Why don’t you pick a school or two mentioned and set up an appointment with an aid counselor. They will do a zoom session with you for 30 minutes.
I’ve read many a horror story on the CC of people applying ED based on NPCs - that were far off. Far off. What they thought would be $10K was $50K.
Either the data entered was incorrect or the calculations are just not set up properly.
Also, many schools, such as Rice, put out the “income tables” - if your parents earn less than this you get tuition, or tuition room & board. Note - they almost always are disclaimed and that’s why many kids are not getting those #s. It’s typically based on assets - and what each school counts is different. I met some of these qualifiers - yet did not fill out a single NPC that gave me aid - and true to life, of the 17 admits my daughter got, she only received merit. Others experience opposite - an actual result different than expected.
I agree - if you have demonstrated need, take a flyer on some schools that are need blind (not aware). But you should work with a school to truly determine that your need is as you believe. You may need to involve your mom and/or dad with that meeting. But it would let you know if your #s are as you think they are.
The other issue - and it sounds like people are feeling better about your GPA but not 100% - most of these schools that meet 100% of demonstrated need are not easy to get into - maybe a U of Miami is easiest. So you need to ensure you have a good chance…or still like others have said apply to easier to get into schools.
But those schools likely won’t meet your desired spend. But there are still schools with great merit (if they stack with need) that are low cost.
the EFC is 1600 accoriding to fafsa4caster. The thing is what we are low income and in addition to that we basically own nothing and dont have assets etc
-Do you want to be recruited for soccer? If so you need to start contacting coaches now, with film. Do you have a youtube channel set up with highlights and full game videos? If not, you need to do that. Then, cast a wide net. Because you are low income you can look at meet full need schools too…but your GPA might not make the cut at all these schools. What is your sense of the level you can play? Can you share the conferences of the schools that have shown interest?
-Develop a list of EU schools, from reaches to at least one affordable safety.
-Develop a list of US schools…both with and without soccer. This list can also have some reaches, a handful of matches, and an affordable safety (provided we can identify one). I am concerned that you are underestimating the costs of studying here…including travel costs, mandatory health insurance, money for incidentals.
Once more with vigor….are your parents U.S. citizens. I’m asking this because if not, you might be eligible for additional Direct Loan funds if they apply for the Parent Plus Loan and are denied (they will be denied if they are not U.S. citizens).
@twoinanddone do you have any info to contribute about this student who sounds like they would love to be a recruited soccer player? With possible money…or an edge at getting admitted to a D3 school with great need based aid?
Just to spell it out for the OP – if you are a top soccer recruit, it almost guarantees admission at a university. So it could be a very important piece of your college strategy.
Side note – I believe sometimes D1 schools who really want an international player with full need will give them full rides, but the full ride is financial aid, not an athletic scholarship. (Or is partial athletic scholarship, partial financial aid, adding up to a full ride).
So, for us to help you with the soccer piece, we really need to know your level. You said D1 coaches reached out to you, which sounds hugely promising. I repeat the other posters’ questions asking you to tell us the conference (Ivy League, Patriot League, Pac-12 etc) or give the names of several schools including the ones that contacted you.
CC is a very helpful place, if you want it to be. Keep asking (and answering) questions!
Great. Are you still in contact with these DI coaches? Can you share their schools’ athletic conferences?
You need to be reaching out to coaches, you can’t wait for them to contact you. Fill out the online recruiting questionnaires, then email the coaches directly. Include your GPA, test score and link to youtube channel. Coaches ‘Liking’ your profile is irrelevant…you need to have substantive contacts with coaches to be recruited.
Well the issue that might get this mom denied the Parent Plus is that she doesn’t live in the United States. I don’t know whether this will get her denied…or not. But if she is denied the Plus, the student would get additional Direct Loan money ($4000 a year which will not fund these colleges…but every penny counts).
Other questions…this poster says he has lived overseas his whole life. So…let’s say at least 16 years. Does his American citizen mom file taxes here?
I think I answered everything, didn’t I?
Do you think UChicago could fit academically as a recruited athlete or is it too much? I like that it is urban even though I know it’s really really hard to get in
D1 schools cannot combine athletic aid and need based aid (except federal aid like a loan or Pell grant). Poster is a US citizen so he’d be eligible for federal aid, but not school need based aid. He can combine merit aid with athletic aid.
Usually students find more money for soccer at lesser known schools, not at the top D1 programs. The top programs have to split their scholarships among 30 students, but the programs at the next level down (D1) or D2 programs might be able to give a full scholarship to one student.
Soccer is hard because many of the players are international. At my daughter’s school, many came from South America so it is hard to know how their academics fit in with applicants from the US. At Colorado School of Mines, every single soccer player played for a club team, they are all engineers, and they all appear to be top students.
I think the OP should keep all options open (sorry, even weather). He ‘likes’ those school listed because he’s only read about them. There are thousands of schools in America, and most of them have soccer. Let the recruiting lead you. You might find a lower level D1 soccer program that really needs you as a player and is willing to fund your education. When you have many offers, you can sort them by location, educational offerings, finances, and yes, weather.
Really start pushing the athletic recruiting. If you want to just look for schools without soccer, just for academics and financial aid, it will be a different search. In short, your stats will be fine to get you into most any school in the US as a recruited athlete. It is a much more difficult question if you are asking where you can get big money just on academics and financial need.
U Chicago is probably out of your league, unless they want you very badly for soccer. If you are that good, I would suggest that you focus on D3 schools (most of the highly selective private colleges are D3) that meet full financial need. I would first look at T50 schools (take a look at the US News and World Report) for both private liberal arts colleges and universities, and send your soccer footage to the coaches at all of them, see if you get any response. Along with the footage, ask them for advice about what camps to go to this summer, to get seen. Make sure the first sentence is “I am a US citizen”.
Find someone who knows about the exhibition camps that D3 coaches might go to this summer, and if your family can afford to foot the bill, fly over here to attend those camps.
I would say if finances are really a top priority for you, take advantage of your free education in Germany. I know Munich and Humboldt are strong in poli sci and other fields in your interests. The fact of the matter is even a “100% need met” American education is pricey. You have to fly back and forth from home, you’re going to want to do fun things off campus (which costs $) and just living in general. I cannot see that happening in 8k a year.
If you really want to study in the States, consider URochester or BC/NEU/BU (these would be lower reaches), CWRU maybe, Fordham and American would be good too
You are within the academic range for recruited athletes at UChicago. What you have to research is whether or not the core curriculum appeals to you. It is an academically grind-y school because of the core, the academic strength/competition of peers, and the quarter system.
