Regarding long distances to colleges- not all dorms or cafeteria are open during breaks, so you can’t necessarily assume you can stay for nine months, much less twelve. Your college may be able to accommodate, but you will have to plan ahead for that . If you do want to go home during breaks you’ll need to buy a plane ticket months in advance (to get decent rates), make sure the departing times are after exams end, when the college has scheduled shuttles to the airport ( or find transportation , some colleges are remote), and before the dorms close. And of course schedule all in reverse to come back to campus. If you take a bus, count on hours longer than a direct car ride would take. In sum, a good bit of resources (time effort money) will be directed away from your college efforts to either travel on breaks or possibly remain on campus.
If you stay closer to home, you can draw on the support of family and friends in a pinch . And vice versa.
That being said, colleges are much more aware now than in the past of the barriers kids with high financial needs face. Good luck!
^On the other hand, many national colleges, especially LACs, offer preferential packaging to students who apply from 400+ miles away and/or from under represented states, because they maintain the college’s national reputation/application pool and its geographical diversity.
Generally speaking, the student should plan to go “home” with a friend for Fall Break and Thanksgiving, and “home” for Christmas and end of the year only. Residential colleges often have mechanisms in place for students who cannot go home for short breaks.
Remember that YOU must meet the deadline - but your teacher have about 10 days to complete their part after that deadline. SO, “submit” all the applications you have ready - even if the recommendation is not uploaded yet. Send several teachers an invitation, link them all to your application, and then keep your fingers crossed they do send everything on time. Don’t forget to give them a card (can be homemade) to say thank you because at your school apparently writing these isn’t that common so they’re making a real special effort on your behalf. Acknowledge it.
Use the resources from this website, including parents and professionals who have offered to read over your essays.
Nashville to Hartford CT is a 16 hour drive. That is not insurmountable. There is always the possibility of carpooling with other students for a leg of the trip.
Both are matches and offer good financial aid even for Zero EFC but are need aware. Both are matches.
Add UTK Honors and apply NOW.
Matches?
Emory & Henry => no it’s a safety, they don’t meet need at all, and not a good choice for your interests. Or are you confusing it with Emory (reach but good for your interests?) Cross out Emory&Henry, keep Emory only if you’re done with all other universities before Dec 30.
All of the others are low matches.
Eckerd
Earlham
Beloit
Goucher
Ursinus
Knox
Millsaps
Hendrix and Allegheny are matches. Wheaton Massachusetts, Trinity University Texas, are other matches for you.
Kalamazoo is good for what you’re interested in and they have special scholarships for Hispanics (if they didn’t ask your ethnicity on the NPC, odds are that these scholarships aren’t apparent in your net price there).
Cornell College => guessing you mean Cornell university (out of reach)? If you do mean Cornell College, it's a safety.
D.C. Schools
American University
George Washington
=> apply by December 1st and apply to their special programs for minorities.
However I don’t think you’re eligible for the AU scholarships or the GWU scholarships, so, due to lack of time, you should probably focus on other universities. http://www.american.edu/financialaid/frederick-douglass.cfm
In DC, what about Howard?
St Olaf, Dickinson, , Connecticut College, Colby, Davidson => I’d apply to Dickinson or Colby ED if the NPC indicates they’d be affordable.
Right after you’ve read this, complete the “request info” for any of those for which you haven’t already done it. For every email they send you, click on what attracts your interest. Email admissions to ask questions to go further than what you read on the website (“Hello, My name is… … and I’m an applicant for Fall 2018. Thanks to your emails, I saw that … However could you provide me with more information, specifically, …? Thank you. Sincerely, … …”)
If you have some truly mitigating circumstances for some of your grades, include those circumstances in your brag sheet for your GC to mention.
If you think your GC won’t mention it, list it without sounding whiny but clearly (ie., “we were homeless for several months, which made completing homework impossible”, “I had just started caring for my grandmother who has Alzheimer’s and the transition was difficult”…) in the “additional information” section.
