Parents have $0 saved for college, won't qualify for financial aid

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Oh they definitely prioritize education: they get mad if I get an A- on a test. Which clearly won't even matter if I'll wind up at CC anyways.

Farthest south that I'd be happy with going is Chapel Hill, which I think in a normal situation would be a great target. But there's no way given the current state of the country I'd be willing to go to Alabama or Florida or Texas.

I absolutely understand your feelings about this but you should be a bit more open minded about the financial freedom you this could give you. A kid in an honors college at any sec is going to be surrounded by like minded academic students while being propped up by huge merit awards plus a lower cost of living.

I know it’s easy to be idealistic at 17 but you have to look at real world solutions since your parents have truly screwed you over here. Get a full ride on merit (anywhere you can but the sec is your best choice) stand out there in undergrad,since it will be easier in a less competitive environment, and go for prestige in grad program.

It’s tough to hear but you aren’t the only high stats kid that can’t go to a T20 for whatever reason. You want a solution that doesn’t include a CC or crippling debt well this is it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Suck it up and go to community college. Live at home, work part-time, and don’t waste your time applying to schools you can’t afford. This path gives you the best shot at affording two years at an in-state university while minimizing debt. Plus, you can skip standardized tests, essays, and endless applications, freeing up time to take dual enrollment courses that could shorten your stay at community college and help you transfer faster.

Is this your dream? Probably not. But it’s likely your reality, and you should accept it. You can fantasize about a full ride to your dream school, but for most people, that’s not going to happen.

With all the CC recs I'm starting to seriously consider it but now I'm wondering about how if I took that pathway I might not be allowed to live at home. I honestly think that if I, the academic pride of the family who gets bragged about to everyone they know, ended up at CC, they'd be infuriated that they wasted time + money on my academic pursuits/ECs for nothing, or talk about how even though they came from low income backgrounds they still managed to pay their way at a 4 year college talked about frequently on this forum (and we used to live in-state for that college, which I would have a great shot of getting into with my stats + double legacy, but then we moved)

[Anonymous]

UNC is not a target for anyone out of state. You need to change your mindset.

And since you’re going to med school, you need to focus on graduating with as little debt as possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whatever you do begin with the end in mind. Can you get any job shadowing or intern experiences? Any work connections from a friend of a friend? A school helps give you a network for jobs prestige won't pay your bills unless it gets you a better job.

I plan to major in pre-med, pysch, or neuro so I'm shadowing a few doctors this summer

0 work connections that are in any way related to what I want to do

My friend decided on a Jesuit college for her kid who wants to be Pre-Med. She looked into what it takes to get into med school...great grades, faculty recommendations, top on-campus research experiences, small classes for pre-reqs, etc. She also was very concerned about cost of attendance. This person is a wealth advisor with a degree from a Top 30 university. It seems quite likely to me that this kid will be able to get into med school as top of his class as long as he gets great MCATs.

This is in the Midwest. But you could look at schools out your way.

[Anonymous]

Yes to the PP who suggested becoming a non-dependent and applying for aid on your own—talk to your school counselor about what would be needed for this pathway. Cheering on your success!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Suck it up and go to community college. Live at home, work part-time, and don’t waste your time applying to schools you can’t afford. This path gives you the best shot at affording two years at an in-state university while minimizing debt. Plus, you can skip standardized tests, essays, and endless applications, freeing up time to take dual enrollment courses that could shorten your stay at community college and help you transfer faster.

Is this your dream? Probably not. But it’s likely your reality, and you should accept it. You can fantasize about a full ride to your dream school, but for most people, that’s not going to happen.

With all the CC recs I'm starting to seriously consider it but now I'm wondering about how if I took that pathway I might not be allowed to live at home. I honestly think that if I, the academic pride of the family who gets bragged about to everyone they know, ended up at CC, they'd be infuriated that they wasted time + money on my academic pursuits/ECs for nothing, or talk about how even though they came from low income backgrounds they still managed to pay their way at a 4 year college talked about frequently on this forum (and we used to live in-state for that college, which I would have a great shot of getting into with my stats + double legacy, but then we moved)

OP, you might be able to get your parents to chip in at the last minute precisely because of that feeling of embarrassment.

Definitely do both applying to the CC route and applying to whatever you want.

Then tell them...I think I'm going to go to Community College next year instead of Michigan or Cornell or William & Mary because even one year is $90K more of debt that I can't afford on my own. Then see what they do.

It may be that you're trapped in an emotional contest but you haven't realized you have leverage, too. I've known parents who tried to be hardasses with their kids but then caved at critical points.

Give yourself multiple options.

What everyone is trying to tell you is that you shouldn't take out loans for tens of thousands of dollars purely for the social fun of being a freshman at a better than baseline school.

CC is really the smart fallback bet these days.

My kid knows someone at his Top 30 school who is choosing to drop out of ROTC, and because of that is transferring after freshman year from former OOS dream school back to home state flagship.

I transferred from one flagship to another after freshman year because the first was too much of a party school. Didn't see that coming. A kid from my high school was there with me and as a sophomore, he transferred from state flagship to Yale undergrad.

Life has a lot of twists and turns. Be open-minded and financially prudent.

[Anonymous]

You have to go to the best in state program you get into.

