Parents of Class of 2018 thread

[mnrose]

We are asking the same questions. My Junior has an idea of where he wants to go, although he has not looked carefully yet, and the first choice so far is $50K if he lives on campus. I would LOVE for him to go there! But we can afford half of that at best. We will have 2 kids in college at the same time.

I hate for him to not even try, you never know until you find out, but if he doesn't get enough in scholarships and he still wants to go, he will have to take out loans for the portion we can't pay.

Just an FYI, my understanding is that he can't take out much more than the federally guaranteed amount, which won't much of a dent in 50K. Other loans beyond that have to typically be co-signed by a parent. I've already told my kids I won't do that. Period. YMMV.

 

[mnrose]

Our experience and my advice is to get a clear picture of what you can afford to pay and then share that VERY openly with your child.

For us, that was , we can afford to pay the total cost of an in state public University- about $25K per year. Any school that she applied to would need to fit that budget through actual cost, fin. aid awards, or the loans offered to her alone- $5500 freshman year. We would NOT be cosigning on loans for her or taking any parent loans. She understood this and applied to an instate first choice, as well as a private "maybe if the awards generous." She eventually choose the instate with a generous scholarship so that she didn't have to accept loans and there was room in our budget for books and a few extras.

I think of it as managing their expectations- "This is ALL we can afford so this high priced school is only an option if they award big money."

You are are on the same wavelength exactly. We've given our children a firm number....it will pay for any public university in our state and allow them to graduate debt free. They know the number. They've got 529s on top of that which will allow them to extend to a mid-priced private if that's their choice. They've known this number for a long time.

There are plenty of excellent schools out there. If the budget is a Ford, no use looking at the Bentleys. Even if you LOVE the Bentley, it ain't happening. My kids toss literature from the Bentley schools in the garbage.

 

[VillainFavs]

You are are on the same wavelength exactly. We've given our children a firm number....it will pay for any public university in our state and allow them to graduate debt free. They know the number. They've got 529s on top of that which will allow them to extend to a mid-priced private if that's their choice. They've known this number for a long time.

There are plenty of excellent schools out there. If the budget is a Ford, no use looking at the Bentleys. Even if you LOVE the Bentley, it ain't happening. My kids toss literature from the Bentley schools in the garbage.

I guess I weigh this approach against the "You never know if the Bentley people will give you enough money to bring it down to Ford level". Only way to find out is to try. I don't want to totally discourage him from looking at a "financial reach" school if there's a possibility that the final price could end up being more reasonable. Of course, I don't want him to fall in love with that school and be disappointed in more reasonable options either!

It's definitely a balancing act!

 

[mnrose]

I guess I weigh this approach against the "You never know if the Bentley people will give you enough money to bring it down to Ford level". Only way to find out is to try. I don't want to totally discourage him from looking at a "financial reach" school if there's a possibility that the final price could end up being more reasonable. Of course, I don't want him to fall in love with that school and be disappointed in more reasonable options either!

It's definitely a balancing act!

Yes, I do agree with that. We know, for a fact, that my son will get nothing in merit aid at any of the highly competitive privates...all of which are out of reach financially. Most of these schools do not offer merit aid at all....because ALL their students are highly meritorious. LOL. They do offer excellent "need based" aid. We simply do not qualify for any. Period. I get 100% agreement on Net Cost Calculators that we are responsible for the entirety of the cost, less the trivial federally guaranteed student loan. So, in the private school realm, my children need to look at the next tier of schools that DO offer merit aid and where there test scores are "above" the 75th percentile score (75% of applicants have that score or lower), to put them in the elite for that school. It's such a balancing act because, while I would love to take them on the tour of the Ivy's, there really is no point to it. Won't happen. Ever.

 

[VillainFavs]

Yes, I do agree with that. We know, for a fact, that my son will get nothing in merit aid at any of the highly competitive privates...all of which are out of reach financially. Most of these schools do not offer merit aid at all....because ALL their students are highly meritorious. LOL. They do offer excellent "need based" aid. We simply do not qualify for any. Period. I get 100% agreement on Net Cost Calculators that we are responsible for the entirety of the cost, less the trivial federally guaranteed student loan. So, in the private school realm, my children need to look at the next tier of schools that DO offer merit aid and where there test scores are "above" the 75th percentile score (75% of applicants have that score or lower), to put them in the elite for that school. It's such a balancing act because, while I would love to take them on the tour of the Ivy's, there really is no point to it. Won't happen. Ever.

Yeah, we're not looking at Ivies either!!! But there are some private schools that are certainly financially out of reach. I'm hoping he MAY earn some merit and/or need aid. The net price calculators seem to suggest that he'll get something. But, of course, the question is how much. We're definitely going to a couple of those reach schools, but then also some very realistic ones.

 

[DawnM]

Just an FYI, my understanding is that he can't take out much more than the federally guaranteed amount, which won't much of a dent in 50K. Other loans beyond that have to typically be co-signed by a parent. I've already told my kids I won't do that. Period. YMMV.

