Class of 2024 (and beyond) parents - any questions?

[Lumpy1106]

I now have a class of 2021 and a class of 2023 grad that now go to WILDLY different Universities. Needless to say, I've learned a lot through this process. BUT...it's kinda like getting married; you learn a lot and that info is immediately worthless - it's not like you are going to get married twice.

My best advice, if I may;

• Everyone is different, there is no one college that is right for everyone. Just because a school is highly selective does not make it better. More prestigious, yes...for certain majors, but for many majors, probably not.
• Just because a University is "private" as opposed to "public", that DOES NOT mean it is more expensive. Many are, but we found small, very cool, private, liberal arts Universities in other states that ended up being more affordable than just about every public school in CA, and CA is know for its affordable public Universities. Here's a bonus; tip most you can apply to for free while you figure it out.

SO...
Class of 2024 (and beyond) parents - what can we, parents of the class of <2024 help you with?

 

[lanejudy]

Here's another Class of 2024 thread... https://www.disboards.com/threads/class-of-2024.2778763/

 

[china mom]

So here is a college question - and I hope I don't get roasted for this: The plan was for my daughter to go to community college and if that works out, move on to a four year school. DD is smart but has learning deficits She is currently straight A's but bombed the SATs.

Now that she is thinking about college, she has chosen a college of Art and Design to the tune of $40-50K a year. And, they do not require SAT scores so she could get in.

We can afford it but how do you reconcile paying so much for a degree when,... gosh, this is going to sound bad.... there is probably little return on investment?

She likes art and music but honestly, has not actually displayed any artistic talent or musical skills. She likes computers and has shown an interest in doing something with technology so I am thinkin maybe graphic arts.

Do I push her toward community college to start or do I give her the best start possible and then accept that she may end up being a Starbucks barista in the end?

[putting on my flame retardant suit just in case]

 

[mjkacmom]

So here is a college question - and I hope I don't get roasted for this: The plan was for my daughter to go to community college and if that works out, move on to a four year school. DD is smart but has learning deficits She is currently straight A's but bombed the SATs.

Now that she is thinking about college, she has chosen a college of Art and Design to the tune of $40-50K a year. And, they do not require SAT scores so she could get in.

We can afford it but how do you reconcile paying so much for a degree when,... gosh, this is going to sound bad.... there is probably little return on investment?

She likes art and music but honestly, has not actually displayed any artistic talent or musical skills. She likes computers and has shown an interest in doing something with technology so I am thinkin maybe graphic arts.

Do I push her toward community college to start or do I give her the best start possible and then accept that she may end up being a Starbucks barista in the end?

[putting on my flame retardant suit just in case]

There are thousands of colleges in the US, my kids who attended public OOS schools that were $50,000+ got merit. Otherwise their best option was in state. All of their majors had good career/salary outcomes. What is the acceptance rate at the college she is looking at? Getting merit usually means going to a less selective college for the stats the student has. My 3.9+ UGPA, 34 act ended up in an honors college with a 70% acceptance rate instead of an honor college with a 27% acceptance rate saving $40,000 a year.

 

[china mom]

There are thousands of colleges in the US, my kids who attended public OOS schools that were $50,000+ got merit. Otherwise their best option was in state. All of their majors had good career/salary outcomes. What is the acceptance rate at the college she is looking at? Getting merit usually means going to a less selective college for the stats the student has. My 3.9+ UGPA, 34 act ended up in an honors college with a 70% acceptance rate instead of an honor college with a 27% acceptance rate saving $40,000 a year.

That is a lot of words and I am trying to absorb what you are saying . Pease explain merit for this novice college shopper.

DD has a UGPA of 3.6 (she is 4.0 now but that doesn't count) and we can't use her SAT score because it was that bad. She wants to go to an art and design school but has not really shown any aptitude for either so I worry about how such a degree will help her with a career in that field. The only A&D instate school that I have found is actually more expensive than the OOS one she found. She would still need a place to live at the in-state school due to the distance from us.

I googled the acceptance rate and it said 80% but then it goes on to talk about the required and optimal SAT scores but the recruiter said she doesn't need SAT. Now I am more confused.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

So here is a college question - and I hope I don't get roasted for this: The plan was for my daughter to go to community college and if that works out, move on to a four year school. DD is smart but has learning deficits She is currently straight A's but bombed the SATs.