Reach/dream
Lafayette, Dickinson, Connecticut College, Davidson - I’d add Kenyon, Macalester, St Olaf, Grinnell, Skidmore if you’re a guy (sorry, I forgot), Mount Holyoke if you’re a girl. Some of these will have no supplements, some will have EA. Those are reasonable reaches.
Northwestern, WashU: highly unlikely, so, like Emory, to be done once everything else has been done.
Your list MUST include Berea. Please take care of that application - they cater primarily to academically strong, motivated students from lower income families and Tennessee is one of the states they are dedicated to.
Remember: outside of ED, being admitted somewhere doesn’t mean you have to go. Having choices is good. So, choose one top college for ED (my suggestion is Colby, but Dickinson may be another one), then submit all EA applications with no extra essays, then look at other possibilities.
^ @distressedsenior_ Please listen to this and try a place like Colby. I know it seems really far but you would be such a valuable student to them with your location and hooks. Colleges in New England can afford to find the students they want!
@MYOS1634 Does OP need to show Colby and Conn College love ask for an interview. Skped? OP you need to show interest in these colleges.
“Work Colleges share two fundamental beliefs. First, that a college experience should educate the whole person. Second, earning a college degree shouldn’t require a lifetime of debt. Through an innovative approach of Work-Learning-Service, all Work College students offset college costs by participating in a mandatory work program and performing service in their communities. Most work positions are limited to 8 -15 hours per week and designed to enhance a student’s academic studies. The Work-Learning-Service approach teaches students the critical balance of study, service to others and managed work expectations.”
Colby only gives alumni interviews to students who have applied. However the Colby application has been simplified last year to increase applications from schools where NESCAC apps aren’t a given.(NESCAC = little ivies and their siblings).
Connecticut College allows you to request an interview immediately as long as you intend to apply. You must be willing to travel sixty miles, will your parents be okay with that? If not, email Admissions and explain your parents don’t have a car/work shifts/ are unable to drive / cannot take you far away, you live in the countryside/ in the middle of the mountains/ away from any bus line, is it possible for you to Skype with someone in Admissions because you’d really like to talk about yourself and learn more about the college because as far as you and your GC know, no one has ever applied to Connecticut College from your high school.
Thanks so much for the advice, I’m reading through it and will respond shortly, but honestly its very overwhelming (not speaking badly of you guys, y’all have done so much so far by giving advice, bless)
I have a resume i sent to one teacher, should I just send it to my (standard) English teacher, even if they couldn’t do a good recommendation? He only teaches standard classes, and is a football couch, so I’m not sure how much he would be able to speak for me, but he already gave a mildly positive response when I asked if he could give me a recommendation. Should I just send him the exact same resume I sent to my US History teacher, or change it up?
Is it really not too late to ask for one now, and what should I do about my other teacher that hasn’t submitted his?
My resume is pretty decent in my opinion, but how much weight do they even have?
Also I’m done with my essay and think it’s decent would anyone mind looking at it, should I post a link/or pm?
Should I not be looking at LACs of the sort that are in the book CTCL, are those meant for average, but middle-class students, that have the means to pay a small(well small for them) gap they leave that’s around $10-15K?
Should I not bother with “safety” school like Emory & Henry or then, since they wouldnt give good aid at all?
Also should I look at any in-state privates, other than Sewanee and Rhodes, because of state grants I could be eligible for? (around $5500 HOPE + $4000 TSAC for private schools) I had been thinking about Tusculum, but even though their COA is around $35K, I would only get a few thousand from merit + like 1K for need + around $15K from state and federal grants, that would leave me around $20k, so a low price in this case isnt “good.” Would a school like Birmingham-Southern College(oos i know), with a low COA, thats around 35k be the same thing, low tuition, but also lowered scholarships/grants?
From what I’ve researched CTCL is basically a good starting point for looking at LACs, is there anything I should know about that book/website/program though? Is it the definitive guide to schools, or meant more for a different kind of student than me? Is CTCL, sometimes overt advertising, since I’ve read the book but the author seems to say only good things about the schools, such as a low income tuition waiver for Millsaps(nowhere to be found), as well as general glossy view of every school.
