As others have said, JHU isn’t a realistic option at this point, both from a financial and academic standpoint. WHat other schools are you considering?
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Any interest in traveling to a school such as Union? It appears on this list with JHU:
Also, as you want to work, there are companies out there - I know Starbucks and I think Target too - they provide free college to its associates - through an online program. I know Starbucks is Arizona State. Target through multiple schools. I know it’s not what you want - but it’s perhaps an option to look at - taking the stress of paying for college away. Realistically, based on what you defined, you cannot afford college.
I know there’s more companies doing this as well.
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Also check out state scholarships for affording local community college.
Another thing for @resplendissant to consider…IF they actually get to medical school…there will be a HUGE cost to attend that also…$100,000 a year or so mostly likely. This is usually funded by loans loans and more loans…and the bank of mom and dad. In this case, it will be loans because mom and dad are not contributing to higher education.
I have a couple of suggestions
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Attend a community college, and get some sort of associates degree that would enable you to get a job. Then work to save money and apply to complete your four year degree.
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Get CNA, EMT, MA or some other certification that will enable you to get a job related to the medical field. You can work these jobs part time while attending undergrad part time…if there is a college where you can commute from home.
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These are great ideas. You could also work a bit after getting your four year degree to save more for med school. If it is health related that should actually be good for med school admissions as well.
This is not the fastest route but once you see what residents actually get paid, it will click why the less debt you have at that point, the better to actually getting on with building a complete life.
It sounds like you are in-state in Maryland; I suggest focusing on getting an excellent application to U Maryland College Park ready for its November 1 EA deadline. If College Park does not work out, then try UMBC (Honors College, Baltimore County). Might be worth your while to look into St. Mary’s College of Maryland ( a public honors liberal arts college) as well as University of Delaware.
I agree with some comments that JHU is not a viable option for you AT THIS POINT; JHU can be your med school target, especially with a tuition free path at Mr. Bloomberg’s generosity. Working first to save up fund for school might work; however, be aware that some students have found it difficult to resume schooling after joining the work force.
Edit: As pointed out by Mjkacmom below, University of Delaware is unlikely to give oos students big FA.
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I don’t think this student would get merit from UD, and public colleges aren’t usually generous with FA for oos students.
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It sounds like this student needs a full free ride. The poster has indicated that their parents will not be contributing to their college education at all. And the non-custodial parent won’t complete the non-custodial Profile form. This puts a very different slant on their undergrad college search.
I honestly can’t think of any college that will give this student a completely free ride…merit or need based. Hopefully someone else can.
Should I even bother taking the SAT? Or contacting my old counselor for a LOR explaining the GPA? If my chances are this low, I rather not do those things.
There is a CC that I am at right now for dual enrollment (paid for by my school), and my sibling went there about two years ago after completing the FAFSA, and I don’t they paid anything. There might have been grants as well, but I was not living with them at the time, so I don’t know all of the details.
I was thinking of going to an online meeting with an advisor from the CC to discuss options, if that would be a more realistic path.
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Certainly worth getting this info!
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I think that people are mostly saying two things. One is that you chances for JHU are very low. The other is that you need to take finances into account very carefully.
To me it looks like you will have the ability to get accepted to a university that is very good for a premed student. It also appears that you are academically strong enough to do well in university. Actually getting to medical school might depend upon many issues, of which two very important ones are the determination to do it, and the ability to pay for it.
One daughter had a friend who was in a somewhat similar financial situation in terms of having divorced parents and very tight finances. They did two years of community college, did VERY well there, and transferred to an in-state public university with tuition fully paid by a merit scholarship. They were able to live with their father (who lived only a few miles from both the community college the public university). They graduated after two years at the public university with a very high GPA, very little debt, and a bit smile on their face when I happened to run into them at a local store about one month prior to graduation. However, they were not premed.
Others here might be able to comment on the extent to which a similar path would be a practical way to get to medical school.
I think that meeting with the advisor from the CC is a very good idea.
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Your chances are low for the one school you specified. A strong SAT score could be generally helpful, though, so you should make the attempt. There are schools that value the SAT, and, assuming you continue your upward progress (now and potentially through community college), a good score will be validating.
Colleges are unlikely to accept you prior counselor’s recommendation. It might be helpful to have your former counselor contact your current counselor or teacher recommenders so they can help address the grading hardship.
If you are committed to going directly into a four-year program, the financial piece remains hard to solve. Given your criteria, something like the full-ride Dorsey Scholarship program at McDaniel might be something to aspire to, though you will need to complete the FAFSA and no more than five students are selected per incoming class.
And yes, by all means, access any counseling or advising resources available to you.
