It’s my university wide UC GPA.
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A part time job is a great EC - you can start this summer and keep it going. Also could potentially give you some interesting things to talk about in your PIQs (maybe you will have to develop/use leadership skills, maybe you will discover a new talent, perhaps it will force you to get creative in how you approach situations and people - these are all PIQ topics you might find inspiration for). It also demonstrates maturity, responsibility, the ability to follow-through on tasks…And you could save up some money for college. It’s a win all around.
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Historically, net price calculators tended to give net prices like:
CSU as commuter student < UC < CSU as resident student
because UCs typically adjust financial aid based on living situation, while CSUs do not, and commuting while living with parents typically costs less than living on one’s own on or near campus (although costs of commuting while living with parents is non-zero).
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That’s great that some of the private schools are looking potentially affordable.
The ones that may work fall into two categories: the ones like Occidental and Macalester, that promise to meet your full documented need if they admit you, and the ones like Clark that don’t automatically meet need but may meet your need with a combination of need-based aid and merit aid.
Don’t write off the latter category; they tend to be a little less competitive than the full-need-met schools, and some may end up being quite generous to a high-performing first-generation applicant. And if you apply to several of them and get one really good offer, it’s often possible to leverage that offer to get more money from another peer school. A few more urban LAC’s with relevant programs and potentially generous aid:
- Rhodes (in Memphis) Urban Studies | Rhodes College
- Kalamazoo College (in, unsurprisingly, Kalamazoo) Public Policy and Urban Affairs | Kalamazoo College – Academic Catalog Kalamazoo is located within half a mile of Western Michigan University, with which it has a cross-registration agreement, so WMU’s Community & Regional Planning program would be another source of relevant coursework.
- Trinity University (in San Antonio - not to be confused with Trinity College in Hartford, which MYOS suggested above and which meets full need) Urban Studies
It is worth noting that Clark U now guarantees full-need-met aid to Early Decision applicants: https://www.clarku.edu/undergraduate-admissions/apply/early-decision/ I don’t know if you’d consider forclosing on your CA public options with a far-from-home binding early application, but Clark’s programs in your areas of interest are excellent; if the NPC looks good, it could be something to consider. It’s a great location for urban studies, being located in the smaller city of Worcester, but also just a 45 minute commuter rail ride from the major city of Boston. (Also, Clark students with qualifying undergrad GPAs are eligible for full tuition scholarships for their fifth-year masters programs, which include GIS and Community Development & Planning. Accelerated B.A./Master's Programs | Clark University)
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