I'm at a loss of what to do, college-bound senior - Page 3

Oh what I would do to live in Cali. Take advantage of those opportunities!! Are you currently a senior? That is true, but its great to have a lot of opportunity in undergrad as well. Pick an undergrad that can really let you grow.

Yep...that's why i'm going for private schools w/ heavy endowment..

So why not move to cali then?

Because I'd need to live in Cali for some time to qualify for in-state tuition, its not affordable either...

So what do you plan to do? I mean if you want to hear success stories we can tell you alot of them but nothing gets done until you do something. You need to now decide which road you want to take. The road of dreaming everyday how awesome life would be to attend your dream school whole moves one waiting for a cir to happen or the road of working your way there by attending an affordable college and finishing in a decent university and eventually getting your ms or PhD in a top school of your dreams. Do what you can do and be realistic about it. I just don't understand why you want to attend a top school for your bs. Again an undergraduate degree doesn't matter where you get it. Lots of people here have told you that and it would be nice of you figured that out now before breaking a sweat only to realize your bs isn't that impressive as you thought it was. If you're 17 you still have lots of roads ahead and honestly life will get good as you get older and wiser. Doors will open to you just like how DACA opened to us.

I will not choose one road at this point because that is simply an uninfromed decision. Like what if I do try and something does work out? I know people applying to ivies w/ avg extra curriculars and a 27 on the ACT, but I don't say that they shouldn't bother, as small of a chance as they have, I don't know what will go through that admission committees head when they read her application. I plan to apply to these reach/match schools which are not my expectations but instead my aspirations, regardless of how unimportant undergrad is. If that does not work out then I will fall back to a state school or UM if aid works out there. It all depends. I don't get what you mean about not being not doing anything, I've been doing the exact opposite of that this entire time. I'm seeking out as many options as I can while also having a backup plan, I'm trying to come up with proactive fundraising opportunities (which sadly no one mentioned any ideas about in this thread), and I am seeking out as many scholarships as I can for someone in my situation. Idk. I really am trying.

proactive fundraising opportunities

Expand this a bit more. What do you mean?

Like I am trying to come up with alternative ideas to raise money for my education. Nothing comes in a conventional manner for us dreamers, there always needs to be some kind of ingenuity.

One thing I was considering was having a fundraiser over spring break where I would ride up (cycling) the coast of Florida and have people commit to donating a certain amount for every mile I rode. It could be small amounts even less than a cent per mile but it would add up.

I've also been trying to look into scholarship programs where I get the scholarship and then in the ten years after my graduation I provide a similar scholarship to someone else. I dont know. At this point I am open to anything, hell I'll even go on Telemundo

Hmmm I remember seeing posts here about people going to universities, explanations and getting a full ride. Don't know much of that is true but there were at least 3 people who posted about that.

With out a proper status you're gonna have a hard finding a scholarship or a cause for helping people attend $30k+ a year schools. The very little scholarship aimed at us would barely cover short period at those schools. Has the thought of getting some associates and working for a few years to save some money ever come to mind or would you feel unchallenged by doing that as well.

@el nino don't complicate things. Call the financial aid office about their policy and if there is anything they can do for you. Just make sure that the money they offer you is coming from the school not the federal government. Don't know how it is in FL but all I had to do to get finaid was submitting FAFSA straight to the school. I'm sure private schools have a bigger fund pool than public as well.

El Nino,

I (like many others here) was in a very similar situation a couple years ago. A couple of points to consider:

* College is expensive for everyone these days. Average student debt after graduation is 35k+ now!

* When I was applying the private universities actually offered quite a bit more scholarship money. They usually have much more money to give away. Most of this money is available to everybody regardless of their status.

*Try some private universities (even out of state) that are below your “level”. The school I attend has an average ACT score of 28 (I got a 35). Even though their total sticker price is 45k+ a year I get enough scholarship money that I am able to make up the difference with my engineering Co-Op. By being a standout student relative the general pool of the school you will get a bigger piece of the pie.

* I understand you want to be challenged and want to prepare yourself for the future. This can be done at a school with a less “prestigious” reputation. Simply go to so-so school and ace very class. A 4.0 GPA with a lot of extra time means that you will get first pick at your choice of internships. This will be much more useful than a fancy diploma.

*Overall it looks like you are heading in the right direction and you have a good head on your shoulders. Keep working hard, be realistic, and make the best out of every situation.

Good luck.