Update

Parent Cafe
1

<p>Wow! Not sure if anyone remembers me, but it’s been a LONG time since I’ve been on CC. What the heck is up with this formatting now? Anyways, A LOT has changed since my last update on here. </p>

<p>I left Knox in October 2012, mid-term. I basically woke up one Saturday mid-October and started to do homework, but then stopped all of a sudden to cry. I cried and cried and cried. I basically had a mental breakdown. I was not happy in Galesburg, Illinois nor Knox. The term had been going very badly with me having to drop a stagecraft class, and I just really did not like the classes I was taking. Even my boss had told me she could tell something was wrong. I talked to my best friend, and I told her I wanted to go home. I could not deal with this college any longer. I had one close friend, that was it. I went to class every day thinking I hated the college. I was miserable there. I loved my work study job, but that was it. </p>

<p>I called my parents to pick me up (keep in mind I’m from Georgia) and it came to a shock to them. They had no idea I hated Knox. I had kept it in for over a year and a month. My dad told me the summer prior that I didn’t have to get back, but I decided to because I felt like it was going to get better. My spring term was great socially especially in comparison to fall term, so I thought it would continue to go well, but Knox was just not the school for me. Knox was a great academic fit (had a 3.6 GPA, Dean’s List, loved the open curriculum), but a terrible social fit along with not feeling at home in Galesburg (a small rural Midwestern town). My parent’s wanted me to finish out the term (trimesters) because I only had one month left, but I mentally couldn’t handle the school any longer. I would say the environment I was in made me crazy mentally, but as soon as I left that environment I was perfectly fine (would not say I was depressed though). It really had nothing to do with academics because I had all A’s and B’s in my classes, but it all had to do with social problems. I had been at the school for over a year and a month, so I knew it was time to leave. I was only taking three courses, so I really wasn’t going to lose that many credits since it was on the trimester system. I withdrew and never looked back. Had I finished the term, I know I probably would have went back. Leaving mid-term was the best thing that ever happened to me. I am grateful for all my friends at Knox and from high school who supported my decision even though my parents didn’t understand since I never told them I wasn’t happy.</p>

<p>I went home and started therapy. It was my idea to do so. I went once a week and it was very expensive. I went to a cognitive therapist because I wanted to change my social behaviors before I transferred, so the same social problems wouldn’t happen again. It turns out therapy was a waste of time & energy as the therapist told me after a couple months she thought I didn’t need therapy. I felt as though I could tell the same problems I was having to my best friend and for free. I was perfectly happy when I was home. As soon as I left the Mid-west, I became fine mentally. It was much so the environment I was in that caused me to have that mental break-down. I hadn’t really thought about applying to transfer that term. Everyone here knows I am a planner and what happened WAS NOT planned. I need some rash decision making in my life. </p>

<p>Anyways, I applied to three schools to transfer for Spring 2014: New College of Florida, Guilford College (NC), and Goucher College (MD). NCF rejected me, while the other two accepted me. Guilford was not affordable, and I visited and hated it. I did not like Greensboro or the campus, but it was hard because both schools were off during Winter Break, so I couldn’t really talk to many students at either school (literally saw none at Guilford). I loved Goucher’s campus, it was stunning. I talked to some students and got really good vibes. I finally felt as though I would be at home. It was much more urban than Knox located technically in Baltimore even though it’s really in Towson. I could walk to the nice mall, and take the Marctrain to DC when ever I pleased. It had a lot more to offer me internship wise with Downtown Baltimore being 20 mins away, DC an hour, Philly 1 hour 40 mins, and NYC 3 hours. Not exactly Peoria or the Quad Cities. It was also affordable. I got more financial aid that semester because I left Knox mid-term, so it was about the same price. </p>

<p>I transferred to Goucher mid-year, and I am very happy with my decision. I am now a double major in Theatre and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. I was going to double major in Theatre/Sociology, but Women Studies is interdisciplinary, so all of my sociology classes would go towards it. I was going to minor in Sociology, but as a double major and transfer student I do not have time. Originally, I wanted to make a self-designed major, but it was too much work as a transfer student and not like Knox’s self-designed majors in which a lot of friends are currently doing (it’s rare to do it at Goucher). I would have never guessed I would have majored in Women Studies, but I really love my department unlike Knox in which their GWST department was very anti-men. I feel much more included at Goucher.</p>

