Cant afford college??

mom2collegekids
Sat, 26 Oct 2013 08:56:52 +0000

but out of the 500 students at my highschool, most have private cars, and I would say all of them besides me have parents who have cars. And most of their parents wouldn’t allow them to go to NOVA or GMU.

Unless you go to some unusual public that has all very affluent kids, I highly doubt this is true. You may have a social circle where this is true, but it’s not likely true for the entire 500 member senior class.

My own kids went to a private school where nearly everyone’s parents had a very good income (otherwise they’d be going to public, no scholarships at this school). Everyone didn’t have a car, and some didn’t “go away” to college. My older son didn’t get a car til he graduated (his grad gift). My younger son did get a car at 16, but he agreed to pay half and he did. Some classmated ended up commuting to the local state univ and a couple went to a CC for the first two years.

Anyway, my point is that from your young view, you’re seeing what “your crowd” of kids is doing. That’s not what the whole school is doing.

And right now, you’re hearing “lunch table babble”. My kids heard it too. Many kids “talking big” about where they’d be going to college or where their parents expect them to go. Then after acceptances/rejections and FA pkgs come in, many find that their acceptances aren’t affordable.

I remember a couple of girls who only applied to tippy top schools (w/o the needed stats!). But for the months leading up to Spring, they “held court” during lunch putting down all the other students’ choices who applied to more reasonable choices. In the end they were rejected at their top schools. They had to scramble and one ended up at the local public and the other found space at another state school.

You need to just find what will work for you based on your stats and ability to pay.