After merit scholarships, it’ll be a few thousand bucks maximum for the local option because I’ll be commuting. I’d only go to the second choice if they gave me additional scholarships to make it worth my time. The nine other colleges are wild cards; it really depends upon the scholarships I get. If it’s a really good college, my parents and I will go through hell to go there if need be — I can work, they can take out loans I’ll repay, I can take out loans, etc. It’s still TBD until March. I mentioned my inability to replace items because I know, if I were to go to one of these better colleges (where I’d live on-campus), my parents and I would be in a tough financial position, and I would not want to burden them with any expenses other than what was absolutely necessary.
Overall, the financial situation is not great, and I know I’m not in the same kind of place financially as many of the people attending these more prestigious colleges. Working towards a good college has been my life for years now — it has been everything to me — so, as I said, I’d be willing to go through a lot to attend. I really don’t want this to be my parent’s burden, so I’ll do everything I can to make it.