Urgent Help for Starting College Applications

Applying to College
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U Chicago has difficult, time consuming essays, but it could still be a good fit. The RD app is due Jan 4, and OP hopefully has much of winter break to write essays.

Here are some meet full need unis and LACs that do not have supplemental essays and have good CS (so these might be prioritized over essay intensive schools). If you are interested in any of these schools, you must sign up for their email lists ASAP:

Colby: Request Information from Colby
Middlebury: Request for Information
Connecticut College: Stay in touch!
Case Western: Request for Information

ETA: All of these schools have ED2 as well, so you might consider ED2 as an option either at one of these schools, or another one your list. Even though time is tight, you do have time. Are your finals before winter break?

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Exactly correct.

@Stressed_out_high I have heard of students who got part way through their education, discovered that they could no longer get more loans to fund the rest of their bachelor’s degree, and had to drop out. They were stuck with a lot of debt but no degree. I used to have a guitar teacher who had needed to drop out half way through his bachelor’s degree at a very good but expensive university. He had finished at an in-state public university but was giving lessons to pay off his huge student loan. I agree with everyone who has urged you not to take on large loans to get your education.

Several of the public universities in New York are very good for computer science. As others have said, there are plenty of jobs in computer science. In high tech graduates from MIT and Stanford and UC Berkeley work alongside of graduates from U.Mass, various universities in India, and other public schools and no one cares where anyone got their degrees.

I think that the highest priority is getting applications and financial aid applications into the public universities in New York. Since MIT is your dream school and excellent for both CS and business I would also send an application in there as well. If you get in let us know since there are a few MIT graduates on this forum who might be able to give advice.

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I think a good match school would be NYU.

Their Courant Institute is world-class in terms of math education, but many people don’t seem to know about this. You could double major in math and CS which makes you very employable. Your chance of admission there is much higher than at MIT, Stanford, or any Ivies.

And importantly, NYU now meets full need.

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Cornell and NYU

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I agree and NYU does have ED2. (I will say I do have some nervousness regarding how they will define/calculate need with their new meet full need policy, and their NPC is not among the most accurate.)

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Agree to proceed with caution when considering some ED2s as they are binding and not all “100% needs” are created equal.

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OP. obviously you’ve gotten a lot of great advice. Many school’s deadlines have passed altogether while many other school’s EA deadlines have passed and they fill much from EA / ED.

There are many schools where January or later are safe deadlines.

One concern I have is you said you have your two LORs. Schools that take Common App which is likely most you will apply to
 the letters are sent by Common App to teachers and stored in your account to attach to your apps.

Other schools that have private apps have different forms that are specific to that school. Right or wrong, some kids only apply to schools on Common App or colleges that have their own apps but don’t require letters.

There are thousands of colleges in the US. Top 20 means little in this sense. 1). Most are unlikely to get in. 2). How do you define it ? By the college ? By the major ? Meaning Arizona State, Michigan State, or U of TN would not be considered top 20. But if you wanted to major in Supply Chain, they’d be top 10. Someone above mentioned Davidson. It’s likely your family never heard of it as it’s a small LAC yet it’s a wonderful school. My point
 try to be open minded, especially as it’s late. And those schools others mentioned, may be a great fit but they are matches and reaches for all
there is no guarantee of admission. So you need to lower your sight on a school or two to ensure you have a place to go. Your awards will likely open doors but never assume anywhere is a guarantee, not with the top schools.

In many ways rankings are a marketing ploy to sell books, magazines, advice, etc. No doubt each of those schools is wonderful, so are name your SUNY
Bing, Buffalo, Stony Brook, Plattsburgh
u name it.

I think important steps here
fill in common app, FAFSA with parents and have them start on CSS profile which you’ll need. You’ll have to request of your teachers (again) that they will receive a request for LOR through Common App. Finally after you get through Monday, start working on your essay. You may have already written something that with polish will work. Note that each school may also have additional essays. Once you add schools to Common App you’ll be able to see those. You can add and delete schools so that u can look at the requirements of any school
only 20 can be in the system at once hence the add and delete. If you find yourself behind you may only apply to schools that require no extra essays but that likely won’t be possible at the list you are looking at. Some schools do use similar ‘additional’ essays so that can help to minimize your writing.

