Updated: I was just informed that I got oine! Man, I'm so Bummed out! Rant about Graduation, Scholarships, etc.

[Ryan]

Today my school had our Senior Recognition ceremony. This is where we recognize all of the students for the scholarships they've won, and awards they've won. We also find out if we
we won any of the scholarships. I have applied for all of them, and tonight I was sure I was going to at least get one good one, but I only got a 200 dollar scholarship. Out of 75+ of them, I got one (and it was one I didn't even apply for - it was for Spanish Club, and I got it because I'm the president). I have made good grades, maintaining a 3.2 GPA, and made a 1000 on the SAT and a 25 on the ACT. Although they were not high averages and scores, they are very respectable.

I've know that I'm getting a florida bright futures scholarship, which pays for 75% of my tuition to school, but I don't know how I'm going to pay for the rest. I was to try and steer clear of loans, etc.

I just feel like all of the time and effort I spent on writing essays, getting reccomendations, and filling out forms was for nothing at all, a waste of my time......................

BTW - how are all of you paying for college?


UPDATE: Well, today during second period, I got called into the Guidance office to see my counselor. Come to find out, they just got a letter from Gulf Coast Community College (a large local college here in FL). My school has a joint partnership with them, where certain HS classes also count for college credits (called dual enrolled). Since I was a sophomore in HS, I've Been taking many dual enrolled classes. I already have 36 credit hours for the college. Well, the letter was for a scholarship of $1,500 for the community college. They also said that I could take 3 summer classes and I'll enter as a sophomore.

 

[kami]

<< BTW - how are all of you paying for college? >>


Combination of working (i took 1 year off before college and saved a lot of money working full-time @ $18/hr. wish i didn't give up the job sometimes) and some of it covered by government loans (interest free if you make the payments on time...you gotta start paying it back 6 months after you graduate).

 

[amdskip]

must be nice to have that 75%, have to pay it all here

 

[Martin]

i'm also graduating this june and this is how I'm planning it:

some work during time off+ loans, which means I'll ahve about 4-5k debt every year. I'll be in the coop program, so I get to work 16 months, which will hopefully be enough to cover most of the loans.

All in all, I should gradutae without debt (or very little), but I'l have to live at home and I can't even think about a car til I'm 25

 

[aolsuxs]

lol I got ya all beat,

Our school awards scholarships based mainly on GPA/Rank, problem its unweighted and thus a lot of the people ranked high have taken really really really basic classes along with easy electives, ie photography, ceramics etc. Thus despite the fact I've taken the most rigerous of courses including 5 1/2 AP classes, participated in sports,community service and various clubs I am not guranteed one of the top 1K scholarhip, but instead I have to apply for the left over ones, such as the "Custodian Scholarship, write a brief essay on how to improve the school grounds and building" Now to make matters worse I'll be going to UCD next year and I am out of state. And with this financially independence requirement I am stuck w/ out of state fee for four years which is not covered under financial aid, thus ~11K X4 = 44K in just out of state fee which doesnt count the rest of tuition which is 15Kish. Plus I plan on graduate school after that (med) soooooooooooooooo next 15ish years of my life are in debt. All I know is this summer it'll be all work work work.

 

[monk3y]

Being out of state at pretty much any state university is no easy task. I've gotten a few scholarships but for the most part I'm able to attend because I've taken a student loan. I'm hoping I'll be able to pay it off in my first 2 years working in my profession. I take care of most of my spending needs by working part-time.

 

[Orsorum]

I was lucky... I got my first year paid for by scholarships, plus $1100 per quarter in tuition paid for the next four years... I'm taking an RA position for the next three years as well, so I have room and board paid.

 

[lawaris]

I was lucky... I got my first 2 years paid for by scholarships, plus $1400 per quarter in tuition paid for the next four years... I'm taking an RA position for the next three years as well, so I have room and board paid.

 

[Ns1]

eh sorry no offense but 3.2 gpa/1k sat isn't great ^_^

 

[Ryan]

<< eh sorry no offense but 3.2 gpa/1k sat isn't great ^_^ >>



What a Prick.

I guess you forgot to read this, asshole:



<< I have made good grades, maintaining a 3.2 GPA, and made a 1000 on the SAT and a 25 on the ACT. Although they were not high averages and scores, they are very respectable. >>

 

[zimmie6576]

<<

<< eh sorry no offense but 3.2 gpa/1k sat isn't great ^_^ >>



What a Prick.

I guess you forgot to read this, asshole:



<< I have made good grades, maintaining a 3.2 GPA, and made a 1000 on the SAT and a 25 on the ACT. Although they were not high averages and scores, they are very respectable. >>

>>



I don't think he was being a prick. I believe the point was that a 3.2 GPA in high school, the 1000 on the SAT and a 25 on the ACT are not really good enough to win any scholarships. At least where I'm from.

