University of Pacific is in Stockton, which is nowhere near Compton.
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What kind of college life do you want? Earlier you were talking about activities and clubs and campus life. If youâre living off-campus with your relatives, youâre missing out on a lot of what many upper middle class families consider college life. Lots of college life happens on an unscheduled basis. Someone is walking down the dorm hall and sees an open door and stops for a chat. Or people invite each to go hang out and get some ice cream. Or an impromptu game of twister starts up in the dorm lounge. Or whatever.
If you donât care about campus life and forming a lot of deeper relationships, then living with family is a reasonable solution. If you do care about what many privileged people consider âcollege lifeâ then I would strongly recommend that you live on-campus at least your first year, and then in very close proximity to campus should you move off-campus.
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Do those hypothetical relatives live within commuting distance to colleges that would be affordable if they (presumably) subsidize your living and commuting expenses?
And are these hypothetical relatives willing to fund 4 years of college?
You mentioned somewhere upthread that you think you visited one of Emoryâs campuses. Unless you drove 30 or so miles outside of Atlanta, surely you visited main campus. There are lovely residential areas around Emory, and while the public transportation near campus isnât that great and the roads around campus seem to always be under construction, it is not all that hard to gt where you want to be in Atlanta, and there are a LOT of college kids in Atlanta. It is not in the middle of nowhere. That said, the top merit scholarships are VERY competitive.
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Regarding diversity, my kid is not white and attends a hs that is around 95% white. For colleges shes decided she would prefer a max of 75% ish white.
On her list, Central Michigan, Wayne State U, Elmhurst, Creighton, SLU.
Lawrence U is in a very safe walkable town and students need to live on campus all 4 years so strong community (sons gf attends). They give tons of merit.
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Hypothetically wonât work. If this is the caseâŠyou need some assurance that this actually WILL happen, and that they wonât need to or want to change their financial contribution in the future.
Probably better to find something affordable up front.
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I am a little confused here. Did you find at least 1 school that is affordable?
I love that you are a junior, youâve got the right idea. Keep adding possibilities- sign up for mailing lists and then thoughtlly vet those possibilities with your family over the next 6 months or so.
I have a few very simple things to say or ask.
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Have you looked for affordable colleges where you are likely to get accepted? This is where you should start your college search. Find two. Then build your list UP from there.
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You need a firmer idea of what your parents will contribute annually towards your college costsâŠand I would suggest NOT relying on possible money from wealthy relativesâŠunless they start a 529 account just for you, and fully find it for four full years.
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There are a ton of urban colleges that might work for you. Start looking at all the options.
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Look for some schools with rolling admissions that are affordable and where you have a good chance of acceptanceâŠand that you like. Apply very quickly to those when their applications come outâŠand you will have an admissions decision quickly and some with their financial aid too.
Donât start by researching all reach schools. Those will be easy for you to find once you have found sure things, and a couple of realistic targetsâŠaffordable and to your liking.
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One additional option would be to live with these California relatives, attend community college for two years, and then transfer to a UC or CSU. You may also be able to become a California resident this way, qualifying for in-state tuition at UCs/CSUs. Residency requirements | Understanding residency for purposes of UC tuition
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According to that link, moving to California for educational purposes does not count toward establishing residency for tuition purposes. In addition, students considered as dependent (most students under age 24 who are not married or military service members or veterans) need to have their parents be California residents for tuition purposes using the same criteria.
The AB540 provision requires three years of attendance (of which at most two years in community college can count) and high school diploma, associates degree, or fulfillment of UC/CSU transfer requirements in California: https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/tuition-financial-aid/tuition-cost-of-attendance/ab-540-nonresident-tuition-exemption.html
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I said âmayâ in my post, thatâs the operative word.
It would be straightforward according to the link I posted for OP to state they have an intent to stay in California. Obviously if OP moves to CA for CC, they did not move to California to attend a UC. OP would also have to show financial independence from their parents. If OP does choose this route, they would need to work closely with an attorney and/or UC/CSU residency experts if they want a chance at in-state tuition at the transfer school.
Physical presence in California to attend a community college is for educational purposes that disqualifies the physical presence from counting toward tuition residency. See https://www.ucop.edu/residency/files/rpg-2024-25-final-6.18.24.pdf#page=9 (section C.1).
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In my opinion, this OP should not count on becoming a CA resident easily, and also shouldnât count on relatives to pay college costs. They should focus on finding affordable options they likeâŠwhere they have a decent chance of acceptance.
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I would begin by asking your family what they will pay each year. That number, combined with the small student loan students can take, will tell you what you can afford to pay.
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Iâve compiled a list of 20 but just based on scholarships from the schools:
(All safeties except UIUC which is a target. This is without financial aid because I donât really know how that works. Also the graduation rates seem to be very lowâŠ)
If any of you can provide any input, thatâd be greatly appreciated !! thanks!
