<p>I come from a low income family whose overall income yearly is just about 3,000 dollars more than what most colleges charge for room and board. My dad is the only one with a job in the family. He makes about 15k a year. Through out my whole life I’ve depended on my love and strenght in mathematics to get me into some top programs with little if any pay but even then I had to decline most of them because I had to help out my family. I sort of have a job. I tutor kids, and even a few teens, in math. I dont charge any of them but most parents end up giving me money in the end. Some give me five an hour, others give me 40. My dream is to go to a top university to pursue math research, but with the price tag that they have I am better off going to a CC or at my state school where I know I will get both merit money and financial aid. My state schools are SUNY but even if i do get aid to pay for it, the room and board is twice the tuition. Sorry for rambling but I just wanted you to know alittle about me to give me some ideas on scholarships.
I am an URM and I will be a first generation college student and I was actually a first generation high school student</p>
<p>Your test scores and grades are going to give you a better idea where you have the best chances for acceptance. What I tell everyone, is that the first schools you should find are school s that you know you and your family can afford, that have the programs you want, and are sure to take you. Run your family’s numbers through a FAFSA calculator and see what your EFC might be. You may get some PELL money, TAP, look into HEOP and you can also borrow Stafford money on your own. You are lucky to be in a place like NY where there is almost certainly a school nearby that will certainly be affordable if you commute. </p>
<p>If your stats are in the running, schools that guarantee to meet need, schools with generous merit awards should also be on your list. Except for those that have automatic awards based on certain scores and gpas, you have to understand that getting some of the awards is a crap shoot, and even getting into the more selective schools is a lottery. </p>
<p>The SUNYs do have high room and board and do not guarantee to meet need. However with state and federal aid, if you qualify for a little merit, and some financial aid, a school like SUNY Buffalo is a definite consideration. My son went there–got a $3500 merit award, and after freshman year, lived off campus very inexpensively which a lot of the kids there do. The Cost of LIving allowance there is generous as compared to actual costs, so a lot of the kids do well with financial aid and loans(don’t recommend taking more than what the federal student maxes are). Jobs are also plentiful there. I don’t know how the other SUNYs are in terms of aid and scholarships, but do check them out. </p>
<p>When you need aid, you have to vary your choices and pick a few more schools than usual so you can try out different venues and see what hits. But if you have a good local, affordable choice that will take you, and maybe even a second one, you can go to town with the rest of your list. </p>
<p>Also check out Questbridge, and do ask your counselors about test prep course–also look on this forum for the famous XIggi SAT Prep course. Ask about HEOP and when make sure you know alll of the aid options available to you so you don’t miss out on them when it is time to apply.</p>
<p>Pascalprime – Are you in NYC, or just NY? If NYC, you’d potentially be eligible for the Posse program:
[Nomination</a> Process — The Posse Foundation](<a href=“http://www.possefoundation.org/about-posse/program-components/recruitment/nomination-process]Nomination”>http://www.possefoundation.org/about-posse/program-components/recruitment/nomination-process)</p>
<p>Do you have a good guidance counselor at your school with whom you can speak about options?</p>
<p>Can you give us more info?</p>
<p>Are you a jr or sr?</p>
<p>What are your test scores?</p>
<p>What is your GPA?</p>
<p>What state are you in?</p>
<p>edited to add…</p>
<p>*Do i have a chance at RIT?
I am currently a sophomore. My overall avg is an 87. My forte is math and i currently have a 98 avg in mathematics. I plan to major in mathematics and possibly physics as well. Since its an engineering based school, will they overlook my poor english grades? I am currently in the science olympiad team and math team and i am planning on staying on them until senior year. I am confident that i can qualify for USAMO next year since i solve AIME problems everyday. I havent taken the SATs.
So what else do you think i can do to be admitted?
*</p>
<p>Ok…you’ve got time :)</p>
<p>Make sure you take the PSAT next fall (ask your GC about this). practice for the SAT as prep for the PSAT.</p>
<p>However, the second time i took it, I got a 1470. Its still a low combined score but I got a 760 on the math section and a 710 on both the reading and verbal combined. I didn’t gained addmission into the prep school due to my reading and verbal sections but atleast now I know what I really need to focus on. I am currently a high school sophomore and english is not my first language.</p>
<p>When did you take the SAT the second time. You’re obviously gifted in math to get a 760 as a soph or younger. What are you doing to improve your English skills?</p>
<p>I am from NYC and thanks for the advice from both of you</p>
<p>Well my grade is showing an upward trend and I lacked parental guidence in my freshmen year but I recently became highly motivated to work to my full potential in all of my classes after taking the AMC test.</p>
<p>I took it in in the middle of 8th grade. I think i did good on it in 8th grade because I learned algebra during the summer before i took the test.
