How should I approach affording college with significantly reduced expected aid I can't pay

Paying for College
21

Yes! I think this was along the lines of what I was thinking when writing option 3 but I was more pessimistic and leaned into the safer bio/pre-health path.

Could I get recommendations for schools that would provide me enough merit aid to cost around or under 40k preferably, and with some presence in business/finance/consulting? I think school matters little for healthcare so I would rather align some school options more with the interest I have (business) where what school you go to is more important.

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Keep Purdue on your list, it’s a little over $40K OOS without any aid
I would also still apply to IU Kelley. You probably won’t get enough merit, but it’s worth a shot.

Some ideas for schools that place in consulting that could get around $40K, in a wide range of size and vibe. Some could work if you can get their larger scholarships, like U Richmond. I will say again that outside of MBB many many schools place in consulting. You are smart, have good experience, and will be able to network into a good consulting job from any of these schools.

Richmond
Marist
Dayton
Michigan State
U Minnesota
ASU
U Tenn Knoxville
U Delaware
Bryant
U Florida
Loyola Maryland
Fairfield
Providence
Butler

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23

Not sure about this student’s home state but with the upcoming OOS tuition increase, I estimate that OOS UMN with maxed out merit is going to be about $45k (and based on their calculator, I’m guessing cost would be $50k with this student’s stats).

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24

Can’t give you other suggestions. Don’t know anything about you. Please do a chance me thread and ask for others.

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25

OP’s chance me thread is here:

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26

Purdue is raising their fees for OOS and International applicants this year. For Daniels, the COA is now $47,600K.

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27

Thanks for the update, COA is creeping up! I would still tell OP to keep Purdue on the list though.

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28

My kids are in their early and mid 30’s now. I can tell you from watching their and their peers’ careers that in the long run, it’s less about the school than it is the student. My D graduated from a T20, magna cum laude, tons of leadership. She worked as a barista for the first 11 months post-graduation. Once she got the consulting job, things took off for her. My son and son in law went to schools you’ve likely never heard of, and both have good jobs that they really like. My kids have friends who went to schools many would consider lesser, and now these friends have jobs as doctors, consultants, researchers … working in the same spaces as kids they know who went to schools typically consider more elite. It really is the person.

One more anecdote. I mentored a young man who went to a top LAC. In his opinion, he felt that getting a job in I-banking, which was the flavor of the day at the time, was mostly predicated on who you knew and where you came from. He went on to get a second degree from an Ivy, yet his job came not from anything the school did, but his own research and persistence around job seeking. Overall, he really appreciated getting a good education, but it was not the be all and end all. He has had to work incredibly hard to become as successful as he now is, and he had to find ways to get what he wanted that others who went to school with him didn’t need to consider. Again, it’s about the person. Go to the school that is comfortably affordable.

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29

Elon is another potential school that could get near OP’s price.

What about Charleston @tsbna44? Seems $40k not too likely there anymore?

30

I think OP needs to get past - my state is not competitive. Not sure how you’ll pay high 40s given your family’s expected income but with your stats, you’re on easy street. You can go from U of South Dakota, as an example, work a few years and get a Harvard MBA. Many consultants are short lived in that world anyway.

Alabama - as a large name - Culverhouse. Very solid - and you’d be in with $28K merit - so $22.5K for tuition room and board. Amongst the most NM scholars so tons of smart kids - and mostly OOS including a ton from urban hotbeds like NY, Chicago, Houston and Dallas, etc.

Then you have Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Kansas, K State, New Mexico, WVU and so many more great schools - and with Honors Programs.

You can try schools like UGA Terry, UF, UMN Carlson, Miami of Ohio Farmer, Michigan State Broad, Binghamton, Delaware, Utah and even U of SC Moore - as - hey you never know. These are - you never know - they could hit. Not likely but ok as additions to a Bama/Ms State/Ope Miss type.

How about the Johnson at W&L (worth a try) and @Mwfan1921 noted College of Charleston - unlikely to hit $$ but you could easily get invited to the Charleston Fellows program weekend - and who knows - pick up serious merit. My daughter got 3 endowed scholarships and tuition was free (OOS) and they paid us. You have kids that get into Ivies or top LACs like her - in the program.

How about apply to WashU and Vandy RD - why? They offer significant merit opportunities - free tuition in fact - and who knows. Hard to get - yep. But if your state is that unpopular, well they need someone so they can say - we have kids from all 50 states!!!

