<p>Correction: <em>than the middle…</em></p>
<p>I know a lot of great universities such as UVA offer full-need to prospective students, but do you need the general scores they list to be considered? Say if your a student like me with a low ACT score, low income and first generation? I have great stats aside from that. Do I still have a chance to get accepted and recieve full aid?</p>
<p>First you need to be admitted. If you make it past that jump, then your financial aid will pretty much be at par with others.</p>
<p>Federal assistance is given out based on income, and maybe partly on GPA. Grants and scholarships are the ones that eye numbers.</p>
<p>If you are accepted to a school that meets full need, you will be offered a full financial aid package - based on their definition of your need. Your relative merit amongst the pool of admitted students will have nothing whatsoever to do with your aid package.</p>
<p>Federal aid doesn’t consider GPA as long as a student maintains Satisfactory Academic Progress. What that means is complicated, but basically if you maintain a 2.0 and don’t drop too many classes, you are eligible.</p>
<p>Your biggest hurdle will be getting accepted. You’re OOS and it’s very hard for an OOS student to get accepted - even with strong stats. With your modest stats, your chances are quite low. </p>
<p>I think one of the reasons why UVA and UNC promise to meet need, even for OOS students, is because those accepted students have strong stats…so, even though “merit” isn’t a consideration, indirectly it is…because you generally need strong stats to get admitted.</p>
<p>If your stats are in the lower half of the school, then it can be hard to get accepted. If you’re in the lower quartile and you don’t have a special hook (like an athlete), then it can be very hard.</p>
<p>Since you’re in NY, be sure to apply to some SUNYs and CUNYs…The NY publics tend to be low cost and between state and federal aid, your need should get met.</p>
<p>*based on their definition of your need. *
The key phrase.</p>
<p>*Male (Rising Senior)
<p>…*</p>
<p>You might want to look at some privates that want more male URMs. </p>
<p>Good luck on improving your ACT. You might want to take the SAT as well.</p>
<p>Re: Penn State…You need to understand that most OOS publics do not give much aid to OOS students.</p>
<p>Please understand that there are plenty of high-performing URM, first-gen and low income applicants to the top schools. When a top school reaches below the middle 50th percent, it’s often in-state opportunity kids and can be legacies, faculty kids, athletes or some other wierd factor.</p>
<p>Since you are low income, I would highly recommend applying to the various Seek/CD programs at CUNY, EOP programs at SUNY and the Arthur O. Eve HEOP programs at a number of NYS private schools.</p>
<p>HEOP</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.highered.nysed.gov/kiap/colldev/HEOP/documents/HEOPWebBrochure2011-12.pdf[/url]”>http://www.highered.nysed.gov/kiap/colldev/HEOP/documents/HEOPWebBrochure2011-12.pdf</a></p>
<p>EOP</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.suny.edu/student/downloads/pdf/2012_eop_profile.pdf[/url]”>http://www.suny.edu/student/downloads/pdf/2012_eop_profile.pdf</a></p>
<p>SEEK/College Discovery</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.cuny.edu/admissions/undergraduate/prepare/high-school-students/freshman-profile.html[/url]”>http://www.cuny.edu/admissions/undergraduate/prepare/high-school-students/freshman-profile.html</a></p>
<p>Keep in mind that you can only get into the opportunity programs as an incoming freshman. However, once you are in, you can transfer to another opportunity program, provided there is space.</p>
<p>For example, you get picked up for SEEK at Lehman College. You do really well at Lehman and decide that you want to transfer to Binghamton, NYU or Syracuse. You would apply to the EOP program at Bing as a transfer student coming from a SEEK program. You would apply as a transfer to the HEOP program at NYU or Syracuse as student coming from a SEEK program.</p>
<p>In addition, I would recommend that you go to [The</a> National Center for Fair & Open Testing | FairTest](<a href=“http://www.fairtest.org%5DThe”>http://www.fairtest.org) to look at some of the test optional schools.</p>
<p>Look into and consider the Ventures Scholars program</p>
<p>[Ventures</a> Scholars: High School: Overview](<a href=“http://www.venturescholar.org/hs/index.html]Ventures”>http://www.venturescholar.org/hs/index.html)</p>
<p>all the best</p>