Thanks. We are aware.

 

[sk!mom]

Yeah, we're not looking at Ivies either!!! But there are some private schools that are certainly financially out of reach. I'm hoping he MAY earn some merit and/or need aid. The net price calculators seem to suggest that he'll get something. But, of course, the question is how much. We're definitely going to a couple of those reach schools, but then also some very realistic ones.

My DD is now a junior. We found the net price calculators to be very reliable. Run them with your child's stats and your income and you should get a really good idea if the school is an option. We were able to eliminate some because her scores with our income were going to get her 10-15K at a 50K school.

 

[DawnM]

My DD is now a junior. We found the net price calculators to be very reliable. Run them with your child's stats and your income and you should get a really good idea if the school is an option. We were able to eliminate some because her scores with our income were going to get her 10-15K at a 50K school.

I just did a price calculator for the $50K school for my son and it says he is eligible for $13,500 in scholarships based on GPA and ACT scores. Hmmmm.....guess we will see. I wasn't asked to put in salary, so it def. wasn't based on that.

But it was at the school's website.

 

[clori]

I'm laughing at the Bentley remarks. My dd actually is in interested Bentley University. It is a highly ranked for accounting. Bentley costs about $66,000 for tuition, room and board. It has some merit scholarships but probably just a handful. Like many we won't qualify for much is any financial aid and a loan of $5500 isn't close to cost. While it is instate it isn't close by but it is somewhat feasible to commute though time consuming.

I thought Suffolk University which dd loves the campus, location etc would be better. It is also high priced but better for merit. It gives better merit but still pricey. However dd will probably not have to do 4 years here with her dual enrollment credits that they mostly accept. State schools are less but give less money for merit so aren't that much cheaper. Since my kids are 4 years apart I have 8 years in a row to worry about but financial need doesn't care about that.

Dd just got invitied to join Phi Theta Kappa from the community college she is dual enrolled at. It can lead to scholarships but probably not for high school dual enrollment students since she will be applying as a freshman. Not sure yet if she will join. DD only has a practice test SAT score right now since she hasn't taken the SATs yet so it makes it hard to predict possible merit scholarships. Also the school does rank I think but doesn't post it on report cards so no idea what her rank is.

 

[Kellydelly]

Adding another 2018 graduate to this group. My oldest daughter is graduating next year so this is going to be a great way to see what we're in for. I just spent a few days reading through the 2017 parent thread, which was very informative. I have been looking at niche.com, parchment.com and college confidential for information on tuition, scholarships, odds of getting into certain schools, etc. Looking forward to reading the posts here and seeing how our kids do during this process.

 

[Aliceacc]

@Kellydelly , another site I like a lot is collegenavigator. They'll give the stats that the colleges gave to the Government on things like tuition, 25th and 75th percentile acceptance SAT scores, and percent of institutional scholarships.

 

[Kellydelly]

I have been looking at the profiles of kids that were accepted into my daughter's first choice school (University of Michigan) for next fall. Can I just say that it boggles my mind how many activities many of them were involved in. My daughter goes to an advanced math and science school for half of her school day, it's a pretty intense program. She is in symphonic and marching band so gets to do all the stuff associated with that like performances and festivals. She is on varsity dance team and also dances once a week at studio. She is in the ecology club too, and NHS. Her high school does not have science Olympiad or any clubs (ecology club is at other school). Kind of weak. I know her grades are good enough to get her into where she wants to go, but I wonder if she looks "involved enough" to make her a well-rounded candidate. I was telling her maybe she needs to join more stuff to make her applications look better but she said there isn't anything at her school for her to join. Strange how small the offerings from the high school are. On the other hand it kind of makes me sad that kids can't just hang out and be kids before they have to go off to college and act like adults. I guess they are supposed to prove how many things they can successfully juggle so they can prove how great they are !

 

[VillainFavs]

The other part of that, at least from what I've heard, is they want long-term involvement in things. So joining something at this point isn't going to hurt, but I don't know if it would really tip the scales all that much. She won't even have a full year in an activity before it's time to apply.

And I know, I see some of the lists and I'm blown away. But the kids can only do what they can do. My son's also in symphonic/marching band. He's played soccer throughout high school, is on the math team, Key Club. He is currently working on his project to become an Eagle Scout. He's refereed soccer since he was 13. I have no idea how that's going to stack up!

 

[Kellydelly]

The other part of that, at least from what I've heard, is they want long-term involvement in things. So joining something at this point isn't going to hurt, but I don't know if it would really tip the scales all that much. She won't even have a full year in an activity before it's time to apply.

And I know, I see some of the lists and I'm blown away. But the kids can only do what they can do. My son's also in symphonic/marching band. He's played soccer throughout high school, is on the math team, Key Club. He is currently working on his project to become an Eagle Scout. He's refereed soccer since he was 13. I have no idea how that's going to stack up!

