I agree that the OP could and perhaps should apply to some of the PA private colleges you listed, as one or more of them might meet need or come close to it. I fail to see how Penn State, even starting at a branch campus, would be affordable for this student.
2 Likes
I don’t think it would be either… but in the spirit of “no stone left unturned” College of Ag has lots of scholarships and it’s the closest to the original goal of VTech.
The best bet is probably IUP Honors (or SRU honors)-> get straight As 1st semester-> transfer to a meet-need college.
3 Likes
Transferring is a great idea. I have the same concerns as you do about IUP and as you said, to a lesser extent, SRU. Neither is a great fit for this student aside from financially.
Although it goes against conventional wisdom to tell a student to go into a situation with the intention of transferring, this would be one time in which it might be wise.
2 Likes
sorry for no replies, i promise i am reading them all!!
what do you feel would be a good fit college for me IF finances were NOT in the picture? i’ll make a list of some things i’d want in a college
- strong research programs/offers (preferably medical)
- a lot of professional opportunities (one thing i LOVED about pitt main was how close all the hospitals were! that would make it easy to get to an internship, job shadowing etc)
- supportive and open-minded atmosphere student body wise; still have fun but have some brains yk? the cool kids
- gorgeous campus, especially outdoor aspects. i really love connecting with nature and struggle with depression, so going somewhere that i like where it could draw me outside would be awesome
- smaller class sizes and plenty of opportunities to 1 on 1 with professors; sometimes i have a hard time understanding content in class and tutoring could be beneficial! ig in other words open office hours for professors
- decent dorm sizes. idm not having anything extravagant, but i don’t want to live in a shoebox LOL. i really like iup’s suite housing or VT’s dorms, but anything like seton hill’s dorms i could not STAND
- opportunities to travel abroad! it’s a dream of mine, and i feel like it could expand my language proficiency and i would love to see how others live and foreign culture!
- if farther than a 2 hour drive: A CARPOOLING SYSTEM!!! i know some colleges have bulletin boards where students can hitch rides with fellow classmates to go home on breaks etc. that would be great and could save me a lot on traveling
- a band and choir program where you do NOT have to be a music major would be amazing. i want to continue my music activities in college, but i do not anticipate majoring or minoring in it. i play flute/piccolo and sing alto, so any concert settings would do. NO MARCHING BAND; i’ve done it for the last four years and it isn’t very healthy for my disabled body to do, it’s really hard on me
- a tight-knit community, but not so tight that it’s suffocating if you get my drift
i might think of other things, but that’s the basic concensus
1 Like
Small class sizes won’t be Va Tech…not initially in the early years anyway.
If you are going to study abroad, you need to go somewhere affordable or with need aid that covers the abroad.
I think you need to commit this fall - and see how it goes, assuming you can afford it.
You’d likely do best with a small LAC - but unless you want to chance taking a year off, that ship has sailed for now.
Others have talked about transfer - and it’s possible although you mind find IUP works perfectly for your needs. You don’t want/need to go through this process again - and it might be that need aware schools shy away from your financial situation, especially as a transfer.
ok, replying back to you in one huge message because i decided to take a break from replying (college is so stressful and it’s taken a HUGE toll on my mental health; i need to make sure i take care of myself 
)
it’s definitely something i’ve learned to adapt to over time, and ngl being low-income has especially weighed on me now. even if i work like a dog over the summer, there is NO way i can even save near enough to pay for a college like VT. a lot of colleges are really out-of-touch with families like mine, and it sucks. A LOT. i have genuine passion and drive for college, and it was VERY clearly shown in my essays like myo mentioned; i just can’t afford a majority of colleges as of now
iup is going to be pretty cheap, yes. i could likely pay off remaining tuition and most costs right away if i work super hard during the summer. i’m aiming to hopefully have around 5k before i leave for iup. that should give me enough money to cover any fees with books, food, etc until i assess my workload before getting a job close to campus. i made sure to fight tooth and nail to get to where i am in my academic achievements, and though i feel a lot of frustration, i know it has secretly paid off in some sort of way
i heard iup honors is pretty good, so now i just have to hope that things go as planned if i attend IUP!