<p>I’m definitely retaking the ACT in September and October, that was my score as of June. I have taken the SAT and I didn’t like it too much nor did I score so well. I’ve been prepping over the summer for the ACT so I should see some improvements in my score when the time comes. I wouldn’t mind applying to one or two SUNYs, I don’t want to go to a CUNY and I have other schools I’m applying to including those in which are test optional. As for Penn State, I would love to go there and I’ve come to accept the reality that it’s expensive; I’m applying for every scholarship possible such as Gates.I’m also currently nominated for the Posse Foundation which has some pretty great partner schools such as Babson, Brandeis, Vanderbilt, etc. I really don’t want to stay in New York for the duration of my college life and that’s why I’m looking for the best aid out-of-state. I’m also considering applying for the Quest Bridge scholarship. Thanks for the sources sybbie719!</p>
<p>I am going to give you the straight no chaser GC talk. </p>
<p>You absolutely need look at the reality of your situation and to have a bottoms up approach to make sure that you have some where to go next fall and that somewhere is a financially feasible option for you and your family.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I have seen too many kids, with your mindset that feel that they don’t want to go to SUNY or CUNY, end up not applying and end up having no place to go in april.</p>
<p>Don’t be so quick to say that you do not want to go to school in NYS. If you are truly low income, you will be eligible for TAP, which tops out at 4995, and PELL which tops out at ~ 5500. Right there is almost 10k in financial aid. You will not have TAP if you do not attend school in NYS.</p>
<p>If on the off chance that you do get into Penn State, which is going to be a reach, unless you have a great 3 point shot from the top of the key, can throw long or have a great running game, it is not going to be a financially feasible option for you.</p>
<p>Hate to sound like a debby downer. but your chances for Posse, Questbridge and the Gates are low. The first gen, low income students that I know, had much higher scores. I had a low income URM kid on my caseload who was Sal (June 2011), with a 31 on the ACT , who did not get Posse, Questbridge or Gates (but she just moved in at Vassar last week).</p>
<p>Lookingforward is right, there are plenty of low income, first gen, URM kids applying to college. If you are from NYC, some of them will be coming from Tech, Stuy, BX Science, Hunter, prep schools through the ABC program or scholarships who will have more rigor, better scores and grades. I am not saying don’t apply, but keep in mind that you are not going to be the only fish in the pond.</p>
<p>I didn’t intend to sound so harsh about attending a school in NYS. As I mentioned before I appreciate all of the info you have provided me. In terms of the Penn State circumstance, I acknowledge that it’s expensive and I’m no longer banking on going there unless I receive a substantial form of aid from an outside source. Although my ACT score is low (I have clearly stated that I’m retaking) Gates doesn’t consider scores in terms of being selected, I’m not banking too much on Quest Bridge and I honestly believe that I have a great shot at Posse. These programs don’t just look at scores, my ECs are strong but not necessarily head-turning. It’s not my fault that my school doesn’t offer a rigor of courses or a whole lot of competition. The budget cuts in NY have placed a heavy burden on my school. Compared to most kids in my school, I definitely stand out. One can argue, “you decided to choose your high school” and I well understand that. Unfortunately it wasn’t until an early period of my junior year that I realized the importance of being competitive, studying for my exams and having a ton of ECs. This has greatly affected a lot of students in my school and many of them are struggling to catch up. I’m not asking for a pity pool and I’m not necessarily blaming anyone or anything for my circumstance it’s just very stressful at times knowing how fast the fall is arriving and how much I need to take care of. I’m not trying to sound selfish in terms of not wanting to go to a CUNY and in fact there are a few schools in NYS I like including Syracuse and SUNY Plattsburgh. If my only options are here in New York I’ll simply make the best of it and perform to the fullest extent as I would do at any other school.</p>
<p>I second the suggestion to look into test optional schools. Also, look into CTCL (Colleges that Change Lives) and Colleges of Distinction LACs (liberal arts colleges). I believe that Lawrence (test optional, CTCL, AND CoD) is a Posse school. LACs are more likely to look at your whole package, and they really need more guys.</p>