Check out QuestBridge. Full scholarships to the top schools for low income students. Your niece is within range.

UCLA, UC Davis and SLO. Also any other schools she is intersted in she should go for. Good luck to all.

Just an FYI that there isn't a major called Liberal Arts (or at least in most places there isn't). Math is a major at liberal arts schools/programs. Liberal arts programs do typically require or encourage taking a range of classes outside your major but the majors can include math, sciences, even computer science at DCs university. So I would not let the choice of major limit her choices at this point - it primarily matters if she wants to go into engineering or nursing or something that requires starting it freshman year.

For a UC, does she need 2 years old residence, like in VA? It sounds like she just moved. Is her former school also in CA? If not, gap year to apply with residency status.

Or is one/both of her parents military? This sounds like it could be a military kid situation. That might change the residency thing. And she might qualify for some tuition help.

I would recommend you pose your question on the College Confidential site either in the "parents" forum or "financial aid" forum. They can offer a lot of input especially for California schools. Good luck.

The Common Ap has a section where people put in their activities and how much time they spend on each every week/month. She can put in her home care duties there. She will get credit for that time.

She'll get into a great UC. She's actually very fortunate to have a lot of options. I would not push her into thinking private is inherently better. At the same time, if she is interested in a smaller college setting, she could select a few lower top- tier SLACs that might give her good aid (like ranked 20s-30s). But the UC she gets into might actually be better.

Anonymous wrote:My niece is a rising senior in high school in California. Her parents have good educations and are in professional jobs, but are not in a position to help her much with planning for college. They have had some pretty serious financial hard times and setbacks, and have had to move around a fair bit.

What would you recommend for a student in this situation:

1. Good grades -- mostly A's but some B's
2. ACT of 33
3. Not really any activities due to having to help with younger siblings, and lack of rides and money to pay for activities
4. Very strong in Math and loves English too. (She's a big reader.)
5. Will try to use letters of rec from her previous high school (from junior year), since she is starting a new high school this year (as a senior)
6. Will need full financial aid -- no college savings
7. Not a URM
8. She's a great writer and will probably do a good essay.

I'm thinking of offering to pay for the services of a college admissions counselor, rather than going through the counselors at her big public HS (where she will be new anyway). That way, they could help her sort through her options.

I think she should consider private colleges that might have financial aid. Her mom thinks that the UC schools would be best because they are cheaper, but I am hoping she can get a good amount of aid wherever she goes. (She would qualify based on financial aid and perhaps merit.) I think she could enjoy either a big college or a small college. She's pretty flexible -- not too picky.

She'd like to study the Liberal Arts, but her parents are trying to encourage her to do something more practical (like Math or Accounting), since there's no financial cushion.

I welcome any advice you may have!

The bolded is not a minus, but a plus. Colleges eat that stuff up these days. She just needs to be very clear about it in her essays.

^^it DOES NOT REQUIRE

With her scores, grades, and financial need, she should get a cal grant - not sure if it's CS or UC. It died today require EC or leadership. Her CA HS counselor would know.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for this advice! I am pretty sure that, unfortunately, she'd qualify for full financial aid because of need. (Low income and no savings, despite parents' educations. No family money.) I just wanted to add that, in case it changes your answer at all?

How low is the income?

OP here. Thanks for this advice! I am pretty sure that, unfortunately, she'd qualify for full financial aid because of need. (Low income and no savings, despite parents' educations. No family money.) I just wanted to add that, in case it changes your answer at all?

Does her h.s. have college counseling? She should start there. Many of the CA state schools are excellent. She may not be able to get into Berkeley or UCLA with those scores, but could get into others. She could try private but if they don't qualify for aid, it would be a burden.

It is so nice for you to pay for counseling. Coordinate with the h.s. to make sure you aren't paying for something that is already handled. You could also help her review her essays.

Good luck. She'll be fine.

My kid with similar stats but perhaps a few more activities (not a joiner but had sustained interest/talent in a notable one throughout school) had no problem getting acceptances, but merit aid from privates did not bring the COA close enough to state school tuition to make it doable for us.

Aid at private schools was $20-$25K/year. My kid may have been eligible for more if the grades had been more in line with the ACT score.

I'd take a very close look at the UC and CS schools just to make sure she has her bases covered if the same happens to her. My kid is happily headed to a state school despite more "prestigious" LAC acceptances.

My niece is a rising senior in high school in California. Her parents have good educations and are in professional jobs, but are not in a position to help her much with planning for college. They have had some pretty serious financial hard times and setbacks, and have had to move around a fair bit.

What would you recommend for a student in this situation:

1. Good grades -- mostly A's but some B's
2. ACT of 33
3. Not really any activities due to having to help with younger siblings, and lack of rides and money to pay for activities
4. Very strong in Math and loves English too. (She's a big reader.)
5. Will try to use letters of rec from her previous high school (from junior year), since she is starting a new high school this year (as a senior)
6. Will need full financial aid -- no college savings
7. Not a URM
8. She's a great writer and will probably do a good essay.

I'm thinking of offering to pay for the services of a college admissions counselor, rather than going through the counselors at her big public HS (where she will be new anyway). That way, they could help her sort through her options.

I think she should consider private colleges that might have financial aid. Her mom thinks that the UC schools would be best because they are cheaper, but I am hoping she can get a good amount of aid wherever she goes. (She would qualify based on financial aid and perhaps merit.) I think she could enjoy either a big college or a small college. She's pretty flexible -- not too picky.

She'd like to study the Liberal Arts, but her parents are trying to encourage her to do something more practical (like Math or Accounting), since there's no financial cushion.

I welcome any advice you may have!