Best approach to scholarships - engineering at state school

Paying for College
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<p>We are looking to utilize our local university and community college to satisfy the first year requirements for engineering at our state school. To accomplish this my daughter would have to do some negative things such as take only 2 years of Spanish and 2 years of English at the High School level (she will have 2 Composition and 1 Speech course at the community college). She will also take her Precalculus and Calculus I at the university instead of at the High School (completing in one year what would have taken 2 years). She will also do two online Social Studies courses. She will get in 3 years of Broadcast Journalism and 2 years of Yearbook Journalism. In addition she will have a bunch of math, science, and engineering classes she would not otherwise have had.</p>

<p>My question is which would look better for college scholarships - doing two more years of Spanish and Honors/AP English or having these extra math/science/engineering classes? She is developing quite a portfolio in Broadcast Journalism including many serious news stories. There is a good chance she will be the editor of the Year Book her senior year. She has competed nationally in a pet related event and done very well (Top Junior), but she has nothing else in terms of extracurriculars going (no student government, no sports, and she is dropping Orchestra after two years). She is currently a 4.0, accelerated in Math and Science, in Honors in 3 classes (the maximum), and has had a couple of Art classes.</p>

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<p>Merit scholarships are often mostly based on ACT/SAT scores and GPA. That’s what you need to be most concerned about.</p>

<p>Also, do NOT let your D lose her status as an Incoming frosh. So, don’t have her take CC or other college classes after your D graduates from high school. </p>

<p>The BEST and biggest merit scholarships go to INCOMING frosh. Transfer students often get little or nothing. </p>

<p>Is your D a junior in high school or senior? </p>

<p>Does your D have any test scores yet?</p>

<p>What schools are you looking at for merit scholarships? State schools seem to care less about ECs…some don’t consider them at all.</p>

<p>Edited to add…I see that your D is a soph in HS. I think you may be focusing on the wrong things.</p>

<p>Also…if you’re looking at UChicago…that’s mostly a “need based aid” school. It does have a few scholarships for those with super tippy top scores, but keep in mind that those merit scholarships would just go towards “need”…they won’t reduce your “family contribution”.</p>

<p>If you want to reduce your family contribution, then you need to look at schools where your D would get VERY LARGE merit scholarships…HUGE ones, so your remaining costs would be low.</p>

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<p>U of Chicago is a flyer and would involve not doing engineering. If UChicago expects 10% of income like Harvard for tuition, then it would be within a couple of thousand of our state school. A very attractive option. Much more than that especially with the higher Room and Board, then it would be out as an option.</p>

<p>My daughter has only taken the PLAN test and she was sick and also exhausted from Early Bird PE. She got a 24-27 range which I thought was somewhat low. I am not going to sweat it though because my boss’s daughter was a 4.0 from the same High School, high 30s on the ACT, on a state winning Cheerleading team, was an exceptional musician, and she only got the second level scholarship (value $12K). My daughter finishing her first year of engineering at home as a senior has the same value as that scholarship (especially with PSEO her Senior year). My daughter will prep for both the ACT and the PSAT this summer.</p>

<p>We are really only considering U Chicago and our two state schools at this point. One of the state schools which is the second choice gives a full ride for National Merit. If she did make Semi-Finalist, then it would be listed as the school of choice. I think, at this point seeing the PLAN test, that the NM is out. She gets straight As, but she has to work like a dog for them. I know she is capable of pulling a 3.0 in enginneering (assuming it is no harder than when I went through), and that really is the bar to jump with the rest of her skill set.</p>

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<p>U of Chicago is a flyer and would involve not doing engineering. If UChicago expects 10% of income like Harvard for tuition</p>

<p>UChi does NOT have the generous aid policies that H, Y, P, S and (I think) Williams have. Those 4-5 schools are unique and sometimes knowing about them confuse people about other schools’ aid policies.</p>

<p>The non HYPS schools that “meet determined need” will likely expect you to pay about 30% of your income. And, as you may know, most schools do not meet need.</p>