If you name your state - no one will know you - but perhaps you’re a part of an exchange program we can look up for you that brings lower tuition. For example, are you a part of the WUE, which has a lot of quality schools.

If you’re going to be a consultant - and there’s zillions that place and from a zillion majors - well I’d want my consultant to be able to afford school. That’s step #1.

And for many of them, you’re going to work first and go back to school anyway - as you’ll see if you look up schools of interest like Alabama and McKinsey or BCG + linkedin - or name your other schools.

So your issue is - you can’t apply (or shouldn’t) to WashU ED - that’s really it. You should apply RD. Then the rest of it is - building a proper list with cost in mind.

Not really a big thing at all.

Good luck.

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31

I would stop freaking out. For one, and I don’t know how you define top 50 - is it top 50 US news overall, is it top 50 by major, is it top 50 Poets and Quants

Name your Top 50 - and that’s a nebulous thing anyway - but they’re not all $70K.

First step is - identify schools that meet your need including budget. With your stats, there are full pay schools, public schools with auto merit, public schools with likely merit, and private schools with significant merit - a U Denver might be a stretch but may get to high 40s…as an example.

But there are schools out there as low as $20K - W Carolina as an example and well known Bama at $22.5K for you. Better to not be in debt and work harder for a job. Your undergrad school isn’t likely to significantly impact a business school - and what you want to do today vs. in four years from now will likely change. Consultants come in all shapes and sizes - do you even know what they do? I do from those I’ve worked with and a long time ago out of grad school I had two offers but doubt those jobs exist today. There’s a zillion types I don’t know about but those I know we’ve hired - they’re not all from top tier schools. And as I said - there’s so many types of consultants - it’s really mind blowing.

So don’t panic - let’s find you a suitable school. In the end, you and not the school is what will find you long term success.

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32

Looking at your previous list, you may want to consider:

  • Loyola Chicago (IL)
  • Hampden-Sydney (VA men’s college)
  • Lake Forest (IL)
  • Trinity U. (TX)
  • Southern Methodist (TX)
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33

Yes, my S22 is at the same UC as yours, and our aid has gone from $10k/ year to $2k this year! Our Middle Class Scholarship went way down, and he lost the UC need based scholarship he has received the last two years. I’m hoping the $ amount will go up he’s able to enroll in more units next week. And I’ll have him contact financial aid to see if there’s any way of getting back some UC aid money, but I’m not too hopeful.

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34

So at WUSTL you’d major in business, but elsewhere, bio or chem, two of the historically poorest paying majors?

You make no sense.

Whatever you want to major in - the name of the school shouldn’t matter - major in that.

Guess what - business grads will pay higher than bio, whether you go to Southern Miss or Wash U.

I’m quite perplexed by what’s happening here.

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35

Avoid loans!

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36

just realized I didn’t talk about what i prefer in a school and focused on financials so:

  • larger to mid sized, just not really small
  • not in a highly conservative area
  • not a pwi

this is what i can say for sure I would prefer, food I feel like I can tough it out. Most college food is bad anyways, same with dorms.

Also not too informed on greek culture but I know I have no desire nor can I afford to rush a sorority. I don’t know what “social life is highly dependent on greek life” looks like as I see the phrase being thrown around, im assuming it means all parties are only a result of greek life. I guess I would say I don’t want greek life to be a huge part of the school then based off this assumption?

thanks to everyone for all the recommendations so far though i’m noting them down.

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37

I would major in bio/chem on the pre-pa path, then apply to pa school after i finish my undergrad. I didn’t put this down but I could also just apply to direct pa programs to guarantee becoming a pa after 6.5 years. I have 1 medical related ec, passable stats, and the only thing I would need to do is some hosp volunteering and 1 day of pa shadowing.

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Why apply to direct entry PA programs if it’s not really something that you want to do, at least right now? FYI- while being a bio or chem major often requires some form of graduate school, it doesn’t mean you have to enter a traditional patient facing career in medicine.

Find an affordable school that will allow for flexibility of studies. Look at the ones that have been recommended above.

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39

I don’t understand how switching to a major that you don’t want helps you with college costs. You would still need to find an affordable school to major in bio or chem.

You’ve gotten very good advice here and on your other thread. There are plenty of affordable options that will fall into your budget where you can major in what you really want.

And I’ll repeat what has already been said that landing internships and jobs is about you and your work ethic, not the name of the school on your diploma.

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40

Check that again. If you are applying to direct admit PA programs, you will need far more than one day of shadowing.

@WayOutWestMom

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