Another Request for College Suggestions /Insights
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Anonymous
We’re still working our way through the requirements and considering Fl Schools. |
Anonymous
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Hi OP. We were living in Florida when one of my kids went to college. Bright Futures for sure! It would be crazy to throw that money away. There are so many great instate options. University of Florida is very competitive, even for instate students. My daughter had a 4.3 GPA and was a National Merit Scholar. She got in. Our neighbor's son had a 4.0 and good SATs and did not get in. Florida State isn't as competitive. University of Central Florida and University of North Florida are also great schools.
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Anonymous
Thanks! Me and her father (my brother) aged out of the system so we’re trying to be helpful, while learning ourselves. Appreciated all the info given. |
Anonymous
| She should apply to the most competitive school. All the Ivy Leagues and schools like Northwestern and Wash. U. |
Anonymous
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I work for a college access organization, but in New England so not as helpful for you. Agree with others that good things you can explain to her now are grades=options and there is money out there for her to go to college, but her college choices will depend on where she gets money. I'm not clear on where she actually lives now? Definitely read the fine print for residency requirements. She should apply to a minimum of several public options including each one that will be an affordable safety.
Questbridge is a good idea if she qualifies academically. My org serves low-income, first-gen college bound students exclusively and we rarely get a student accepted for QB. You might look for college access support programs in your area, if she could join Upward Bound or a similar program that could really help. HBCUs are so tough with financial aid. If she really wants to go she should apply with the understanding the money might not be possible. I think taking full federal sub and federal unsub is a good investment for a low income student, but taking additional loans (private or plus) is too risky. These options might not work geographically, but they are schools where I see first gen students thrive: Guilford (they are a school with the Bonner program, which is great if she is into community service), Bradeis through the TYP program, Northeastern through TORCH. If she will have someone who can help her with expenses that is huge! You are providing her with so many of the supports that make the difference. |
Anonymous
| Questbridge, definitely |
Anonymous
| Don’t give up on the HBCUs. Good friends went Spelman (now a lawyer) and Howard (now a dr) and loved it. |
Anonymous
There are so many to choose from (in just Florida alone not to mention nearby states), and so many opportunities for aid that these should absolutely be pursued. Focus on the ACT/SAT and GPA, and see where she qualifies for the most aid. It may not be Spelman or Howard, but it will be affordable and the experience priceless |
Anonymous
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You or your brother should get access to her Naviance account (online system to hep with options after high school with accounts provided by most high schools). She likely won’t have that until junior year, but it will be an enormous help figuring out what schools are reaches, matches and safeties. It has tools like the ability to search for schools by gpa/test scores and for each college it has a scatter plot of kids from that high school showing applications/acceptances by GPA and test scores.
If you can afford it, consider paying to an SAT or ACT prep course. My kid’s final SAT was like 150 points higher than his first one pre-course. A lot of what kids learn is (unfortunately) strategies for managing time specifically for that test and how to approach multiple choice questions. The biggest difference the class made for my SN kid was a feeling of being in control and this he was calm and able to focus on the test rather than panicking about time. |
Anonymous
Try not to worry too much. Set up a Niche.com account and click through to the “what will it cost” details menu. Then you can see what the cost is for households with income under $30,000. If your niece wants to go to state schools, the real full cost of attendance will probably be under $20,000. If she wants to go out of state, then, realistically, she ought to focus on schools that are at least about as prestigious as Florida State, with solid financial aid, and that are mellow enough to take kids with a 3.4. That probably means, maybe, a list of about 50 colleges. Example: Mount Holyoke takes a lot of students with 3.4 GPAs and has a total cost of attendance of about $13,000 for students with annual income under $30,000. So, as long as your niece has some support from someone who knows how the admissions system works, she’ll probably end up with a lot of great college options. |
Anonymous
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My daughter has a friend attending Lehigh University through their LUSSI program, and they meet 100% full need. They also offer diversity preview weekends at no cost. Lots of colleges offer similar programs, so it’s worth looking into things like this.
https://diversityandinclusion.lehigh.edu/studentsuccess/lussi |
Anonymous
Yes. Colleges love kids with great potential from less than ideal circumstances. |
Anonymous
I thought they reserved those few low spots for athletes and legacies. |
Anonymous
Most legacies have high stats. |
Anonymous
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