<p>In Colorado the state schools- if you meet the standards for scores/rank they are pretty much required to take you. Not sure about CT.</p>
<p>For a college or university that only uses the FAFSA for financial aid, only the parent you are living with matters. Could you manage to live one day more with your dad in 2013 than you do with your mom? That would make it possible for you to use his financials for the FAFSA. For details on making that work, ask kelsmom who posts in the Financial Aid Forum. She is a financial aid officer.</p>
<p>Many colleges and universities that use the CSS Profile (or their own forms) will require the financial information for both parents. If you apply to any of them, you will need both parents’ cooperation. In your situation, that doesn’t look like it is what you’d want to do.</p>
<p>You asked about safeties that reject students. Well those aren’t real safeties. Those are merely institutions that are “reasonably safe”. A real safety is a place where you know for dead certain that you will be admitted because the GPA and ACT/SAT exam scores that flat-out guarantee admission are posted right on the website. Many public universities have this type of policy for in-state applicants, and some have them for out-of-state students as well. Not to mention that for most majors community colleges are open admission (finish high school, hold a GED, or reach a certain age, and you are in, period). You know your GPA and your likely SAT score. Check your in-state publics to see if you are “already” in.</p>
<p>There are several threads in the Financial Aid Forum on guaranteed merit-based aid. In some cases, this can amount to a true free-ride. In others, it can bring your costs down to what you can cover with a student loan and summer/school-year jobs. Start with these two:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html?highlight=automatic[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html?highlight=automatic</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html</a></p>
<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>
<p>Put an automatic full ride school on your list as a safety:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-16.html#post15557250[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-16.html#post15557250</a>
Note: you can use the list to know what to aim for SAT wise (check the SAT - ACT concordance tables), and also consider taking the ACT since you might score higher on the ACT than the SAT.</p>
<p>And then look for other schools with competitive full rides that you have a realistic chance for on your application list. E.g. NCSU Park, Georgia Tech President’s, etc…</p>
<p>I think your idea of having the GC meet with your parents is an excellent idea. Ask her/him to just sit down with them, explain the college process—searching and applying, as well as how the financial aid process works and how everyone has to fill out the FAFSA if they want aid, even just loans, etc. Maybe hearing it from an “expert” will get them to understand that you really do need this information. In the mean time, search out information on the “schools known for merit aid” thread and find schools that may be affordable that way even if they don’t help. Being an URM, female CS/STEM kid will help you quite a bit.</p>
<p>Did you take the PSAT and is there any chance that you will make National Merit Finalist?</p>
<p>Please prepare for the worst, and look at schools where you fit the 75th percentile or higher at schools known for strong financial aid AND merit aid, preferably where you’re also a geographic under-represented state. You’re likely looking for a “free ride”, given your situation.</p>
<p>Then work on your mother re: FAFSA, perhaps involving your college counselor or another adult that could influence (drive some sense into) her. I recall that w/o FAFSA (and often Profile too) a student won’t be considered for financial aid. That student is often still considered for merit aid, but you need to confirm, school by school. Your mother needs to complete that form, and your father may be largely irrelevant because you’re parents never married. (could someone please confirm?)</p>
<p>In my own circumstances decades ago, college application process was my first major inkling that my parents didn’t have my best interests at heart. I was allowed to apply to only local colleges. They refused to do FAFSA. They let me apply to my dream “Top 20” school, but when accepted, refused to allow me to go, stating “it’s too much money for a girl”. My parents could easily afford COA, but controlling (and poorly-informed), of which this was only one example. Their shortsightedness both permanently affected our relationship, and significantly impacted me long-term. Where you attend college does affect your future life decisions, and mine were affected by my belatedly enrollment in a Tier 3 “commuter-majority” college.</p>
<p>If you are interested in small LACs, consider University of Minnesota - Morris.</p>
<p>It has free tuition for sufficiently documented Native Americans:
[University</a> of Minnesota Morris | Financial Aid | American Indian Tuition Waiver](<a href=“http://www.morris.umn.edu/financialaid/scholarshipswaivers/americanindiantuition/]University”>http://www.morris.umn.edu/financialaid/scholarshipswaivers/americanindiantuition/)</p>
<p>That leaves about $11,000 per year:
[University</a> of Minnesota Morris | Financial Aid | Cost of Attendance](<a href=“http://www.morris.umn.edu/financialaid/costofattendance/]University”>http://www.morris.umn.edu/financialaid/costofattendance/)</p>
<p>Which is still more than you can realistically self-fund (realistic maximum is probably $8,500 for Stafford loan and work, or $5,500 for just Stafford loan), but it has scholarships available that you can try for:</p>
<p>[University</a> of Minnesota, Morris | Admissions | Scholarships](<a href=“http://admissions.morris.umn.edu/scholarships/]University”>http://admissions.morris.umn.edu/scholarships/)</p>
<p>Okay, just a suggestion and you’re welcome to reject it. Do you have any close friends whose family is really on top of college apps that might be willing to help you?
I’m well aware that many families don’t have the knowledge, finances, emotional health, etc to get through college apps. It’s a huge wall that even parents can’t climb over at times depending on their circumstances. But that does not mean someone else isn’t willing to put in some research time or initial financial aid to make your future better. It never hurts to ask. You need to be proactive on this.</p>
<p>I’ve taken an ACT practice test, and I definitely do better on the SAT :P. Also, there’s no way that I’m eligible for National Merit (about 20 points off), but I think I may be eligible for National Achievement (202), although I haven’t been able to find any past cut-off scores.</p>
<p>@Gouf: No, I do not. ~40% of each class goes on to college, and most of those kids wind up at UConn or nearby community colleges, so the parents don’t really have to be on top of these things.</p>
<p>I’m sure that my mother will fill out the form if I tell her that I won’t get anything without it. Seems obvious, but I didn’t even think about saying that!</p>
<p>Also, I looked at that CSS link and some of the schools on my list don’t take into account the noncustodial parent’s income, in which case, I think our EFC would be low enough for full compensation (basically all of my schools meet full demonstrated need as well).</p>
<p>I really appreciate all of the responses; I didn’t think my thread would get so much attention.</p>
<p>Just for reference, this was my list (that I still wanted to condense) before finances entered into my head…</p>
<p>Clark University
UConn
Skidmore College
Wake Forest Uni
Boston College
Brandeis Uni
Oberlin College
College of W&M
Carleton College
Carnegie Mellon
Vassar
Wesleyan
Amherst
Brown</p>
<p>Descending from safeties to high reaches. I want to bring my list down to ~8, maybe less, given application fees, and add some automatic safeties.</p>
<p>You need more financial safeties. Big time.
and I’m pretty sure that even parents of students at UConn stay on top of things these days and have thought about their financial options.
Please try and find a close source to assist you. Wishing the best for you!</p>
<p>Your application list needs to emphasize schools that offer big merit (full ride, or full tuition plus leaving at most about $8,500 for you to find through Stafford loans and work earnings). Find those which have automatic-for-stats (or automatic-for-NMF/NAF if you qualify) full rides for your safety candidates, and competitive large enough scholarships where you have a realistic chance for your non-safety candidates.</p>