Ok, thanks. I thought you might have heard something new. No hurt in applying, but the financial aid office basically said that there are no guarantees beyond that current year’s legislation. … and if you’re selecting the school based on a merit package that might evaporate, that’s a hefty risk.
If you are a junior, you have another year and two months. so why not spend the $30, it’s on the common app, you write - it’s not even an essay…a resume. and who knows what the landscape looks like in a year…is all i’m saying…if you even get in…which is not easy at UF.
sorry - you are NMF - you’ll get in. So for $30, why not be prepared in case you can get a guarantee of good news vs. regretting later and saying - we should have.
That’s all i’m saying. You buy yourself until May 1 to see the landscape then.
Legislation isn’t easy to change…and UF is using this for rankings…that’s solely my point.
Thanks
I’ll comment on the music piece. My kid was also a state ranked oboe and English horn player who wanted to continue to play in a college orchestra and continue private lessons. She was not a music major, or minor, and her major wouldn’t have really left room for that anyway (engineering).
Finding a college that would welcome her into an orchestra was THE most challenging criteria in her college search. She contacted a lot of music department chairs, orchestra directors and private oboe teachers at colleges. Some said a definitive NO to her. Others said maybe, and others had ensembles for non-majors. A few said yes.
I would suggest you add University of South Carolina to your list. They have a great business program, you could very well receive a great merit award. In 2006 when my kid enrolled, all of their ensembles allowed any major to audition for a seat, and they had a number of ensembles. They also allowed her to take a trial lesson with one of the oboe faculty.
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UMichigan: see if you can combine Ross&Residential College. RC would match your EC’s and general profile, and it would be interesting because as far as I can tell they do not many Ross students so it’d help you stand out a bit (playing to your strengths.)
Michigan State Honors. GVSU Honors if you really need a financial safety due to parental situation.
Has your father remarried? If so, many colleges will ALSO consider his spouse’s income!
Look into St Olaf and Lawrence. Run the NPC to see whether they’d be affordable - you should be able to leverage your music skill and experience for a big scholarship. Inquire now, as “interest” matters for the scholarships.
UPuget Sound is a notch down in terms of academics but their business honors program is very good.
If you’re ok with Greek Life, same thing at DePauw.
Penn would be an obvious reach but your passion for music would also be a plus: Wharton likes it if you have non financial passions 
in addition to being very strong at math.
Rather than Drexel, if you like internships/co-ops, look at UCincinnati: excellent merit and lower COA to start with.
Seconding U South Carolina, excellent merit for Top Scholars.
Vanderbilt and UChic won’t ask for NCP info. Definitely worth applying, as reaches of course.
Florida: UF said they wouldn’t pick up the slack from the legislation. Right now lawmakers, students, and families are trying to save Bright Futures (the state grant program). They don’t care as much about OOS NMF students, obviously, considering the current emergency their own funding is in.
FSU and UCF said they would pick up the slack so if you’re NMF, write “undecided” until you’re sure, and at least apply to these 2.
A lot of suggestions are difficult since we don’t know your budget. Can you give a range or an estimation as to what your EFC would be based on FAFSA and as to what it’d be based on both parents?
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Thank you so much for the awesome list of suggestions!! I’ll check them out.
And is it true that I’m not an auto reject from Wharton because I haven’t started a business and won DECA awards?!? I always thought that they mainly just wanted start-up founders and business-internship-in-high-school kids and stuff like that! Huh. I don’t want to apply if it’s completely out of reach/ my Wharton application will get laughed at, though.
Not necessarily.
Keep in mind it’s a big reach, so applying means that you likely won’t be admitted, like 90-95% who apply, but yes I think you stand a chance.
More importantly, RUN THE NPC before you apply. They WILL need your mother AND your father’s info as well as any spouse’s. If the total is unaffordable, don’t apply.
Email Wharton and ask if you were so lucky as to be admitted, they’d authorize a music minor.
Wharton likes students who are very good at math (Differential Equations jr year, and I suppose another math class - calculus-based statistics?- senior year, would absolutely qualify) and
You’d have to articulate how you’d use your education to make something more than money, though. How you’d apply it, what you plan to do with it, would matter a lot. It doesn’t have to be a start up but it’d have to be useful/fill a need and to match your interests/strengths. See if you can find something.
Don’t worry about the super competitive club team that took too much time and cost a lot, you have a LOT of interesting, consistent activities that matter more than something costly and time-consuming. (In fact, sometimes, if you have to pay for it, it counts “less” than something you “earned”. For a costly sport, it’s in-between obviously.)
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If you think Penn is a fit and can afford it you should apply. You’ll never hit a home run if you don’t swing the bat. I used to ask why me. The older I get I ask why not me. Don’t underestimate yourself.
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