<p>I am looking to apply to Wheelock College in Boston, MA. The school is academically well within reach and (although I am not a very over-confident person) I cannot imagine them sending me an rejection letter. The costs, however, are very far out of reach for me. I would be able to get their highest merit scholarship, a $17,000 per year saving off of my tuition. This, however, would still leave me in debt a whopping $130,000 (per their net price calculator) after achieving my bachelors degree - this is especially high considering the field I would enter and the fact that I will also attended graduate school immediately.</p>
<p>Now, I have a few numbers for you to consider…</p>
<p>My stats:
3.5 GPA (with about 50% honors classes), 1850 SAT (about 1300 Critical Reading+Math), National Honor Society Member, loads of community service (I am set to get a National Award for it at the end of this year.)</p>
<p>The stats required for the TOP merit scholarship at Wheelock College (the one I mentioned):
3.0GPA and 1100 SAT</p>
<p>Wheelock is my absolute dream school, I’ve visited once already and I am visiting again within the next couple of weeks. Everything Wheelock is about, I love. The location is perfect, the environment, the small community… The values and the focus on helping children and families that Wheelock promotes are exactly what I was dreaming of for my first college… I know that I would have a wonderful time at the school and learn about things that I truly care about and make a difference. </p>
<p>I feel that I am very above average academically compared to other students at the school, so is it justifiable for me to ask for more money based on merit?</p>
<p>The web site makes it look like that is it for merit aid, and they don’t have any other competitive scholarships besides what they list there based on the automatic statistics. You can still ask, I guess. Contact an admissions rep and let them know that it is your first choice school, and your stats are on the higher end of their applicant pool. Ask if they ever award additional merit money for statistics well above the statistics for the top merit award on their website. But regarding the $130,000 – they do assume families have saved some and will pay some from current income for college, too. If your family isn’t planning on that, you may need to find other colleges you can afford.</p>
<p>Out of curiousity, I looked over the academics and majors at this school. Their offerings are a very light version of a LAC (the most difficult math class offered is Cal I and they don’t seen to offer Gen Chem, etc)</p>
<p>JMO, but unless a person goes for a MSW to LCSW, I don’t see much opportunity to be earning much money after going to this school. That’s fine if the person doesn’t have much debt. </p>
<p>But even a LCSW, who would even have more debt because of grad school, would have a hard time paying pack that much debt.</p>
<p>Even if your parents first agreed to cosign that much debt, once they “did the math” and realized that you won’t be earning enough to pay back that debt and then they would be stuck with the debt, they probably would change their minds.</p>
<p>It sounds like you want to get in some kind of “helping profession” and that’s fine. What specifically do you want to do? Certainly, you can go that route w/o that kind of debt.</p>
<p>As much as you love Wheelock, it doesn’t seem possible for you. You can and will find some other school that will give you the opportunities and the education that you want. And most times, students who have to settle for less than their dream end up perfectly happy at school where they end up.</p>
<p>Look for a less expensive school. Most schools, especially schools that offer courses in social services, will have numerous volunteer groups and opportunities to serve in the community while you are in college.</p>
<p>Go to the financial aid threads and check the thread for guaranteed merit scholarships.</p>
<p>Also, do you qualify for financial aid based on need? What can/will your parents pay to help you out?</p>
<p>I am looking to go into Early Childhood Education then get a masters in English Language Learners or become a Child Life Specialist. I will run the numbers of what I may make as a child life specialist, but I know that as an Early Childhood Teacher, I will not make nearly enough money to pay back that debt if I teach pre-k in the private sector. If I can get a public sector job in my area in k-2 I could make enough money, certainly.
I will receive some federal grants due to financial aid, but wheelock will only award me $300 per year. All grants, federal and institutional, are factored into the price I listed above.
My parents agreed to pay up to $5,000 out of pocket each year, and will co-sign loans with me, but it will 100% be my job to pay for them.
