Chance/Match & Give Advice to a scared senior (High SAI, High NEED) [OK resident, 4.0 GPA, rank 1-2/~3200, 35 ACT, NMSF, architecture, 80k SAI, <<$20k]

Chance Me / Match Me
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1

Demographics & Info

  • US domestic- Oklahoma
  • Massive virtual public charter (47% minority, 62% economically disadvantaged)

I live in a super red-state and I’m queer so I’d really really like to go out-of-state. My major is a hard major to find lots of places so my school options are more limited.

Financial aid is an even bigger factor. For my FAFSA year (2023 & 2024) my parents made 260k+. My dad lost this huge contract and my mom was laid off, so our income is likely to decrease to the ~100k range for 2025. Before 2023 and 2024, our income was in the ~100k range as well, so it’s not like we have a ton of savings. My parents are already paying my little brother’s private school tuition, but my SAI is 80k. What do I even do in this situation? High-merit schools are mostly in the deep-red south, but there’s just no way I could ask my parents to pay even 20k for my college (suddenly that’s 60k to live on)

I’m terrified of getting stuck somewhere that’s not safe for me (I could make it work but still) but I feel like even if I get in somewhere like an ivy, I couldn’t even go because of finances and that’s just a little heartbreaking. Idk much about the appeal process and if I could get more aid.

Looking for advice, additional school suggestions, and of course, general a chance-me for the school’s I’m applying to.

Intended Major(s): Architecture (which has a much lower acceptance rate at some schools, I’m open to 4 or 5 yr programs), and a possible double major in urban planning and/or indigenous studies/social justice minor

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 4.00/4.00
  • Weighted HS GPA: 4.52/5.00 (typical weighting system, honors is 0.5, AP & DE is 1.0)
  • Class Rank: 1 or 2/~3200 (yes 3200)
  • ACT/SAT Scores: 35 (36M, 35E, 36R, 33S or 34S if super scored) - 1450 SAT, won’t submit

HS coursework
Honors: 4, took no advanced classes freshman year bc I didn’t know I could
AP: Micro (5), US Gov (5), took test for Psych (5), Calc AB (4) + current stats and enviro
DE: 16 classes
Senior Yr: ap enviro, ap stats, DE spanish 3 & 4, DE physics 1, DE comp 2, DE intro to sociology

Highest reached:
Math- AP Calc AB & AP Stats
English- DE Comp 2
Science- DE Physics, AP Enviro
SS- DE US History, AP Gov, multitude of DE classes
2nd Lang- DE Spanish 4
Art- DE Ceramics, DE Drawing, DE Foundations, DE Intro to Architecture (summer program for credit)

Awards

  • national merit semifinalist (likely finalist)
  • national indigenous scholar & ap scholar
  • school district-wide excellence award, only given to one person per semester (~30,000 students in district)
  • state indigenous honor society (3.9+ gpa, cultural participation, academics)
  • 1st Place Team Lunar Habitat Design Competition (small international competition, but for middle school aged students, competed as a freshman)
  • earned local cc scholarship for knowledge of state history
  • earned state aau gymnastics scholarship for academics, leadership, and athletic achievement

Extracurriculars
10th-12th key club (founder, current president, past editor)
11th-12th local selective non-profit teen board (board runs multiple fundraisers raising over 10k)
9th-11th club gymnastics (did for 9 years, quit senior yr lol, big 15 hr/wk commitment)
12th coaching gymnastics (from preschool to competitive team, started over the summer when I quit)
9th-12th competitive powerlifting (multiple state and national records)
10th-12th indigenous cultural activities/artwork/classes
9th-12th NHS (current president)
12th Club Archery (on a travel team)
10th-12th Academic Bowl/Competitions (team captain, bunch of individual state awards)
10th-12th Babysitting (started neighborhood business, have 25+ clients)

Related/Helpful Info - Not on App
Admitted/Attended Fly-in programs at WashU, Bryn Mawr, and Amherst (was accepted to Wesleyan, turned it down)

LORs:
Counselor: huge school so idk how personal, but she knows and likes me, maybe 6 or 7/10?
DE Spanish Teacher: pretty good, I’ve read it, maybe 8/10?
AP Calc & Stats Teacher: idk, i’m a good student and she likes me, but doesn’t really know me, maybe 6/10?
Key Club Advisor: knows me well, pretty strong letter I think, maybe 8/10?

Essays:
Common App: did sports essay but wasn’t too cliche, maybe 8/10?
Supplementals are decent I think

Schools

  • Accepted: OU (admitted, 75k merit package), UArizona (admitted, 23k a year merit aid)
  • Extremely Likely: NJIT (EA)
  • Likely: UMass Amherst (EA)
  • Toss-up: UOregon (admitted, but not for major yet, would need stamps scholarship to attend)
  • Lower Probability: Georgia Tech (EA II), Bryn Mawr (RD
  • Low Probability: Northeastern (EA), MIT (EA), USC (Portfolio RD), WashU (RD), UPenn (RD), CMU (RD)
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U Maine

NJIT

You can find big money but yes a lot will be in Southern states.

U Houston - yea it’s Texas but Houston is very liberal.

As you have NMSF and likely NMF, your financial challenge is solved.

And just because a campus is in a southern state doesn’t mean it will be hostile.

Good luck.

Good luck.

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How exactly is this solved? OP would like to go to a blue state. Are there any schools in blue states that offer full rides for NMF?

