any good school. </p>

<p>Premed prereq courses are just basic courses that other STEM students take. They’re not unique. Bio I and II, Gen Chem I and II, Ochem I and II, Physics I and II, BioChem, Psych and Sociology. These are staple classes at any good school, so no worries there.</p>

<p>Look for a school with a good premed advising office AND one that writes Committee Letters and does Committee Interviews/Mock Interviews. </p>

<p>if he makes NMF, then he’ll have more choices. </p>

<p>I had one NMF son and one who just missed, but both got very large merit from Alabama and corporate National Merit awards (both got NM awards…one for NMF, the other got the “special scholarship”). Both got nearly free rides. We paid very little for either child’s undergrad.</p>

<p>My younger son was premed at Bama (Chemical Engineering major) and now is a second year med student. </p>

<p>Alabama does do Committee Interviews and Mock interviews and brings in REAL med school admissions people to conduct practice interviews. And, Bama writes Committee Letters. </p>

<p>Bama also has a well-run Pre-Health Advising office. You can sign up to be on the List-Serv to get notifications about events, guest speakers, shadowing opps, research opps, etc. Parents can sign up as well to get the emails. <a href=“http://prehealth.ua.edu/”>http://prehealth.ua.edu/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Thank you all! I can see we’ve got our work cut out for us, because he really doesn’t have a particular school or even region that he wants to focus on. </p>

<p>Mom2collegekids, how can we find out about each school’s premed advising office and whether or not they write committee letters? Besides money, that sounds like a top priority for what he wants to do. We’ll have a better idea about money after we get his PSAT and latest ACT scores. He has about $11,000 in his 529, and he has saved about $4000 so far. He can probably save another couple thousand in the next 1.5 years before he goes to college. We can help a little but not much, so we’re hoping for merit aid based on his stats. Besides waiting to find out if he’s NMF, are there any other places to start looking for scholarships? </p>

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<p>Sometimes you can go to the premed advising website for each univ and look.</p>

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<p>@sheriowaso, I think your son will have a lot of good choices next year!</p>

<p>First, research the money. It seems to me that you will qualify for enough need-based aid to be workable. Why don’t you choose a few colleges that might be of interest and run the net price calculators to get an idea of what your EFC would be with two kids in college? If that works, then your son doesn’t have to limit himself to colleges that offer merit.</p>

<p>You should also see if your family income would qualify your son for QuestBridge.</p>

<p>Second, cover your son’s safety school(s), both in selectivity and financials. If your State U isn’t of interest, then run the net price calculator on other schools with relatively higher acceptance rates.</p>

<p>Aside from his grades, scores, and rank your son has a several good things going that will make him a person of interest to many selective schools. Geographic diversity, Eagle Scout (assuming he follows through), possibly some of his volunteer work depending on his commitment. </p>

<p>If he has a chance to visit colleges in the next year, he should try to see colleges of different sizes and in different environments. Often if he zones in on a favorite, he can find others with similar characteristics and personalities.</p>

<p>I’d suggest that he look at some small liberal arts colleges. Many have excellent sciences, excellent medical school admissions track records and excellent financial aid – both need and merit based. For an Eagle Scout interested in sciences I’d recommend Williams, Carleton, Bowdoin, Hamilton, Grinnell, Pomona. </p>

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<p>With a 4.0 GPA and 32 ACT, <a href=“http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/”>http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/&lt;/a&gt; lists a lot of schools that will give him large scholarships that are likely to be affordable safeties. He can start his list from there. If he makes National Merit Finalist, the list of affordable safeties becomes larger, based on <a href=“http://nmfscholarships.yolasite.com/”>http://nmfscholarships.yolasite.com/&lt;/a&gt; (section 1).</p>

<p>Once the safeties are locked down, he can look for match/reach schools where either there is the possibility of getting a large competitive merit scholarship, or the net price calculator indicates sufficient need-based financial aid to make the schools affordable.</p>