It gets touted on her like everyone can get in--and it is more realistic to make alternative plans in reality and if reality produces a prodigy who can get a full ride at Harvard, then they can follow that reality.
I preach a three-part plan to my high school seniors:
First, what would you do if you had no restrictions? Even if you don't think you'll be accepted, and even if you're fairly sure you could never afford it . . . imagine you could write your own ticket . . . where would you go to college? Apply there . . . but do so with the understanding that this is your dream school, your stretch school. But TRY. For someone, the planets will align and all things good will come together -- the unlikely admission, the unforeseen scholarship, the parental enthusiasm for moving across the country, etc. You apply to this school knowing that it's more of a dream than a plan, but you don't want to wonder later, "If I'd really tried, could I have gone to ___?"
Second, is the realistic school category. Apply to
at least two schools in this category. If you have less than a 3.0 (or if one of those schools is UNC-Wilmington, which is rather irratic in its admissions), make it three schools. These schools should be colleges that are likely to accept you, that you can probably afford, that are a reasonable distance from your home, etc. Do not apply to more than five realistic schools; first, it's expensive. Second, as a high school senior, it's time to make decisions about what's right for you and narrow down your choices. Juniors should spread their nets far and wide to look for options; seniors should develop a list of criteria, and with their parents' guidance settle on a few good choices. Know that you'll
probably end up choosing one of these schools.
Finally, have in mind a safety net. Suppose everything in your world suddenly goes wrong. What could you do COMPLETELY ON YOUR OWN to START college? If something bad happened to your parents -- say, one of them looses a job and your house burns down -- and suddenly they can no longer help you financially. AND suppose you were a little generous in assuming that those other colleges would accept you . . . in short, if EVERYTHING in your life suddenly went wrong senior year, what could you do? Over the years I've had a couple students faced with these situations. I specifically remember one top-of-the-class girl who had to give up a Parks Scholarship to NC State because she was having twins; she ended up staying home and going to community college. I remember another girl who developed a rare form of cancer during her senior year, which dashed her plans of going out of state to college. She stayed home to get the necessary treatments and so that her parents could help her, and she attended the major university near us on a half-time basis. Keep in mind that you probably won't USE this safety-net plan, but SOMEONE'S life will fall apart unexpectedly senior year, and IF you have a "what if" plan in place, it makes the difficulties a little easier to manage.
It is one thing to not want to pay for your child's college. I don't begrudge anyone who by circumstance or personal work ethic opt to not pay for it.
It's another thing to hold your child hostage by withoutholding Tax information that prohibits them from filling out the FAFSA.
This makes perfect sense to me. I know people who -- although they certainly COULD help their children with college -- choose not to do do so. Some of them have the idea that children don't appreciate things for which they don't pay. Others say, "I did it myself, and he can too." I don't buy into this concept, but I know plenty of people who feel this way.
But I cannot understand purposefully making it harder for your child to make it on her own. I've said before that my mother did this to me (not refusing to complete the FAFSA, but purposefully waiting until the very last minute, knowing that certain monies would be exhausted by that point), and I am still resentful. I knew full well that my parents didn't have money to pay for college, and I didn't have a problem with that -- but they did throw obstacles in my way, and they made the road harder for me than it had to be.
Work study is a good and bad thing. Typically students work in an office on campus -- often your own major, which gives you a chance to get to know the professors.
It's good in that the work is super-flexible: Perhaps two hours on MWF between classes, then five hours on Tuesday afternoon when you have no classes, and they understand that you have to change your schedule every semester. And you don't need a car to get to your work study job, which is a huge savings. On the negative side, it pays minimum wage. You could have the job for four years of college, and you'd never get a raise. Also, you're told how many hours you can work each semester.
Personally, I think work study is great for a freshman -- but an older student can probably do better with an off-campus job.
And what's the ONLY way to get work study? FAFSA.
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