My three choices are the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, the University of Wisconsin Madison, and the University of Alabama Tuscaloosa. I’m not sure what I plan to major in, but it will most likely be STEM, since that’s what I’m good at, even though I haven’t found it particularly fulfilling or exciting.
Currently I’m a Minnesota resident, and this is where most of my family is located. I practically have zero savings, and I haven’t had a job before. My dad is reluctant to help out, since he has to support a family of five, which will soon be six, off of one income, but it seems he will let me borrow money and perhaps I could get him to pay for room and board. If I go to the University of Minnesota, it will be hard to convince him to let me live on campus, since it will be a lot cheaper to live at home.
I don’t believe I got into the honors college at the University of Minnesota, though I should be able to gain admission after applying freshman year. I haven’t applied for the honors colleges at either the University of Wisconsin or University of Alabama. I haven’t applied for housing at any school yet.
As of now, I take classes at the University of Minnesota through PSEO, so I should have 27 credits by the end of the year which I can hopefully transfer if I choose to go elsewhere. I also have taken four AP tests, and I have gotten 5s on all of them (Calculus BC, Chemistry, Statistics, English Language and Composition), which works out to about 24 credits at the University of Minnesota, and 25 credits at the University of Alabama.
At the University of Minnesota, I will get $1000 per year, plus $23,000 dispersed over four years, though I’m seeing if I can get it dispersed over three years since I will likely graduate in three. At the University of Alabama I got the presidential scholarship and engineering scholarship, which means I don’t have to pay tuition and I get an additional $2500 per year. From my calculations, living on campus works out to $16,930 per year at the University of Minnesota if I can’t get my scholarships over three years, and living on campus at the University of Alabama comes out to $11,656 per year, but these do not include travel costs, personal expenses, and the possibility of living at home if I choose to stay in state. The University of Wisconsin would be like $25,000 per year. If I can’t get the scholarship dispersed over three years, I have the option to stay another year and double major or something.
FAFSA-wise I only got some unappealing loans.
What I’m looking for in a college is a place where I can feel comfortable, not be stressed out financially, can make sincere possibly lifelong friends since my current social life is dismal, and get a good education and have a successful career/life afterwards. I don’t have any interest in parties or anything like that and am quite an introvert, but I would like to still make friends.