Now that she is thinking about college, she has chosen a college of Art and Design to the tune of $40-50K a year. And, they do not require SAT scores so she could get in.

We can afford it but how do you reconcile paying so much for a degree when,... gosh, this is going to sound bad.... there is probably little return on investment?

She likes art and music but honestly, has not actually displayed any artistic talent or musical skills. She likes computers and has shown an interest in doing something with technology so I am thinkin maybe graphic arts.

Do I push her toward community college to start or do I give her the best start possible and then accept that she may end up being a Starbucks barista in the end?

[putting on my flame retardant suit just in case]

Not roasted at all, very sane, rational concerns of the parent of a potential arts major.

I am an arts major (Masters and PhD in Film/Media Studies), a parent, and a professor at a small public 4 year University. If your daughter hasn't shown much artistic talent but likes computers, then yes, Graphic Design is a potentially lucrative career option. Many graphic designers are working in UX Design (user experience design for mobile media apps) and there is a big demand for it as we move into an app-dominated universe.

BUT, I would strongly advocate for your daughter to attend at least a year of community college if she doesn't have her heart set on the Arts School. I say this mainly because there is a strong chance your daughter will change her mind once she has taken a couple of college courses and been exposed to new material. I currently have a student I'm working with who is leaving a Psych Major for mine because she realised she liked social media more than studying the human psyche. In almost 20 years on the job, I've seen more of those cases. Yes, I do still have students who walk into my classes feeling like they came out of the womb holding a film camera and that is what they have their heart set on. Good for them. But not all students are like that.

If, after your daughter takes a couple classes, she still wants to pursue more education at the arts school, then talk about that. IMPORTANT: I will just warn you to check with the arts school (or wherever she goes) into what courses from the community college will transfer so she doesn't end up wasting money on credits that won't go toward a degree. So yes, this will require a bit of planning and homework on your part.

If you want to talk about this more or more privately, feel free to send me a DM. I really enjoy the advising/career counselling part of my job.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

That is a lot of words and I am trying to absorb what you are saying . Pease explain merit for this novice college shopper.

DD has a UGPA of 3.6 (she is 4.0 now but that doesn't count) and we can't use her SAT score because it was that bad. She wants to go to an art and design school but has not really shown any aptitude for either so I worry about how such a degree will help her with a career in that field. The only A&D instate school that I have found is actually more expensive than the OOS one she found. She would still need a place to live at the in-state school due to the distance from us.

I googled the acceptance rate and it said 80% but then it goes on to talk about the required and optimal SAT scores but the recruiter said she doesn't need SAT. Now I am more confused.

Colleges nationwide are dropping the SAT. It doesn't at all measure intellect or the promise of college success (my SAT scores were probably worse than your daughters and my graduating GPA with my PhD was a 3.99).

I would confirm somewhere on the college's admissions web page that the SAT is not required if it's up there. Otherwise I would call admissions and ask them to send you the no SAT policy in writing.

 

[mjkacmom]

That is a lot of words and I am trying to absorb what you are saying . Pease explain merit for this novice college shopper.

DD has a UGPA of 3.6 (she is 4.0 now but that doesn't count) and we can't use her SAT score because it was that bad. She wants to go to an art and design school but has not really shown any aptitude for either so I worry about how such a degree will help her with a career in that field. The only A&D instate school that I have found is actually more expensive than the OOS one she found. She would still need a place to live at the in-state school due to the distance from us.

I googled the acceptance rate and it said 80% but then it goes on to talk about the required and optimal SAT scores but the recruiter said she doesn't need SAT. Now I am more confused.

Most don’t require scores, but some do (Florida publics, Georgetown), but many still use them for merit. I’ve been through the process with 5, back to back. All 5 went to different universities. CC is a good option, downsides are transfers in general don't get the same FA or merit as first years, not all classes transfer, and if planning on going away junior year, a lot of friend groups have been formed. Not all schools have housing for transfer students. There is a website called college confidential, it’s a lot, but there are some very informed folks there who know their stuff.

 

[china mom]

If you want to talk about this more or more privately, feel free to send me a DM. I really enjoy the advising/career counselling part of my job.

Expect a DM. Thank you

 

[Lumpy1106]

So here is a college question - and I hope I don't get roasted for this: The plan was for my daughter to go to community college and if that works out, move on to a four year school. DD is smart but has learning deficits She is currently straight A's but bombed the SATs.