And what about D.C. schools, should I just put those in the back-burner for now, and do them RD if I can, do they give good aid? And isn’t Howard University a HBCU? Why would I look at that, would they even admit a Hispanic student?
What should my 20 long Common App have right now? 5 matches, 5 reaches, and 5 “dream” schools? 5 something??
I don’t have that much time to work on college admissions stuff ( ;( ), since I usually have to work around the house or with my parents, which is pretty necessary. Otherwise I have to do HW for 4 APs and a dual enrollment class, so I have a pretty heavy load right now, and only have a few hours a day to work on this weekdays if I’m lucky.
So… what can I theoretically accomplish with my time left? I know I’m sometimes bad at time management (but I’m also almost always busy with things most kids usually aren’t with), and that hand-holding is not a good thing at all, but I have no outside help in this process, other than the internet, so you guys are basically my only source of advice.
What should I realistically accomplish this weekend with what little time I have left? I actually don’t have to work tomorrow, so should be free most of the day (Saturday) except for a few hours of chores, and Sunday should be free as well. I’m ready to grind out this weekend and finish this if at all possible? I also have another family member that’ll be moving into our house in a week or so because of a surgery, and will probably have even less time, so I think this weekend is one of my final chances.
@distressedsenior_ Yes. Ask the English teacher and giving them same resume is fine. Contact them tomorrow if you have email. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.
I know it’s overwhelming but I really think you can find opportunity in New England because you are a special student. Colby and Conn College as a minimum.
I don’t think a place like Howard will give you enough money with your stats. You need deeper pockets. But You could run the NPC
This weekend:
You need to finish your common app. If you want to post your ECs here we could look over your final list.
Also, until a few months ago, I didn’t even know college was an option for me, so my options are open to literally anything I could afford. I would honestly be fine with any small LAC that would accept me, regardless of rank, location, or whether the food tastes good. I just want to go to college, preferably a small one, as long as I would get my need(0 EFC) met. I’m not looking for handouts, or feel entitled to them, but that is essentially the only way I could afford post-secondary education, other than CC. In my position, I cant even afford in-state publics, since I’d still have to pay $5-10K out of pocket a year.
Also should I apply EA to as many schools that just require recs and my common app essay, such as Beloit?
Done.
I’ve applied with all materials to be considered for all (competitive) scholarships, and been accepted (around 2 days ago, yay!), but I have no idea when they’ll send out financial aid info?
Anyone know anything about the University of Tennessee, and their elusive Pledge scholarship, which would supposedly give a full-ride if admitted?
Their website isn’t very specific, but since the cut-off for “demonstrated need” is $40K a year income, and my household income is around $20K, I would soundly qualify, but I’m not sure when I would know, or if its automatic?
I also hope to apply for their 1794 Scholars honors college, but am not sure when I’d know if Id be admitted? At this point I have everything in for them to be considered for basically everything, but I’m not sure how any of that would work.
Any Tennesseans or UTK parents know how financial aid for them works?
Also, should I keep searching for other schools if applicable, what are the benefits to smaller school vs an in-state public school, that would be nearby, and potentially give me a full ride with no-loans?
@distressedsenior_ Can’t you take federal loans? ($5500 freshman year, $6500 sophomore year, $7500 junior, $7500 senior. You’d probably get subsidized loans. Or are you DACA?
I was first generation too. It was a big deal for my parents and it seemed overwhelming to them. I had Pell Grants. I didn’t even know that was because your poor.
So the reality is that you have to go with the money. You’re going to compare all your financial packages. However. @MYOS1634 was trying to do was suggest Colby or I think Dickenson for ED because ED would give you an admissions advantage. Do you know about Early Decison?
I’ll do that then, and maybe sprinkle in some things from my counselor recommendation. I have his e-mail, so I’ll shoot it over to him tomorrow, and I guess talk to him about it Monday?