@thumper1 @ucbalumnus @twogirls @mwfan1921 @AustenNut @tsbna44 @anyone
- Eastern Michigan University (Presidential Scholarship- full tuition and room and board for four years (valued at approximately $100,000)): 3.5 GPA/25 ACT or 1200 SAT
Estimated Cost of Attendance: $31,854/year
- UIUC (AIM High- 5K/year for 4 years) (Provost- Full Tuition)
Estimated Cost of Attendance: $35,862-$41,126/year
- UIC (Chancellorâs Fellows (AIM HIGH)- 7,500/yr): 3.70 UW with at least 8 Honors, AP, IB, DC/DE in 11th & 12th grades
Estimated Cost of Attendance: Itâs too confusing but wouldnât need housing or food
- UMD (Banneker/Key Scholarship- The full Banneker/Key provides full tuition, room, board, and a book allowance/partial Banneker/Key $12,000 towards tuition for out-of-state students annually & include an additional book allowance each year.)
Estimated Cost of Attendance: $59,686
- WVU (Climb Higher Scholarship Level 1- $17,000 & renewable & non-competitive): 3.8+ W GPA and ACT >30 or SAT > 1360
Estimated Cost of Attendance: $41,508/year
- Delaware State U (Full Tuition- $19,014): 3.5 GPA+, 23+ ACT, 1130 SAT+)
Estimated Cost of Attendance: $46,226/year
- Mizzou
(Mark Twain Level 1: 21.5K/year): 3.7 GPA & 32 ACT & 1420-1440 SAT
(Competitive Stamp Scholars: 4 year full ride + 16000 enrichment fund): 3.5 GPA & 32 ACT/1420 SAT
Estimated Cost of Attendance (23-24): $49,740-53,520/year
- FGCU (Blue & Green Scholars Award: $15/yr for 4 years): 3.9 W GPA & 1320 SAT/28 ACT
Estimated Cost of Attendance: $42,776/year
- Creighton University (ROTC which idk about- The Army and Air Force ROTC scholarships contribute towards tuition and fees, a book allowance, and a 10-month stipend. Recipients are selected by the Army ROTC and by the Air Force ROTC. Creighton will provide a full room and board supplement upon activation of the scholarship.)
Estimated Cost of Attendance: $63,790/year
- Prairie View A&M (Regentsâ Student Merit Scholarship- Tuition Waiver: $26,874 + $600/semester for 18 credit hours, on campus housing, meal & books & Renewable 4 years): 3.50+ GPA, 1260+ SAT, 26+ ACT
Estimated Cost of Attendance: $43,373/year
- ASU Polytechnic or West Valley (Scholarship: $21,500)
Estimated Cost of Attendance: $53,111/year
- ASU Downtown Phoenix or Tempe campus (Scholarship: $17,500)
Estimated Cost of Attendance: $53,111/year
- ASU Los Angeles (Scholarship: $13,500)
Estimated Cost of Attendance: $49,094/year
- George Mason (University Scholars- Full Tuition for 4 years) ??
Estimated Cost of Attendance: $59,330/year
- Miami University Ohio (4.30+ W GPA): $15,000+
(Honors College FPF a highly competitive scholarship for fifteen top students in the Honors College per year that covers tuition, fees, housing, and food and includes a $5,000 academic enrichment stipend, and the Prodesse Scholarship, a $2,000 award for top students admitted to the Honors College who arenât also Presidential Fellows)
Estimated Cost of Attendance: $57,572/year
- St. Louis University (Presidential Scholarship: Full Tuition): 3.85+ W GPA
Estimated Cost of Attendance: $73,884/year
- UH Hilo or West Oâahu (Regents Scholarship- Full Tuition & $4K Stipend): 3.5-3.7 GPA (but hawaii travel is expensive tho so idk)
Estimated Cost of Attendance: $34,382/year or $44,228 year
- Kalamazoo (Merit-Based Scholarships: $40-41K): 3.0-3.5 UW GPA (but mineâs higher and thereâs no amount for higher so not sure)
Estimated Cost of Attendance: $74,208/year
- WMich
(Medallion Scholarship: 16k/year & $6,279/year for housing & $3K for study abroad/research)
(Foundation Scholarship: $16K/yr): 3.7 GPA & verified, significant financial need (unsure))
Estimated Cost of Attendance: $33,690/year
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Schools that are relatively inexpensive and donât meet financial need can have relatively low graduation rates because they attract many students who canât string together 4 years of uninterrupted college attendance for financial reasons. Generally, motivated students who can afford a schoolâs cost of attendance will graduate in a timely manner from any of the schools you listed.
Comments on your list of schools:
What does the estimated cost of attendance represent? Is that for you, based on the NPC or just the full COA before financial aid?
For ASU LAâŠthey donât have your major, they only have design, fashion, film majors right now. ASU does have a full offering of fully online majors, but that may not be of interest to you.
I would drop Hawaiian colleges, travel is too expensive, as is living there.
Maybe replace those with Western Carolina? Or another in-state Illinois school, maybe SIU (either or both campuses), NIU, or ISU?
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estimated cost of attendance is full COA before financial aid.
got it! thanks for the suggestions!
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Also, I think my stats will likely improve as I still have a bit of time before applying to colleges (Iâm aiming for a 35-36 ACT and above a 1500 SAT and then my GPA will raise a bit and ecs/awards). And then of course, after I figure out which affordable schools I could see myself at, I can look for the reaches and targets I like?
Western Carolina University is a good suggestion as it may be affordable. It is still unclear to me what the budget is.
Are any of the scholarships noted in your post automatic?
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