Urgent Help for Starting College Applications

Applying to College
21

Looking on Naviance for schools does not make sense at this point.

As a student who is pell eligible/has a low EFC, you should look at schools in 3 groups:

  • CUNY/SUNYs (sybbie719 will help)
  • Meet full need schools, and
  • Schools that provide significant merit for NMFs (like Alabama and U New Mexico)

Agree with adding Cornell. I strongly encourage you to consider meet full need LACs, many of them are seeking Asian males…look at Williams, Davidson, Swarthmore, Hamilton, and Vassar to start.

Is your common app complete…personal statement written? Activities complete?

Have you filed FAFSA? If not you and your parents should do that this weekend. Let us know what your FAFSA EFC is.

@hebegebe What are your thoughts considering this student’s AIME, USACO, and USABO achievements?

Thoughts @MYOS1634

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22

Regarding the essay. My husband asked my kid, “What do you love? What do you love doing? What makes you happy?” Kid came up with the three things that they loved doing, that made them happiest, and crafted an essay around these things.

In terms of choosing where to apply, first of all, you need a financial safety - for you, that means one you can commute to from home. So find out which CUNY is best for you, in terms of ease of commute, best Comp Sci, and best business school. You should be able to narrow it down to one CUNY. You will get into it, and should also be able to get their max scholarship. I’m sure that the cost of tuition would be fully do-able between Pell grant and scholarships. Then, if by some mishap, you don’t get in somewhere else with enough money to go, you’re still going to college. Frankly, if you are living in NYC and majoring in Comp Sci, you will get internships and do just fine.

Next, you should apply to schools that meet full need. Forget California public schools - they don’t give OOS fin aid. For some public flagships, you would have had to apply earlier to be considered for fin aid, but you’ll be okay, because with your stats, you may get into private schools with big endowments that meet full financial need - which for you means a full ride. Yes, MIT would be on your list. You could conceivably get in anywhere in the country, and if it’s a school with resources, you would be given full fin aid, with a household income that low. So look at other private schools with good comp sci and that have a business school.

Meet with your guidance counselor, get a waiver for Common App fees. I think that will allow you to apply to 20 schools, and you should do that, in order to maximize chances of financial aid. Others on CC will be able to tell you more about best schools for Comp Sci, but consider all private schools with top Comp Sci programs.

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23

You are not alone. Covid school last year has many seniors still in another gear.

With the annual income you should focus on colleges that meet 100% of need unless there are business, rental properties, farm land, or large amounts of cash to report.

Here are a few next steps:

  • Get your parents/guardians to help you complete the FAFSA and CSS (on college board ) for financial aid packages. Those need to be done and submitted to each college. If you add more colleges remember to log back in and add those colleges.
  • Compare the colleges on this page that meet 100% need with deadlines to apply and CS majors. Create a Google spreadsheet with the colleges along the left column and headers with deadline, application status/submitted, interesting opportunities in major, and other criteria or to do items to keep you organized. Here's Every College That Offers 100% Financial Aid
  • log into Naviance and start adding your colleges so your school counselor sees progress. Link your common app to your naviance account - this will make you counselors job easier.
  • MIT is a stand alone application. Start that process and add MIT to Naviance, so the transcripts, guidance recs. and LORs are all sent. (Keep MIT as the only stand alone application to keep yourself sane.)
    -print out all of the essay topics for the different colleges -yes, literally printed out on paper. Organize common themes that you can easily adapt or develop cross overs with. MIT has nice instructions on their blogs that apply to all colleges.
    -Accept that many reaches and what you think are matches will be super reaches for all. Find a few on the 100% meets need page where you far exceed their averages.
  • figure out from recommendations on this thread that are your safeties.
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24

You probably don’t want to hear this, but if I were you, I wouldn’t spend too much time on an MIT application because

  • you have a late start and MIT requires a separate application; and
  • there’re too many applicants in your demographics (and from your HS, if you’re indeed from Stuy) who can submit stronger (or at least as strong) applications.
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25

Deleted. (Missed OP was male and suggested women’s college)

26

I believe OP is male.

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27

I am not qualified to discuss USACO and USABO. But when it comes to AMC-12, a 145.5 is a seriously impressive score. I definitely recommend mentioning DHR and the AMC-12 score in the awards section. I see no mention of the AIME scores or qualification for USAMO which is the next major level of distinction.

However, putting this in context of your family’s low income, I would say your math skills are exceptional even without USAMO.

