Did you use a fee waiver for ACT? Then you should have 4 free scores to send.
I would try to appeal the limit, it isn’t everyday that someone with an ACT 35 and 223 PSAT applies and needs merit and FA enough to attend.
Yes, don’t ignore the TAP you would be able to get in your own state. And incentives at SUNY s for high stats students.
See my reply in the other thread on an algorithm to choose schools.
Also URochester meets full need and would be a good safety if you can apply to CUNY after April 1.
The good thing about quest bridge is that they will waive all of their fees if you are a match/finalist
@sybbie719 Would you be able to tell me more about HEOP? I’ve never heard of it before. I just did a quick google search on it and from my understanding I need a high school diploma to be eligible (which I do not have yet)?
I do live in NYC but I want to go away from the city for college, and Hamilton/Colgate’s locations are a bit too cold for me. I do not think I will be nominated for Posse unfortunately.
And thank you for informing me about those scholarships! I was not aware of them before. I will have to ask my counselor about them after school starts since my school does not rank and they have ranking qualifications, but I will apply if I’m eligible.
As for the limit, it’s a rigid one at my school that has been in place for many years. I honestly do not think it can be changed so I’m just trying to find the best way to work with it currently.
@mommdc Yes, hopefully I will qualify for one of those! I'm only looking at schools in the Northeast though so Ohio State/U Kentucky won't work for me. Do you have any advice on whether I should consider schools I can only afford if I receive a competitive merit scholarship though?
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@ucbalumnus @mommdc @sybbie719 @Madison85 According to my school, they limit apps because they want us to select the schools that best fit us. So a quality over quantity thing I suppose, and likely less work for them. I personally dislike this rule but it's been in place for many years so it's very unlikely to change. It's a very rigid rule at my school.
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@BrownParent I don't know for sure but I would consider low-income kids to be a minority at my school. And yes, applications to public schools are unlimited so I plan to take full advantage of that if I find many publics that I like.
Thanks for the advice! I haven't decided on whether to match or not yet but the 7 private college limit applies to QB as well.
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@ucbalumnus Yes, but I am only applying to colleges in the Northeast.Do you have a non custodial parent
University of Richmond. Not too far from NYC plus I think you would have a very good chance of admittance. The school meets full need and has merit scholarships.
@ClassicRockerDad Yes, I just saw that. (see my reply please)
That’s interesting, because URochester is actually one of the schools in question. When I put my information in the NPC I got a huge output that’s more than double what my family can afford.
@sybbie719 Yes, I know! I’m definitely applying to QB.
@mom2collegekids No, I do not.
@txstella That’s actually a school I’m already considering! 
Well, the school that best fits you is one that you like and your family can afford. If the other students are higher income maybe an exception can be made for you? Even if a school doesn’t officially rank, they can report your GPA in the context of the whole class.
I don’t think there is huge merit in the NE for NMF.
I would pick the publics where the net price calculator indicates that with grants and student loan they are affordable, the ones in NY would be more affordable because of TAP in addition to Pell.
Then some privates that offer possibility of generous merit and need based aid, like U Rochester, Northeastern.
Unfortunately you won’t know how much merit you might get up front, except for Temple.
Are your parents married?
@mommdc Yes, I know. This has been a rigid rule at my school for many years so I really don’t know if it can be changed/exceptions can be made, but I suppose I will go to my counselor with my concerns after school starts and see what he has to say.
And yes, I do plan to apply to quite a few publics (affordable ones of course). I am already considering U Rochester. Northeastern, however, is one of the schools with an unaffordable NPC output but large merit scholarships that I may or may not get. Do you think it would be worth it to apply there as one of my 7 private schools? (I really like it I think but there’s a large chance I would not get the merit scholarship.)
My parents are married.
“University of Richmond. Not too far from NYC”
Really?
NYC isn’t in New England and it is about as far south as I’d consider the northeast. Baltimore? Washington DC? Richmond? Those are mid-Atlantic states. For a family that makes $30k per year, travel to Richmond several times a year would be almost impossible.
Is the output high because of home equity or assets you think?
Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t NEU meet full need?
U Rochester would have the advantage of being instate, if Sybbie is right and you could get an extra $5k for TAP that’s nothing to sneeze at.
Definitely show interest in the private schools.
I didn’t know high schools could limit your college applications?? That sounds odd.
The ivies, the military academies, cooper union, Fordham or any school on this list:
http://nmfscholarships.yolasite.com/
@twogirls, didn’t you say that UNC Chapel Hill has good financial aid?
@twoinanddone University of Richmond is borderline too far for me but I am willing to consider it because they did give an affordable NPC output. Although I should start factoring in travel costs in my college choices because I’ve forgotten to do that until you mentioned it just now. So thank you!
@mommdc We do not own a house/farm/property (that is what home equity refers to right? I’m not too familiar with these financial terms). And I don’t think we have large assets but I’m not sure. My parents and I will have max 5k in the bank after I get paid for my summer job.
Yes, that sounds very nice. But U Rochester gave me a very unaffordable NPC output. Would you advise me to still consider it given that? (+ possible, although I don’t know how likely, merit aid in mind?)
I will definitely try my best to show interest. Do you have advice for good ways of doing so if I cannot visit some schools?
IF you can get into Hamilton through HEOP or even gen admission, they would meet 100% of your demonstrated need something that most of the schools on your list won’t do. If you are also a low income minority, they are trying to raise their diversity numbers.
list of heop schools (if you can get in through HEOP, you would get a full need package). However, NYU and Fordham would not pay for dorming if you are with in commuting distance. I would definitely recommend that you toss an application in at Barnard , which would cover the cost of your dorming
www.highered.nysed.gov/kiap/pdf/HEOPWebBrochure2009.pdf
IF you go to a NYC DOE school, your guidance counselor can pull the rank list through STARs even though they may not officially rank. (they would have to pull it for the NYS Achievement scholarships that are given through HESC
feel free to send me a PM
Did you use their merit aid profiles they list? At the bottom of the NPC, you can choose to include merit estimate and recalculate.
I don’t know if the grants they list include Pell and TAP, or just institutional aid.
Some schools (most privates) include home equity of your primary home in their FA calculation. So if your house had a value of $100 k and you owed $50k on it, your home equity would be $50 k, value minus money owed on mortgage.
Schools that use only FAFSA don’t include primary home equity.
I
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@twoinanddone what does NYC not being in New England have to do with anything? Did I miss something on how that relates to midatlantic states (which NY and VA are part of)?
For publics I would put Temple as a safety, guaranteed full tuition, R&B is listed at about $12,000. With Pell about $5k, student loan and summer work that should be feasible.
Then find some SUNYs you like. Maybe University of Pittsburgh as a possibility for full tuition, not guaranteed though.
For privates start with ones in NY, U Rochester, maybe Cornell.
Then others like U Richmond. Northeastern, etc especially if you are NMF $30,000 award?
Then you can add 3 more privates.
http://nmfscholarships.yolasite.com/
Fordham is listed on here and NEU