<p>Hey, CC community!</p>
<p>Well, I am a junior living in Maryland and my parents have very low income. My dad makes around 30k for a family of 5 and my mom stays home. I want to go to Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan State, etc. They have very high tuition costs and I was wondering how I can get in without having huge debts after college. The thing is my GPA is 3.4 UW and 4.1 W. My SAT is around 2000. Thanks CCers!</p>
<p>bump…bump…</p>
<p>You’re talking about applying to state universities in other states, which is always an expensive prospect. Is going to an in-state college or a private university completely out of the question for you? Private universities are more likely to have more generous financial aid programs (some of them meet full-need, especially for someone with your background) and in-state colleges, since they are supported by taxpayers like your father, are offered at sharply reduced tuition and fees that you can supplement with outside scholarships.</p>
<p>Ok, well, I plan on applying to University of Maryland, College Park which I have a 50-60% of getting into. I am totally open to going to any private university but I don’t know which ones I can get accepted into.</p>
<p>Here are my stats:
3.4 UW GPA
4.1 W GPA
around 7 AP courses
1900-2000 SAT
Couple of clubs, National Honors Society.
Asian Male. </p>
<p>Also, my dad actually works in Korea so I don’t know how that plays out…</p>
<p>Ok, well, I plan on applying to University of Maryland, College Park which I have a 50-60% of getting into. I am totally open to going to any private university but I don’t know which ones I can get accepted into.</p>
<p>Here are my stats:
3.4 UW GPA
4.1 W GPA
around 7 AP courses
1900-2000 SAT
Couple of clubs, National Honors Society.
Asian Male. </p>
<p>Also, my dad actually works in Korea so I don’t know how that plays out…</p>
<p>Forget the OOS publics. You need to be looking at schools that meet 100% of need (could be tough with current stats) and in state publics.</p>
<p>There are other instate public universities in Maryland. What about Towsen or Salisbury or UMD Baltimore County?</p>
<p>Try the [CollegeBoard</a> college search engine](<a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board). You can put in what you’re looking for in a school, decide how much tuition you’re willing to pay or how much financial aid you’ll need, and it gives you a list of schools that qualify.</p>
<p>I am also applying to UMBC. Does BU or NortheasternU give good aid? </p>
<p>Do you guys know any colleges on par with UMCP/BU/NEU that give lots of need based scholarships?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>sometimes. Neither BU nor Northeastern guarantees to meet full need.</p>
<p>Schools that meet need tend to be the top schools. BU and Northeastern will give generously to their very top candidates, but neither gives great aid to the average student.</p>
<p>Which schools does meet full need and is on par with the colleges I listed above?</p>
<p>The schools that meet full need are typically very competitive for admissions. Your first hurdle would be to get accepted. Some of these schools accept a VERY small number of applicants.</p>
<p>^^^^</p>
<p>Very true…</p>
<p>Right now, your stats aren’t where they need to be. </p>
<p>You need to get your SAT above 2100 or ACT 32+ to be a serious contender for top schools that meet need without big loans. </p>
<p>Take both the ACT and the SAT…colleges will accept whichever one is higher.</p>
<p>The problem with your list is that they’re OOS publics that don’t help OOS students and don’t give huge merit scholarships.</p>
<p>Your strategy needs to be something like this…</p>
<p>1) get your scores in the SAT 1400+/1600 SAT and/or ACT 32+</p>
<p>2) find some reach/match private schools that fit your academic and financial needs with little or no loans. </p>
<p>3) find some reachand match schools (private or public) that would give you such generous merit for your stats, along with your Pell grant and other aid, that you’d have to borrow very little.</p>
<p>Also, if your family’s income is low enough that you have an “auto 0” EFC, that may mean that your income/assets won’t count. If that’s true, then you should start working part-time and working many hours in the summer, and saving as much as you can. But, if you’re not an “auto 0,” then your savings might hurt your Pell.</p>
<p>mom2collegekids: how do i find colleges that meet my needs that are reach or match for me? I tried the college board search engine and didn’t work very well.</p>
<p>Well…</p>
<p>First we need to know more about you and what you want in a college…</p>
<p>What is your likely major and likely career?</p>
<p>What kind of school do you like…</p>
<p>big
small
quiet
rah rah big sports
greek systems as an option
Catholic schools ok?
single sex
co-ed 50/50 split
rural setting
big city setting
collegetown setting
nice dorms
recreation availability
warm weather
cold/snowy weather</p>
<p>Have you visited any college campuses? If so which ones did you like and which ones did you not like and why?</p>
<p>I just noticed your unweighted GPA. Can you bring up your grades this year?</p>
<p>I go to Michigan State and have many OOS friends. Unless you are in the honors college (which you will not be) financial aid here is damn near impossible to come by. (Michigan’s economy is in the tubes and MSU has a commitment to MI residents first.)</p>
<p>Best of luck wherever you end up!!</p>
<p>To the OP…no one here can give you information about what colleges are right for you without knowing what YOU are looking for in a college. If you are looking for information about college choices and are willing to share what you WANT in a college, you might want to put this question on the Parents Forum (for parent info).</p>
<p>Not to raise another issue, but if your dad is working in Korea, what exactly is your citizenship status? Does he pay taxes in Korea or the U.S.? Do you yourself have an SSN and Greencard? Some state u.'s have rather detailed residency requirements to receive instate tuition and if your family is in MD on a H1 or L1 status or something you may have additional concerns re: economic tuition. Just letting you know in case. Good luck with your search. You sound like you need the assistance of your guidance counselor because you may need a little more assistance than we can give you without knowing all your circumstances.</p>
<p>I find it hard to believe that a family can live in two countries and only have an income of $30k. Paying for two households is expensive.</p>