Finally you can’t afford college it sounds like without $$. Fortunately the federal govt limits what you can borrow over 4 years
less than $30k. Your family would have to qualify and obtain higher level funding which would be a big mistake. And possibly not possible from a qualification.

Someone mentioned earlier. Focus on need only schools.

Here’s a list. Good luck.

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However, I’m sure they wouldn’t be upset if you got into a college that’s equally prestigious AND would neither get them into debt nor cost you a lot, right? :slight_smile:
Because right now your choices aren’t “prestigious with debt, or lower-tier without debt”. The choices are prestigious without debt or prestigious with debt. There’s no “settling” involved, except for safeties, which for you will all be solid and well-known anyway, and the choice is “settling for safeties or no college” : I’m guessing that, if push comes to shove, your parents would prefer “solid college” to “no college” (or community college.)
Now, what your parents consider prestigious may not match some “elite, 100% need” college names on this thread (like in post #20) , but since you’re at Stuy, the GC there should be able to persuade them of these colleges’ prestige in “prestige” circles.
Other good news: ED is not over. There are two ED cycles: ED1 and ED2. ED1 is Nov1 or 15, ED2 is Jan 1 or 15.
Forget about OOS publics: the deadlines have mostly passed. Focus on what you CAN do, this weekend, and in the coming weeks. Lots of experienced people can help, including reviewing your essays, etc.

Before prestige, you need to assure your future. Kind of like climbing a ladder: get your feet on the lowest rung and climb by lifting one hand OR foot at a time.
Just do it quickly due to time concerns. :smiley:
But put that foot on the first rung and that hand on the ladder, and get started with these rungs first.

That means
1° have your parents fill out the FAFSA immediately. That will qualify you for loans and financial aid if you get admitted somewhere. :slight_smile: Hopefully, many somewheres, but they have to start it. Colleges to enter would include SUNYs, Cornell, MIT (see below).
2° Apply to SUNY Stony Brook: it’s likely your commutable safety if you attend school in Manhattan. Not ideal but an excellent safety. Add SUNY Binghamton and SUNY Buffalo, both excellent for CS, so that you have a choice. You should automatically qualify for Excelsior so that your tuition would be covered. Check out the Honors college/programs: some are by invitation only but others are by application.
COMPLETE THESE APPLICATIONS ASAP, including the honors apps if that applies (I don’t have time to check for each of them. I know Bing is by invitation only but it has application-based programs, especially wrt undergraduate research programs).
Once that is done, you have your safeties. At least one will come through, probably all three. So, if all fails, you’ll have a choice.
This should be your priority this weekend because lots of deadlines were in November or December 1st.

This should be your priority this weekend. No dithering, no procrastinating, sit in the most austere place you can think of, turn your phone off (unless you’re completing your app on it), get coffee/cappucino/hot cocoa or whatever crunchy/salty/sweet food you like to sustain you, and get it done.

Further considerations about college lists, matches and reaches, etc, later.

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First and foremost Op needs to use a bottoms-up approach to look at schools that he will not only be happy to attend but will be financially feasible options for his/her family.

I agree with @DadTwoGirls girls 1000% and will shout it once more for the folks in the back; you must have a 4-year plan on how to finance college. the worse that can happen is that your family can no longer fund college leaving you and them with debt and no degree. There is a thread running now in the parent’s forum about a parent who has 2 kids attending Ivies and cannot afford to keep either one of them at school.

What is your ranking?

if you are in the top 10% of your class, definitely apply for the STEM scholarship, which will provide you with free tuition at SUNY/CUNY

https://www.hesc.ny.gov/pay-for-college/financial-aid/types-of-financial-aid/nys-grants-scholarships-awards/nys-science-technology-engineering-and-mathematics-stem-incentive-program.html

Don’t take for granted between the 64 SUNY schools and the 19 CUNy Schools (SUNY is the 2nd largest public university system in the country and CUNY is the largest urban public university system in the country). It is almost the college equivalent of shopping at Amazon and Walmart- If you can’t find, it are you really looking for it? with 83 schools, you will have multiple affordable options-

Stony Brook, Bing, Albany UB, SUNY Poly, City College, Hunter, the Coordinated engineering program at Bklyn College and NYU Coordinated Engineering and Engineering Honors | Brooklyn College. SUNY/CUNY are rolling admissions so you have not missed the deadline.