I do agree with others that you need a set of safeties and matches that you can afford.

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28

This is a low income student. We don’t really know IF his family can contribute to college. How would he pay for UIUC or Purdue, neither of which guarantee to meet full need? And GT has the potential to be affordable…but again…I don’t believe that’s guaranteed.

If the family can contribute $0, that is going to create a different list than if the family can contribute $20,000.

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29

And the EA deadline has passed for Purdue so the opportunity for merit $ has passed, as well as hope for admission in the most popular major.

UIUC’s priority deadline has also passed.

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30

Wow, I am so blessed there’s such a supportive community here. Thanks so much for everyone that have given me such wonderful advice.

Even though our family is financially poor, my parents have told me they can acquire the necessary finances for any top school. For example, a fellow user has pointed out UC Berkeley has really bad financial packages (deadline passed anyway), but to my parents, getting into T20 school is much more important than the financial aspect. From my experience, I know personally they can ask for loans or figure out the finances in some way.

With that said, financial packages are still important. We can’t dismiss the necessity of such information. I believe my family will contribute to my college. I don’t know the exact amount, but 100K+ is not too unrealistic though my parents would love me to get a scholarship.

However, I would also like some reasonable target/reach schools that might not be as financially generous, but still quite prestigious. Prestigious is a subjective term and one’s decision to attend on college should not be on name along. However, brand-name colleges still have their merits and I would also like some of the higher-tier recommendations. Of course, please list any generous financial-aid colleges too. We need a balance of high-quality and reasonable finances.

Yes, a fellow user has figured out my identity. I’m from Stuyvesant. I read a fellow comment that said to not pursue MIT because there are a lot of other great students (many of whom I know personally).

As for the USAMO comment, I didn’t do too well on AIME last year and so didn’t qualify. However, I am quite confident I can qualify for USAMO 2022. The issue is the results won’t be until March-ish and MIT results come out on 3.14 (pi) day so it probably won’t make it in time. My MIT friend (who qualified for USAMO but couldn’t report it) suggested I email a follow-up with a self-reported USAMO index. I can then follow up with official documentation.

I will also be doing F=MA this year. I don’t know if I will qualify for USAPHO but I was only 2 questions away from last year’s cutoff, so I hope I can qualify this year and put it on my college apps. The exam is in February so the results will be after RD, but I can always update a follow-up to colleges right?

31

If you live in NYC, CUNY is there. Hoping @sybbie719 can guide you.

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32

This is a low income student. Unless Rutgers has some guaranteed full ride I don’t know about, how will this student pay their net cost as an OOS student at Rutgers?

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33

I know of several students out of state that have received 70-100% scholarships. It was strictly based on their academics. Their families were able to pay for the tuition. One chose Columbia University and the other went to Georgia Tech on a full ride. University of Illinois and Georgia tech do give scholarships depending on how badly they want the student.

34

Don’t go into debt, nor have your parents go into debt. It is totally unnecessary, especially for a CS degree. You will be marketable from almost anywhere.

Plus with your parents income, you will qualify for need based aid. The top schools are usually the most generous but obviously the most competitive. The good news for you is you are in NY where you will have affordable match and safeties.

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35

I second these additions.

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36

I am from NJ. Rutgers gives full scholarships to gifted out of state students.

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37

@Stressed_out_high, your two statements - that you’re low income and that your parents can fund $100k+ seem to be at odds with each other. Are you saying your parents are looking to take on substantial (unreasonably high) debt? That’s never a good idea. Is prestige really more important than financial stability?

CS is a highly employable field so you don’t need to go to a top 20 school to get an excellent high paying job. And two years into your employment no one will care where you graduated from. My advise is to consider these points along with many other excellent points raised above in selecting your schools.

Best wishes! I hope things work out well for you.

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38

How? Are you saying that your parents with less than $60,000 a year income in NY can get $300,000 or more on loans for you for the next four years.

Please…please don’t burden you parents with that kind of loan debt on their low income. Please.

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39

All of them? I do not believe this is a guarantee.

40

I echo those who caution against your parents taking out any debt, although you taking the Direct Student Loans of $27K in total over the 4 years is ok.

Another option, if things don’t work out this cycle, is to take a gap year, work, and apply thru Questbridge next September. You will be a strong candidate, and if you have new achievements this spring (USAMO, USAHPO) that of course will help. QuestBridge | National College Match

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