Chances from Those who Know the College Process the Best

Parents Forum
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<p>From the P site</p>

<p>The student’s own contribution
In addition to the amount parents are asked to contribute, students are also expected to help meet a portion of their own educational costs each year. A student’s share comes from summer employment, savings, and educational benefits.</p>

<p>A typical student entering in September 2006 was asked to contribute **$2,235 **from summer earnings. The summer contribution is less for lower income and international students. It is expected that this amount will increase for students entering in the fall of 2007.</p>

<p>Students are expected to contribute 5percent of their assets each year to their education. Student assets are defined as money that is in the student’s name at the time he or she applies for aid. This includes funds that have been placed in a trust or given to the student under the Uniform Gift to Minors Act. </p>

<p>Additional sources of student contributions are Veterans Administration and other educational benefits.</p>

<p>The Flexible Summer Plan
For students who are unable to meet the summer savings expectation, either because they don’t earn enough or have high job-related expenses, Princeton offers the Flexible Summer Plan. This generous aid plan allows students greater choice in their summer activities by replacing a savings shortfall with one-half grant and one-half additional job (or loan on request).</p>

<p>PS 5percent is a scary number :)</p>

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<p>S’s friend is on full ride. He is currently a summer school proctor and works during the school year. If he were to take advantage of one of the many summer programs in research or study abroad, the summer work contribution would be waived. I assume that Princeton would offer a similar deal. I agree about Questbridge. I had not realized that the OP’s family income was so low.</p>

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<p>college…is $25K your parent’s combined income–or just your mum’s? Colleges sometimes expect the father to contribute. <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=368352[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=368352&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>You might go to this link and research fin aid. xiggi is a great resource.</p>

<p>So is swimcatsmom</p>

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swimcatsmom</p>

<p>Point taken epiphany. However, Princeton looks like a super-reach from Bronx Science.</p>

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<p>Unfortunately, this is only partially correct. While an income of $25,000 may not qualify for the automatic zero EFC, it is possible to obtain a 100% Pell grant. Also, not all student income are the same for the EFC calculation. For example, work study income does NOT change the student EFC as this type of income is backed out from the total income. </p>

<p>When it comes to financial aid, the devil is in the details. That is why it is very hard to make definitive statements about the finances of others.</p>

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<p>My dad doesn’t even pay child support and has no visitation rights and I doubt he would be expected to contribute. </p>

<p>Plus my mom’s income will be 24,000 starting next year. For Qb purposes it will be 13,000 for this year.</p>

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<p>Also yea I have had to commute an hour and a half each way.</p>

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<p>Correct links:</p>

<p><a href=“http://ifap.ed.gov/dpcletters/attachments/2007paysch.pdf[/url]”>http://ifap.ed.gov/dpcletters/attachments/2007paysch.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/attachments/siteresources/0708EFCFormulaGuide.pdf[/url]”>http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/attachments/siteresources/0708EFCFormulaGuide.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Collegehopeful:</p>

<p>Since you are low income, ask for a fee-waiver from all the colleges you will be applying to, and do not add to your long list. Focus instead on presenting the best case for being admitted to colleges that combine the best chances of admission and the best financial aid. Look into outside scholarships as well as financial from the colleges.</p>

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<p>I’ve been saving the money from this years job for college? Will this be a plus in my app?</p>

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<p>I was also intrested in the POSSE scholarship which would give me full aid at Vanderbilt.</p>

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<p>While are cases are different, it is not as clear-cut as you may hope it to be. Many students have a hard time with parents who have never been in their life, but mess up financial aid. </p>

<p>I think it will work out for you, but do not assume anything.</p>

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<p>“I was also intrested in the POSSE scholarship which would give me full aid at Vanderbilt.”</p>

<p>You ARE on the right track. Keep on checking all the programs available. POSSE is a great one, albeit not available to everyone in the US. Posse currently has sites in six major cities across the United States: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. </p>

<p>Schools such as Stanford are increasing their collaboration with programs such as Posse. Also check names such as Morehead and Robertson (since you mentioned UNC-CH). </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.robertsonscholars.org/[/url]”>http://www.robertsonscholars.org/&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“- www.moreheadfoundation.org”>- www.moreheadfoundation.org;

<p>Not everything will work for your case, but you will learn a lot by checking the requirements.</p>

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<p>Also I wanted to thank everyone for taking times out of their busy lives in order to help me. It is greatly Appreciated.</p>

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<p>CH78, I think you score many points by taking the time to thank the people who offered help. That is when this site is at its best!</p>

