I read the OP’s comments that his parents won’t pay tuition vs that they can’t pay tuition.
I may of missed clarification and it would be helpful to hear back from
the OP on any of the recommendations and NCP results - as lots of suggestions are not workable if they don’t qualify for FA or if they will not apply for aid.
Me as well…so won’t be need hence I’ve been finding merit.
Yes to this. And if you are still hoping for merit (or need based?) money, the time is now to throw in a few apps to private schools they had been on your radar.
You may be right. I did not read it that way based on the student having three jobs, but I could have misinterpreted (or made incorrect assumptions).
It would be nice for the OP to return and clarify so we can be more targeted with our suggestions. But if not, they can cull out what they choose from the comments in the thread.
OP, everyone is trying to be helpful with the information provided. 
Just responding to everyone. Thank you all for your help. Just a few things to mention here.
I had little to no help in making a college list. Both of my parents attended a smaller public university in Nebraska and both have had very successful careers, so they are very much on the side of undergraduate degrees don’t matter and I will give myself opportunities. It is also unheard of in my high school to go anywhere outside the state of Iowa so there was zero help in that realm. This led to me looking at undergrad business school rankings and sticker prices to be the ONLY factors in my college list (hence all public schools).
My money situation was described wrong… my bad. My parents would be happy to co-sign or take out a loan on my behalf for tuition, as long as I pay it back. I have been very responsible with money and they trust me in whatever decision I make. As far as what they are paying for, they said that they will make sure I have a roof over my head, a vehicle to drive, and food to eat. My dad even made a comment about them paying for my gas while I’m in college today. They are incredibly supportive and well-off financially. The only reason they can’t put forth more is because I am the oldest of five children and they spoil us a lot.
I will not be applying to any more colleges and universities. While this isn’t the list I would have if I got to start this whole thing over, I don’t regret it one bit. I will come away from this experience with lessons moving forward and one way or another I will have an excellent four years with a solid degree in who knows what at this point. I am a very big sports fan and have always wanted to attend a d1 university for that atmosphere and any one of these will provide that. I will stay positive from here on out as I have been and make the most of these moments. I also have a ton of things going on and am shifting my focus to scholarships to help fund wherever I go, and maybe take a load off of my parents.
I don’t know what I’m doing. Most of all - that’s okay. There is no right or wrong way to go about this. Nobody has it figured out. Everybody always has an opinion based on their experiences, values, and beliefs, and that’s why I made this thread. To hear other people’s inputs on a situation that is much more common than I originally thought. Whether I stick with my plan right now to get into real estate or not, that’s okay. Whether I end up with 50k in loans or 0, that’s okay. This is not the end all be all of my life, and if I make the wrong decision, I’ll roll with the punches and adjust.
I’ll be a little more active on here than I have been after a hectic weekend. Let me know if you have any more input, comments, or questions. I appreciate you all and happy new year!
Just out of curiosity and it’s your choice, but why #3. Some schools are a 5 minute app - if you can find one out of Iowa and inexpensive so you don’t have debt.?
For example, Ole Miss would be cheaper than Iowa - and it has a real estate major (if interested) and K State would be very inexpensive - both provide the sports scene.
You needn’t apply - just curious the logic - because when you come out at a starting at an average starting salary, you won’t be able to afford the debt for an IU - and maybe even UMN.
So there are easy to apply substitutes. You don’t need to - but they are there - that give you what you want and without debt.
Best of luck whatever you decide.
PS - did you look at a real estate curriculum? Yesterday you asked if finance was even the right major for you. With that question, you should review the curriculum from various majors to see what they actually study to ensure it matches with what you’d like to study.
Good luck.
I’m assuming your interest is business since you’re admitted to Kelly at IU. It doesn’t look like you can afford to go there, because of the out of state tuition. If parents are covering room and board, that’s only about 10k. You’d still need to cover 21k per year. Financial aid won’t cover that. Your options are Minnesota or Iowa. Both are solid schools with plenty of internship and recruitment opportunities.
That’s how I see it. I thought I was dead sure about a lot of things at 18 that turned out to be wildly inaccurate, including my plans for the future. I guess some people know, but to me this sounds like the early thoughts about a general idea about what the OP might want to do in the future.
OP, I have always taken the path of what would give me the most optionality - at least among those choices that were available to me at the time.
Sure, you should not borrow a ton of money wantonly to get a bachelor’s degree. But I’d balance some borrowing with optionality and I would not assume that your plans to own and manage real estate will be what you wind up doing. You may find in school that you like finance, are good at finance and want to head another direction.
Some kids know what they want at 18 and follow through with it. Many, many others do not.
But note that kids at Iowa get the same jobs as IU. Same with UMN.
As many in the hard to get - maybe not. But they get them.
And there will be less competition for clubs, etc. and more optionality at a school where you don’t have a hefty monthly payment for the next ten years.
Don’t forget, even a high percentage of Harvard kids aren’t finding jobs today. Who is paying their loans?
Dom’t forget - you never know where you are and bump into someone - and that changes your life. No one can predict that
But I believe for 90%+ of kids, these three are interchangeable.
Just an alternative perspective.
You clearly want to go to IU. Rank matters to you. Just know the dangers that come with it. And also knows what goes in that rank ….not much btw. It’s a popularity contest. It doesn’t relate to ‘better’.
“U.S. News & World Report’s Best Undergraduate Business Programs rankings are based solely on the judgments of deans and senior faculty members at peer institutions who participated in a peer assessment survey.
In the spring and summer of 2024, U.S. News surveyed deans and senior faculty members at each of the 532 undergraduate business programs accredited by AACSB International. All 532 programs were ranked.”
I don’t disagree with much of that, but I would add that IU Kelley does have a stronger national rep in business circles than does Iowa or Minnesota. The latter are fine schools, but IU is a click ‘better’, and by ‘better’ I mean it in the sense that most of us would say Stanford GSB is ‘better’ than Wayne State’s MBA program. I don’t think it’s the same gap as exists between those those schools, but the concept of ‘better’ is not entirely made up and stupid. I firmly believe Wharton MBA is a ‘better’ place to study finance than Mississippi State.
But national rep matters little in most jobs that are casting a wide net and hiring on line.
If it’s Investment banking I get it but this student has eschewed that.
I worry about those strangled by debt.
Many grads today are facing this.
I think we are on the wrong thread. OP opened another 
Well, just to finish this point and I’ll move on with everyone.
I don’t think it’s strictly IB and would ask @Catcherinthetoast to weigh in. From my own experience, there is also just general banking. And then I would add that there are regions of the country where rep matters more than other places. Where I live, Seattle, for example, the city population is highly educated … one of the highest concentrations of various measures of higher ed in the work force. The place is full of people from somewhere else. Here, it helps to get a leg up with national rep and there is really no iBanking going on here. There is a lot else going on, and I would say competing in Seattle can be tough, so coming from a school with a strong national rep really helps.
Now, I would say Duke is going to move you around here more easily than IU, but it’s worth noting that IU does have a niche reputation for business school. Much like SMU and a few other players from non-elite universities.
Please see OP’s new thread: Tippie [$0] vs. Carlson [$10k] vs. Kelley [$25k] [may get $9k local scholarship]
And re-opening this one.
For, your other thread, it sounds like you have a chance for two scholarships. Could you please elaborate on this? Are they competitive ones…and when will you hear the outcomes.
Until then, you really don’t have a decision to make.
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