<p>*my SAT CR+M score is 1370, and my GPA is 3.8 UW/4.4 W. *</p>
<p>Since a good number of schools base scholarships on M+CR score, your 1370 is what’s going to often count for merit scholarships.</p>
<p>I know that your first choice is to go to an LAC…</p>
<p>Putting that aside (in case it’s not financially possible)…what else do you want in a school?</p>
<p>Rural setting?
City setting?
spirited campus?
quiet campus?
sports to watch?
Catholic schools ok?
single sex schools ok?</p>
<p>mom2collegekids,</p>
<p>I’d prefer a college town, town near a big city, or a big city. I would preferably want to go to a medium-sized or a small school, even though I might be okay with a larger-sized school as well. No Catholic schools or single-sex schools. No big Greek life presence on campus or anything, and an international focus with good study abroad programs.</p>
<p>You have some great schools on your list and it’s likely you will get accepted at one of them at least. BUT your parents have told you…they will not pay more than $20K per year.</p>
<p>That being the case, you need to find at least ONE affordable school. Otherwise you could be caught between having schools that are too expensive that your parents won’t pay for…and no where to go to college. Your choice.</p>
<p>You need to be a smart consumer. Absolutely you need to pick one of your in-state publics that you know you will receive an acceptance. After that look at the public liberal arts colleges</p>
<p>[COPLAC</a> | Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges](<a href=“http://www.coplac.org/]COPLAC”>http://www.coplac.org/)</p>
<p>Look at publics with residential colleges and
finally look at privates that have very good financial aid. One that does is Lake Forest College in suburban Chicago…look at Kalamazoo College…there are others. </p>
<p>$130,000 is well above average income and $20,000 is a pretty decent college budget per year if you seek out an appropriate list of colleges.</p>
<p>Does your state have a “public LAC”?</p>
<p>Many schools are going to have some Greek presence.</p>
<p>My parents are kind of uptight about prestige when it comes to colleges, and University of Maryland-CP is, in their opinion, the only somewhat “prestigious” Maryland school that offers in-state tuition. They probably would hate to send me to a school that isn’t “prestigious” in their eyes, and they’re the ones financing my college education, so that doesn’t leave me much choice.</p>
<p>Did your sister go to UM-CP?</p>
<p>Well, your parents are only paying for SOME of your college costs. They can’t call all the shots when they have you hog-tied with a strict budget. That’s not fair. </p>
<p>That’s like telling someone that they have to buy a luxury car, but I’m only give you $10k to do it.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>adding to above…</p>
<p>you can play their silly game of giving you a strict budget but demanding prestige by applying to your schools (that won’t likely be affordable), but also applying to a few schools that will be affordable (dont’ worry about their opinion of those schools at this point).</p>
<p>What are they going to do in the spring? They’re either going to have to cough up more money or shut up about prestige. Play their game…but apply to some safeties.</p>
<p>I’m wondering if the parents understand financial aid. Indeed it’s hard to ask for prestige when you can’t afford to pay your EFC.</p>
<p>I’m thinking they either don’t understand the aid picture or they’re not serious about only paying $20K.</p>
<p>In the OP’s shoes I’d sit down with the parents and go over what an aid package looks like at these schools. How they calculate EFC especially. Some of the college web sites walk you through this.</p>
<p>Or choose St. Mary’s College of Maryland for in-state - knock off two birds with one stone - in state and LAC.</p>
<p>^^^^</p>
<p>Great suggestion and really good school! Forgot about that!!! :)</p>