<p>I'm looking for suggestions for a dear friend in terms of colleges that might be a good fit for her daughter. Here's the situation:</p>
<p>The girl will be a senior in the fall in a rural part of New Jersey. Has about a 91 average in honors but non-AP courses. SAT scores are in the 1700-1800 range (all three sections). She didn't take the PSAT because in that school only the AP kids are encouraged to do so. She plays an instrument in a community band and is a good, but not recruitable, softball player. Has held a job for 3 years as a counter person in a pizzeria, and has several leadership positions in the school.</p>
<p>Here's where it gets complicated. The family has no money and the girl will be the first to go to college. The mom is being told that she is exactly the type of person ivy league schools will be looking for. I kid you not. The parents are now divorced and it won't be possible for the mother to get financial information from the father. </p>
<p>Mom makes about $80,000 per year but I believe there is a special circumstance. About 3-4 years ago (I can't remember now) the father had a psychic break and became a homeless alcoholic living on the street. There are large medical and legal bills from trying to force him into a psychiatric hospital and all the attendant costs. About a year ago, the wife gave up and divorced, with his mother becoming his guardian. Half of her 401-K and half of the equity from their marital home were put in trust for his future care, but he is now documentably living on the street. By documentably, I mean that there are countless police and medical reports over the last couple of years, but they do not know where he is at any particular moment. I believe they haven't seen or heard from the father since the divorce was finalized.</p>
<p>So does anyone have any college or financing suggestions for my friend? Any pitfalls to watch out for? Thanks!</p>
<p>The daughter is toying with the idea of becoming a teacher or a nurse, but my friend says she expects her to go in undecided because she is also considering medical school at some point. I guess the short answer is that she really doesn’t know yet.</p>
<p>Cost and financial aid may be the determining factor. Finding out from the various schools how this situation would be handled for financial aid purposes is something that should be done before application lists are made, in order to avoid unpleasant financial aid surprises later.</p>
<p>If cost and financial aid issues eliminate too many schools, community college may be a good option, especially if the student is very undecided on what to study. An undecided student sampling various subjects may end up taking an extra semester or few, but an extra semester or few at a community college will not be as costly as at a four year school.</p>
She doesn’t even have a list of various schools to look at, other than Rutgers. THey are starting at zero.</p>
<p>They are hoping for an option that will allow her to stay in one place for four years since her life has been so chaotic and they had to move when the house was sold last year, but I’m sure they would be open to community college if there were no option.</p>
<p>Prefect, she is taking the June ACT, so they will find out then.</p>
<p>She sounds like a hard-working kid with above average grades and okay test scores - like thousands of other candidates, with whom she’ll be vying for admission. If she’s not a recruitable athlete or particularly gifted musician… I don’ see her having a hook for top-tiered schools. She does have a compelling story to share about her family’s circumstances, however… </p>
<p>If she can secure a tutor this summer to bump her SAT scores up… that would go a long way in granering some merit considerations.</p>
<p>Would she consider a southern or western school, to be considered a geographic anomaly … or a Catholic college/LAC, which might be compassionate about her family’s plight and her perserverance? </p>
<p>Salve Regina in Newport, RI - gorgeous campus and Nursing and Education are their niche areas of study</p>
<p>LeMoyne College in Syracuse has a great Bio/pre-med program, as well as a new Physician’s Assistant program. Brand new Science Building… I was very impressed with all they had to offer.</p>
<p>Providence COllege in RI offers some generous merit, as well. There are TONS of small, Catholic LAC’s where she might fare well with merit.</p>
<p>I think at least some colleges will be able to work individually with the circumstances. I have a friend who was in a similar situation and received an excellent package from Brandeis. That might be a big stretch from rural NJ, though. I ran a few things through the college board search function and Seton Hall popped up - looks like a good possible on the face of it. Also Franklin Pierce in New Hampshire. Since I’m guessing she’ll be applying to some “bigger” names just because, these might make decent matches. I’m sure the collective wisdom here will come up with some other good suggestions.</p>
<p>Edit to add: Seton Hall is now matching Rutgers’ tuition. Franklin Pierce would be $$ and I’m not sure what their FA is like.</p>
<p>Whoever is pointing this family at the Ivies is not doing them a favor. Yes, it is certainly true that the FA available to this girl at those schools would probably be great, but her chances of getting in with those stats (including course rigor, or lack thereof) is virtually nil.</p>
<p>It seems to me that her grades and course rigor are in line with her SATs–I gather that the school does have an AP track and she isn’t in it?–so SAT-optional schools would not seem to offer any particular advantage to her.</p>
<p>With an annual income of $80K, I would not say that the family has no money, although I understand that the mother’s assets took a major hit during the divorce. Is she still paying off those bills associated with his care? (I must say, I think it is grossly unfair that she has to hand over half her 401K <em>and</em> assume sole responsibility for those bills…)</p>