Now that she is thinking about college, she has chosen a college of Art and Design to the tune of $40-50K a year. And, they do not require SAT scores so she could get in.

We can afford it but how do you reconcile paying so much for a degree when,... gosh, this is going to sound bad.... there is probably little return on investment?

She likes art and music but honestly, has not actually displayed any artistic talent or musical skills. She likes computers and has shown an interest in doing something with technology so I am thinkin maybe graphic arts.

Do I push her toward community college to start or do I give her the best start possible and then accept that she may end up being a Starbucks barista in the end?

[putting on my flame retardant suit just in case]

No flames at all - in fact this is the kind of post I was hoping for.
Community college is going to save you a ton of cash. Just be sure DD takes it SERIOUSLY if you go that route - a lot of kids don't because it's cheap and either they or their parents don't take it seriously. But then...what? IMHO, that leaves her worse off. BUT, there are just as many, if not more success stories from community college grads - it's a legit choice.

That said...
My DD is going to a small (3k students) liberal arts University (Pacific University) in OR. Her major is Computer Science and she really does have a passion about it, BUT, the school she is going to (and many others just like it) do not require you to declare a major until your junior year. I don't think she will, but she could pick something else, even 2 years from now. You are not going to find that flexibility at a big, highly impacted University.

Now the cost...
If you look at their website, even using the financial calculators, its a $50K/year school. Not so fast - we hadn't factored in the substantial academic scholarship. These are very common and very generous. That got her tuition down to what we are paying for DS to go to UCSB. You have to have good grades, but it sounds like your DD does. You are made a financial offer, including the scholarship, AFTER you apply, but BEFORE you have to decide. Most of these schools are on the Common application, meaning it is free and easy to apply to as many of these schools as you want. By all means, do not saddle DD with 100s of thousands of dollars in debt, but also don't pass up a great opportunity like we found.

You said DD had decided on a school - did you go and visit the school? DO THAT!! Seriously - why would you ever send your kid to live far away without seeing it first? Take the tour, talk to the counselors, talk to students and professors, tour the city - the whole run. You might be pleasantly surprised at the great choice or slightly horrified about the mistake you almost made after a tour. There's only one way to know for sure. Not only that, but DD got a $1k/year scholarship just for taking the tour. Once you have an offer, you can potentially use that to get a matching offer from a different school.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

No flames at all - in fact this is the kind of post I was hoping for.
Community college is going to save you a ton of cash. Just be sure DD takes it SERIOUSLY if you go that route - a lot of kids don't because it's cheap and either they or their parents don't take it seriously. But then...what? IMHO, that leaves her worse off. BUT, there are just as many, if not more success stories from community college grads - it's a legit choice.

That said...
My DD is going to a small (3k students) liberal arts University (Pacific University) in OR. Her major is Computer Science and she really does have a passion about it, BUT, the school she is going to (and many others just like it) do not require you to declare a major until your junior year. I don't think she will, but she could pick something else, even 2 years from now. You are not going to find that flexibility at a big, highly impacted University.

Now the cost...
If you look at their website, even using the financial calculators, its a $50K/year school. Not so fast - we hadn't factored in the substantial academic scholarship. These are very common and very generous. That got her tuition down to what we are paying for DS to go to UCSB. You have to have good grades, but it sounds like your DD does. You are made a financial offer, including the scholarship, AFTER you apply, but BEFORE you have to decide. Most of these schools are on the Common application, meaning it is free and easy to apply to as many of these schools as you want. By all means, do not saddle DD with 100s of thousands of dollars in debt, but also don't pass up a great opportunity like we found.

You said DD had decided on a school - did you go and visit the school? DO THAT!! Seriously - why would you ever send your kid to live far away without seeing it first? Take the tour, talk to the counselors, talk to students and professors, tour the city - the whole run. You might be pleasantly surprised at the great choice or slightly horrified about the mistake you almost made after a tour. There's only one way to know for sure. Not only that, but DD got a $1k/year scholarship just for taking the tour. Once you have an offer, you can potentially use that to get a matching offer from a different school.

VERY GOOD POINTS! And I completely forgot to tell you to visit the campus so I'm glad Lumpy did. I'm chair of my department and we do a ton of outreach and really encourage students to visit before making a decision; for being small, we have great resources and have a lovely campus so it often will help students make up their minds. And the ones who want a massive collegiate experience realise that we are not for them and go to UMass.

