Another parent with no clue

Parents Forum
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<p>This is so similar to another thread from MidwestParent but I didn’t want to change the subject from her daughter so will start another asking for advice about my son, a junior. We too, live in the Midwest, tiny rural town, horrible high school, no APs offered, just a few Honor’s classes and really very few electives. Despite all of this, s has done fairly well. I know this is kind of lengthy and I’m sorry for that-- but I wasn’t sure what is and isn’t relevant.</p>

<p>Academics/Leadership:</p>

<p>Junior year: Appointed Republican Page for the House of Representatives during the 2005 fall semester in Washington D.C. Attended Page School during same semester maintaining a 4.0 in the School’s Honors Program. Awarded Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program full scholarship to study abroad senior year in Germany. Currently Executive Vice President of Student Council. Elected Senior Executive President of Student Council for senior year. Inducted into the National Honor Society. Recipient of scholarship to attend American Legion Boys State of Kansas during the summer of 2006. Named Who’s Who Among American High School Students, 2005-2006. Superintendent’s Honor Roll, scored 31 on ACT, 2010 on SAT (650-CR, 64-M, 720-Wr, and 11 on essay)</p>

<p>Sophomore year: Superintendent’s Honor Roll both semesters, highest school-wide score on AMC-10 math exam, awarded academic letter. Selected for Student Council Leadership Camp in Emporia. Sophomore Class President and Class Representative to Student Council.</p>

<p>Freshman year: Superintendent’s Honor Roll both semesters, awarded academic letter. Class Representative to Student Council.</p>

<p>Music</p>

<p>Piano for ten years, three-time state qualifier and one-time honorable mention at the state level in annual Kansas Music Teachers Association competition. Gold medalist and one-time qualifier for Kansas Music Educators Association annual competitions. </p>

<p>Band for six years, four-time regional honor band participant, three year jazz band participant, three-time state qualifier. Recipient of Music Booster Club scholarship for Hi Plains Band Camp (three years) and University of Kansas Band Camp (one year).</p>

<p>Athletics</p>

<p>Freshman year: Junior Varsity and C-team football, weight training, and tennis.</p>

<p>Sophomore Year: Varsity and Junior Varsity football, Junior Varsity wrestling, weight training, and tennis.</p>

<p>Junior Year: Weight training.</p>

<p>Community Activities</p>

<p>Church Youth Group participant for five years . Member of local music-worship team (small band). Habitat for Humanity projects volunteer summer of freshman year . Horton’s Kids volunteer in Washington D.C. tutoring inner-city kids during fall semester of junior year. Tutor for at-risk middle school students during spring semester of junior year.</p>

<p>Employment</p>

<p>Part-time employee for three years (20 hours per week during school, 30-40 hours per week during summer) at changing oil at local quick lube.</p>

<p>Hobbies</p>

<p>Music (drums, guitar and pian)
working on and restoring old cars–bought and totally restored a '62 Falcon</p>

<p>Okay–my questions–</p>

<p>Money is a huge issue. We really cannot afford to help with his college, at all. And yes–he will probably qualify for need based grants. Right now he is only looking at Kansas colleges (probably KU) because all local scholarships have to be used instate. He is mildly interested in TCU because his grandpa used to teach there (yea–I know, dumb reason).</p>

<p>He is very interested in political science, perhaps international studies, would really like to go into politics, especially after his stint as a Page. He is extremely social, probably would have no problem in a large university, actually would probably thrive there.</p>

<p>So with all of this in mind–any suggestions? He would really like to get out of Kansas but knows very little about colleges that are within his reach and would be a good match. Thanks in advance for any advice.</p>

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<p>onemoreyear, you need to give us an unweighted GPA, how many Honors of those available, and class rank.</p>

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<p>I’m sorry–he has a 4.0, unweighted, is ranked #1 out of 99 and has taken Honor’s English all three years, the only other honors class available is science, which he has not taken. He is in advanced math which really just mean he is year ahead because he took algebra in eighth grade. Seriously–they offer very little. We have a community college here and he would take classes there next year if were not going to be in Germany.</p>

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<p>If he’s an NMSF, consider Carleton, Grinnell, Washington U St Louis, and Tulane, all of which occasionally come up with hefty $$ for NMSFs. </p>