<p>State schools would seem like an obvious place to start. The real deep-pockets, full need, no or low loan schools would seem to be out of her reach, academically. I really wonder whether merit money schools would be likely to give her enough to make it affordable. $30K off of a $55K bill–a huge merit award-- still leaves them with a lot to pay, and it doesn’t sound as if they having any savings to take the burden off current income.</p>
<p>There’s always Questbridge, but again, I question whether she has the academic chops for them. </p>
<p>Other than state schools, I would suggest Mount Holyoke.Women’s colleges have a commitment to educating women from difficult circumstances, and can be generous with FA. I think Wellesley and Barnard would be too reachy. I’ve heard mixed reviews about Smith’s FA. I don’t have the sense of Bryn Mawr as a fit for her. MHC would be reachy too, but they might really come through on the FA front and she might feel more comfortable there.</p>
<p>Would she consider a women’s college? There are some great schools with higher admit rates but strong academics and finances. For instance, Smith, Bryn Mawr and Mt. Holyoke all accept about half of applicants and pledge to meet full need. Bryn Mawr also offers merit scholarships based on a “holistic admissions review process”. It might offer the school a way to support students like your friend even if she doesn’t qualify for full aid based on her mother’s income. I haven’t checked on merit money at the other two schools but it would be something to research.</p>
<p>The mom may want to make a call to a couple of college fin aid offices to see how they would read the family’s situation. The daughter will want to go in to this process knowing that she’ll have affordable options in the end.</p>
<p>Sue22, the percentage admitted at the elite women’s colleges gives a very misleading impression of their selectivity. Just like the U of C before it went to the Common App, there is an enormous amount of self-selection going on.</p>
<p>Consolation, the mom is still paying off legal bills and psychiatric bills from the marriage when they were trying to get the husband help. The bills are huge. When the house was sold, the equity was split, but I think each got $10,000-ish and a lot of that went toward security deposits and first month’s rent stuff for the apartment they are now living in. My gut feeling is that the girl actually is brighter than her stats because her entire high school years were spent in such incredible turmoil, but she is certainly not an Ivy candidate. I have urged my friend to have her D try to take one or two AP classes in the fall and I hope she will. That might make things look a little better. I feel sorry for them. It was a very sad situation and the ripples haven’t yet subsided.</p>
<p>There are 100’s of schools out there that would welcome a first generation college student with those stats and offer merit money to help. The question is, how far away from home is she willing to go? The financial aspect of her situation does make the Ivy’s look very attractive. In her case I would suggest pointing them toward the list of schools that cover 100% of demonstrated financial need or schools like Davidson that convert loan aid to grants.</p>
<p>If she is thinking nursing, science, possibly med school, some of these “lower” schools have excellent placement rates into Medical schools and more opportunities for research, etc. than the CC favored schools. Schools like Truman in Missouri or St. Thomas in St. Paul (or any of the schools in the MIAC athletic conference with St. Thomas for that matter). Even into some of the smaller engineering schools like South Dakota School of Mines would be an excellent option for her. It’s a 70/30 male/female ratio there and merit aid is plentiful for girls interested in the sciences. I don’t think they have a nursing program but they do have pretty good pre-med advising. </p>
<p>Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, IA. We just got some information on that school. They have a very strong science program, great aid opportunities and for a private school, somewhat lower costs. They have a great relationship with the IA medical schools from what it looks like and there are 2 major hospitals for practical experience.</p>
<p>Then, move into South Dakota and any of the state schools there would be excellent choices. With their low costs to start with and potential merit aid, she could have very little out of cost expenses. Also add in that they probably don’t get a lot of NJ students and they could maybe come up with a lot of money for her, who knows. The schools in Sioux Falls, SD especially. The hospitals there are amazingly good and have a huge teaching program for dr’s, nurses, PA’s, etc.</p>
<p>I would say even Rutgers is a reach for her with her SAT score (and no APs etc). With rising tuition costs at private Us, many top students are opting for Rutgers in-state which is easier to afford. I know many top students who went to RU when my son was graduating from his school which sends people to very selective colleges as well as not-so-selective. </p>
<p>With all due respect, though, Bryn Mawr is very selective, she could try it out as a very very reachy reach but I would not hold out hopes for her (with her SAT scores). I know Bryn Mawr has a holistic approach to education, but they get many very good students and they self-select. Don’t want to be down on this, but that is the reality.My son went to Swarthmore nearby and took courses with Bryn Mawr kids at Swarthmore. There are very very bright kids there. I am not implying she isn’t bright, just that her test scores and transcript is average for Bryn Mawr.</p>
<p>I would second the choice of Seton Hall (don’t know anything about FA). She and her mom should start looking at colleges now, and at college guides rather than relying on other people’s opinion. There are plenty of small colleges in Philadelphia area as well.</p>
<p>zoosermom, I think it is astonishing that the girl has managed to achieve a 91 average in honors classes while holding down a job through all of that family turmoil. She must be very determined. And it is a testament to her mom.</p>