Hmm, Colby would meet full-need w/o loans, which is great, im not sure about Connecticut, so I’ll probably apply ED to Colby and RD to Connecticut, once I can get my teacher recs in.
Howard was an interesting suggestion, but I had heard something about HBCUs wanting more diversity. Also does anyone know anything about the Catholic University of America, their acceptance rate is high. My father is technically Catholic, but hasn’t actively practiced in a while, since our household is more secular, but I could tie that in. Or should I just stay away from strictly religious schools, considering I’m not very religious myself?
I’ve finished my common app essay, I believe I sent @MYOS1634 the link the while back. I actually had two drafts, and one of them was left incomplete, but the other is short and sweet.
Like I’ve said, my ECs are strongly lacking, other than a year of Model UN/Youth-In-Government, which I only found out about/did sophomore year, but was unable to do junior year because of extenuating circumstances(family basically). Would it even be worth putting, since it could be seen as not being consistent/giving up, even though I really wanted to do it junior year, or should I just stick with the below?
My main EC has largely been supporting my family through work at home, and helping out both my dad, with his (handyman business), and my mother, (that does residential house cleaning). I’ve worked with my father starting freshman year, so that would be a consistent EC, I guess, but that’s really the only thing I have. I’ve helped out my mom at work though since I was able to (around 8 or 9 yo), and done all chores that I could be reasonably responsible for (i.e. I didn’t weed wack when I was like 10, I started at like 13).
I hope that kind of makes sense?
Yeah . . . it would be, my college list seems to change every few days though.
I just need to lock it in and focus on those schools.
right now I’m looking at:
Sewanee, Rhodes, Eckerd, Millsaps, and Beloit, maybe Allegheny
I guess push D.C. schools like American and GW for later
look at Colby and Connceticut for ED (Lafayette?)
I guess no low safeties like Emory & Henry, Albright, or Birmingham Southern, since theyd have bad financial aid
big, selective Universtites that meet full need, like Washington USL, or Northwestern?
targets or something, like Hendrix, Earlham, Cornell (college), Wooster, Knox, and Goucher?
maybe Centre, Trinity, Austin, or other TX privates
anyone heard of Roanoke College, Ive been spammed by them recently through mail, insisting that it’s an “affordable option” even though their NPC leaves me with $25K in loans, but it would be a safety i think?
I know Eckerd, Sewanee, Rhodes, Millsaps, E&H, Beloit, and Ursinus don’t require supplementals, or any additional writing. As does WUSL, NW, Colby and Connecticut, I’d just need to get my recommendations.
Also self-reporting scores is a big issue for me, since I kind of can’t afford to send a ton of ACT scores to schools, but luckily most of the ones on my list let me send it through my counselor. I also can’t attach them to my transcript, so I would have to tell him every school and hopefully they would accept it. Any other tips on how to send ACT scores for free? Is it too late to do anything about that?
I thought loans were bad, no matter the circumstances, especially if youre low-income and unlikely to ever pay them off?
I’m actually not DACA, I was born in TN, so am a US citizen, but both my parents are first generation immigrants.
Good to know someone can relate to my position, is there anything you would say many people don’t know about financial aid? Like my mom was saying that FAFSA “gave” you money, and I was trying to convince her that that was the Pell Grant, FAFSA is just a from used by schools to see how much aid they should award, correct?
Yeah, I’ll basically go with the money, considering my financial position.
I have some idea what ED is, but fill me in a bit if you wouldn’t mind. I know it locks you in for that school, but also gives you an edge to get admitted. Is there any pros or cons I should know about? I also heard that schools sometimes give less aid to ED, since you’re already “locked-in” is that correct? Wouldn’t a meet-need school still meet need though?
And what are my actual chances of getting into Colby if I ED there, like 20%? My stats are laughably low, but they do holistic admissions I think?
You should apply EA to any schools of interest that offer it. If you are accepted ED, you will not be given less aid because of ED. They will give you waht you are eligible for.
