So you and your parents have never run numbers? No NPCs? That Is pretty shocking, they must really be assuming you are going to your in state school? Many kids with great stats never apply to top schools because it is pointless purely because of the money. They have to be practical, and OT is so much more vocational than other majors that I would bet the top OT schools are at places many of us would never have known of.
No, I tried running the NPC with my mom but she got all annoyed and thought it was a scam and told me to go away lol.
Legit i’m the only high achieving person in my family, I know that sounds rude but it’s true. So they don’t know anything about financial aid at elite schools or anything like my parents are honestly so ignorant. UGH so frustrating idk what to do!!! @alfonsia @jym626 @lookingforward
@lookingforward Should I apply to Ithaca? Do they have good merit aid? My mom said it was too expensive so I shouldn’t. I have till Feb 1 to apply there… should I?
And as far as the second choice major, if I was to go to Yale or Tufts or Northeastern for undegrad, I would just major in biology or psychology and then apply to a masters degree program in OT. That’s the plan.
Not true actually. The top OT school is Tufts. @alfonsia
Do your parents realize they will have to file all kinds of paperwork in order for you to receive aid? It sounds like they’re overwhelmed: they haven’t had to do this before. Maybe it’s time to broach the subject again. Be calm and keep the talk “light,” but do tell your parents that NPC is a first step toward figuring out what they can, and can’t afford.
Actually in Boston…the top OT school is the Sargent School at Boston University.
There are plenty of less competitive schools that offer the OT major. Unless you are a direct admit into the OT program, however, you may find yourself majoring in something else. OT programs get TONS more applicants than they can accommodate.
You can call UNH all you want…but the fact is…you are an OOS student, and the school doesn’t guarantee to meet need. Their first obligation is to the tax payers of NH.
What public universities in MA offer OT programs…if that is your end goal.
Instate is MA for this poster.
OP- you need to get your parents to run the NPC with you are you are spending alot of wasted time considering schools that may be unaffordable.
Massachusetts – which is ironic, since UMass is a more selective school than NH, so I don’t know why OP thinks UNH is somehow a better choice…
I’m sorry that you’re being discouraged. You’re a top student with a crack at merit and need-based FA at some top schools. It’s not uncommon for an elite LAC or university to end up being less expensive than the state schools once FA is factored in. As for your other question, can you call and ask for more, the answer’s always yes, but you should ask your counselor about the timing. It might be smarter to wait to see where else you get in, for bargaining strength.
But you said your sister was instate for MA in your OP. Oh wait- you said A state school, not YOUR state school. OOS tuition can be very high for OOS students.
I was in a situation very similar to yours. I felt slighted that my parents expected me to go to our flagship along with ~30 other kids from my class when I had offers from much “better” schools. How could I relate to the kids there? Wouldn’t it be much better for my happiness and academics to go to a more selective school? Then they sat me down and slapped me metaphorically with the financial situation. We received no need based aid (it seems like that’s what your parents are expecting to happen) and the difference would be on the order of $10,000/year. They told me that they would pay ~$20,000 and I’d pay the difference. So I swallowed the pill and enrolled in the state flagship.
Since I’ve gotten here, I’ve met students like the ones I dreaded going to college with, and yet I’ve also met plenty who make me feel incredibly stupid. The classes are challenging and engaging and I’ve had opportunities for programs and research that would not have been available at those “better” schools. All without screwing my future self over financially.
Working hard in high school isn’t just about getting into some dream school. It shows what kind of person you are and is a sign of how you’ll apply yourself wherever you go to college. You’ve proven that you can succeed at your plans of occupational therapy. Also, you got a very nice scholarship out of it. That feeling of being slighted will pass and you’ll be better off than your friends who went to those more selective schools and are deep in debt.
Best of luck and remember that college can only ever be what you make of it. If you maintain the same work ethic that you had in high school then you will succeed wherever you end up.
They don’t have an OT program at UMass. @katliamom
Ask your parents if they are the type to turn down the chance at free money when offered just because they don’t want to fill out forms. That’s what fin aid is.
You may get merit aid at Ithaca. Probably other schools as well.
What does OP mean
No I just said she went to a state school @jym626
There is a thread for acronyms/abbreviations. A little research in many areas goes a long way. OP means original post or original poster.
Tufts and Yale have grad programs in OT. I saw no undergrad majors or minors in this.
My parents refuse to fill out the NPC they just got mad at me and said it’s pointless so that’s not happening. @lookingforward