How to comfort my sibling

[Anonymous]

I am curious about the choice to go to CC, what were her high school stats like?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If this is in VA she should be able to go to either UVA or William and Mary as a matter of right, correct? Are there honors college options there (I am not in VA so only know what I read on here about VA schools)

What does she want to do or does she not know?

While not as great at 0, max $30K debt after college is actually not terrible. it is the $100K plus in debt that is unconscionable.

she sounds very accomplished and will go far with her clear work ethic.

This. I'm surprised that someone as intelligent and accomplished as she is really needs to be "comforted" about the possibility of taking out $20-30k in loans. How many hours is she working now? If she's only been working 40 hours a week during the school year, she could get an extra part time job over summer (so maybe 60-70 hours/week total) to help pay off the loans faster.

Or, you could offer helpful ideas without the judgment.

Yes, this.

OP, you’re a good sister, and it sounds like she’s done great so far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My younger sister has a 10 year age gap with me, so while I've already graduated, she is in the transfer admissions process.

She is at a community college. ~3.8 GPA (magna cum laude), received the top full ride community college honors scholarship upon enrollment, and is on track to graduating with the top honors path at the school. Her ECs are substantial involvement with campus leadership, research every semester with conference presentations, top delegation award at national model UN, a Jack Kent Cooke transfer semifinalist, fast food job during the school year, and a teaching internship in freshman summer. She is from a single parent low income background with 0 EFC. In HS, she was top 5% of the class. Test optional due to COVID. She strongly wants to attend a liberal arts college due to her great experience in the small intimate setting of her honors college.

So far, she has been waitlisted by two of the top 5 ranked LACs, rejected by one, and outright rejected by two in the 10-20 rank (possibly because they're need aware?). She is waiting on several other LACs and a few universities, but she seems very distraught and hopeless. I am tremendously proud of what she has accomplished by herself and want to console her insecurity and fears. What should I do to encourage her? Thank you so much.

Her safety is the honors college for business at the local public university, or BA economics at the state public flagship. Both are great options, but will require about 10-15K in loans a year.

It sounds like she has done an amazing job, and should feel very proud.

Did no one advise her to apply to a RANGE of schools (in terms of selectivity)? There are so many excellent LAC's among the top 100. And most of those do give both merit and financial aid. She may yet achieve her goal this year, but if she does not, I would simply suggest that she reapply next year. She is really on track for success. Please congratulate (from another successful single mom, who has great respect for what your sister has accomplished).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If this is in VA she should be able to go to either UVA or William and Mary as a matter of right, correct? Are there honors college options there (I am not in VA so only know what I read on here about VA schools)

What does she want to do or does she not know?

While not as great at 0, max $30K debt after college is actually not terrible. it is the $100K plus in debt that is unconscionable.

she sounds very accomplished and will go far with her clear work ethic.

This. I'm surprised that someone as intelligent and accomplished as she is really needs to be "comforted" about the possibility of taking out $20-30k in loans. How many hours is she working now? If she's only been working 40 hours a week during the school year, she could get an extra part time job over summer (so maybe 60-70 hours/week total) to help pay off the loans faster.

She has a child! Do you think that demanding job requires no time commitment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If this is in VA she should be able to go to either UVA or William and Mary as a matter of right, correct? Are there honors college options there (I am not in VA so only know what I read on here about VA schools)

What does she want to do or does she not know?

While not as great at 0, max $30K debt after college is actually not terrible. it is the $100K plus in debt that is unconscionable.

she sounds very accomplished and will go far with her clear work ethic.

This. I'm surprised that someone as intelligent and accomplished as she is really needs to be "comforted" about the possibility of taking out $20-30k in loans. How many hours is she working now? If she's only been working 40 hours a week during the school year, she could get an extra part time job over summer (so maybe 60-70 hours/week total) to help pay off the loans faster.

She has a child! Do you think that demanding job requires no time commitment.

That is a big thing to leave out of the OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If this is in VA she should be able to go to either UVA or William and Mary as a matter of right, correct? Are there honors college options there (I am not in VA so only know what I read on here about VA schools)

What does she want to do or does she not know?

While not as great at 0, max $30K debt after college is actually not terrible. it is the $100K plus in debt that is unconscionable.

she sounds very accomplished and will go far with her clear work ethic.