Consider yourself lucky that you are getting 75% of your college costs paid for. Most would be lucky to get even 50%. I don't think there is any way to totally avoid taking student loans, unless you get a full scholarship (even then, they may only cover so much for room and board), or your parents or someone else is completely paying for school. Federal student loans don't even start building interest until 6 months after you graduate.

And once you graduate, as long as you didn't pick a major that has very low starting salaries **cough** art **cough**, then you would be perfectly fine paying back student loans. Most lenders only want a $100 - $200 monthly payment. If you're making $30k a year and single, that's nothing.

Edit: I forgot, I had a 3.6 or so GPA, and a 1310 on the SAT, and I was only able to get one scholarship, for $7500 or so a year. When tuition alone is more than $16000, that's not much. All the rest is in loans, and TAP (only in New York State, amounts to about $500 a year).

 

[Ryan]

<<

<<

<< eh sorry no offense but 3.2 gpa/1k sat isn't great ^_^ >>

What a Prick.

I guess you forgot to read this, asshole:

<< I have made good grades, maintaining a 3.2 GPA, and made a 1000 on the SAT and a 25 on the ACT. Although they were not high averages and scores, they are very respectable. >>

>>

I don't think he was being a prick. I believe the point was that a 3.2 GPA in high school, the 1000 on the SAT and a 25 on the ACT are not really good enough to win any scholarships. At least where I'm from. Consider yourself lucky that you are getting 75% of your college costs paid for. Most would be lucky to get even 50%. I don't think there is any way to totally avoid taking student loans, unless you get a full scholarship (even then, they may only cover so much for room and board), or your parents or someone else is completely paying for school. Federal student loans don't even start building interest until 6 months after you graduate. And once you graduate, as long as you didn't pick a major that has very low starting salaries **cough** art **cough**, then you would be perfectly fine paying back student loans. Most lenders only want a $100 - $200 monthly payment. If you're making $30k a year and single, that's nothing. >>



The point of my reply was that I never did say they were great.

Hmm, I just don't like the idea of being in debt. I think that's what scares me the most. :disgust: I have always been able to pay for everything myself. I have been saving up money since I was 11 years old. I even bought my first car with cash (94 Maxima).

 

[Jzero]

<< I don't think he was being a prick. I believe the point was that a 3.2 GPA in high school, the 1000 on the SAT and a 25 on the ACT are not really good enough to win any scholarships. At least where I'm from. >>


I agree. Same thing where I'm from. Respectable? Surely. But merit-based scholarships are looking for exceptional marks, where your scores are pretty average for a college-bound senior. Respectable just doesn't get you a scholarship. Sometimes even exceptional doesn't.
I had a 4.0 and 1390 SATs and I got a $150 scholarship from the band/chorus parents. That's it from the scholarships offered. I lucked out and got a nice deal at a state school and managed to not get loans, so that was good, but no help from my township whatsoever.
Don't forget with these scholarships, politicking and "finanacial need" weigh heavily. If your family is like mine, living on the cusp of where you're not poor enough to qualify as "needy" but not rich enough to be able to just plunk down cash for even a state school, you lose out completely.

 

[zimmie6576]

<< Hmm, I just don't like the idea of being in debt. I think that's what scares me the most. :disgust: I have always been able to pay for everything myself. I have been saving up money since I was 11 years old. I even bought my first car with cash (94 Maxima). >>



Very few people graduate college without being in debt, unless they go to a community college. I don't like the idea of being in debt either, but I accepted that that is the way it is. Having student loans to be paid is not going to ruin your credit, or keep you from getting a loan for a house, car, etc.

 

[SpecialEd]

sorry to hear that... college is tough to pay for...

I'm one of the lucky ones... my parents started saving for college the day I was born... so they had plenty of money by the time I had to go.... same for my brother...

This fall i'm going back for Grad school... however, its a little different... I got a teaching associate which means tution waived and $14,000 a year on top... I can't wait! the only problem is that its less than half of what i'm making now... oh well.. back to being a poor college student.

 

[shopbruin]

<-- 4.2 gpa, 1250 sat's(low... ), crapload of extracurriculurs, etc etc

received: $300 bucks from the alumni association at HS. TOTAL. you think you wasted your time writing all that stuff?...

<-- will have: 10k in stafford loan debt, 11k in PLUS loan debt, and i go to a state school. you got lucky with the florida scholarship. *sigh* oh and this all unsubsidized loans....

 

[Capn]

Back in HS I was 8th in my class with a 1480 SAT. I got three scholarships total, 2 for $500 each (one time) and another for $12k frosh yr, then $24k soph yr, $24k junior yr, and $20k senior year, though I only used half of senior year cause I graduated early.

For grad school I have full funding plus $23k/yr stipend from the government.

Many scholarships are merit based, and while 3.2gpa 1000 SAT is respectable, there are a lot of students who've done better than you that are also trying to get a finite amount of money.

