To answer several concerns about the difficulty of our current school list (sorry I can't seem to multi quote) We need to find safety schools. I know this. We just haven't found any yet. When I run numbers there is a huge gap financially. I ran numbers for two private schools with less expectations and it will leave dd in debt over $20,000 a year. Unless they have great merit aid and she qualifies for that? How do we know that though? I need to do more research. I considered having her visit a state school or two that isn't so competitive in order to have that as a safety? Maybe Appalachian? I definitely want safety schools and I don't view the competitive schools as safety schools. I was originally looking at NC State as a safety but then ya'll clued me in ;)

Thank you for this. It helps :)

Thanks for alerting me to this. I was unaware. Duke meets 100% of real need so I guess we could apply ED there too if she likes it? She may prefer CH or State though?

I keep hearing that only those who can afford the school should apply early decision. Is that true? For example, I've read that if you need to take into account aid at all then do not apply early decision. I've also heard that the aid isn't as good because you are committed before a financial package is presented. Just curious if there is validity to this.

Completely stupid question, I know but do you give financial information when you apply?

So getting into chapel hill, state, etc... What is dd lacking? She takes rigorous classes She will have SAT sub tests and AP scores Her standardized test scores will be competitive She has her art She leads a group of 5th-6th grade girls What is she missing? What gap do we need to fill? She loves to write so I thought about encouraging her to enter some writing contests? And here is the question I probably shouldn't asked here...do I need to put her in PS? Are the only homeschooled kids who get into these schools ones who have built rocket ships and fed third world countries? Does getting in as a homeschooler require as much as if you were aiming for merit as a public schooler? I get that feeling when I read comments on here sometimes :/

She has no idea about major :(

I was surprised at Furman though. They calculated merit aid, need aid etc, etc and then subtracted a student loan and showed us needing to come up with 13,000 a year? Should we strike that one from the list??

Haha...I know you are only half kidding though ;)

again....bad wording, I edited. I just mean the over-the-top competitive stuff that you hear about for those who get big merit scholarships. We won't have that. One of the main reasons...money, money, money. DD gets catalog after catalog in the mail about summer programs and she drools but we just can't. She is limited because of finances. We can't produce a transcript where she has "done" a lot...all we can do is show who she is and her academics. She mentors a group of middle school girls, she is a self taught artist (and she is talented), she is taking AP classes and she will take some SAT sub tests for validity but other than that we don't have anything big and merit worthy. If that makes sense? She has great standardized tests grades. That's about it. ETA - I wrote this before your last reply.

My wording was bad. I edited. I just hear about what the kids have to be in order to get merit scholarships and I am not sure we have what that takes? She hasn't built a rocket for NASA or single-handedly fed a village in Africa (yes, I am being sarcastic...you get my point ;).

I didn't want to completely hijack Joanne's thread ;) This was my finding... Wake Forest Loan $4,000 DD work contribution $2300 Our contribution $3000 Emory Loan $5,500 DD work contribution $3,000 Our contribution $3,000 Duke Loan $5,500 DD work contribution $2600 Our contribution $2000 NC State Loan $5,500 DD work contribution $2300 Our contribution $2000 UNC Chapel Hill Loan $2300 DD work contribution $2500 Our contribution $2000 Ok so here are my thoughts....WHY in the world are we worried about 'going over the top' for merit aid? If she is okay with a loan of up to $5,500 a year then she can probably go somewhere for not much more than that? I just need to focus on getting her into college and not so much worry about the aid. She's smart, it will probably take care of itself. or am I missing something? Is there anything I need to know?

EFC is annually or total? 35k??? Wow, I am not complaining about my EFC again, lol. I have not looked into financial stuff like I should. We are hoping for a college where the need based aid is high. It is why we are looking at private schools rather than state. I think dd will have fairly high stats and hit need based aid for those schools too. Still, I need to read more and understand how it all works. She was right at the National Merit cut off this year as a 10th grader so that may come into play next year when it counts. She doesn't want to go to any of the schools offering free rides for National Merit but it will be worth picking one and listing it as a back up plan, I suppose. It overwhelms me, honestly. I am in over my head with all of this college stuff :/ DD will skip college rather than go into significant debt. We can't take on the debt either.

