Input on my college list

4Gulls
Tue, 26 Dec 2017 12:07:58 +0000

What year is your sibling currently? Are there other siblings coming up? You may get the sibling “rate” for first year, but if your sibling graduates and it’s just you in college be prepared to see those added savings evaporate. You’ll need to file FAFSA and CSS every year - and I know in our case both kids’ schools also asked for verification from the other school confirming that the student was still attending. It is a nice bonus though for families that, on paper, look well-off but in reality are not remotely rich. Usually the grants you receive will spell out whether they are performance based (maintaining a certain GPA and being a student in good-standing) or based on Financial Need (which with 2 in college you may be granted).

I agree with @prezbucky that your list is very reach-heavy and @auntbea is right that loans will be a piece of any package. You might consider adding one or two schools that would be closer to “match.” If you’ll share what you are interested in studying and what you are looking for in a school (size, urban vs. rural, etc.) folks might be able to make a few suggestions. Looking at your current list, for example, I might suggest Union College or Dickinson College.

Good luck and keep us posted.