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You’ve studied for it - the SAT. Take it.
This way you at least keep options on the table.
We are all volunteers doing our best. Throwing out names like Berea or others. We could be missing something.
It’d be great to have a strong test score just in case - maybe you go to cc a year or take a gap year or find a program where it helps you had it. Or maybe the Maryland grant gets you to a Towson or something. I’m guessing UMD is not likely.
Your issue is purely financial - and nothing else as far as finding a good school academically. So having the test could be one helpful when more resources are tapped.
Good luck.
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Berea will accept an application only if they determine that the student qualifies financially. To quote their Financial Eligibility page (emphasis added by me): “All students are required to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to complete an application file and students who qualify for the Federal Pell Grant typically meet the College’s financial eligibility requirement. Many factors are considered when determining a student’s financial eligibility, primarily using the FAFSA, but in some cases, a student may be required to submit a Financial Resource Questionnaire, Non-Custodial Financial Questionnaire, Self-Employed/Business Owner Questionnaire, or additional documentation to ultimately determine an applicant’s financial eligibility.”
OP, it may very well be that you have the raw ability to pursue medical school. However, you’re a long way from making that commitment at this point, and it doesn’t appear that you have any relevant experience yet, to solidify that interest. Even if you’re sure that you want to work in health care, there are many, many careers in that sphere besides being a physician. The goal at this point should be to keep options open and learn more about the possibilities.
You say that you want and need to work; it might be a really good idea to get your CNA certification at a nearby community college, so that you can work at jobs that would inform your career goals and enhance your medical-related experience for future applications. Since CNA classes aren’t transferrable, I believe you would even be able to do this without disqualifying yourself for freshman admissions to a 4-year university. If you spent a gap year, after you graduate, pursuing this goal and gaining work experience based on this certification, you’d also be able to apply to colleges with your senior grades already on record, which would double the number of strong academic semesters on your transcript at the time you apply.
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A pre-med who starts at community college should be aware that medical schools commonly look down on community colleges, so taking upper level science courses at the four year school to “confirm” high grades in pre-med courses at community college is typically advised. A science major will obviously have such upper level science courses, but a non-science major pre-med may need to plan carefully to reserve some of the pre-med courses until after transfer to the four year school.
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Do take the SAT, since some scholarships could be “unlocked” by a high score.
Is there a way you can change those " Fs due to the quarter being over."… into Pass? Because you did not fail that quarter, you just attended elsewhere… It was NOT a good idea to get Fs on your transcript and it messed up your GPA.
Are you sure you’re not first gen - parents with degrees typically get involved in this type of situations.
(Common definition for 1st gen= neither parent has a 4-year degree.)
No matter what, since you’re in AVID and a full need estimator thinks you should get a full ride (because 3k through work study is typically SAI 0) at a meet needs college that admits you if they don’t factor your custodial parent. Public universities instate do not meet need but they may have merit scholarships (hence, tour SAT score matters) and the State may have FAFSA-based financial grants. Public universities outside MD won’t offer financial aid to an OOS applicant. Private universities where you’re among the top applicants or where you may interest them for whatever reason may offer you scholarships but are unlikely to offer a full ride.
I can’t see your post about both parents not contributing. Even your custodial parent? Is that because they can’t or because they don’t want to?
I think applying for East Asian Studies and Chemistry is a good idea.
What’s your Senior schedule?
Would you be able to get a CNA certification this summer/fall?
Was the emergency custody change due to a personal issue or was it due to the parent you were with running afoul of the law/commiting a crime? If the latter that would be grounds for a custodial parent form waiver.
Targets for you would be Goucher, Washington College, Umd-baltimore county (a school celebrated for its science programs and its ability to support FGLI students’goals), St Mary’s Maryland.
If your family makes 65-70k or less, can you run the NPC on Berea using both parents’ income (or just your custodial if the emergency switch was due to a criminal/ legal issue) and let us know whether it looks affordable? It’s a reach but a VERY good, very supportive school for first generation/low income students, so, worth applying to.
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I note my understanding is at least some of the better community colleges have good advising for this sort of thing. So if you explain you are interested in med school after transferring, they will help you come up with a course schedule that will mostly just be checking off non-prereqs that will still help you graduate on time after transfer.
That actually can apply to other tracks and majors too, like they can help you check off a bunch of gen ed requirements and mostly leave the important stuff specific to your track/major for the transfer college. Reportedly it can make for a fairly intense experience after transfer, but again the goal is to get you the credentials you need on time in a cost-effective way.
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I think you mean, if the latter?
Isn’t that the opposite? I.e. “first generation to college” commonly means that neither parent has a bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
(However, there are some colleges that have different definitions.)