<p>i thought i was finally done, but i'm back again :( my counselor is just now telling me that she can only waive four application fees, and i've done 11 apps. i thought that if you were eligible for an ACT fee waiver, you could get the common app fee waived for every school. idiotic and too simple, i know. i should've known, as much time as i've spent reading about college stuff. she wants me to pick four from the 11 and talk to her tomorrow. most of them are reaches, so i'm really scared to narrow it down. i also feel like she's going to immediately give me a harsh reality check on yale and tell me that applying is wasting a fee waiver, which i really wanted to apply to regardless...is there ANY way around this? someone told me you can call the school personally and ask them, but that doesn't sound right. </p>
<p>-american
-barnard
-bryn mawr
-college of the holy cross
-mount holyoke
-rhodes
-rice u
-scripps
-wellesley
-yale</p>
<p>—my musts are barnard, rice, scripps, wellesley, and yale. but if that's all that's left, i feel like i'm reaching wayyy too high and will end up with nothing but rejections. i really like holyoke and rhodes, though. </p>
<p>—i'm a relatively low income, first-gen URM with a 3.8 UW, 3.99 W (but it's way better now, if that matters), a 30 ACT, and mediocre ECs due to extenuating circumstances (which my essay describes in detail). i was gonna retake my ACT for yale since they're the only school that accepts the feb ACT. </p>
<p>which do you think i should definitely keep, based on how holistic their admissions are? which do you think i have the best chance at? i really can't pay for all these apps, so do you have any advice?</p>
<p>You most definitely should reach out to the schools on your application list and ask for fee waivers. I am really surprised your counselor would not tell you this. </p>
<p>Also, from the Wellesley website: Wellesley does not have an application fee, as we want everyone, regardless of ability to pay, to feel they can apply.</p>
<p>American: If payment of the application fee would cause your family undue hardship, fee waivers are available (U.S. citizens and permanent residents only).</p>
<p>Rhodes: no application fee for those using the Common App</p>
<p>Holy Cross: Q: How do I go about obtaining a fee waiver for one of my students?
A: If you feel that a student needs a fee waiver, you should encourage that student to call our office. The student can speak to our office manager to request a waiver. Our office manager will work with financial aid to verify that the student needs the waiver for reasons of economic hardship.</p>
<p>I feel like the biggest idiot for even starting this thread because you’ve made me realize that five of them are already free. And if I really had to get rid of two, it’d be American and Holy Cross. Thanks so much!!</p>
<p>Some had December 1 cut-offs, but others are still taking applications. Check them out and apply if you like them better than your current safeties.</p>
<p>instead of just withdrawing 2 apps, my counselor wants to talk to me first/before i do it. i feel like she’s gonna make me get rid of yale or tell me there’s 0 point in applying, so i’m kinda scared to go…</p>
<p>it’s just frustrating because when i first started meeting with her, she knew about my financial situation and only suggested schools with terrible financial aid, like loyola chicago, depaul, dayton, and college of charleston. i feel like she suggests the exact same schools to everyone with a one size fits all approach, because everyone’s lists are insanely similar. i feel like i would’ve benefited from a lot more guidance because there’s so much i didn’t know, like this. and she already thinks i’ve applied to way too many, which is unfair because financial aid is basically the most important factor for me. i can’t just choose only two reach schools with good financial aid and hope that’s enough to fit her ideal list of 6. it’s like there’s never been a relatively poor kid at this school before. sorry for the rant, i just wanted to let that out. </p>
<p>MYOS, really? it’s that simple? i actually wouldn’t mind getting rid of two schools, or at least one, so that won’t be needed. but thank you!! i’m surprised she didn’t tell me that, either. thank god for free apps.</p>
<p>Contact all the schools that require a fee; introduce yourself briefly and tell them your counselor is discouraging you from applying due to the fee, so would they waive it since you qualify for fee waivers but have already used your “four”.</p>
<p>Explain to your counselor that you <em>must</em> apply to 100% need schools and since their selectivity is high, you need to apply to a lot of them, hoping the fact you come from an under-represented school will be an additional hook to add to being first-gen, geographical diversity, etc. As many adults who know this process well have already said, your odds are okay to pretty good. Perhaps not at Yale, sure, but at one of these schools.
Come prepared in case she thinks you shouldn’t apply to Yale. Point out that all students have a right to dream big, even if they know it’s a long shot. Point to stats, to communication between you and the Yale admission officers, to the net price calculator that shows that xxx (you wouldn’t have any loans and even would have money leftover to pay for your plane ticket.)