I still feel that you are all over the place. Colby now has a 14% acceptance rate, and I believe it is out of reach, but it’s your choice of course. If you are going to ED, you should consider applying ED to a school that is a realistic reach. That would be Dickinson, IMO. You seem to be throwing random darts at walls. Remember too that most of your colleges will want to see interest. Yes, applying ED or EA indicates interest, but they are going to look for qualified students. You have only one ED card, so use it wisely.
Monthly Loan Payment: $196.91
Number of Payments: 120 (10 years)
Cumulative Payments: $23,629.65
Total Interest Paid: $4,629.65
The monthly loan payment was calculated at 119 payments of $196.91 plus a final payment of $197.36.
Loans are bad if you are using them to pay for Starbucks coffee, or never finish college because you pick a college freshman year with no way to afford all four years. If you use them because that is the only way to go to college the ROI (if you finish) puts you ahead in the long run for lifetime earnings. https://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm
So its confirmed I should apply ED to a school that would meet full need for me, and probably be more selective, ok. Dickinson is a good choice as well, but I guess I’ll have to choose wisely which to use my ED on.
Could I possibly ED I one school, then if i get rejected, ED II another?
I’m interested n political science, which is a wide major, would the job prospects be good? I know there’s many things you can do with that degree.
ED at a full-need school where you’ve run the NPC and determined the school is affordable is fine. And if the financial aid they offer doesn’t atch what the NPCindicated, work with them - perhaps keep a screen capture of your NPC results.
Yes, pick one ED1 and then another for ED2, but be aware not all colleges offer ED2.
Dickinson ED is likely your best bet.
Is it affordable?
(If it isn’t… then Dickinson ED isn’t the right school to ED.)
Compare to Connecticut College and Macalester’s NPC’s, as well as all other match/reach colleges you’re considering.
If Colby is the most affordable and you can provide a good explanation for some of your grades, ie., you were working 20+ hours (30+?) to help your family make ends meet and keep you all away from shelters, it’d be within the realm of imagination (only ED? I’m afraid Colby RD isn’t). If you were immature and didn’t take school seriously well… no hope whatsoever.
So, you need to apply ED to the college that has the best combination of affordable price and likelihood of admissions.
Dickinson happens to be excellent for political science BTW (including a semester in DC where your financial aid applies).
Some of these colleges will have “why us?” essays. Remember that the point of these essays isn’t to tell them they’re terrific (they already know) or that you find them terrific (they assume you do since you’re applying). YOu’re supposed to show how their strengths match your strengths perfectly - kind of like if you want to date someone, if all you said was that they’re the smartest, funniest person you’ve ever met, well, cool, but, why should they go out with you in particular? However if you say you love their laugh and you love how they make you laugh and you’ve come up with something hilarious to do together… now you’re getting somewhere (maybe).
@MYOS1634 I just checke back on Muhlenberg, and wow they’re actually affordable, they would meet my full need(- like $40 lol) with minimal loans, like a $4Kish, AND it seems to be match, with their average ACT 28, and gpa being 3.3, which is basically me. They’re also rolling with their notifications starting November, so I could potentially know a decision within a monthish. Should I apply RD or ED to them, since they’re still very selective, or would I have a higher admission chance with my stats?
Or should I just stick with Dickinson/Colby for ED?
Also would you mind checking my essay, I think I sent you my final draft by pm a while back, tell me if you can open it
And I’m doing my other teacher rec right now, something came up, and I’m just getting to work now. Anyways, would it be okay to reiterate my same qualities i did for the other teacher recommendation or mix it up?
And how log should I be taking on short supplementals, that are 150-300 words? Should I reaching the word limit each time, or is short fijne as long as I get my point across?
Macalester wasnt affordable btw, so I think I’ll have my reaches be Colby, Davison, Muhlenberg,
Should I apply to the schools I’m able to as of right now, with my counselor recommendation, one teacher recommendation, and common app essay, that don’t require supplementals? I was thinking of doing Sewanee, Rhodes, Eckerd, Beloit, maybe Millsaps, so I can get an idea of what a range of schools would think of me, hopefully by hearing back sometime in early December.
Do it help with that maybe