funny enough, i decided to tinker with an MCAT prep website last night for funsies. i actually knew a decent amount of stuff already due to my AP biology and organic chemistry courses! i also took physics last year, but i need to do a lot of brushing up on that part. high grades shouldn’t be an issue as long as i don’t get too insanely busy in college with a thousand clubs and the like. i only plan to do band and choir, along with possibly tackling a part-time job; MAYBE some honors societies too if they are available. i don’t want to overwhelm myself
i’m really glad that everyone here has been so supportive; it’s been a LONG road to get to this point. i may put in additional applications, but my main priority right now is to try and rake in more scholarship money (i have been slacking, rip) and keep my grades up while studying for my two AP exams upcoming. you all have been really helpful, i super duper appreciate it 
3 Likes
idm if small class sizes don’t happen initially, that’s where the open office hours and possible study groups could come handy
oh, abroad won’t be happening for a while if it does. IUP has a pretty good program regarding abroad and offers full scholarships; idk about VT though
affordability is going to be tricky, but we’ll see how it goes
1 Like
i really appreciate your kind words, it means a lot. it’s been pretty hard, but one step at a time, like you said :))
do you have any recommendations for colleges that suit this description? idm doing a few more applications, i just don’t know if i’ll have time, let alone if i’ll hear back before the time comes. plus, idk how many more college visits i can fit in at this point LOL
. i know i won’t be doing community college, but it sounds like transferring could be in the picture from some advice in thread. that’ll come at a later time though, i need to stay in the moment 
1 Like
ditto on the first paragraph + may potentially look into PSU in your second paragraph
alleghany has been crawling in my emails, ngl. i’m not sure what the cost would be though. i wonder if BMU is still accepting applications; i read their policy for trans students and i do qualify!
that sounds good! i definitely need to think everything through before deciding
1 Like
yeah penn is likely very full by now. i will definitely look into some of the others listed though if i have time! i’m really busy atm with end of year stuff. school is like the apocalypse 
1 Like
potentially? . what is college of ag?
i will set in stone that i am not taking a gap year no matter what
If you were a Hs junior building their list, I would recommend…
St Olaf for music&science resarch+friendly vibe, Case Western for University Circle hospitals&research+excellent music opoortunities.
Both take interest into account, meaning you’d sign up for “join our mailing list” with your college email, open the emails regularly and click on links of interest.
Case is in the middle of a city in a really cool neighborhood and St Olaf is in a college town by a river, 45mn South of the Twin cities (+they have a partnership with the Mayo Clinic for their premeds).
Kalamazoo, for urban/science.
Oberlin and URochester if there are good non conszrvatory opportunities for non music majors.
For public transportation reasons you could add Macalester, which meets need and is urban.
Then, Haverford / Bryn Mawr for elite friendly full need/no loans college consortium near Philadelphia.
Dickinson, Lafayette, Muhlenberg would be a bit less competitive than Haverford/Bryn Mawr, meet full need, and are still in PA.
PA colleges like Juniata, Susquehanna, Ursinus, + Wooster (OH), to round out the list (you’d need merit there).
College of Agriculture though the real name for that college REALLY should be College of Applied Science&Agriculture.
That major has nothing to do with Agriculture so it’s tucked away and hidden… therefore odds are, many students didn’t find it. That’s why there might be a marginal chance it’s not full yet. (You wouldn’t do anything agricultural.)
https://agsci.psu.edu/academics/undergraduate/majors/immunology-and-infectious-disease#
And bonus they have tons of scholarships (justbfor that college, because it’s part of the founding missions for PSU-UP.) The final date to apply for scholarships is April 30.
https://agsci.psu.edu/students/scholarships/incoming-students-to-the-college-of-agricultural-sciences
All in all, though, I’m not sure you will not be branched or how it can be affordable. Perhaps to keep in mind for next year.
Bryn Mawr is no longer accepting applications – but you can always reach out, no harm no foul if you’re respectful.
This is the person to contact
let them know you live in rural PA but only found out about their policy wrt Queer/Trans applicants now, are thinking of applying as a transfer next year (dont say from where since you can’t be sure yet) but are wondering whether by any chance they might still be accepting applications at this time?
Eta some Bryn Mawr links
It should be on your transfer lists next year 
Chatham, in Pittsburgh, is still definitely accepting applications and meets a lot of your criteria. The main issue is that they don’t meet need.
3 Likes
For possible planning if you decide to go local and transfer -
Here is a list of colleges that meet full financial need with helpful details explaining all the variations (note, some may be need aware for transfers or not meet need for transfers): Here's Every College That Offers 100% Financial Aid
Here is a list of colleges with full ride scholarships (not all work with transfers):
1 Like
@bonkistobias : how are things going? Did you hear back from any college or receive financial aid packages?
oh hey man! no FA packages yet, but i did tour IUP last friday. it was really nice! i am touring VT next wednesday
4 Likes
This topic was automatically closed 180 days after the last reply. If you’d like to reply, please flag the thread for moderator attention.