Please start by getting a solid all-in budget (including tuition, room & board, transportation, books, etc.). I would not plan on borrowing more than the federal student loan amount.
7 Likes
If you only have $10,000, how can you afford transportation to any college beyond driving distance? - And that’s assuming that you have someone who will drive, drop you and your stuff off, and then drive home.
3 Likes
Which college granted the credit for your early college program?
What is your gpa for your college courses, taken in this program?
Put aside what you want momentarily and focus on what you need: a solid school that you can afford. Find financial safeties that will pay you to attend, ideally with no loans. With that SAT score, the schools are out there. Then fall in love with those schools. They want you. They have gifted you an opportunity. Make the most of it.
7 Likes
You’re not gonna like this, but please listen with an open heart. You have only just maybe solved your ADHD issue - you say that medication is now helping, and you only seemed to get that under control in the second half of the second semester of junior year. You probably are very bright, in order to get that high SAT score, probably without a lot of prep. You have a sibling who is at a T20.
You need to develop a solid track record of consistent work, doing and handing in the classwork on time. There are so many distractions, living in a dorm. That makes it tougher to say, “I can’t go play with people. I have to go to the library and effectively focus on doing my work, for hours a day, in addition to class time, before I can even think of playing.”
Intellectually, you’re probably not going to be challenged by the level at any possibly affordable option for you other than the top SUNY’s (Stony Brook or Binghamton). But in terms of getting your work done and handed in on time, you could be challenged even at community college.
For this reason, unless there is something truly horrible going on at home that is forcing you to get out ASAP, the answer right now is Macauley Honors at CUNY, with their scholarship. You do well there, you can try to transfer to someplace you like better.
3 Likes
I wish you could meet some of the Vals and super achievers who end up at Baruch, City College, etc who can run rings around some of the top students in the country. Why would you think this student won’t find intellectual challenges and an intense academic experience at the NY public U’s?
As a young neighbor of mine said recently “those first gen students ruin the curve for everyone. They are brilliant AND they study all the time. How is everyone else supposed to keep up?” Oh darn. Having to work hard to maintain a B average. Tough transition….
7 Likes
Exactly. A lot of bright kids end up at their local public for affordability reasons, not because they can’t get in anywhere else.
6 Likes
One of the very smartest people who I ever met got his bachelor’s degree at City College of New York. Then he got his PhD at MIT, became a university professor, and also became very well known for some major accomplishments in something related to math and CS. It was an honor, and a very pleasant honor, to meet him.
However, this started from a high school in NYC and then going on to CCNY.
4 Likes
“Intellectually, you’re probably not going to be challenged by the level at any possibly affordable option for you other than the top SUNY’s (Stony Brook or Binghamton). But in terms of getting your work done and handed in on time, you could be challenged even at community college.”
I see this differently. (Parent of a 3.3 hs gpa 35/36ACT kid and also college professor). I believe kids can be intellectually stimulated at many middle ranked and even lower ranked colleges. Truly smart kids find ways to grow their brains and find others who help them do so. The issue is that many high gpa kids may not have the tolerance for kids who arent doing the work or putting in the effort. Many high gpa kids also struggle with adhd and executive functioning issues yet make it work. OP may want to be like them but being around those kids doesn’t mean their study habits and EF fixes will rub off or transfer to the lower gpa student. One could challenge that any supposed depression about a school being lower ranked would just be disappointment in one’s previous performance.
You can get into college. That is not the problem. You won’t like the names/rankings of the colleges you will get into and that you need to work on accepting now so you dont make college apps a miserable time.
Your issue will be cost. You simply wont be able to take out more than $5500 in loans your first year. Please google max amounts of loans college kids can take each year. As a single parent, your parent may not be able to cosign a ton of loans for you either. Your parents salary may only allow them maybe 1-2k/month in “extra” and they will now being asked to split this between 2 kids college funds. You should be aware that unless there is legal paperwork saying the other parent has no custody/support requirements that schools that require the CSS form may be difficult to get merit from as well (Syra cuse is one of those schools for example).
You should be working for money as much as possible right now to save up for college costs. Paid jobs look good on applications as well. I highly recommend creating a college only application email and starting to request info from college webpages directly as we got a few free app codes that way!
4 Likes
Two separate issues. One is this student’s problem with consistently doing and submitting the work. The student needs to develop consistent work habits. This is best done without an investment of money that they and their family do not even have, and in an environment with fewer tempting distractions. If they can get into Macauley Honors, it will be a tremendous value for them, and fit their needs perfectly.
Second, I do not know if things have changed, but I have attended classes at a community college, at what was then the “jewel in the crown” of the CUNY system, and an Ivy, and have spoken at length with excellent high school students who then went on to an excellent flagship state U. The competition and rigor at even the best that CUNY has to offer is unlikely to match that at an Ivy or Ivy-equivalent. But if this student can get their problem with doing and submitting the work on time solved, and they want to transfer, they might be able to. Certainly, improved grades due to improved work habits from the second half of the spring semester of junior year are not going to be enough to get them into a highly selective college with fantastic financial aid or merit money.
2 Likes
Hi,
The College that hosts my program is Bard College, and my GPA for the College courses is a 3.2.
Thank you for this!
I am currently working two summer jobs and will continue in the fall, I appreciate your advice on contacting colleges directly as well!
Thank you. That’s good and a good college endorsing the grades.
It’s been a little while. How are things going at this point?
Working two jobs!! 
Kudos to you. 
1 Like