Difficulties of being average

Paying for College
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<p>So, this is part question, part discussion. </p>

<p>For the question, I was wondering what sort of options a person in the middle of the road could look at to finance college. I have a 32 ACT and an 1860 SAT (1200 SAT w/o Writing), a family with a modest income, a 2.97 (Last I checked) High School GPA on a 4.0 scale, a middle-of-the-class rank from high school, roughly 31 credit hours from one year at Baylor University, a 2.67 College GPA, and an EFC in the 8-9k range according to FAFSA. I have no distinguishing disabilities, diseases, ethnic traits, wonderful talents, inspiring stories from my past, or noteworthy occurrences. Basically, I was/am pretty average. In high school, college wasn’t something anyone in my family really knew about, so the importance of extra curricular activities, class rank, GPA, volunteer hours, and those sorts of things were just vague ideas that I was supposed to be working towards for some mysterious reason. </p>

<p>Now that I have been through the college search process, a year of college, and a repeat of that college search process for a school to transfer to, I understand how all of those factors may have pushed me into a university I would have actually liked to have gone to.
Instead, I am faced with a student loan that is larger than most schools’ average indebtedness for an entire education after just one year, the inability to find or qualify for most financial assistance, and the nagging fact that I now have to pick a school based on what is affordable rather than what is appropriate. Outside of the obvious attempt to get loans, scholarships, and whatever aid the schools themselves offer, I am running out of ideas. What does everybody think? What should I be doing right now to find/get into a college that is worth the time/money?</p>

<p>Suggestions I’ve heard have been try to find a job/jobs just so you can hopefully afford each semester, look for very cheap schools and just put up with the low quality to get the degree, and various other unsavory but seemingly necessary means. </p>

<p>As for the discussion that is a little less personal and more open to everyone reading; how do you feel about being average? How do you process knowing that you are in the twilight of a world where only the lowest of lows and highest of highs are rewarded? It seems like unless you can straight pay for school yourself (or through parents/benefactors), get in with a hook, luck into scholarships with close competition, experience great and unfortunate hardships, or have some sort of special talent/ethnic history/famous relative/the last name of Gattling, then you just have to endure years of high interest loans if you’re lucky. If you’re not lucky, well, then you’re average, and things get harder. </p>

<p>Pardon the somewhat pessimistic overtones, this is a current issue so my opinion has greater value than my usual, low-bias thoughts.</p>

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<p>I noticed the title of this might seem a bit abrasive, but I can’t quite figure out how to alter it, so apologies for that.</p>

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<p>Everyone has to pick a school based on what is affordable.</p>

<p>Borrowing $200,000 to attend a “smart” school is really dumb.</p>

<p>There are lots of great schools that are relatively affordable. Start with your state flagship.</p>

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<p>Perhaps I should amend my words to read “cheap”.</p>

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<p>Start by figuring out your budget. What can you afford? What can your parents contribute? How much do your state universities cost?</p>

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<p>Unfortunately, my parent’s ability to contribute is limited to around one or two thousand dollars and possibly books. The rest is fairly reliant on other sources of financial assistance, such as scholarships, grants, or loans. The biggest hinderance at the moment is that fact that nobody around me is a credit worthy cosigner, so anywhere that requires a substantial additional, private loan, is sort of out of reach.</p>

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<p>Agree with the above poster that everyone has to pick the school they can afford. Its just like buying anything else in life house, car, vacation, clothes, resturant etc you buy what you can afford. There are MANY very smart kids going to CC, directional states, part time etc because thats what they can afford. Just like there are MANY kids with lowish stats going to sleep away privates because thier parents can afford to write a check.</p>

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<p>I am very aware of the fact that people are restricted to what they can afford, often times being over or under qualified for their position. I was hoping that this thread would generate some sort of strategy or resource through which people in these situations might elevate themselves. To be honest, the intent was for my direct benefit, but due to the nature of the problem and its possible solutions, I imagine it could be useful for others.</p>

<p>I’m not suggesting that someone come up with a magical solution, or even that this sort of conversation will be exceedingly successful. However, if it helped me, or two or three or four other people, then it would be worth it. I figure people on this site are experiencing similar things, or have been through these situations before, so their experiences might be very useful in helping others find what they are looking for.</p>

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<p>You are starting from a bad premise when you assume that people who go to universities which don’t cost zillions of dollars are somehow “average.” That’s just quite simply wrong. Tons of smart people go to state universities or non-“prestigious” private schools.</p>

<p>I had a 1350 SAT (800 verbal). I chose to attend a community college, then transferred to an unprestigious state university. I’ve worked across North America, have a r</p>