This. I'm surprised that someone as intelligent and accomplished as she is really needs to be "comforted" about the possibility of taking out $20-30k in loans. How many hours is she working now? If she's only been working 40 hours a week during the school year, she could get an extra part time job over summer (so maybe 60-70 hours/week total) to help pay off the loans faster.

She has a child! Do you think that demanding job requires no time commitment.

Who said she has a child??!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am curious about the choice to go to CC, what were her high school stats like?

As mentioned, she was in the top 5% of her graduating class from an average public HS. She did not apply to any OOS state schools and was not familiar with LACs then. She was admitted to both safeties that I mentioned before, but chose the CC due to the full ride scholarship. I think she made the right call because the Honors program gave her advising and mentorship she didn't have in HS; she's much more involved and has a considerably stronger academic profile now than she did then.

Anonymous wrote:Did no one advise her to apply to a RANGE of schools (in terms of selectivity)? There are so many excellent LAC's among the top 100. And most of those do give both merit and financial aid. She may yet achieve her goal this year, but if she does not, I would simply suggest that she reapply next year. She is really on track for success. Please congratulate (from another successful single mom, who has great respect for what your sister has accomplished).

Unfortunately no She's the only one in her cohort applying to LACs. She discovered them by her own research. None of her professors seem to be familiar with most of them. We have thought about the reapplication process but the safeties are still very good schools regardless. Some schools have spring transfer rounds, so maybe if that ends up being the destination, she can try again?

She has a child! Do you think that demanding job requires no time commitment.

She doesn't have a child lol! She's only 19

[Anonymous]

She was RAISED by a single mom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If this is in VA she should be able to go to either UVA or William and Mary as a matter of right, correct? Are there honors college options there (I am not in VA so only know what I read on here about VA schools)

What does she want to do or does she not know?

While not as great at 0, max $30K debt after college is actually not terrible. it is the $100K plus in debt that is unconscionable.

she sounds very accomplished and will go far with her clear work ethic.

This. I'm surprised that someone as intelligent and accomplished as she is really needs to be "comforted" about the possibility of taking out $20-30k in loans. How many hours is she working now? If she's only been working 40 hours a week during the school year, she could get an extra part time job over summer (so maybe 60-70 hours/week total) to help pay off the loans faster.

She has a child! Do you think that demanding job requires no time commitment.

Who said she has a child??!?

There is no mention of OP's sister having a child, unless I misread somewhere.

[Anonymous]

OP, is she finishing this spring with her prerequisites/associate's degree?

[Anonymous]

Yes, she'll graduate this semester.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, she'll graduate this semester.

OP, here is a link to colleges still accepting applications:

https://www.nacacnet.org/news--publications/Research/openings/

There are approximately 300 schools on it.

Allegheny, Beloit, Chapman, College of Charleston, Cornell College (Iowa), Goucher, Ithaca, Knox, Juniata, Susquehanna, Catholic University of America, University of Missouri, and others I recognize as well are listed on there as still accepting transfers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, she'll graduate this semester.

OP, here is a link to colleges still accepting applications:

https://www.nacacnet.org/news--publications/Research/openings/

There are approximately 300 schools on it.

Allegheny, Beloit, Chapman, College of Charleston, Cornell College (Iowa), Goucher, Ithaca, Knox, Juniata, Susquehanna, Catholic University of America, University of Missouri, and others I recognize as well are listed on there as still accepting transfers.

Thank you very much! I'll pass this info onto her!!

[Anonymous]

DP here, since you said your sister is 19, she is a dependent student with zero EFC for FAFSA. Assuming that she has done only 2 years in CC, she would be eligible for $7500 in Stafford loans for her junior year of college and $7500 for her senior year without needing a cosigner. So $15k. If it is necessary for her to get more in loans than that, I believe that you would either need to take out Parent Plus Loans on her behalf or cosign for private loans. I don't believe it is possible to recover Stafford loans that a student previously declined to take since I am assuming that she declined the Freshman and Sophomore amounts (which would make sense since she had a full scholarship for the first two years in CC).

Do you know how much she is eligible for in Pell Grants?

[Anonymous]

Is the local public university that she is accepted to honors for the T50 or the T200? Is it close enough that she can commute to (I know that would be not be ideal...but if it is very close to where she lives, like fewer than 15 minutes away, that may be a way to cut costs).