Yes, you can look at Cornell, NYU (Now that they meet 100% demonstrated need
https://nyunews.com/news/2021/11/15/nyu-meets-applicants-financial-need/
But Keep in mind that the schools that meet 100% demonstrated need for low-middle income students are also some of the hardest schools for gaining admissions.

Let’s keep this a buck: you are looking for a bumper sticker school. You and your family may feel (and rightfully so) that you have worked hard, you have great grades and scores and you deserve a top-tier school. I’m not mad at that. However, the line to pay for this starts at your house. Don’t let the concept of attending a dream school become a financial nightmare for your family.

[quote=@stressed_out_high]

I am not sure. I currently don’t have an idea of the public colleges in NY, but the school I currently go to is in Manhattan. If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them.[/quote]

I find this extremely hard to believe especially if you are attending a NYC DOE school. Every NYC DOE school has a college now partner with CUNY. Are you telling me that you have all APs but did not stretch yourself with any college course?

The scores from SAT school day came out last week. If you are eligible for Free reduced lunch (your counselor will know if you show up on their RMEL) then you will get your fee waivers for the Common app and CSS profile.

Fill out a CUNY application NOW (6 schools for your $65 if you are not fee waiver eligible)
Fill out a SUNY application NOW (if you are fee waiver eligible you will get 7 choices)

How many people are in your immediate family? Are you HEOP eligible?

Time to have a sit down with your counselor

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Lots of good advice flowed in before I could finish typing my input!
You have two logistics problems to solve first:

  1. Requesting transcript+ LOR from your school to send to the colleges. My son’s school requires the requests up to 4 weeks ahead and can’t do it piecemeal. So make a list and go to the GC’s office on Monday as others have suggested
  2. Have you sent your SAT scores yet to these colleges? Some will accept self-reporting; others will not

To help you streamline the process in the limited time you have, one suggestion is a “barbell” process to start and finish with ASAP: Safety apps to the SUNY’s/CUNY’s+ 2 reaches (giving lots of FA). Folks have suggested Cornell and NYU. I think their application is doable. MIT is a much more time consuming app.

Do you have any application fee waivers?

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Are you National Merit Semi or Finalist?

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University of New Mexico NMF Scholarship is a true full ride. It covers tuition, fees, room & board.

UNM has a straightforward application w/ no essays required. Applicants typically hear back in 2 weeks of they application being complete.

Deadline is: Admitted to UNM before Feb 1.

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This. Agree 100%.

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Can you clarify
on the website, the NMF OOS scholarship section says it covers tuition, fees, and housing, not board. (and it actually says the same for NM residents):

Approximately $20,000 per year — covers base tuition, fees, and housing. Renewable for up to 4 years

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OP needs more than just a list of colleges to apply to. He needs to use his time judiciously. On top of all the applications, he also has to fill out CSS Profiles for most of those privates (and some publics). If he is going to apply ED2 to any of them, their CSS Profile is usually due at the same time.

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Agreed. OP did say he has 2/3 AP tests this Monday and Tuesday, then presumably finals before the holiday break. His grades are also important.

Many ED2/RD deadlines arent until the first or second week of Jan, so OP will be busy over break. Hopefully he and his parents can start by completing FAFSA today.

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Don’t underestimate the CSS profile. For your family, it might be pretty straightforward. However, it can be very time consuming. You have to pay to submit it to any schools that ask for it and it is 100% not optional. I’m not sure if you can get CSS waivers, ask your counselor or maybe someone here knows.

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TCB has waived the fee for CSS for families making $100K or less.

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OP will qualify (at least based on what he has told us) for CSS fee waivers, automatically as he completes the document:

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Housing includes meals

See the COA here: Cost of Attendance :: Office of Admissions | The University of New Mexico

Meal & room costs are $10,396
Tuition & fees are $9228

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