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4

I noted U Maine Augusta campus and NJIT

I threw in Houston as a -you may want to check into it given the city.

All three seem to have architecture.

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Good to hear it! I know most of the NMF schools are in red states.

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$75k would be $17.75k per year, which would leave a $20k remaining in-state cost at OU. You mentioned that your parents would not be able to pay $20k. If you take federal direct loans, that would leave $14.5k; if you make some work earnings beyond that, that would leave $9.5-11.5k. Would your parents be able to afford that?

Arizona would be about $40k after the $23k merit scholarship, so that seems well beyond affordability without substantial additional scholarship.

These appear to be low probability to get to <<$20k. Note: NJIT with NMF scholarship is still $27k, which seems to be out of your budget.

Stamps scholarships are typically low probability.

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However, there are several dimensions of LGBTQ+ friendly/unfriendly to consider, which are detailed in this other post: 🏳️‍🌈 Happy Pride 2024! 🏳️‍🌈 POLL: What Are Some LGBTQ-Friendly Schools? - #9 by ucbalumnus

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Unfortunately your current list has little chance to meet your financial goals so southern or not, you need to take advantage of the NMF schools to hit your desired goals.

Your css and fafsa will be based at $260k and aid is highly unlikely.

OU meets your desires.

U Az is well above.

I see you have NJIT. I didn’t realize. Not sure if NMF is automatic but that’s a home run but it is a regional school.

Umass won’t hit cost.

Oregon won’t hit. Stamps highly unlikely.

Same with BM and Georgia Tech.

Nor will any low probability - especially MIT, UPenn, abd CMU as they have no merit.

Cooper Union gives all students 50% off but living costs are high.

Washington State will give you free tuition. The state is blue but note WSU is near the Idaho border. That area may not be blue.

Check UMN - worst case $40k but might be !30k less.

SUNY schools are low in cost to begin with. Check Buffalo.

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I know you want to leave Oklahoma…but if cost is a huge factor, University of Tulsa would give you a full free ride.

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OU in-state nm package is full tuition and fees plus a bit extra, so hopefully with my savings and working a job, we could make that work. It wouldn’t be the end of the world to end up there, and it’s definitely the best in-state choice for me, but it’s a last-choice for me.

I know stamps is low probability, but I thought I might as well shot my shot.

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UTulsa has nothing even close to my major, and that’s the biggest dealbreaker.

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Do you think I have any chance at making a financial appeal if I were to get into any of those low probability schools? On the grounds of income and job loss? I have no idea how likely such things are to succeed.

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@kelsmom is best to answer but I doubt it - especially if it’s based on likely to fall vs did fall. But perhaps in year 2-4.

But if you won’t consider Houston for politics, why would you consider WUSTL - in a hostile state.

You need to find a school that works - not hope for a long long shot.

If OU works - but you say last choice - so be it. It’s a trade off.

Most every school you’ve chosen is $$$.

Ps - is the affordability thing you or your family telling you it’s not affordable?

How about NJIT - have you visited ?

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You would have to submit a special circumstances consideration request. This is usually done after you get accepted. Sometimes adjustments are made and sometimes…they aren’t.

I would suggest you contact the financial aid department at a school of interest and ask them what their special circumstances consideration procedure is.

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Does it help that the income was much lower prior to those two years as well? It’s great that my dad did so well, but bad timing to make the most money he ever has lol.

Don’t mind houston, I’ll look more into that one. WashU is on my list bc I visited and liked it, but I do know it’s in a red state (not worse than mine though lol) and will keep that in mind when it comes to final decisions.

I’ve really struggled to find financial safeties that have my major (don’t mind a 4-year program, as opposed to the traditional 5-year for architecture, but 4-year means grad school and I need a decent foundation for that) but also aren’t deep red (I’m more open to being in a city within a red state).

As to affordability, we’ve discussed how my parents’ income is going to drastically decrease and that they can’t pay that much for my college (and don’t want me to go into tons of debt).

Haven’t visited NJIT, commuter school probably isn’t my top choice, but evidently the perfect unicorn school doesn’t exist, so I’m willing to compromise.

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I will do that, thank you!

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Check the SUNY schools - like Buffalo.

Don’t forget - college is only four or fiveyears and not every school will be ‘anti’, etc.

The state govt may be bad but it doesn’t mean your experience will be. My son’s school doesn’t have your major but there have been several parents who have said on here that their student had a wonderful experience - Alabama. So going in a red state doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily have a bad experience.

Good luck.

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Here is a list of NAAB accredited schools - you can check the websites to try to determine cost: https://higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/NAAB/21e8eae7-e532-47c0-bff1-4111ca0d4fb0/UploadedImages/PDFs/Accredited_NAAB_Programs_09112024.pdf

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Are you an indigenous student, since you mentioned you are a national Indigenous Scholar? If so, that totally changes things, meaning, that even though race is not supposed to be considered, you’ll be able to talk about that and it will put you on the short list, even at some of the selective colleges. If not, given you’re in at OU and UA, I would apply to a place like Cornell, which has the culture and majors you want. Note, that upstate NY is actually red, I grew up in Poughkeepsie back in the day and while Vassar was liberal, that part of NY was not. Good luck!

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I agree that Cornell is worthy of an application. In addition to being one of the top architecture programs, the school has many programs for students from indigenous backgrounds.

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