I do have other schools I can go to, and would be O.K. With going to. They make more sense financially, but I know I’d be happier at wheelock. I know that taking up a lot of debt isn’t a good idea, I jus want to know if it would be reasonable for me to ask for more aid and justify it with my grades. I won’t go to wheelock if i cannot get the additional aid, no matter how much I want to.</p>
<p>There is a glut of early childhood, elementary ed teachers. So many to the point that there is a freeze on new hiring (this is the situation practically across the country). I know a young person who just got a job as a teacher for this September (he had been trying for 3 years to get a teaching position).</p>
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<p>Wheelock is a school that does not meet 100% demonstrated need. As a freshman, the most that you can borrow is $5500 through the stafford/direct loan program. </p>
<p>Even if your parents are approved for loans in the first year, they would have to be eligible for the following 3 years. </p>
<p>Despite any agreements you have with your parents to pay for the loans, it will be their loan; it can not be discharged through bankruptcy, they cannot sign it over to you, on the event you do get a job the debt is not eligible for income based repayment or dischargeable after 10 years in working in public interest.</p>
<p>Since you must attend grad school in order to keep a teaching job (which will include even more loans), perhaps your best bet is to make sure that you are accepted at an affordable option in a location where you plan to work.</p>
<p>The situation with not having any openings for early childhood and elementary teachers is NOT true in my area, in fact they hired 2 new kindergarten teachers just in my town this year (there are only 3 total!) plus a new first grade teacher. Don’t speak as though you know the true story of the entire country.</p>
<p>Also,
I’m going to apply no matter what - all I was asking is if it would be okay to ask for more merit aid upon acceptance! This is turning into everyone telling me I’m wrong…</p>
<p>As long as you also apply to some academic and especially financial safeties, you can apply to Wheelock. Yes, you can always ask for more merit, the worst they can do is say no. Just be prepared for ‘no’ because it is the most likely answer you will get.</p>
<p>Now looking into Child Life i can get my bachelors+masters in 5 years, probably $150,000 Child Life Specialists make about $57000 per year in Boston… is that more reasonable?
Still, is it OK to ask for more merit aid anyways?</p>
<p>For all of you naysayers, take another look at what eshenni wrote:
Sounds like a perfectly reasonable plan. I wouldn’t expect she’d receive a merit award larger than their stated maximum, but, as others have noted, it can’t hurt to ask!</p>
<p>Eshenni, with regard to the debt, that’s a pretty significant amount. It could keep you stuck in a job you hate . . . and away from a job you’d love, just because of your monthly payment obligations. But run the numbers, figure out what your monthly payments would be, and how long they’d last, and decide for yourself.</p>
<p>You mention qualifying for federal grants. Does that mean a Pell Grant? If so, then your parents income is lowish. It’s not likely that they will qualify to cosign. </p>
<p>Just protect yourself and apply to some schools that you know that you have all costs covered without much debt.</p>
<p>$57k per year isn’t enough to pay back $150k in student loan debt.</p>
<p>For every teaching job posted, there are on average 100 applicants. The competition is fierce. Sure, there will always be jobs, like the 3 that were just filled in your district, but think of all the people competing for just those 3 positions! In teaching, you are better off to be hired with a bachelors because you are “more affordable” in terms of the pay scale. Then, as you teach, your district will often pay for some of your graduate school courses as part of your benefits. It helps to also have a classroom as you get your Master’s because so much of the course work often includes using the information learned in your class and then writing about it. So, depending on what you decide to pursue, you may want to hold off on grad school.</p>
<p>If I can’t consider Wheelock… It doesn’t look like I can afford a degree in Child Life at all!!
Where else offers this degree - especially in a dual degree program? I think Boston is the best place for me to study it - loads of internships in such a big medical area as well as it being fairly close o home! (Can’t afford air fair etc to visit on holidays!)</p>
<p>If you LIVE at home it might be cheaper to stay in Boston. But if you are going to pay room and board on campus anyway, you may be able to find cheaper alternatives away from home. You can take at train or bus (vs plane) on the whole eastern part of the US, too. </p>
<p>If you feel compelled to get your degree in Child Life, check out the list of programs here in the link from this website. Look at a broader geographic region, and also consider programs near enough to home so you can save room & board and live at home. But note that you can have a bachelors in any area and still take the professional certification exam.</p>
<p>On a side note, I was just listening to an old edition of “The Story” podcast from NPR this morning, and there was a young woman who took out about $120,000 in debt for her education and was working as a social worker. She was completely buried in debt even though she had a job (she lived in a high cost area – like you talking about Boston, $57K doesn’t go very far in some parts of the country). She said she couldn’t consider buying a house, going out with her friends, or buying anything nice for herself. Much of her debt is private and can’t be discharged in bankruptcy, and has high interest rates. She took most of the debt out for her masters degree (only about $20K for undergrad). But she said she just figured that it was for a good thing (her education) and with a job she would be able to pay it back. She has now figured out that she is going to be shackled by those decisions for years…</p>
<p>If I can’t consider Wheelock… It doesn’t look like I can afford a degree in Child Life at all!!
Where else offers this degree - especially in a dual degree program? I think Boston is the best place for me to study it - loads of internships in such a big medical area as well as it being fairly close o home! (Can’t afford air fair etc to visit on holidays!)</p>
<p>You can’t put yourself into a tight box like that. You don’t need a degree in “child life” in order to get to the career that you want.</p>
<p>What schools can you commute to? What do they offer for Early Childhood Education or Elementary Education? Even your local CC probably has the first two years of classes. </p>
<p>Also…are you going to retest? If you got your 1300 up a bit, there would be more merit offers from other schools. A 1330 is equal to an ACT 30. Also take the ACT. </p>
<p>If you were to get an ACT 30, there are probably a number of schools with El-Ed or Early Child that would give you a better merit scholarship. </p>
<p>Your dream should be your career…not your college.</p>