<p>Academically, it has been a challenge. The semester system is a lot different, and I prefer the trimester system. I got a 3.5 GPA my first semester. I took 16 credits and all of my Knox credits transferred over, so I ended this past semester with 50. However, I took 9 credits at a local four year college in Georgia as soon as I came home, so I’ll have 59 credits the time I come back to Baltimore in the end of August, and I will graduate on time in May 2016 (a month earlier than Knox in fact)! Goucher is in a consortium, so I am actually taking “Acting on the Camera” at Towson University this fall with a friend. I plan on taking a class at John Hopkins as well before I graduate.</p>

<p>I also plan on having an internship this fall at a Casting Agency in DC by Capitol Hill. Women Studies majors are required to have an internship, so senior year my plan is to intern in DC again…hopefully at the Human Rights Campaign! Goucher is one of the few colleges in the country which requires students to study abroad. I am very happy to say that I will be going abroad to the University of Wollongong in Australia in Spring 2015 (Feb-end of June). I was planning on going to Dublin my entire junior year at Knox (which is why I wanted to stick it out), but in all honestly, I think I’ll like Australia even better! I didn’t want to go abroad this upcoming semester even though most students tend to go in the fall semester because I just transferred to Goucher and wanted to stay on campus a bit longer before I went abroad. </p>

2

<p>I will say that socially I’ve had some problems at Goucher. It’s very hard transitioning mid-year at any school especially as a transfer student. My first Friday night at Goucher our suite party got busted, and I was fined $50 and a 3-4 paper on alcohol awareness when I was not drinking! My roommate who was a senior and 22 bought all the alcohol, and a lot of the kids at the party graduated the year prior. I had to write a 7 page appeal letter, but they did approve it and I did not pay the fine. My roommate ended up moving out after 3 weeks because he wanted a single his last semester, so I got a double to myself. Goucher has no greek life unlike Knox, so there isn’t much of a party scene. A lot of the parties are “room parties” per-see, so it’s really hard to meet people. </p>

<p>A lot of the Goucher kids are very wealthy from New York & New England. It is not nearly as diverse as Knox, hardly any international kids, but we do have quite a bit of Jewish students as we have a Kosher Dining Hall for a school with 1,400 students. It was very awkward to say the least when my suite-mate would talk about how he’s rich. It seemed like people took yearly vacations to Europe when my parent’s have never even been there. I can careless if you’re wealthy, but what’s the point in bragging about it? At Knox, it was a lot more Suburban middle class kids like myself, so socio-ecomically Goucher is vastly different. Knox was way more hipster though, and I am not hipster in the slightest. They say us Gophers are very “weird” or the social outcasts in high school similar to Knox though, but I feel like Goucher is a bit more artsy as there is no football team like Knox, instead we have lacrosse and we have an equestrian team which is nation ranked! You have to take a PE class to graduate, so I am taking horseback riding next semester and I’m excited about that!</p>

<p>It’s a better social fit for sure, but I am just facing different social problems. I need to join clubs, but when I went to the club fair to sign up, literally only one of the clubs contacted me about weekly meetings and I became less interested in it. The thing I don’t like about the theatre department is that there is no proscenium arch stage just a black box, which I found bizarre as when I went on the tour they told me the auditorium was it, but turns out that’s what the dance department along with the public uses not the theatre department. The mainstage play audition happened last semester, so I couldn’t try out, but I did became the dramaturg for The Mandrake written by Niccolò Machiavelli, so it took up a lot of my spare time. I had to go to rehearsals several times a week. </p>

<p>I love DC and have a friend from GA who lives by DC, so I went a couple times during the semester to visit her. I explored all the museums (Smithsonian & Holocaust Museum) and the memorials. I spent my 20th birthday in DC (April) and went into the neighborhood of Georgetown where my friend works. I loved it! I will say that there was a lot of rich white preppy kids in Georgetown! Even though it was very nice, I def felt out of place! Everything is so expensive in DC, they even charge you for the plastic bag at CVS! I can def see myself working and living in DC post-graduation.</p>

<p>My plan is to become a talent agent or casting director or I would like to work for a non-profit like the Human Rights Campaign. I want to go to grad school, but at this point I doubt I’ll be able to afford it post-graduation. As a upcoming junior right now, I am focused on going to Australia in February! I need to take things one step at a time.</p>

<p>Having already finished my three summer classes, it was very tiresome having class from 8AM-4:30PM Monday-Thursday and each class was almost three hours. I just took the A session, so it was very fast paced, but it made me appreciate Goucher and a liberal arts education. I took Statistics and now I never have to take another math class in my life! It’s so funny though how much personal a liberal arts college is. No one calls professors by their first name and even a class size of 28 is considered “big” for me when my classes have 7-8 students in them.</p>