<p>We are really only considering U Chicago and our two state schools at this point. One of the state schools which is the second choice gives a full ride for National Merit. If she did make Semi-Finalist, then it would be listed as the school of choice. I think, at this point seeing the PLAN test, that the NM is out</p>

<p>Since the PLAN/ACT are not like the PSAT/SAT, you can’t assume that your D won’t make NMSF/NMF. </p>

<p>What is the NMF school? Does it give other merit scholarships?</p>

<p>Anyway…I think you’re focusing on the wrong things. I think you need to focus on your D getting the best HS grades and ACT or SAT (have her take both).</p>

<p>To prepare for the PSAT, have her take a SAT test this spring to see how she does. Have her use some practice ACT and SAT books to improve her scores. </p>

<p>Senior year of high school is often not the best year to “pile on” extra courses. It sounds like you want your D to go to HS during the day, and then engineering classes after???</p>

<p>Senior year is plagued with “senioritis” and many distractions - college apps, senior trips, prom, and other senior activities. Having her take the courses you have planned as a senior in addition to HS sounds like a disaster. </p>

<p>If your goal is to try to shave off a year of college to save money, why not go the AP route and look for schools that will give your child merit scholarships for good stats?</p>

<p>Your D doesn’t have to make NMSF to have some good scholarship opportunities. </p>

<p>*. I am not going to sweat it though because my boss’s daughter was a 4.0 from the same High School, high 30s on the ACT, on a state winning Cheerleading team, was an exceptional musician, and she only got the second level scholarship (value $12K). *</p>

<p>Was that at UChi? If so, that doesn’t surprise me…that’s mostly a need-based aid school.</p>

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<p>Does your school not offer AP courses? Why the push to cc and university classes, which sometimes make for a very difficult schedule for a high schooler? Can she take a third year of language at the cc to get her foreign language requirements in?</p>

<p>I’ve read some opinions that claim that AP courses are sometimes taught at a higher level than the corresponding courses at some cc’s - it would depend on the school district and the local cc. It may be true that the AP courses would be filled with high achieving students, while the cc has a wider range of academic abilities in each class - it is important the the cc maintain academic rigor in this case.</p>

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<p>Your daughter will not have a shot at Chicago if she only has 2 years of foreign language ad doesn’t develop ECs. She won’t have a shot at most good colleges. Broadcast journalism will not take the place of solid high school courses and doesn’t seem to make much sense with engineering.</p>

<p>Are you really sure you want to paint your DD into the box this plan will? She could end up with very little choice other than your state school, which I hope is guaranteed. What if she changes her mind about engineering or the school? What if a special talent emerges that can not be developed at the one college?</p>

<p>If she’s talented and hard working, there is plenty off money out there without having to make a teenager commit to one college this early.</p>

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<p>It seems (to me) that the dad is trying to shave off a year of college expenses with this plan. He may end up being penny wise and pound foolish. There are other ways to shave off a year and/or cut down on college costs.</p>

<p>His plan may backfire because the D may hate engineering and change her major, she may struggle her senior year trying to balance HS courses and activities with college classes, get senioritis (and end up with a not-so-pleasant GPA and have acceptances revoked), or have some other serious misstep occur. </p>

<p>The student should just proceed with a thoughtful college-prep high school curriculum. </p>

<p>Take some APs that are offered. If her school doesn’t offer a desired AP, then self-study and have the GC order the test or take it elsewhere. Kids can enter college with about 30-50 AP credits these days!!! CLEP tests are also an option. </p>

<p>Practice for the ACT and SAT. </p>

<p>Get the best HS GPA she can. </p>

<p>Participate in a couple of worthwhile ECs that show continued interest, leadership, etc. </p>

<p>Apply broadly to schools that offer a variety of majors, and apply to a few financial safety schools where she’d get great merit in case her reach/match schools don’t work out. A school with big merit end up only costing a parents a fraction!</p>