@mamaedefamilia, I had never thought that privates can be in our range. I had read some of the mail and emails I received after D took her PSAT regarding the FA/scholarships, but never really paid any attention so far. I came across some of the names while reading through the meticulously constructed pages by @ucbalumnus (GPA etc requirements for CS majors) and @eandesmom (for kids getting in colleges with 3.0-3.4 GPA). Hearing it from you again definitely makes me go through the details. I will research them further for sure. Thank you!
Search in this thread for posts by @eandesmom Periodically she compiled the results for merit and need-based aid for B/B+ students with good but not over the top test scores. You’d be amazed and encouraged at some of the merit awards documented here.
Yes, CS and engineering can be tougher for admission, but with some research, I’m sure you can craft a list of options that are feasible and potentially affordable. People here can be extremely helpful.
Depending on test scores (which sound very promising) and GPA, privates can be in your range, as can some OOS schools.
Aside from the difficulty posed to a teen moving at this age, I personally would have a hard time giving up UC/Cal States as my in state options. There is are simply so many options, as well as those offered through WUE. PA will have options as well, just not nearly as many and between that and well, the idea of uprooting a teen, I’d lean towards the commute. That said, the CA schools are very competitive so it would be prudent to compare her options based on stats, but the real question is what does she want? And where? Does it matter or will she simply so what the family wants/needs?
I’ve a good friend in your same boat, D is a junior, very involved at her HS and will finish here with mom staying behind (WA) versus having IL as the home state and uprooting her. In their case it’s more about the uprooting than keeping the in state options (This D is more of an LAC child than our flagship) but because they can afford to, it is what they chose as best for their D.
Sample of one. My DH’s family moved after his 11th grade year. He was a fall birthday and would,have been 17 when he graduated…Turning 18 fall of his freshman year in college.
The headmaster of his new school suggested he spend two years at this new school, not one. And he did.
What compelling reason is there for your DD to graduate early especially if your family moves now? She would only have one year at her new HS…actually would be applying for college in several months…while also adjusting to a new school, and home.
Seems like the graduate-early scenario was for having the OP and daughter stay in CA and graduate from her current CA high school while the OP’s husband heads to the job in PA.
It will be hard on anyone to face all that at one time, @thumper1. I was contemplating the idea to find a midway solution @ucbalumnus has explained.
Thank you so much @eandesmom.
D is a very independent young lady. She liked 3 UC/CSUs so far though we have not really taken any campus tours. She visited them for her ECs.
The kids love their father a lot. When H got not so desirable location in the past, we stayed back. Sometimes we stayed back to finish the school year. This way, we have spent a lot of time away from H. She is increasingly becoming aware of the idea of leaving the home. In her words, “when 1 year translates to 50% of the time, I am ready to move”. She just wants to be a family living together. H and I think that it could cost her heavily in terms of her well being, academics, admissions etc.
I agree with you @mamaedefamilia ! It is a community filled with many helpful, knowledgeable, wonderful people!
@collegeandi oh that’s tough. It sounds like she is at a point where she really wants to have a say. I would definitely respect that. If she values family together more than the potential social/EC or other cost, that would be very hard to say no to. She also has been through this before so, to a degree, understand what it entails. She may not appreciate that it might be different now given the different stage of her life but it may not matter even if she does.
Sounds like you’ve got a pretty amazing kid there. Even OOS, the CSU’s are not horrible cost wise if she were to take a loan of her own and with her stats, she will have options if she applies well and strategically with the budget in mind.
From an admissions standpoint what I might do in your situation is really try to understand the grading scale and course options at the potential new school to see how that might fit or not compared to what she has now. I’ve seen CC kids have grade inflation, and deflation, when making mid stream changes and that would be good to be aware of and maybe help with the actual HS selection should you make the change.
@eandesmom , thank you so much for the input.
Am I missing on anything here that you can think of?
We are fortunate to find 2 really good schools in PA which are very similar in profile, course offering to her current school in CA. One school offers all her ECs while the other one doesn’t offer the 2 ECs she cares the most about. She likes the 2nd school better from what she has read on niche etc.
The counselors made it clear that they will allow her to choose her courses as she wants, and she will have 2 transcripts - no adjustments in her current GPA. I was slightly concerned about it in the beginning, but many people on this forum helped me understand that it isn’t a big deal from adcom POV.
The grading scale is quite different that her current school. Both the PA schools have different weighing for H and APs, give A+,A, A-etc (not the case in CA- but not an issue either), count every report cycle (this is going to hurt the most- during her EC seasons, she makes up in the last cycle of semester reporting grade which is the only one counts in her CA school).
The schools have half the students as the CA school. It doesn’t matter much to her. She is used to all kinds of settings.
I guess she will have to wait for the leadership opportunities as a new student there which she already hosts here. Those leadership roles matter to her a lot more than I can comprehend.
Whether the differences in HS GPA calculation matter for college purposes depends on whether the college uses HS GPA as reported or recalculates it. CA publics recalculate; not sure about PA publics.
As far as I can see, PSU don’t recalculate as mentioned on their website
http://admissions.psu.edu/info/future/firstyear/applicationreview/
I believe CA uses grades from 10th and 11th grade only when calculating GPA.
I don’t believe that is the case in PA.
^I thought the same is true as well. I am collecting questions to ask to the adcoms of Penn state. This will be the topmost one.
I don’t know about PA publics but I’m not aware of any state outside of CA only looking at 10-11 grades (or 10-1st semester 12th).
Ah the leadership issue is a tough one and while it could resolve for senior year I would think unlikely junior. What are here EC’s?
There are several ABET accredited engineering programs at private schools in PA and surrounding states that will be within your budget. Many will offer merit. Run those net price calculators!
@eandesmom , agree with you about possibility of leadership roles in the senior year. She is in writing, robotics, magazine, mock trial, MUN.
@Cheeringsection , thank you! I did not realize that. Somehow, I always associate privates with more than 60k per year. I will look for them. In fact, considering H’s job situation, I realized that we can’t really depend on the colleges which will require the parents’ residency in that state for all those years. CA does not charge OOS if the parents have to move as @ucbalumnus has pointed out earlier. It will be better for D not to depend on our continued residency in that state till she finishes her college. That is another can of worms though! Ughh!
Do the potential high schools offer all of those EC’s?
^The first choice school does not offer the 2 of them which matter the most to her -robotics and mock trial. The other schools have them but she is not really positive about those schools for some reason.