My parents and I both know we won’t be able to afford for my tution to go this University. My mother keeps saying that I should get many scholarships in High School… Is she right? And how many do I need?
What state are you a resident of? What is your family’s gross income? How much can your family afford to pay per year for 4 years in a row to help with your school expenses? What are your stats?
For most people, going to an instate public U and communing is cheapest. If grades and test scores are lower, often starting at CCollege and transferring while commuting after completing the basics is the cheapest way to get a degree.
First compare your GPA and ACT or SAT (if you have done the ACT or SAT yet) with the 25th and 75th percentiles for incoming students to see if it is even realistic that you might get in. Then run the NPC and see what it is likely to cost.
Most (nearly all) students are constrained by cost in terms of which universities they can afford, and many go to in-state public universities or community colleges in order to minimize the cost. Many of the in-state public universities are very good, and most students can find a very good match in-state.
The biggest scholarships are usually the need based and merit scholarships given out by the universities themselves. Both getting accepted at all and merit based awards will depend upon doing very well in high school, and on the SAT or ACT test results.
I live in the state of Kansas. We average about $100,000 a year. I’m not sure about the all four years part… From 5th grade to 8th grade, I’ve had all A’s and very little B’s here and there…
If you are just finishing 8th grade then you have a LOT of time to sort this out. Also, if you have mostly A’s with only a few B’s then you are already doing very well and should have some very good choices when the time comes.
Take the summer off and have some fun. Pay attention in high school and keep ahead in your work. In two years or so come back to CC and get some suggestions for schools to apply to. Best wishes.
I wouldn’t bank on private outside scholarships. I don’t know anyone who has financed college through outside scholarships. You’re a little young to learn about this, but most big scholarships come from the universities themselves. Cornell only gives need-based aid, which likely would leave $15-20k of expenses to pay out-of-pocket for someone with your income. Frankly, there is no way you can come up with that on your own unless you win the NHS scholarship or some other highly competitive national scholarship. Instead, apply to colleges known for generous merit aid where you are in the top 5-10% with your stats. Off the top of my head, UVa, Univ-Alabama, Xavier, UT Dallas, WUSTL, Rice, and University of Idaho do well in this regard. But we need to wait until you take the SAT to see what kind of aid you can get. Until then, read voraciously, especially classics, and study diligently even in the summer.
I start Cornell in the fall and received $2000.00 in aid from them. Yes, you read that right. My family situation is combined income of both parents, $160,000.00, only child, we own our home. If your family is similar to mine do not expect any aid. I got $10,000.00 in outside scholarships which helps but not a lot given the cost of attendance. Parents saved but not enough to cover all 4 years. I will be incurring debt as will my parents to some degree. I had much better offers from other schools. Why did I choose Cornell…for the expected ROI, the quality of education I will receive, the quality of professors whom we met with when visiting campus, the location, the campus fit for me, their unique programs and on and on. If after my first year my parents or I feel the value is not there I will look to transfer. But I don’t think that’s going to happen. I will be studying STEM and global studies focusing on China and Latin America. Looking forward to learning Mandarin!