That's what my daughter said, they are looking for dedication to an interest, not so much "can you do everything that is offered?", LOL!

 

[Aliceacc]

I think your daughter has the right instincts. Colleges can spot the serial joiners a mike away-- those kids who join an activity solely because of how it will appear on an application.

Your daughter's choices reflect her well rounded interests, but show the ability to commit to those activities she has joined.

 

[CT Disney]

My daughter took the SAT (with essay) for the first time yesterday. She is a pretty good test taker and generally doesn't mind testing....but, man, she looked exhausted when she finally got out yesterday. She literally fell into the car and pretty much collapsed for the rest of the day. We dropped her off at the testing center at 7:45 am and picked her up just after 1:00 pm. Talk about a long morning!

 

[Aliceacc]

Just a repeat reminder: If your son or daughter was adopted internationally, PLEASE be sure that they have either a current passport or a Certificate of Citizenship.

I KNOW they're already citizens, thanks to the Child Citizenship Act. But the FAFSA paperwork hasn't caught up with the law, and you'll need one of those two documents to file FAFSA.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

I have been looking at the profiles of kids that were accepted into my daughter's first choice school (University of Michigan) for next fall. Can I just say that it boggles my mind how many activities many of them were involved in. My daughter goes to an advanced math and science school for half of her school day, it's a pretty intense program. She is in symphonic and marching band so gets to do all the stuff associated with that like performances and festivals. She is on varsity dance team and also dances once a week at studio. She is in the ecology club too, and NHS. Her high school does not have science Olympiad or any clubs (ecology club is at other school). Kind of weak. I know her grades are good enough to get her into where she wants to go, but I wonder if she looks "involved enough" to make her a well-rounded candidate. I was telling her maybe she needs to join more stuff to make her applications look better but she said there isn't anything at her school for her to join. Strange how small the offerings from the high school are. On the other hand it kind of makes me sad that kids can't just hang out and be kids before they have to go off to college and act like adults. I guess they are supposed to prove how many things they can successfully juggle so they can prove how great they are !

I completely agree with you. It's so sad kids can't just be kids. My DS is involved in 5 school activities and he's an Eagle Scout. Add in his job and driving to college 2 nights per week for dual enrollment, and he is just always on the go! I've taken over his household chores because he just doesn't have the time. Still I'm worried it won't be enough for the schools he's interested in. He hasn't been in any sports since 7th grade. He also wants to go to University of Michigan as one of his top choices. Right now he is ranked #1 in his class,but it is a small school. He also scored in the 99th percentile on the PSAT, and will be taking the actual SAT this week. His cousins have gone to Michigan State, and I've been trying to talk him into considering that. It's much closer to us as well.

 

[Poohforyou]

I have been looking at the profiles of kids that were accepted into my daughter's first choice school (University of Michigan) for next fall. Can I just say that it boggles my mind how many activities many of them were involved in. My daughter goes to an advanced math and science school for half of her school day, it's a pretty intense program. She is in symphonic and marching band so gets to do all the stuff associated with that like performances and festivals. She is on varsity dance team and also dances once a week at studio. She is in the ecology club too, and NHS. Her high school does not have science Olympiad or any clubs (ecology club is at other school). Kind of weak. I know her grades are good enough to get her into where she wants to go, but I wonder if she looks "involved enough" to make her a well-rounded candidate. I was telling her maybe she needs to join more stuff to make her applications look better but she said there isn't anything at her school for her to join. Strange how small the offerings from the high school are. On the other hand it kind of makes me sad that kids can't just hang out and be kids before they have to go off to college and act like adults. I guess they are supposed to prove how many things they can successfully juggle so they can prove how great they are !

Hi, I'm a class of 2017 mom but like to read here sometimes. Anyway, I saw your post and just wanted to reply.

My daughter is a good student but isn't involved in a ton of activities (no sports or club officer positions). So far she's 3/5 in acceptances - waiting for the last ones, including #1.

Anyway, I benefit from having one friend who is an ivy league admissions counselor, another who does alumni interviews for a Ivy caliber school and finely one who's a school superintendent. All said that it's quality over quantity. They want to see students passionate about extra curricular activities not ones who are doing things because it'll look good on an application.

My daughter wrote her essay about a hobby she loves and what she's done with it. It was noted in one of her acceptance letters.

Anyway, I hope this info helps you. I know it helped me a lot.

 

[okeydokey]

We are getting lots of mail since the ACT and PSAT scores have come out. U of Chicago has sent several things and has a great Physics program, but offers very little aid, even for National Merit Scholars. Harvard has sent mail too and I know they have a great endowment, but Wow, the cost.

I have encouraged my son to apply to any school he is interested in to see what happens. In reality, the National Merit Scholar award in Florida would pay cost of attendance at several Public Universities here, so I think he will stay in Florida.