@BrownParent I just saw your posts. My frustration was not directed at you, I apologize. And yes, I did mean wary. Sorry. I have called Miami twice, had my aid re-evaluated, and not gotten very far with it. I know that the only free money I get is in grants and scholarships, and that loans and WS are not.
Again, I am really sorry that you interpreted my posts as at you. I thank you for taking the time to have constructed a financial plan for me.
I have worked in the summers since I was 14 over 50 hours/week and I work some weekends in the school year. Almost all of my income goes to paying for the things I need since I don’t make my mother pay for anything (since she doesn’t make much anyways).
Like I said, Miami re-evaluated and they just didn’t give us enough…So, my plan is to go to state school in my home state of MA where I’ll get in state prices. I also really like the school here. Thanks again!
Your intermediate plan can be to apply to a college that, unlike Miami or UMass, meets need. Since you got into UMiami, you must have pretty good stats. Colleges that would likely be delighted to have you (and would offer a good FA package) have already been cited in #17. I would add Kalamazoo, Ohio Wesleyan, St Lawrence, and Gettysburg, which sometimes have surprisingly good FA packages. Those may even cost you less than UMass (which, beware, is a high fees/low tuition institution, so that a full tuition scholarship doesn’t mean much if it’s not “full tuition and fees”.) Deadlines are in a week so start working on them NOW. (Some have no supplement, so your UMiami app would just work :p).
UMass doesn’t meet need either so applying widely is your best option at this point.
I’m really sorry this happened with UMiami. 
@MYOS1634 At this point, I am really invested in attending UMass and will be able to get enough money in local scholarships to pay for its cost. While I really appreciate your suggestions, I am extremely selective in which colleges I will apply to and where I can envision myself. A lot of people tell me “college is what you make of it” and like statements, however, I am a very type A person and I need everything to be planned and for everything to happen as planned.
I am very grateful that I have a state school such as UMass that I could attend because it is a great fit for me. I still haven’t heard back from my EA application but I will soon! Thanks again!!!
Are you 100% sure you will get sufficient financial aid for UMass? Its price structure makes me quite worried due to past student experiences (and students who thought they’d be fine… and it turned out they were not, were gapped when they thought they wouldn’t be, and they were stuck because it was too late to apply anywhere else) plus many flagships gap lower-income students quite a bit.
(All the colleges I listed would be considered higher-ranked/more prestigious than UMass, just not for for sports - exceptions: Colgate, Lafayette, which are D1, and Denison which is a powerhouse for swimming.)
There’s a difference between planning and being inflexible, and being type A means being driven, which means choosing colleges with lots of driven students. Not sure what you mean with “I need everything to happen as planned”, because… it won’t.
Did you apply to/get into Commonwealth Honors? UMass overall is a good university but Commonwealth Honors is a class above. 
you have roughly a week to figure out where to apply if you don’t want the money to be gone
Apply to heavily endowed and giving schools. Kenyon while it does meet aid will sometimes not admit students because they don’t justify giving full tuition as they can usually give that money to a combination of other applicants.
Look at colorado college, huge endowment and super affordable, ed is in 6 or so days so get on it
Unless you have some killer hook, then you’re just another kid who “will be a valuable asset there”. Lots of schools will allow you to “think globally” (the most clichéd phrase every school uses)-- that’s hardly unique to UM.
No one really says “ameliorate our changing world”.
If the money isn’t enough, then ask for more. If they say NO, then move on.
@psychbio12cc, @myos1634, I’m concerned about the affordability of UMass as well from a previous thread of OPs on Jan. 3:
[UMass Amherst tuition and fees](Undergraduate Costs : UMass Amherst) for 2015-16 was $14k. If you’re planning on commuting from home I could see the difference being ~$4k after Pell and the federal student loan are applied. If you’re thinking about dorming, I don’t think those numbers are right.
@GMTplus7 If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything. Please.
Sorry, dude, it’s an internet forum, and if you solicit help you need to be prepared for responses you may not like (and they may even be truthful!).
@MYOS1634 Yes, in my are there are a multitude of scholarships for local students and it would be extremely affordable to go to a state school. Also, with regards to those suggested schools- I like bigger schools and a lot of those are small, liberal arts, private schools. While larger private schools would be nice, they are too expensive…So it is not that I am being inflexible, I just know myself very well and that I am very particular in what makes me happy. I have been researching colleges since the first day of high school and have always known what I wanted. It was not until this year when completing the CSS with my mom in october that I was able to put a number on our income- which I knew wasn’t large- but not so problematic. I have apps with Northeastern, UMass, and Florida Atlantic University right now. At FAU I was admitted to the honors college and got $27k/year from them…I am just not sure if I would be happy there at all.
I agree UMass would be a better option than FAU. The Honors college there is very good, it has its separate campus and is very science-oriented, very intense, very small, although you’re 20mn from the main campus and all its activity if you want.
But if you got UMass and Commonwealth Honors, it’d be better.
Among larger universities that meet 100% need and that weren’t on Jan 1 deadlines…
- Georgetown (deadline tonight or tomorrow)
- Tulane (deadline Jan 15)
- URichmond (Jan 15)
Not much but perhaps worth a try so that you have a choice? It’s worth a try at least.
@MYOS1634 I will look at Tulane and Georgetown! I am not really sure that I would be happy at URichmond. Thank you so much!!
Georgetown is the priority relatively speaking ;).
At worst, you have UMass. At best… you have another choice. Or two!
@MYOS1634 And UMass is a fabulous choice!
Tulane doesn’t always meet full need, although they do a fair amount of the time, and depending on your stats you might have a chance at merit aid.
I think they package preferentially. That said, they offered my D an Ivy-comparable package, without loans.