<p>Just thought I’d give you guys an update, since a lot of your advice was very thorough and helpful. I’m a junior now, and about to take the PSAT/NMSQT in a couple of weeks.
This, of course, means that I’m definitely going to be applying to US colleges and universities next year (I’m probably reaching for grad school too, despite my earlier posts). I’ve thought about it long and hard (my summer was basically dedicated to researching post-secondary institutions, financial aid, and immigration laws) and I really think that it’s best that I don’t leave the US.
My parents are still quite against this, dropping hints about how loaded down with debt I’ll be, how I’ll be essentially disowned at 18, and all the luxuries in the Philippines I’ll be missing out on. But my mom is being slightly helpful by taking me to college info sessions and such (she even got a little excited for me at a Yale one, but I doubt I’ll apply there). My dad is also “thinking about” letting me see his IRS forms soon so I can give them a ballpark estimate of our EFC.
I think I’ll be applying at a handful of schools in the Philippines (UP-Diliman, Ateneo de Manila, and De La Salle) as financial safeties. But those are only last-ditch options.
Oh, and I learned that an old friend of mine just matriculated at Cornell for chemical engineering. She’s Filipino too, and her parents gave her a similar ultimatum - everything in the PI, nothing in the US. She was actually okay with going to the Philippines, but wanted her family to come with her (they didn’t want to, so she stayed here). And they’re pretty rich, so she didn’t qualify for any finaid. So her parents took out a heck of a lot in loans and she’ll be paying off everything. Her situation kind of strengthened my resolve to attend a school here. :)</p>