<p>So I’m a junior in high school and I did kind of a preliminary EFC form and based on the fact that I’m a dependent, my mom is a waitress, and she made no more than 13,000 dollars last year, it said my EFC was zero and that i qualify for a 4K pell grant. But my top school choices are NYU, Georgetown university, and either UCLA or UC Berkley. I know Georgetown is a full need school, but it’s harder to get into than NYU. So if i end up going to NYU how much tuition do you think I would be expected to come up with?
OR any other financial aide advice would be very helpful lol</p>
<p>NYU has a reputation for not meeting the financial need of admitted students. Each year, a few students do get excellent aid packages, but many more get lousy ones. Do not invest much emotional energy in NYU.</p>
<p>If you are not a California resident, you can cross those two UCs right off your list. You won’t get enough aid to make it possible to attend.</p>
<p>You need to sit down with your guidance counselor, and find out which colleges and universities have admitted students with grades, test scores, and ECs like yours in the past few years, that will give you an idea about which places are academic reaches, matches, and safeties. Then you need to sit down with your mother, and find out how she feels about you taking on a lot of college debt. If you qualify for a full Pell grant, then your financial safeties are places that won’t cost more than the Pell plus a full Stafford loan. Compare the financial safety list and the academic safety list. Do any colleges or universities appear on both lists? If so, those are your Rock-Solid safeties. Visit them first to see which of them you feel you would be happiest attending if everything else goes wrong in the application process.</p>
<p>If you have very good grades, and test scores, there are a number of institutions that offer guaranteed merit aid packages. Read through this thread for more ideas: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html</a></p>
<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>
<p>For NYU, unless you are determined to study business and work on the Wall Street after graduation, it may not pay to go. A friend of mine sent his D1 to NYC 5 years ago. She was in Business major, took on a very heavy student loan( about $50,000/yr). After graduation, she had an offer from Goldman, with over six figure salary and bonus. She took over the loan and everyone is happy. That is the only viable path for NYU. Good luck!</p>
<p>*it said my EFC was zero and that i qualify for a 4K pell grant. But my top school choices are NYU, Georgetown university, and either UCLA or UC Berkley. I know Georgetown is a full need school, but it’s harder to get into than NYU. So if i end up going to NYU how much tuition do you think I would be expected to come up with?
*</p>
<p>Does Georgetown require the financial info from your father? Many schools that “meet need” require that NCPs submit financial info as well. (non-custodial parents). </p>
<p>What state are you in? The UCs give lousy aid to OOS students. </p>
<p>NYU will not likely work. It is AWFUL with aid…probably the worst for a top school. NYU does give some merit scholarships for TOP, TOP, TOP applicants, but usually those only cover less than half of costs, and then you’ll have a big gap and won’t have the rest covered.</p>
<p>What are your stats? If you haven’t taken the SAT or ACT yet, how did you do on the PSAT?</p>
<p>You need to look at the project on student debt. There is a growing list of colleges that have pledged to eliminate loan debt or limit loan debt, making it more affordable for students to attend.</p>
<p>[Project</a> on Student Debt: Financial Aid Pledges](<a href=“http://projectonstudentdebt.org/pc_institution.php]Project”>http://projectonstudentdebt.org/pc_institution.php)</p>