– BTW, have you reached out to Yale and other selective schools? You need to email and show interest, asking your questions, etc.
Point to the success of some other students.
[Leobardo</a> Espinoza Jr. - The Choice Blog - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/author/leobardo-espinoza-jr/]Leobardo”>Leobardo Espinoza Jr. - The Choice Blog - The New York Times)
Come with the % students whose need was met by her favorite schools (with whom she certainly has a good relationship so don’t say anything negative about them, just point to the money issue) and how much it’d cost for you, whether your need would be met, point to what their net price calculator told you, vs. what other schools on your list offer.
Be willing to compromise and add a couple more schools that aren’t as selective as those you already have as long as they meet 100% need. Don’t remove any school, you’re right that it’s important - the greater your financial need, the greater the number of schools if you want to be sure your financial need is met.
As a reminder:
[100%</a> Meet Need Colleges | CollegeGreenlight](<a href=“Colleges with Need-Blind Admission for U.S. Students”>Colleges with Need-Blind Admission for U.S. Students)
You can also search in your browser “the college solution” + “colleges that meet 100% need” because that website’s list includes schools that meet up to 95% need for students with a majority of 100% so they’re not included in the above list but would be of interest to you.</p>
<p>Sure for kids whose main choice is West U and Central U there’s no need to apply to as many schools - and recognize you probably give her more work. But point out how cool for her and the school it’d be if she could say you got into these schools? She could think of all the good press (your principal could probably get behind that idea).</p>
<p>Ideally, for kids with high financial need and/or highly selective schools, this is the ideal number:
2 safeties + 3-5 matches + as many reaches as you wish/can afford.
In practice, it means anywhere from 10 to 15. 15 is A LOT but low income kids often don’t have a choice since the financial aid will determine where they can go (whether they can go).</p>
<p>fee waiver: type “nacac” and “fee waiver” in your browser and print it, then photocopy and give your counselor. Come equiped. This way you’ll be able to apply to 4 more schools. :)</p>
<p>thank you so much!! i talked to her, and thankfully, she did not mention yale. on the other hand, she kept calling my list “excessive” and read off every school that i’m applying to in an annoyed tone. why does she care so much? it’s like she wanted none of those schools to be free so i’d be able to only apply to 4 more. when my mom talked to her on the phone to ask her a question, she asked, “did you know your daughter is applying to x schools?” as if i’m five years old or something. she asked me which ones i was getting rid of easily, and when i told her, she asked me why i even applied to them in the first place then…um…because i obviously liked them. </p>
<p>i told her that EXACTLY, that i have to apply to a bunch of 100% need schools because financial aid is the most important thing, and she was still calling my list ridiculous. i don’t know why it was so hard to understand. she was acting like applying to so many schools was this horrific sin or something. </p>
<p>and yes, i actually bookmarked that guy’s yale acceptance article for inspiration a few weeks ago, haha. he had a 28 act, apparently, but i’m sure his ECs were amazing, unlike mine. sooo good for him, though. i thought that interest wasn’t at all important to yale; what should i do to communicate with them? if i get the chance to interview, though, i’ll def take it. thanks so much for the advice!! much appreciated.</p>
<p>Sorry about your counselor… she sounds like a real lemon. Your list looks fine, IMHO. You should continue to be polite to your counselor (she will be writing a rec, after all), but stick to your list, especially if you can get the waivers/free apps.</p>
<p>I would not be surprised if overworked counselors at many schools do not like large application lists of colleges that require work on their behalf (counselor recommendations, sending transcripts – consider the sum of the number of such colleges that each student at your high school applies to).</p>
<p>that’s the NACAC waiver if you don’t already have it. Thank goodness you found support and advice on CC or that counselor would have really steered you down the wrong path. She does not sound competent. You should apply to as many reach schools as you can prepare a good application for. If you are accepted to one of these schools, your education is paid for with no loans, so you are maximizing your chances and this is smart. Questbridge students often apply to a minimum of 15 schools. Really. And sometimes many more. </p>
<p>Good luck, I’m so glad you’re on the right path! And when you are accepted to a great college with great finaid you can bake cookies for all these CC folk ^^^ who gave you info and helped you trust your instincts lol!</p>
and you won’t have to pay extra fees.</p>
Come equiped. This way you’ll be able to apply to 4 more schools. :)</p>