<p>My father (class of 1929), brother (1953), and nephew (1977) all went to KU (along with a million other relatives) and were English/journalism majors, so I know it’s very good in journalism (historically speaking); my brother taught journalism there for about ten years, as well. I have no idea if it’s any good in political science, but in general, the “public” likes its politicians to have gone to the local state university, so that’s something for your to consider if he’s serious about going into politics.</p>

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<p>onemoreyear-
to get a handle on the financial aid situation, you need to estimate your EFC (expected family contribution) for both federal and institutional methodolgies. It is will help you determine if son can apply to schools that only offer need’s based aid (if your family can manage the efc) or if you will require additional merit aid of some variety to manage. </p>

<p>Hint: make sure you are seated in a comfortable chair, as there is some major sticker-shock associated this number.</p>

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<p>Sorry for a slight hijack, but dmd77, where are you getting the information about substantial $$ at those 4 schools for NMSF? Are you referring to need based or merit aid? I can only find merit aid for NM of 0-2k at the schools you’ve listed. I don’t want to overlook any opportunities! Thanks.</p>

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<p>With a great deal of joy I get to recommend one of my favorite schools (that sounds just about right except too small) Westminster College in Missouri. He’ll get big merit aid with his existing scores, and they’ll love his interest in politics. They really have a great campus, half libs/half wrong, just the way it should be. :wink: </p>

<p>Next , check out Cornell College in Iowa, another school that will appreciate him , and Knox, and Lake Forest, and Ohio Wesleyan, and Hanover College.</p>

<p>Oh, and here’s one a little bigger that he and you might like with a val scholarship U of Evansville. They have some wonderful foreign study programs and substantial merit aid, I think it is still auto merit for vals (1/2 tuition and up depending on test scores). </p>

<p>I’m trying to concentrate on schools where he will be competitive for merit awards and for need based aid. Most all of these schools do not provide 100% of need. That’s why it is important to be at their merit level, staistically. It’s alot easier to recommend schools with a higher profile but if you get in and can’t go -well, what good is that? The higher he is in their profile, the more $ he will get (IMO that applies to both merit and need at most schools, even those that supposedly 100% of need).</p>

<p>I’d look at Lawrence, and Beloit, too. Maybe Albion. Some on the board are enamored with Kalamazoo (I’ve never looked at it. but I “know” it’s a good school.). See if any of these schools interest him. I’ve visited most of them with my D and they are all good schools that will serve him well.</p>

<p>Edit: and someone mentioned U of Denver the other day. Now Grinnell and Carleton and Mac may be generous enough if he can get in, as I believe all are 100% of need schools but test scores are a bit lower than their 75%tile which is where I like to stay (but I’m very conservative about chances).</p>

<p>Further edit: with his profile , I echo the posters who suggest that his rank and resme put him in good stead at selective test optional schools like Bowdoin. That may be a fruitful search , too, after you run your EFC traps - “100% of demonstrated need schools with test optional admissions”.</p>

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<p>I echo those who advised looking at the fin aid calculators. They often are more favorable to folks in less expensive parts of the country, as they don’t look at cost of living. Until you know whether you qualify for need based aid, college suggestions are tough.</p>

<p>If the predicted need awards look promising, you might want to look at schools that meet all need, like Rice and Chicago, or any one of a number further afield. Many middle class parents find these schools more affordable than a state u after awards.</p>

<p>Regarding his record, his class rank will help a good deal, and may compensate for so so SAT/ACT scores. He could raise the scores a good deal with a retake in the fall, too.</p>

<p>An interesting example of what can happen is my D’s first year roommate at U. Chicago. She came from a town in SW Kansas, one so small that the nearest restaurant was a Micky D’s 20 miles away.</p>

<p>Now the key question: What/Where does your son want? After all, he’s going, not you! Oh, don’t be surprised if he doesn’t show much interest in any place yet. May be too early.</p>

<p>Have you considered a road trip to visit some places this summer? There are a lot of interesting schools you could drive to in the midwest, depending on how much time you want to take. That would be a good way to get son to start focusing on the process.</p>

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<p>I also was thinking Grinnell because, you know, it’s not too far from Kansas. :)</p>