<p>I did apply for an internship in Amherst, MA at a theatre festival, but I did not get it. Over 50 people applied for 8-9 spots and it was more of a technical internship and my background is more so in performance/acting. I heard about this internship since a lot of Knox theatre majors did it in the past. I will apply again next year, so hopefully I can do it after I come back from Wollongong, Australia. I have also applied to a talent agency in Atlanta for an internship, but never heard back. It was only going to be a couple times a week, so I hoped to also get a part time job in addition to it. I’ve applied to over 15 companies and I have not heard back for even an interview except for one place–a AMC movie theatre! I had a job interview yesterday and it went well, so cross your fingers! I really need a part time job, so it can pay for the living expenses in Australia.</p>

<p>I went to a job fair at Dave & Busters Monday for a server position, but the problem is that as soon as they see Goucher College in Baltimore on my resume they’re not interested in hiring seasonal employees. The Burlington Coat Factory called and we had a short phone interview, but as soon as I mentioned Maryland and how I can work until the end of August, she was no longer interested. It’s hard because I couldn’t have had a job when I was taking summer classes (started applying though then) since I didn’t come until 5, so I ate dinner then did all my homework and went to bed. My professor told me I was taking tripled the work load, and most students only take 1-2 summer courses. It wasn’t really hard, but just a lot of work, and I was limited on my amount of time.</p>

<p>Anyways, at this point, I am a bit worried about my Goucher financial aid package since my father made substantially a lot more last year. I really hope I don’t have to take out private loans because it is looking that it may be doubled than Knox, and my dad is telling me I may not be able to go back if it’s over $20,000 a year since he cannot afford it as he has four kids, 20k in healthcare expenses, 30k in business expenses, and the IRS wants over 35k! He is terrible at saving, but I refuse to transfer again. It was pretty cheap last semester, but I suspect that’s because I got more financial aid since I didn’t use all the aid I had fall term at Knox since I withdrew. But we did do the special circumstance/judgement form and Knox always approved it, but Goucher did not last semester. So hopefully we can make an appeal if it doesn’t go well, but I’m sure everything will work itself out. If worse comes to worst then I guess I’ll be taking out private loans, but I’ve already been taking out $7,500 a year in federal loans and I know private loans tend to have higher interest rates.</p>

<p>Sorry for the long post! Wish everyone a happy summer! Stay dry!</p>

3

<p>I hope you haven’t put yourself into another financial bind and will have to transfer. If your father can’t pay for the school you won’t be able to stay there. What about the public Us in GA you were going to apply to in your post a year ago?</p>

4

<p>I really don’t think I will transfer. I’m still waiting for my financial aid package, but I am just worried since he made a lot more money this past year. At Knox, we only paid $2,000 more from my freshman year to sophomore year. I was just as worried last year like everyone remembers, but everything worked itself out. Goucher’s financial aid office told me they will try to work with me if we cannot afford it. I am just trying to look at the worst case scenario . Honestly transferring isn’t even an option to me because I know for a fact my classes I’ve taken at both Knox & Goucher would probably not transfer to UGA, and I would end up graduating later which in turn would make my dad pay even more money since I wouldn’t graduate in 4 years. I will graduate in Spring 2016 which is when I’m supposed to graduate at Goucher. Not to mention that having taken classes at a state school this summer, I hated it and it didn’t even feel like college. The college I went to didn’t even offer any of my majors. Like I said before worse case scenario is that I take out a 5k private loan at Wells Fargo. So I will be able to study regardless because I can just take out private loans even though I obviously do not want to do this. My friend lost the Hope Scholarship in GA and she had to do that because she was already taking out the max federal loans and she’s way more wealthy than I am.</p>

<p>BTW I never did apply to UGA because I left Knox in Mid-October and their Spring 2015 deadline was in September. I wanted to apply to Wheaton again too, but I wouldn’t have made their deadline either. All the schools I applied to had a December 1st deadline. My dad initially wanted me to go the local state school in the Spring and then transfer in the Fall, but I didn’t want to have to transfer two more times, and after being home for a couple months, I was ready to leave home again.</p>

<p>Lastly, Goucher was affordable last semester and cost the same as Knox. But since my dad made 80k more, I am just thinking it will cost a lot more. He doesn’t have any of that extra money though as he has all those expenses I listed above. I would have never went to Goucher had I known it wasn’t going to be affordable, and I still have no idea what the new package will be. I am just guessing we will be paying more since he made a lot more.</p>

5

<p>If your dad made an additional $80,000, what is his total income for 2013? You might not get any need based aid…at all.</p>