 

[mjkacmom]

No flames at all - in fact this is the kind of post I was hoping for.
Community college is going to save you a ton of cash. Just be sure DD takes it SERIOUSLY if you go that route - a lot of kids don't because it's cheap and either they or their parents don't take it seriously. But then...what? IMHO, that leaves her worse off. BUT, there are just as many, if not more success stories from community college grads - it's a legit choice.

That said...
My DD is going to a small (3k students) liberal arts University (Pacific University) in OR. Her major is Computer Science and she really does have a passion about it, BUT, the school she is going to (and many others just like it) do not require you to declare a major until your junior year. I don't think she will, but she could pick something else, even 2 years from now. You are not going to find that flexibility at a big, highly impacted University.

Now the cost...
If you look at their website, even using the financial calculators, its a $50K/year school. Not so fast - we hadn't factored in the substantial academic scholarship. These are very common and very generous. That got her tuition down to what we are paying for DS to go to UCSB. You have to have good grades, but it sounds like your DD does. You are made a financial offer, including the scholarship, AFTER you apply, but BEFORE you have to decide. Most of these schools are on the Common application, meaning it is free and easy to apply to as many of these schools as you want. By all means, do not saddle DD with 100s of thousands of dollars in debt, but also don't pass up a great opportunity like we found.

You said DD had decided on a school - did you go and visit the school? DO THAT!! Seriously - why would you ever send your kid to live far away without seeing it first? Take the tour, talk to the counselors, talk to students and professors, tour the city - the whole run. You might be pleasantly surprised at the great choice or slightly horrified about the mistake you almost made after a tour. There's only one way to know for sure. Not only that, but DD got a $1k/year scholarship just for taking the tour. Once you have an offer, you can potentially use that to get a matching offer from a different school.

A peer school.

 

[Lumpy1106]

I should add - DD plays on the D3 Women's Lacrosse team and DS plays for the UCSB Club Men's lacrosse team - VERY different experiences, but both great. LSS - you can ask me about collegiate athletics and that whole process too. You have to start EARLY, D1, Frosh-Soph year, D2 Soph year, D3 Jr year at the latest. Club you can wait - it's a walk-on but still can be VERY competitive.

 

[china mom]

No flames at all - in fact this is the kind of post I was hoping for.
Community college is going to save you a ton of cash. Just be sure DD takes it SERIOUSLY if you go that route - a lot of kids don't because it's cheap and either they or their parents don't take it seriously. But then...what? IMHO, that leaves her worse off. BUT, there are just as many, if not more success stories from community college grads - it's a legit choice.

That said...
My DD is going to a small (3k students) liberal arts University (Pacific University) in OR. Her major is Computer Science and she really does have a passion about it, BUT, the school she is going to (and many others just like it) do not require you to declare a major until your junior year. I don't think she will, but she could pick something else, even 2 years from now. You are not going to find that flexibility at a big, highly impacted University.

Now the cost...
If you look at their website, even using the financial calculators, its a $50K/year school. Not so fast - we hadn't factored in the substantial academic scholarship. These are very common and very generous. That got her tuition down to what we are paying for DS to go to UCSB. You have to have good grades, but it sounds like your DD does. You are made a financial offer, including the scholarship, AFTER you apply, but BEFORE you have to decide. Most of these schools are on the Common application, meaning it is free and easy to apply to as many of these schools as you want. By all means, do not saddle DD with 100s of thousands of dollars in debt, but also don't pass up a great opportunity like we found.

You said DD had decided on a school - did you go and visit the school? DO THAT!! Seriously - why would you ever send your kid to live far away without seeing it first? Take the tour, talk to the counselors, talk to students and professors, tour the city - the whole run. You might be pleasantly surprised at the great choice or slightly horrified about the mistake you almost made after a tour. There's only one way to know for sure. Not only that, but DD got a $1k/year scholarship just for taking the tour. Once you have an offer, you can potentially use that to get a matching offer from a different school.

We have not register for their open house but we are planning on going - it is in early November.

I am hoping for a scholarship but my very preliminary look into that gave me the impression that she will need more than good grades. She did not take any honors courses or AP classes or any extracurricular activities.

I appreciate the advice about taking CC seriously. She is a very serious student and I know she will.

 

[Lumpy1106]

We have not register for their open house but we are planning on going - it is in early November.

