I agree with the sentiments of many users here. I’ve tried to talk to my parents about this, but my Asian parents stubbornly refuse to “settle for anything less.”
Even though logically it makes no sense, my parents places a much much higher priority on brand-name and to them, the financial aspects is the after-thought after getting accepted. To them, getting to UC Berkeley w/ poor financial aids is better than getting to Rutgers with generous financial aid.
I’ve tried on multiple occasions to dissuades them of these opinions, but to no avail. Getting accepted to at least one of the T20 schools is a must for them.
The deadlines for scholarships for GT and UIUC have passed. Looks like it was 12/1 for Rutgers.
For other students who may be reading this thread who are juniors - the big state flagships with strong CS and engineering programs (GT, UIUC, and Purdue all mentioned here) have EA deadlines in November. Other schools, like Rutgers, 12/1. You MUST apply before the EA deadline to be considered for scholarships. In some cases, the schools fill the vast majority of their class in EA and then close out the major for RD applicants. Please be aware of the deadlines when researching your school list.
If you attend a school such as Stuyvesant, it is a given that you are a highly intelligent kid:) please look at honors programs at state schools or schools such as Georgia Tech that will give you a full scholarship. Companies are approaching students at honors programs at schools and offering internships.
If most of these schools’s scholarship deadline have already passed, doesn’t that mean I should aim for target T20 schools? I read in a post above that top private schools can give out very generous aids, but the key of course is getting accepted into them like MIT.
No guarantees of course, but the OP seems competitive to qualify. But having said that, as @momofboiler1 pointed out the 12/1 deadline has passed. So… never mind
I think there are some issues here. First off, securing loans for $300K with an income of less than $60K is really not likely, or advisable. Second, targeting selective schools with supplemental essays and “why us” questions is just too much with such a short time frame. I can’t be the only one here wondering how a student with such a procrastination problem will fare at a competitive T20 school…
OP, you need to focus on what you can reasonably accomplish in these next few weeks. A SUNY application to a few schools (Buff, Bing, SB) and the Common App with a few more that you have the time, and the inclination, to research. Even with good stats, a successful application needs time to be done well. Chasing prestige without regarding specifics or finances is just not a good strategy at this late date.
Yes, meet full need schools should be on your list. But, they all have single digit RD acceptance rates, and you need to write really good essays for them…and they all have at least one supplemental essay. It is a time consuming process. The RD apps don’t have to be in right now, but you do need to get started on them.
We do need to know your FAFSA EFC. Also, run the net price calculator at MIT and tell us the cost estimate. If your parents are divorced, own a business, or own real estate beyond a primary home the NPCs may not be accurate…are any of these situations the case for you?
With an income of under $60K, I do not think your parents will be able to qualify for $300K in college loans, nor would that be a good financial decision.
doesn’t that mean I should aim for target T20 schools?
There are no “target” T20s. They are all reaches - even for pretty much all highly qualified applicants. If MIT has been your dream, give it a shot if you really want to but please keep your expectations realistic.
You have limited time so you should focus on 4-5 schools at this point. Writing supplemental essays for each school will take up a lot of time. Your essays have to be specific to each school showing the AO why you’re a good fit for their school (and vice versa). This needs time to do research and be thoughtful in your responses. Not an easy task given the time crunch. So shooting for a lot of T20 schools would not be a good use of your time in my honest opinion.
I do understand your parents may be trying to pressure you but you need to apply where you can a) get admitted b) afford to attend and c) benefit from your experience there.
I will complete the FAFSA EFC today. Since my parents need to fill them out and they’re away at work, it will probably be later in the day before I can give a response.
It doesn’t matter what your parents think about finances. If you get into UC Berkeley, you can’t afford it. Please don’t waste their hard earned money on a 100% useless application.
No. It means you should aim for some schools you will 100% get into, as well as a few matches that you might get into, and maybe a couple of reaches that are slim possibilities. Unless you don’t actually care if you go to college next year, and want to take a gap year, you simply do not have enough time and probably not enough money to submit 20+ expensive applications, with a lot of supplemental essays that need to be done well.
Is your goal to attend college in the Fall of 2022? If so, you need at least 1 certain safety, and preferably 2-3 matches, so that you might have a bit of choice. Any reaches are icing on the cake. Anything with an acceptance rate below 20%, roughly, is a reach for ALL, except for maybe Greta Thunberg or a genius prodigy Ivy-recruited D1 athlete.
Apply to Binghamton. It’s an excellent school and should be affordable.