For the english part, I just read a lot and try to raise my vocabulary. Ill start test prep this summer</p>
<p>SAT Math has up to Algebra II…How did you manage a 760 with 1 summer of algebra 1 and half a year of geometry? (correct me if I’m wrong)</p>
<p>When I took algebra 2, I didnt really learn anything new beside log properties and I learned most of the trigonometry curriculum in 8th grade.</p>
<p>You got a 760 in Math as an 8th grader? Impressive.</p>
<p>OK…ask an English teacher if she can help you improve your English skills. Or, if you have a friend who has strong writing skills, maybe he/she could help you.</p>
<p>In answer to your original question, some schools charge a single comprehensive fee which includes room and board. In addition some schools consider expected costs for books, transportation and personal expenses when calculating financial need. One thing you’ll want to consider is the amount a school generally awards in grants and how much in loans. For instance, at this comprehensive fee school the average grant among students receiving assistance in fall 2011 is $35,089 and the average financial aid package (grant, loan and work) is $38,700. That means that the average FA student only has to make up $3,611 per year in work or loans.</p>
<p>[Student</a> Financial Services | Bates College](<a href=“http://www.bates.edu/financial-services/]Student”>Student Financial Services | Bates College)</p>
<p>A less expensive college with fewer resources could actually cost you more than an expensive private college if the less expensive college’s financial aid package is heavy on loans. At your family income level you could expect to be on full financial aid. The key would be to apply to schools where you’d be among the stronger applicants and which are looking to increase their percentage of URMs of your ilk.</p>
<p>Look at Questbridge.
[Students</a> Start Here](<a href=“http://www.questbridge.org/for-students/students-start-here]Students”>QuestBridge | High School Students)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The base COA (tuition, fees room and board are $17,420). If you have a 0 EFC, you will be eligible for 5550 in Pell and 4995 in Tap. If you borrow the full freshman stafford loan (5500), that will bring you 16, 045. The gap you can fill with monies from your job.</p>
<p>Did you apply through EOP (because financially you are eligible). Through EOP, you will have a book stipend and you will get work study.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.suny.edu/student/downloads/pdf/2012_EOP_profile.pdf[/url]”>http://www.suny.edu/student/downloads/pdf/2012_EOP_profile.pdf</a></p>
<p>You should also toss your hat at a couple of NYS Aurthur O Eve HEOP schools. This would be your best chance of having your financial need met (you are going to have some debt).</p>
<p>Thank you guys. You are all extremely informed. My goal is to not have any debt when I graduate college. As a college student working, do you still get a lower wage at work compared to other workers in that area?</p>
<p>The Gates scholarship covers ALL unmet need at any school of your choice, including work study.</p>
<p>[::</a>. The Gates Millennium Scholars .::](<a href=“http://gmsp.org/]::”>http://gmsp.org/)</p>
<p>Since you are URM you should definitely go through Questbridge, take advanatge of any school or community program offered that people help with writing essays for the college application, study for the SAT to get as high scores as possible. Do not sell yourself short and do not hesitate to apply to reach schools as they accept lower scores for URMs/first generation. You seem to have good ECs so everything will depend on how you market yourself to the admissions cmt.</p>
<p>In summary you should cast a wide net and use a bottoms up approach which includes:</p>
<p>financial safeties:
CUNY which will be your true financial safety Cost $65 to apply to 6 schools You will receive enough in TAP/Pell to cover the cost of attendance</p>
<p>GMS</p>
<p>SUNY which can be covered with Tap, Pell, Stafford Loans, perhaps some additional Stafford or Perkins loan</p>
<p>SUNY EOP (will be competitive as there are very few slots in each freshman class). However, they will give you a package that covers tuition, fees, room, board and a book stipend. FA will be a combination of TAP, Pell, EOP grant, Stafford loans and federal work study</p>
<p>HEOP:also competitive. you must be both financially and academically eligible.</p>
<p>see brochure for Current list of HEOP schools</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.highered.nysed.gov/kiap/colldev/HEOP/documents/HEOPWebBrochure2012-13.pdf[/url]”>http://www.highered.nysed.gov/kiap/colldev/HEOP/documents/HEOPWebBrochure2012-13.pdf</a></p>
<p>with the exception of Columbia and Cornell, there will most likely be loans in your FA package</p>
<p>Posse Your GC will have # of nominations based on the size of the senior class. Very rigorous process (GPA could be a deterrent as from what I have seen, students who have been accepted have had higher GPAs).</p>
<p>Questbridge</p>
<p>[QuestBridge</a> Home](<a href=“http://www.questbridge.org/]QuestBridge”>http://www.questbridge.org/)</p>