So a school considers a need as met even if it is through loans, correct? what if a student isn't comfortable with many loans? What if the EFC is simply not attainable for your family? Do you always have an EFC or can merit aid or school's own need aid take care of that sometimes?

Creekland is thinking of people like me who follow and try to understand the financial end. I still don't understand how most of it works but I am gleaning here and there :)

nm I think I figured it out ;)

I know, right? 9 hours would be awesome :drool5: Everyone will tell you to do everything. What looks good on paper is never realistic in real life. It drives me nuts. Line all of what the experts tell us to do and we would need 3 lifetimes, at least. A balance is a must. I exercise a lot and other moms will ask how in the world I have time for it. I don't have time, I make time. I rarely watch TV or read pleasure reading, I don't go out with friends much, etc, etc ,etc. Why? I can't do it all.

I do not make separate meals for me, but we as a family eat pretty healthy. Because I work out a lot I am not trying to stay to like 1,000 calories or anything though. If you use a tracker like my fitness pal, tracking is not very difficult. You will find that you eat tthe same things a lot and you can simply copy meals from one day to the next, etc. Many of my friends find success with small changes. I had a friend drop a good bit of weight by only taking out soda, snacks, and walking 1/2 hour a day. Everything else was the same for her. I'd try the simpler things first, for sure! That doesn't cut it with me, unfortunately...maybe because I already didn't drink soda or snack? My metabolism has always been low.

This is great to know and very encouraging. Thanks for sharing.

He is pre-algebra this year. We switched from Saxon to Lial's at the suggestion of a few moms here. Mostly dislikes and lacks confidence. He is also super slow. He procrastinates to start it and he drags doing it. Certain aspects of math he shines in, like fractions and decimals, etc. With basic math he tends to make a ridiculous amount of errors which he can correct on his own once you mark them. It isn't a lack of understanding in that area. He is struggling a good bit with anything algebraic for some reason.

He is pre-algebra this year. We switched from Saxon to Lial's at the suggestion of a few moms here. He does like it better. Certain aspects of math he shines in, like fractions and decimals, etc. With basic math he tends to make a ridiculous amount of errors which he can correct on his own once you mark them. It isn't a lack of understanding in that area. He is struggling a good bit with anything algebraic for some reason.

I am totally aware of the fact that the ACT doesn't test true Science. I know from experience that he is good at Science and I am not basing this on the ACT. He has the crazy ability to fully understand things that are Science based though. Maybe this helps with that section? I have a crazy theory... He lacks confidence. He struggles with focus. Yet he is good at science. Did he excel in that portion just because he approached it confidently? He sort of panics with anything math. He didn't do too bad with reading - 26, not terrible for an eighth grader.

Science. He's always had an outstanding comprehension for anything science related. So just for fun with no practice or explanation I gave him the ACT Science section from a real ACT exam and he only missed four...as an eighth grader. It just confirmed his aptitude for anything science. He struggles in math though. How do I plan and gear studies for him for high school when he seems so one-sided? Will this even out with time? What are some good career paths for a kid who is great at science but not math?

I like that name :lol:

I wish there was a simple way for me. It is blood, sweat, and tears. I workout a ridiculous amount and put in 110% and I am the slowest person I know to make progress. Also everything that goes into my mouth has to be calculated. That being said, it is worth it anyway. I've had people say that they wouldn't want to live that way (always working, always calculating). Well, for some of us we have to choose our misery....being fat or putting in a boatload of effort. I choose the effort over the way I felt with all of that weight on me. Someone else may choose to carry the weight and I respect that choice...to each her own ;) Good luck.