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<p>There is no strategy or resource to pay for a college you can’t afford. There’s no money fairy. Its the same as saying I want to buy a bmw, but I can’t afford it, so what strategy can I use to be able to get it? You need more money. Period.</p>

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<p>You need to find a school that will give you large merit for your ACT 32 and will ignore your GPA.</p>

<p>Hopefully someone here knows of such a school. I know I’ve seen such schools, but can’t think of them right now.</p>

<p>Check on your weighted GPA to find out what that is.</p>

<p>Make a new thread with a title like…</p>

<p>Which schools give large merit for a 32 ACT, but won’t count GPA?</p>

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<p>I agree with the bmw analogy. It is as if you want to buy an 80K+ car with no access to enough money or loans. You are probably stuck working for the cash.</p>

<p>Work for 3 or 4 years and save everything. Join the military for the educational benefits. </p>

<p>Alternatively, attend a “low prestige” and inexpensive college that has a strong department in your major. Many no-name colleges have surprising strong departments and one must ferret them out through a lot of legwork and asking around. Go for a solid education, not a fancy name-brand college. I’ve taken courses at both a top-50 private LAC and a CC. I can say without doubt that the LAC won hands down for their music department (the CC couldn’t compete) and that the CC had better professors in their English department than at the LAC. Go figure. </p>

<p>Sometimes one has to cobble together their education from available sources. It is not always the nice and neat package with a bow on it. College can be a shock after the fairly straight forward, free, 4 year high school experience that is handed to everyone. </p>

<p>Bright kids and average kids get chewed up and spit out in college by lack of performance (flunking out), drugging out, mental issues, money issues, second guessing transferring, etc. College is a story that is written by you with a million of very particular circumstances, not all of which can be overcome in a timely fashion to construct a 4 year experience at the “right match” college of your desires. That fairy tale happens very infrequently. The massive mob of college students are at COMMUNITY COLLEGES and modest ho-hum STATE COLLEGES cobbling together monies and working and loans any which way they can and graduating 6+ years later, if even then.</p>

<p>Go out and write (aka “live”) your college story–with all of its ups and downs and detours. Don’t get too stuck on being envious or resentful at other students with seemingly easier routes, because it will just slow you down. At some point you might (might) have to decide to forgo certain routes because the sacrifices might be too high or the door may be closed (there are certain universities, for example, that don’t take transfer students, etc–at some point, the door simple IS shut).</p>

<p>You have health and youth. Go leverage those and go live a life that you can achieve from where you are standing today instead of grousing about the lives of others.</p>

<p>Btw - the 2K from your parents is far more than many students receive in support. Count that also as a plus.</p>

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<p>mom2collegekids, at this point, he’s a transfer student. Not sure there’s much merit out there for transfers anywhere.</p>

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<p>Edited for content to read through newer responses.</p>

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<p>Young lady I know had a 24 ACT and a so-so GPA from her small rural high school. Parents are very low income (father is totally disabled, mother cleans houses and works PT in a convenience store). She just graduated from a state directional with a degree in marketing communications - eight semesters and three summers while working FT as a waitress and making dean’s list most semesters. She got substantial need-based FA and covered the rest of the costs from her earnings. Her parents had nothing to give her. She was able to save enough to fund a six-week unpaid internship in London with one of the major cable networks. She’s recently back from that and waitressing again but has several promising job leads already. </p>

<p>These stories are more common than many people realize. For someone who is determined to get a college degree, it can be done. </p>

<p>Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using CC App</p>

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<p>Now that I have been through the college search process, a year of college, and a repeat of that college search process for a school to transfer to, I understand how all of those factors may have pushed me into a university I would have actually liked to have gone to.</p>

<p>I missed that you’ll be a transfer student. I first thought that your Baylor credits were from dual enrollment.</p>

<p>You need to go to a CC this year. Then transfer to an instate public that you can commute to.</p>

<p>It doesn’t look like you’d have the GPA to transfer to a school that “meets need,” so going away to school would just cause more debt.</p>

<p>What is your EFC?</p>

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<p>Adding: she graduated with less than $10k debt. </p>

<p>Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using CC App</p>

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<p>My EFC is around eight or nine thousand. I altered some information on my FAFSA to make it more accurate than the last time I had entered my information and it jumped up from about five thousand. </p>

<p>I had originally intended to transfer to UT (Texas resident), but due to various aspects of the transfer requirements such as number of transferrable credits, the portfolio requirements, and the art program only accepting applicants during the fall semester, I was unable to do that.</p>

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<p>have you considered the other UT options (other than the flagship campus)? many have rolling admissions</p>

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<p>I have considered them, there are SA and Dallas campuses, right? I’m afraid most of my dealing with UT and their admissions offices have been through the flagship campus.</p>