6

<p>My dad made around $110,000 in 2012 and $180,000 in 2013. So it’s more like a 70k difference, but I’m honestly not sure the exact numbers. I know my dad said it was more of a 70k difference.</p>

<p>At Knox, we were paying $10,000 a year after loans, scholarships, and grants. We paid $8,000 my first year. The school costs like 48k to begin with though. I had $10,000 in scholarships per year.</p>

<p>At Goucher, we just paid a little over 5k for this past Spring Semester. I have $15,000 in scholarships per year. I also got a lot of money in Goucher Grants just like I did at Knox. Goucher costs more than Knox though, it’s about $52,000 a year.</p>

<p>I was taking $7,500 in federal loans at Knox per year, so I would have been 30k in debt when I graduated.</p>

<p>BTW these numbers don’t even include all my dad’s added healthcare and business expenses. It should be noted that Goucher uses the CSS Profile, while Knox did not. </p>

7

<p>Business expenses won’t count as part of his income.</p>

8

<p>At Knox, we filled out a special circumstances form, and they told me they take into account how much you were paying the previous school year.</p>

<p>At Goucher, we filled out a special judgement form, but they said it wasn’t enough to give us more aid. I’m just really nervous because who knows if I would have transferred if I knew I was going to pay doubled the amount I was paying before. I’m trying to be optimistic and say everything will work itself out, but I have a feeling a huge appeal may take place. Even if the business expenses do not count towards his income, he still had over 20k in healthcare expenses. Also, since he owns his own company, he has good years and bad years. He isn’t going to make 180k again this year, and he doesn’t have any of the extra money he made the previous year. It’s frustrating that he doesn’t save as my mom tells him to. </p>

<p>But again I would have never went to Goucher if it wasn’t affordable, but in January it was about the same overall cost to attend as it was at Knox.</p>

9

<p>You seem to be in the same bind you have always been in-wanting a school your family really can’t afford comfortably. If your dad is making $180,000 , not sure what the basis of an appeal would be (even with medical expenses, that income is a good one). </p>

10

<p>True not saying it’s not a good income, but he has four kids and it’s his own business, He doesn’t make the same amount of income every year. He won’t make nearly the same income in 2014 like 2013. Like I said before I wouldn’t have attended Goucher if we couldn’t afford it comfortably. We could afford $10,000 comfortably and we paid 5k last semester and had no hardships with that, but we cannot afford doubled the amount we were paying at Knox. Like I said I will take out private loans in order to go back to Goucher, but I also have to keep in mind that when I’m a senior in college, my younger brother will be a freshman. My dad could afford 15k not a problem, but over 20k will def be a problem as we were paying half of that price in Illinois.</p>

<p>Is there anyway to ask for more merit aid? I know some colleges award more after you’re already admitted. I’m trying not to stress about this because transferring should be the last thing on my mind again since I just transferred LOL.</p>

11

<p>You are stressing again, and focusing on the negative. With 2 in college the FAFSA will recalculate to cut the EFC in half. Yes I know its a CSS school, but they should also look at FAFSA. IS your brother going somewhere affordable.</p>

12

<p>Jym nice to see you, long time no see. I’m going to be a junior in college and my brother is going to be a senior in high school. I was saying that when I’m a senior (in one year), my brother will be a freshman, thus my dad will have two tuition’s to pay, but that isn’t an issue right now. You know I’m very type A, so I am just trying to look out for what’s to come.</p>

<p>I’m really trying to focus on the positive, which is why I wasn’t sure if I should even include the finance concerns. I only commented on this more since Erin’s Dad said something in regards to finances. Like I said I’m sure everything will work itself out.</p>

<p>BTW my younger brother is looking at UGA, Stenson, Eckerd, and Rollins right now. He will probably end up at UGA though.</p>

13

<p>Thanks for the update. I remember you from way back, and I always appreciate it when students let us know how they are doing. Sounds like the transfer was a good thing, and certainly shows that no matter how much research you do in HS, things can look very different once you get to college and experience it firsthand. Have fun in Australia, and keep us posted. </p>

14

<p>Wiith the additioal income from your dad, you might want to assume that your current school is not affordable. You need to have a plan C. Seriously west ga or valdosta? </p>

15

<p>My dad made additional income from 2011 and 2012 and we only paid $2,000 more at Knox, so I don’t necessarily think we would assume that Goucher would not be affordable. I should be getting a financial aid package in the next week or two from Goucher. Like I said if is it too much then I will do an appeal and if that doesn’t work I will just take out some private loans. I would apply to UGA rather than West GA or Valdosta if I HAD to transfer, which I seriously doubt. Like Jym said though I should try to keep positive. </p>