 

[BigJohnKC]

When I graduated HS I thought I'd get more of the local scholarships too, but I ended up getting one $250 scholarships from the Lions Club even though I had a 3.98 GPA and a 32 on the ACT, plus being fourth in the class. My private college gave me a 4600 dollar scholarship plus a 900 dollar golf scholarship which in total covered about 30-40% of tuition. I fotunately was an only child with parents who had been saving for my education my whole life. If you're getting a 200 dollar scholarship with a 3.2 GPA and a 25 ACT score, you are one lucky guy. You'll just have to pay for college like everyone else without rich parents - get a job and work for your education. Then work to pay off the loans for a few years after graduating.

 

[heartsurgeon]

<< 3.2 GPA, and made a 1000 on the SAT >>



directly from the SAT website
"The Average Verbal and Math Score
For the 2001 college-bound seniors, the average verbal score was 506 and the average math score was 514."

gee - average SAT score is 1020

so let me get this straight - your upset because your "good grades" and your below average SAT scores didn't get you more money or "Recognition"

welcome to the real world my friend - i don't know who's been telling you that you deserve better - they've been lying to you.

 

[zimmie6576]

<< Back in HS I was 8th in my class with a 1480 SAT. I got three scholarships total, 2 for $500 each (one time) and another for $12k frosh yr, then $24k soph yr, $24k junior yr, and $20k senior year, though I only used half of senior year cause I graduated early.

For grad school I have full funding plus $23k/yr stipend from the government. >>



Wow! That's a lot of money for scholarships. How expensive was your school? I'm asking because I've never seen a $24,000 scholarship, and I thought my school was expensing with around $18,000 tuition ( I know I said $16,000 before, but it's gone up a lot in the 4 years I've been here).

 

[Ameesh]

<< Today my school had our Senior Recognition ceremony. This is where we recognize all of the students for the scholarships they've won, and awards they've won. We also find out if we
we won any of the scholarships. I have applied for all of them, and tonight I was sure I was going to at least get one good one, but I only got a 200 dollar scholarship. Out of 75+ of them, I got one (and it was one I didn't even apply for - it was for Spanish Club, and I got it because I'm the president). I have made good grades, maintaining a 3.2 GPA, and made a 1000 on the SAT and a 25 on the ACT. Although they were not high averages and scores, they are very respectable.

I've know that I'm getting a florida bright futures scholarship, which pays for 75% of my tuition to school, but I don't know how I'm going to pay for the rest. I was to try and steer clear of loans, etc.

I just feel like all of the time and effort I spent on writing essays, getting reccomendations, and filling out forms was for nothing at all, a waste of my time......................

BTW - how are all of you paying for college? >>




im surprised you even got into college with a sat score of 1000, i hate to say it but that sucks donkey balls.

 

[Capn]

<< Wow! That's a lot of money for scholarships. How expensive was your school? I'm asking because I've never seen a $24,000 scholarship, and I thought my school was expensing with around $18,000 tuition ( I know I said $16,000 before, but it's gone up a lot in the 4 years I've been here). >>



Tuition + Room + Board + Fees is ballpark $34k/yr

I only came out with ~$2000 in unsubsidized loans and my parents never had to pay anything, I did pretty well. The majority of the money came from school need based scholarship and a local scholarship for men going into science.

 

[zimmie6576]

<<

<< Wow! That's a lot of money for scholarships. How expensive was your school? I'm asking because I've never seen a $24,000 scholarship, and I thought my school was expensing with around $18,000 tuition ( I know I said $16,000 before, but it's gone up a lot in the 4 years I've been here). >>



Tuition + Room + Board + Fees is ballpark $34k/yr

I only came out with ~$2000 in unsubsidized loans and my parents never had to pay anything, I did pretty well. The majority of the money came from school need based scholarship and a local scholarship for men going into science. >>



What school is that? I thought mine was expensive, since with everything it comes to at least $25,000 a year. Your lucky coming out with only $2000 in unsubsidized loans, I had a lot more than that after my first year. How high were/are your subsidized loans?

 

[Ryan]

UPDATE: Well, today during second period, I got called into the Guidance office to see my counselor. Come to find out, they just got a letter from Gulf Coast Community College (a large local college here in FL). My school has a joint partnership with them, where certain HS classes also count for college credits (called dual enrolled). Since I was a sophomore in HS, I've been taking many dual enrolled classes. I already have 36 credit hours for the college. Well, the letter was for a scholarship for $1,500 for the community college. They also said that I could take 3 summer classes and I'll enter as a sophomore.

 

[iamwiz82]

i have a 29 ACT, 3.1 GPA and was not suprised when i got only $2500 in scholarships. Oh well, life goes on. I guss i should have tried more in high school. Now going into my 3rd year of college with about $25,000 is loans . Why did you not retake the SAt??