[Anonymous]

You are not a brat. It’s really no different than you coming from a poor family. Not your fault for being born into this family. This is a situation many kids are in.

If you are a high stats student chase the money but T20 schools will probably not happen for merit.

Look at a Stamps scholarship. There are 37 schools they partner with and most offer full cost of attendance plus enrichment grants. They are competitive but if it’s more about leadership and passion than just grades and scores. My kid is at one of the schools. She is actually making money!

There are so many other schools that offer full rides. Look at NC State Park scholarship…if you are National Merit UT Dallas offers full ride so does VCU.

And as you mentioned before ROTC. Several of her friends went that route and they are at Cornell and Brown.

When others say you can borrow as a student there is a limit to that your parents will have to take out a parent plus loan which doesn’t sound like they will.
YOU can do this! Not sure if you stated what year you are in but highly recommend to start early. Merit scholarships usually need to be in Oct 15, Nov 1 and in some cases Dec 1. The earlier the better.
Goodluck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why the eyeroll for "southern schools?"

I was just going to post this same question. Op, please explain.

I want to work in the Northeast after grad + South is way too red

I see. Your choices are of course your own, but I would encourage you to be more open minded.

Precisely OP is arrogant

Or a woman

or not white

[Anonymous]

I missed- did you parents say they were not going to pay at all?
Do they have savings - but those savings are not tagged for your college?
Have you sat down with them to discuss what they are able to contribute?

[Anonymous]

12 colleges

include your MITs and your state schools.

there's no chance , if you get into MIT, and drop in public: "I got into MIT but parents aren't contributing to college and I can't pay for it " that your parents will survive socially. burn it down.

also, you're probably not getting into MIT so also apply to places like state flagship and places like small privates with good med school acceptances and great FA. Rhodes comes to mind.

GL!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a high schooler who frequently stalks the college forum for advice, and the thread about kids having to pay their own way got me thinking about my own circumstances. My parents have no money saved for my college education, so I will need to rely heavily on trying to get scholarship money. However, they combined make $300k and our house is worth well over $1 million, so FAFSA and any need-based financial aid is pretty much out of the question. Putting our info into the calculators usually only gets me an average of $5-10k in need-based aid. I just don't know what to do. I have high stats and decent ECs. I have a job and work two in the summer. My dream schools (Hopkins, NYU, Columbia, MIT) are wayyy too expensive. I've considered ROTC but I don't think the military is really for me. I just really want to go to a school that I love but will also give me enough money so I can attend, and I think the only schools that I can get fantastic scholarship money at are going to be at southern schools . Does anyone have any recommendations for great colleges that give great merit scholarships? I'm in VA but I don't like most of the in-state schools with the exception of W&M

I am sorry you are in that situation but the reality of it is you will need to adjust your expectations. Saying you only like one state school option is a bad attitude to have in your situation.

You will need to cast your application net more widely. Apply to schools that offer more merit aid. Consider starting at community college. Once you are in, apply to be an RA to get room and board covered in later years. Keep applying for local scholarships. And so on.

It sucks to be in your situation but the sooner you learn beggars can’t be choosers, the sooner you can get some clarity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are your parents helping at all? They may have millions in retirement and can just pay as they go from their income.
Did you go to private high school? What did your parents do with their money?
I would go to community college. My kid is going to CC even though I have money for him.

They claim we can't afford it and that we're struggling (which I doubt)

Did private for a few years in elementary school, bought a piano, got a screened in porch

I know CC is an option, and if that's what I need I'll do it, but I'll just feel like a failure. I'm a very high achiever who's been deadset on going to a top 20 since middle school, especially because ivy/top 20 acceptances are very rare in my area. Most people are expecting me to go to a highly ranked college, and CC feels like I'm letting them and myself down.

I am guessing that even with 300k your family has a lifestyle where you think they are rich but they actually don’t have as much cashflow as you think. And certainly not the $50k+ William and Mary will cost per year between tuition, room and board and other incidentals.

Will they sigh parent plus loans?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, if your parents will pay in state, then I’d go to UVA or W&M. If they pay for nothing, go wherever you can get a full ride. Med school loans are huge. Future you will be happy that current you went to undergrad debt-free.

If your parents saved zero, then I’m sorry that happened to you. Costs today really aren’t the same as when your parents went through. You’ll do better by your kids.

They won't even pay in-state. Any time I ask to confirm that there is literally nothing saved for me or my siblings I'm always told that they didn't save anything so I'll have to rely on scholarships, pay my own way, or take out loans.

SO go somewhere you can get a full ride for undergrad. No, it won't be as fancy but if you are a high achiever it will pave your way to med school. I went to a small state school and was valedictorian, went straight to Harvard for grad school. This is not the tragedy you think it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You rolled your eyes, but there is nothing wrong with a free ride to Alabama. Lots of out of state kids and a very nice place to spend four years.

I have a million complaints about the state of Alabama and I lived there for a while, so I’m very familiar with its issues. However, we are very likely about to experience a major recession and you do not want to start your young adult life with a ton of debt over an undergrad degree. ESPECIALLY since you are pre-med. And on that note, Alabama does a great job at preparing kids for med school.

Had neighbors who sent their kid to Alabama on a full ride and he went to Duke for med school.