Does anyone have time to spare to help us with college strategy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apply for UC and Cal State schools. On $25K a year you should get full financial aid.

I keep reading stories about high achieving kids not getting in. He is not URM. Not sure if he is going to be top 9% as the high school is strong.
Does not have any big hardships except for surviving on this income in CA lol

He's doing great. CA has tons of schools, some that take the majority of kids. He may not get into the one you want him to go to but he'll get in one.

Really my only wishes are a 4 year college, paid for or close to it, and maybe a bunch of nerdy kids for him to hang out with I hope that even predominantly first Gen schools have that.

[Anonymous]

Part time job for sure. Anything is fine.

If he likes art, encourage participation in that. Even if just on his own time There art competitions he can enter: https://blog.collegevine.com/prestigious-visual-arts-competitions-for-high-school-students
(If he gets recognized through those competitions that’s great, if not tho no worries just the fact that he self creates and enters competitions is something to highlight)

If he has time / energy to do some community service, he can contact a local senior center or private memory care facility and volunteer to do some art projects with seniors. With memory care, even if he just draws some pictures for seniors to color in, brings some color pencils, and color with seniors they will love it.

Have him apply to the UCs and the CalStates, but your local Community College is a great backup option and the UC has the transfer program he can use after a couple of CC years.

[Anonymous]

I have a friend in CA who’s dc went to a community college in CA. I understand that if you maintain a certain gpa you are guaranteed admissions to one of the UCs (except Berkeley I believe). Anyway, DC applied and transferred to Georgia Tech for last 2 years. Something to consider.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend in CA who’s dc went to a community college in CA. I understand that if you maintain a certain gpa you are guaranteed admissions to one of the UCs (except Berkeley I believe). Anyway, DC applied and transferred to Georgia Tech for last 2 years. Something to consider.

Definitely look at the community college program in California. Many states have moved towards only charging community college transfers the community college tuition even at flagship state schools. If he does well at community college, he becomes very attractive as a transfer student. The success rate at college of lower socioeconomic students is much lower than colleges want and the community college pipeline has been showing promise.

[Anonymous]

“ His first language wasn’t English but now it’s his native language.”

This sentence doesn’t make sense. People don’t become native English speakers. He is not. His first language is something else. He will never be a native English speaker.

You sound like a single mom? Does he have a dad? Dads assets and features could factor in if so, depending on which school, whether dad gives
CS, etc. Also if you re marry your new husbands assets and income could factor in

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you willing for DS to attend college out of state? Both public and private universities try to have geographic diversity and many give both financial aid and merit aid to attract kids with scores/grades above their averages who also round out the class. You would have to factor in added cost of travel home.

Yes, by all means, unless the cost is prohibitive (I don’t mean the travel home cost, this one we can afford).
Do you think it’s realistic for him to get a full ride or close to it OOS?

Impossible to say for a 8th grader. Remember, for most schools when you get a need based financial aid package, an applicant is first given loans. To come out of school with as little debt as possible, he should stick to California schools. What he would get merit wise is impossible to predict.

[Anonymous]

Genuine question, how are you surviving and even considering having any money to spend on college if your income is $25k per year?

[Anonymous]

I would talk to a nonprofit college counseling service or if you can afford it, a private counselor to help craft his story in a way that is appealing to colleges and will not only get him in, but help get him maximum financial aid. Your situation sounds like it hasn’t been easy - single parent, immigrant, low income - and he’s doing great despite these challenges. And you are too! In the meantime, a part time job would be a good idea and focus on studies and art.

[Anonymous]

The other factor you have not mentioned is SAT test prep - I think the UC schools are TO but if you are applying to OOS privates he might have to go down that path, depending on where he applies. I might research that a bit to see if you can just avoid SAT/ACT altogether or whether you have to add this to your DC's plate.

[Anonymous]

If his father has a decent income then many schools will be unaffordable because the college will factor dad’s income into the aid package. It doesn’t matter if you (mom) don’t have much money if dad does.

Ask me how I know?
I had divorced parents with a poor mother and a GS12 type father remarried to an attorney -the latter were unwilling to pay.
The result was lots of loans and debt for me because the financial aid office said dad and stepmom should pay a lot of money that they would not spend on me.

Your kid isn’t low income. You are low income. Daddy doesn’t want to pay. Thats different than having two poor parents.

[Anonymous]

Take a look at University of Arizona and Arizona State University. They have good aid l, even if you are out of state and are easier to get into. Lots of Californians there. They also are decent schools. You might also want to look at University of Oregon for the same reasons.

If you think he might like a small liber arts college, take a look at Willamette, Reed, Lewis & Clark, or Puget Sound.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The other factor you have not mentioned is SAT test prep - I think the UC schools are TO but if you are applying to OOS privates he might have to go down that path, depending on where he applies. I might research that a bit to see if you can just avoid SAT/ACT altogether or whether you have to add this to your DC's plate.

No the UC colleges do not want ANY SAT results. They are more than TO they are test negative. The AO of UCLA was quoted as saying people try to sneak their results into essays and those applications end up on the floor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“ His first language wasn’t English but now it’s his native language.”

This sentence doesn’t make sense. People don’t become native English speakers. He is not. His first language is something else. He will never be a native English speaker.

You sound like a single mom? Does he have a dad? Dads assets and features could factor in if so, depending on which school, whether dad gives
CS, etc. Also if you re marry your new husbands assets and income could factor in

English wasn’t the first language he started speaking but he has all but lost it by now and speaks English without a foreign accent using big words and all.
Yes father pays CS.
We will be looking at FAFSA schools and if a CSS school comes into play then request a waiver.
No plans to remarry, I know the game.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Take a look at University of Arizona and Arizona State University. They have good aid l, even if you are out of state and are easier to get into. Lots of Californians there. They also are decent schools. You might also want to look at University of Oregon for the same reasons.

If you think he might like a small liber arts college, take a look at Willamette, Reed, Lewis & Clark, or Puget Sound.

Thank you, this is very helpful

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If his father has a decent income then many schools will be unaffordable because the college will factor dad’s income into the aid package. It doesn’t matter if you (mom) don’t have much money if dad does.

Ask me how I know?
I had divorced parents with a poor mother and a GS12 type father remarried to an attorney -the latter were unwilling to pay.
The result was lots of loans and debt for me because the financial aid office said dad and stepmom should pay a lot of money that they would not spend on me.

Your kid isn’t low income. You are low income. Daddy doesn’t want to pay. Thats different than having two poor parents.

I am sorry you had to go through this. You must have been applying to CSS schools.
FAFSA is different (unless the current overhaul screws us up but I hope not).