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<p>Our high school participates in POSSE and has sent students to some great colleges. Good for you to look into it.</p>

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<p>I disagree with some of the comments made here, agree with others. One thing I would suggest is that you look at the combined BS/MD programs at Drexel University, the College of New Jersey, and Lehigh/Drexel. PM me and I will tell you why.</p>

<p>I would also suggest you take a look at Washington University in St. Louis, Rice University, Lehigh, Bucknell, Brandeis, and Case Western. You would be an attractive candidate at those schools, although WUSTL and Rice should still be considered in the reach category. You might also seriously consider adding some liberal arts colleges to your list, including ones like Hamilton, Bates, Colby Grinnell, Carleton, Dickinson, Colgate, Rhodes, Kenyon. I think you would stand a pretty good chance at some of them, especially as they tend to get fewer applications from Indians-who-want-to-be-premeds. They would all be excellent choices for pre-med and science.</p>

<p>As long as you would be HAPPY to attend SUNY Binghamton or CUNY Honors, I would not worry about adding more safeties. However, picture for a moment, that it has come down to those two - would you really be HAPPY with that choice? If not, add another safe bet or two, or at least another safe match or two.</p>

<p>Regarding the size of your list: I would aim to apply to no more than 10-12 well thought out choices. By well thought out, I mean that you know EXACTLY why they are right for you (beyond the name) and EXACTLY why you are right for them. If you can’t express that in words, don’t apply to any school. If you will be applying for financial aid, once you get past 12 schools, doing a good job on all of the admissions applications AND financial aid becomes a consuming process. Better to have a well-targeted list of schools you love, and spend your time preparing a great application. And, your list of 10-12 should include 2-3 safe bets, 5-6 match schools, and 3-4 reaches. </p>

<p>I’m sure some will disagree with all of the above, but that is how I would advise you if you were my student. I also will add that I think Cheers has the best advice: The place to get a good estimate of your chances is NOT from a bunch of strangers on the internet, but your guidance counselor, especially as you attend a high school with probably one of the best, and most knowledgable guidance staffs around. So, don’t waste any more time asking for advice here - get that appointment, as Cheers suggests, and LISTEN to what your guidance counselor has to say, even if it is not what you hope to hear.</p>

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<p>Well, Carolyn, with all due respect --and you know how much that represents-- I’ll disagree about where one does waste time!</p>

<p>For what is worth, how could one reconcile the type of questions the OP asked despite having HAD access to the best help available within the four corners of his own school? Did I miss something or is he not a rising senior? Where did he get advised on how to spend the most IMPORTANT summer of his life? </p>

<p>Forgive me to be blunt, but we will never agree on the soundness of the advice once gets from high school counselors! If it was 1/5 as good as some maintains it is, sites like this or yours for that matter would never exist, and neither would the cottage industry that books income in the … billions.</p>

<p>I do not doubt that the Bronx HS does have access to great GC, but what were they doing for this student in 9th, 10th, and 11th grade. </p>

<p>I have almost always agreed with your insights and generous advice, with the notable exception of drinking the NACAC firewater. I have no doubt that the singlest and most glaring deficiency in the passage from high school to college is the guidance “counseling” office. </p>

<p>Yes, there is advice available at schools. And there is advice available here. Both are free but I am not sure if a bunch of strangers does not offer much better advice than your regular GC. And, fwiw, didn’t the OP write:</p>

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<p>Unfortunatelly, fromwhat college has described, he has a TERRIBLE GC at Bronx Science. I am so glad he kept posting on this ‘chances’ thread because this seems like a great kid who couild benefit a ton from CC advice.</p>

<p>So…let’s assume his GC isn’t paying attention. Let’s keep giving advice about focusing his apps and his fin aid process. I think he needs our help.</p>

<p>college–kudos to you for thanking the posters here. You’ve got some of the best on your thread–xiggi, marite, carolyn.</p>

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<p>We got our guidance counselors in March. We have had two quick appointments but thats all (they do 2 appointments per period).</p>

<p>Itys not that our counselors are bad. They seem quite knowledgeable. But the system has become quite impersonal. We got our counselors too late so they barely know us and have to squeezed in quick appointments to get to everyone. On top of that they had had to meet with the sophomores and freshman too.</p>

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<p>Yup, well it’s pretty clear that you need more attention that you got. Your fin aid situation is critical. You need to make strategic decisions based on money and medical school. You need at least a few fin aid safeties on your list–just in case it goes all wrong at Dartmouth.</p>

<p>If possible, I would try to pin down your GC on your chances at Dartmouth.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>