I am hoping for a scholarship but my very preliminary look into that gave me the impression that she will need more than good grades. She did not take any honors courses or AP classes or any extracurricular activities.

I appreciate the advice about taking CC seriously. She is a very serious student and I know she will.

Sure - no prob. More than happy to pass along my knowledge. @Lord Manhammer is dead-on about reciprocity. The school I went to was a real stickler about it. I saw students that got accepted with AS degrees that were a full year behind where they thought they would be - the classes just didn't transfer.

It's really nothing out of your pocket to apply and see what scholarships she is offered. If you can't afford it, it's a pretty easy decision to make.

 

[china mom]

Sure - no prob. More than happy to pass along my knowledge. @Lord Manhammer is dead-on about reciprocity. The school I went to was a real stickler about it. I saw students that got accepted with AS degrees that were a full year behind where they thought they would be - the classes just didn't transfer.

It's really nothing out of your pocket to apply and see what scholarships she is offered. If you can't afford it, it's a pretty easy decision to make

Sure - no prob. More than happy to pass along my knowledge. @Lord Manhammer is dead-on about reciprocity. The school I went to was a real stickler about it. I saw students that got accepted with AS degrees that were a full year behind where they thought they would be - the classes just didn't transfer.

It's really nothing out of your pocket to apply and see what scholarships she is offered. If you can't afford it, it's a pretty easy decision to make.

We can afford any school she wants (thank you DSfor not going to college) but the question is would it be a good use of our money? Also, is she ready for a 'big school"?

 

[china mom]

I am so overwhelmed with the application/scholarship/FAFSA stuff.

We have a local scholarship foundation that gives out scholarships to residents of our five local counties but the essay questions all deal with awards received, extra curricular activities, and volunteer work. We got nothing, NADA.

The schools want FASFA information but the FASFA applications don't come out until December.

Should I fill out the 22-23 FAFSA application and then do it again for 23-24 when the forms come out?

I know we will not be eligible for any financial aid based on income but even the scholarships I have seen for academics and such require the FAFSA. And, is it even worth it since her academics aren't that impressive? I am not busting on her, she has overcome so much and is smart and a hard worker but she hasn't taken any AP or honors classes.

I know there are random oddball scholarships for things like "lefthanded redheads who were born in July". How do I find one of those for DD's specific set of circumstances?

 

[mjkacmom]

I am so overwhelmed with the application/scholarship/FAFSA stuff.

We have a local scholarship foundation that gives out scholarships to residents of our five local counties but the essay questions all deal with awards received, extra curricular activities, and volunteer work. We got nothing, NADA.

The schools want FASFA information but the FASFA applications don't come out until December.

Should I fill out the 22-23 FAFSA application and then do it again for 23-24 when the forms come out?

I know we will not be eligible for any financial aid based on income but even the scholarships I have seen for academics and such require the FAFSA. And, is it even worth it since her academics aren't that impressive? I am not busting on her, she has overcome so much and is smart and a hard worker but she hasn't taken any AP or honors classes.

I know there are random oddball scholarships for things like "lefthanded redheads who were born in July". How do I find one of those for DD's specific set of circumstances?

Colleges know fafsa doesn’t open this year until December the earliest. The vast majority of merit comes from the colleges themselves so don’t bother looking for a unicorn, plus most don’t require fafsa. However, if she plans on taking student federal loans, they need to be filled out. Also, if your financial situation changes (job loss, death) you will need to have filed in order to appeal financial aid. To get offered merit from colleges her stats need to be at the very top of accepted students.

 

[china mom]

Colleges know fafsa doesn’t open this year until December the earliest. The vast majority of merit comes from the colleges themselves so don’t bother looking for a unicorn, plus most don’t require fafsa. However, if she plans on taking student federal loans, they need to be filled out. Also, if your financial situation changes (job loss, death) you will need to have filed in order to appeal financial aid. To get offered merit from colleges her stats need to be at the very top of accepted students.

Thank you. We will not be using student loans under any circumstances and since she won't qualify for financial aid and since she is not a top student, is there any other reason to mess with Fasfa? (Job loss or death still wouldn't change our situation because we are collecting our pensions)

 

[Southernmiss]

Thank you. We will not be using student loans under any circumstances and since she won't qualify for financial aid and since she is not a top student, is there any other reason to mess with Fasfa? (Job loss or death still wouldn't change our situation because we are collecting our pensions)

Her university may request that all students complete the FAFSA.