Hi everyone, I'm about to finish homeschool high school and start applying to colleges. The problem is I don't really have any guidance at all - I have no idea where I want to go or even how to go about the whole process... Does anyone have any suggestions? Maybe a website that could help me tackle the application process? Thanks!
Our oldest is starting college in a month. A couple of sites that really helped were Princetonreview.com, and collegeboard.com. They'll walk you through the whole process. Also, if you head to the "high school and college tips" board from here, you'll see a link to Cafi Cohen's book "And What About College" that is a great guide for homeschoolers heading to college.
University of Florida, in 4 weeks. He was accepted at several great schools, but the difference in $27,000 (the cheapest tuition, room, and board out of state, after merit scholarships) and JUST room and board in-state (because of the Florida Bright Futures scholarship) was just too great.
He was more interested in Florida State, but they didn't have the programs he wanted.
He was accepted at several great schools, but the difference in $27,000 (the cheapest tuition, room, and board out of state, after merit scholarships) and JUST room and board in-state (because of the Florida Bright Futures scholarship) was just too great.
Liz:
We had a wonderful thing happen here. Debby is going to Lebanon Valley College in PA, majoring in music, specifically music recording technology. According to all of LVC's literature, the highest merit scholarship they offer is 1/2 tuition. They give these out on the basis of class rank (which Debby, being homeschooled, did not have), so she went through an interview process (which all homeschooled kids, plus any kids whose schools don't rank, are put through for scholarships). She earned the 1/2 tuition scholarship, but when we got the final award package, even with other grants, student loans, etc., that still left over $14,000 per year to pay out of pocket - not possible for us.
We were very subdued. This is one of the few liberal arts schools in the country that offers a degree program in Debby's choice of major. It is the only one that is close to home (about 4 hours away), which she wanted. And it was by then too late to apply elsewhere.
A week or so later, the college called. They have been keeping in touch by phone, and I figured this was another of those "are you ready to turn in papers x, y, and z?" calls. Debby took the call in another room, and when she came out, she was crying. They had asked her if she had received her awards letter, and if she was happy with it. She then asked if they knew of any other scholarships she was eligible for, any way at all that she could get more money. The counselor then asked, "Would a full tuition scholarship help?"
Apparently, the college has something called the President's Scholarship - unadvertised, not awarded every year, but pulled out when a deserving student qualifies. It's worth full tuition (@25,000 a year) for four years, rising as tuition rises to cover the full cost.
To say that we are thrilled is putting it mildly. It means the difference between going and not going, period.
I have no idea how many schools have something like this "stuck back" to pull out when needed. But don't let a school's apparent lack of good scholarships stop you from applying. In retrospect, Debby should have looked farther and applied to more schools, just in case. But, lucky for her, this worked out!
That's wonderful! I did consider asking a couple of the schools if there were more aid available, but DS had left so much to the last minute that we didn't have time to really investigate further options. We've learned that lesson- DS #2 will have all his applications in much earlier, so we'll have a lot more time to consider his options and pursue the possibility of more aid.
I'm SO glad your daughter got the school she wanted! I'm happy for you all.
Congratulations again!
I don't think they actually gave the scholarship because she asked - I think they were calling to tell her she had earned it, but she asked about more aid before they got around to it. We actually got the letter in the mail the next day.
Debby's approach to high school was varied and interesting, ranging from college calculus courses to periods of total unschooling. She ended up with so many college credits that she's actually earned sophomore status already (but the aid still stands for four years). She even auditioned successfully after not taking formal lessons since she was about 14, although her own "unschooling" way of studying music has improved her musicianship dramatically.
I'm really going to miss her! This makes two of mine off now, as Tim is about to start his 3rd year. Only Suzy is left homeschooling now. Wow. It goes so fast.
You need to know what kind of state help is available. For example, homeschooled students in Florida can receive 100% or 75% tuition at a state school based on their standardized test scores and other requirements. If your state has a website you might check to see if they have something like that.
One thing which helped me--and then later helped my first son---choose a college was poring through a book of college profiles (Barron's has one) and seeing which colleges had student bodies whose profiles were like mine/his. SAT scores were an indication of which colleges might be a good fit for students who didn't have a career path already in mind. The book was also a good way to look at big school/small school issues.
But I would say---and it's one of those things which you just don't believe until late in the process!!---that money becomes a huge part of the decision-making process (unless you are independently wealthy, have substantial resources, or have some sort of ethnic minority status).
Do look carefully at the money part of the equation, and figure out how much of the family annual budget can be allocated to paying for college (unless you are ok with a ton of money in loans). I say this having a son who received the highest of academic scholarships available. The cash value will depend on the school a student chooses to attend. If part of the family budget is going to cover college costs, take a good look at that now and figure out what you can afford to pay each year of the total annual cost of attendance.