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<p>Onemoreyear - When you say that you really can’t afford to help with college, I recommend that you use one of the EFC ( Expected Family Contribution ) calculators to determine what the government feels your family should be contributing towards your son’s education. The colleges that meet 100% of need are basing that estimate of need on your EFC. Often what a family can realistically afford to pay and what their EFC has been calculated to be can be very different. A family with a moderately high income but lots of debt may not really be able to afford to help with financing their son’s education but could have a 20,000 a year EFC. If your EFC is zero, the cost of attending Rice, Grinnell, the University of Chicago, Macalester, or any college that meets 100% of need could be the same or lower than attending KU. Sometimes, however, meeting need includes student loans in addition to grants. I would recommend that your son apply to a variety of schools that interest him ( including some safety, match, and reach schools ) and wait to make a decision until after the financial aid award letters arrive. Our daughter, a Missouri resident and National Merit Finalist applied to the University of Kansas, Truman State, Macalester, Grinnell, and Earlham a few years ago. The financial aid award letters for KU, Macalester, Grinnell, and Earlhan all expected her to take out a $2,600 Stafford loan for freshman year, contribute about $2,000 in earnings from a campus job, and offered her grants that made up the remaining difference between the cost of tuition/room & board and our EFC. Often, as students progress through college they may be expected to take out larger loans and get smaller grants. Truman State, a Missouri college, offered a full scholarship.</p>

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<p>Entomom: I’m basing the substantial merit aid at those schools on the kids I know with full rides there–and the fact that my son (NMF) got mail from them saying he should apply and get full tuition.</p>

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<p>Grinnell only offers $2,000 a year for specifically for National Merit Finalist status although those students often qualify for other merit aid like the Trustee Honors Scholarship which can be up to an additional $15,000 a year.</p>

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<p>I second the look at Kalamazoo College in Michigan and also in Michigan you might look at Hillsdale. Both schools he could indulge his music interests and sports interests I’m guessing. Kalamazoo, IMHO, is significantly more academically challenging than Hillsdale, has a more diverse student body and has that fabulous foreign study program. Hillsdale is interesting because of it’s political connections (albeit conservative). Both schools do attract bright engaged students. In Michigan, Kalamazoo is considered the alternative to University of Michigan for exceptional students who don’t want the big, urban, impersonal university setting and some would argue K has a higher per capita acceptance rate into grad school.</p>

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<p>Whoa–my heads spinning! First thing I suppose I should do is use the EFC calculator. That makes sense. Then take a more serious look at some of your recommendations. Some of them sound really interesting and I sure would not have thought of them. And you are so right when you say he may not know where he wants to go. He’s too worried about what he’s going to do Friday night. I’m going to have him read your comments though and then do some serious research. Since he is going to be gone after August, I’d like him to at least have a list before he leaves. I’ll recommend he retake the ACT but I doubt he’ll go for it. I can’t begin to thank all of you for your comments. I feel like we have a direction now and certainly some options that I never would have though of. Again–thanks for your all of your thoughts.</p>

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<p>onemoreyear: you might want to get his current teachers to write letters of recommendation now, when it is all fresh in their minds.</p>

<p>Apply to at least one “rolling admission” school you know you can afford for a much less stressful year. :slight_smile: Good luck!</p>

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<p>I second the advice from Curmudgeon.<br>
To get the best shot at full-ride type scholarship, you need to find the colleges that are actively looking – and paying merit money – for students like your son AND are not already being swamped with applicants.
A school like Wash U, for example, which gets 20,000 applicants a year, can only give so much financial aid and though they may recognize the your son’s merits as a student, he could end up waitlisted instead of accepted. The thing is, very selective colleges end up waitlisting lots of students who seek financial aid, even the National Merit Scholars. (see the thread about "when the worst happens…)
Don’t visit colleges until you’ve drawn up a list of schools that are real possibilities to offer him substantial merit aid…where his SAT scores put him near the top, and that meet his own notions about urban-rural, big athletic or small athletic, near home- away from home, etc, large campus-small campus, that kind of thing. From that list, you should be able to find a college where he will be happy and not leave in debt.</p>

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<p>onemoreyear, it takes time to learn everything, so it’s natural you’re feeling overwhelmed. I’ve been poking around CC for months, and I’ve only scratched the surface. I found that the information sinks in slowly. Eventually you’ll get a handle on everything! Don’t give up!</p>

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<p>OOH! Good save SBmom. I wasn’t thinking that clearly was I? I should have seen that, too. Well , I’ll second those suggestions and add that they ought to figure out in advance issues such as mid-year report and the fact that most merit scholarships of great $ come in the spring with a required scholars weekend for selection. I know Doddsdad’s kid had to come from Germany for a series of visits. (And my kid could go to Europe on her frequent flyer miles this spring.)</p>