<p>Fire: Thanks! I appreciate your kind words. Having researched colleges since I was 13, I had everything planned out. But like you said not everything worked out like I planned it. It kind of hurt that Knox didn’t work out because of all the effort and time I put into the college admission process. The transfer admission process IMO was way harder than the original process. </p>

16

<p>

Yes, most colleges have a variety of courses for scholarships for upper level students-- but it’s not usually a matter of “asking” - it’s more like learning about specific scholarships and then applying for them. My son was a transfer to a state U. with no financial aid his junior year, but he saw that there was a scholarship from the alumni association he could apply for based on community service, so he put in an application. About he same time he learned that he had been given that scholarship, he saw an opportunity to apply for a fellowship for his fall semester of senior year that paid 100% of his tuition plus a monthly stipend. It was a long shot but he applied and got that as well. So he essentially had a full ride his senior year- all from sources he applied for in the spring of his junior year.</p>

<p>No guarantees of course – but the bottom line is that there are sources of funding.</p>

17

<p>EC. is your father willing to cosign private loans? Normally I don’t think that’s a good idea, but if your father’s fluctuating income is a factor it might make sense in your situation. Do keep in mind that private loans don’t have the same protections such as income based repayment, though. But you said that above that the worst case scenario was a $5K private loan, and that’s a very manageable amount. My daughter was carrying a balance of about $3500 on her credit card when she graduated, probably paying 18% interest --she was stressed over that, but she caught up and paid that off very easily within a month or so after she graduated and had a full time job. So I don’t think $5K in private debt is something you need to lose sleep over. </p>

<p>In fact, I think you should just wait and see what numbers you have to work with, rather than stressing too much. Part of your funding is a merit scholarship - and you said you had a 3.5 GPA so probably no worries there. </p>

<p>Check this link:
<a href=“Part 1: Answers to Your Questions About the Fafsa - The New York Times”>http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/14/guidance-office-fafsa-1/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

</p>

18

<p>EC, it’s not wise to be an internet over-sharer. I became concerned just now about the amount of information you were posting about your parents’ income. So I went and looked up your real name again. (I think everyone who’s taken an interest in your past postings knows it, or knows how to find it). Since your last name is relatively uncommon and you’ve provided other bits of identifying information, I think the website of your dad’s business is pretty darned obvious. Surely your parents would be unhappy about this. Wishing you the best, I recommend you think about dialing back on internet posts. Maybe more therapy wouldn’t be a bad idea? If your previous therapist didn’t work for you, perhaps a new one? Sometimes it takes a few tries to find a therapist who’s right for you.</p>

19

<p>You look like your dad.</p>

20

<p>Weatherga: I agree with you. That’s why I was a bit iffy posting all my dad’s finances on the internet, but someone did ask, “what is his total income for 2013? You might not get any need based aid…at all.” So that’s why I shared his income. I wasn’t going to before someone asked, so that’s why I said how much more money he made (80k more…really 70k) in 2013. I’m a very detailed orientated person, so I always like to tell everyone my whole situation and I know I probably tell too much. Yes, I’m probably very easy to find as my last name is uncommon and with that Knox article about me freshman year then all you have to do is Facebook search my name, and I’ll be the only Corey ***** that comes up. I do plan on talking to a counselor once I get back to Goucher, but it had been a very hectic first semester and it’s hard to adjust at any school mid-year.</p>

<p>I just called Goucher’s financial aid office because I was told it would only take a couple weeks for a package (we submitted it in early June because my dad extended his taxes), and I was told I should have a package by the end of today. I wanted him to apply earlier for financial aid, but I couldn’t get him to do it until the accountant met with him. </p>

<p>This was the overall cost for Spring of 2014:
Tuition & Fees $19,542.00 Student Contribution $600.00<br>
Room & Board $5,584.00 Parental Contribution $4,570.00<br>
Books & Supplies $400.00<br>
Miscellaneous $400.00<br>
Transportation $265.00<br>
Average Loan Fees $34.00<br>
Total Budge $26,225.00<br>
Total Resources $5,170.00
Remaining Need $925.00 </p>

<p>Financial Aid:
Dean’s Scholarship $7,500.00<br>
Goucher Need-based Grant $6,800.00<br>
Federal Direct Subsidized Loan $3,830.00<br>
Federal Direct Unsubsidized Lo $2,000.00<br>
Total Awards: $20,130.00</p>

<p>Keep in mind that this is just for one semester. I get $15,000 a year in merit aid. We paid a bit over 5k (keep in mind in the overall cost above transportation and books were included, but that’s not included in the bill).</p>