Advice for the Poor: Getting into College

Here is my first post to my series of "Advice for the Poor". I am basing most of this information on experience. Also, I do not touch on every process involved with getting into college (e.g. interviews, visits, recommendations, etc.), but I give some of the basic advice with detail in areas where you can save money.

Here is a summary of the financial advice if you want the good stuff without sifting through the paragraphs below. 2 SAT Tests, 2 SAT Subject Tests, and 4 application fee waivers are available to anyone that qualifies for free or reduced lunches. Look at ANY college that interests you. Financial aid is available everywhere (especially seemingly expensive private schools). I expand on the rest of the college preparation process with the rest of this post, and an outline is directly below:

1. Work hard
2. Find passion
3. List of colleges (no limits!)
4. SAT
5. SAT Subject Tests
6. Applications
7. Financial Aid

1. My first bit of advice is to work hard and get the best grades you can in the most difficult classes you can handle. It is the most obvious and important advice for anyone looking to go to college. Grades and your strength of schedule will be a major factor in the application process.

2. I will talk a lot about standardized tests, but something that is often overlooked is finding something outside of school that you are passionate about. Many people think you have to be involved with a lot of different activities and clubs for your college application, but that is not true. In fact, many people try overloading themselves like that and either cannot handle it or get very little out of their experiences. I suggest finding one major activity. It could be a sport, a club, an instrument, an organization, or even your own project. Find something you love and pour your heart into it. The results will be great for you and your application, and money is not required just diligence.

3. The first 2 points were to work hard in school and find a passion. Those are 2 things you should get started on early in high school or even in middle school. In the next paragraph, I will begin talking about standardized tests, but at around the same time you are starting to think about the SAT (10th grade), you should also be making an initial list of colleges that interest you. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY COST!!!! It does not matter how much a college costs because financial aid is available to you. Private schools that appear more expensive typically have more funds available for financial aid, so although they appear more expensive, they are actually cheaper than public schools are financial aid is applied.

It is possible that you will be required to pay nothing for school, but if financial aid does not cover everything, then there are very good government loans available to students with need. This initial list can be very big if you want (aim for 10-25 schools with a range of selectivity), but by the time you apply for schools, you probably want to narrow it down to 4 to 12 schools.

4. Now, let's get to the big standardized tests. These will be another major factor. Make sure to take the PSAT in 10th grade. Do not be discouraged by these results. It is almost certain that your actual SAT scores will be higher than these results. After you get these results, you can start studying the format of the SAT and taking practice tests. There are plenty of special courses you can sign up for to get 'professional' help and practice, but most of these will be out of your price range. I would advise you to buy a relatively new SAT book (generally the more practice exams the better). This book should cost somewhere between $10 and $20, and it is well worth the cost. If you have a good public library and really do not want to spend the money on a book, then you may be able to find a SAT practice book there. Take some time during the summer after 10th grade to study the SAT and take a few practice tests. I would suggest refreshing yourself throughout your junior year by taking just a few hours every month to do some practice problems.

Take the SAT at the end of your junior year if possible. I know you may be concerned about the cost of the test, but guess what? You probably don't have to pay! If you qualify for free or reduce lunches, then you qualify for 2 FREE SAT Tests and 2 FREE SAT Subject Tests! Here is a link to the chart for income eligibility. For example in 2011-12, a family of 4 that makes less than $41k qualifies! Just go to your guidance counselor and ask them about it. If they don't know about it (like mine), then tell them it exists or show them the website personally.

5. Ok, so you are taking challenging classes, getting good grades, found something your passionate about, and are ready for the SAT at the end of your junior year. What else should you be thinking about? Well, it sounds let you are on the right path, but some of the schools you are aiming for may require SAT Subject Tests (especially if you are looking at some very selective schools). Do your research on what is required and which tests would work for you. Remember that you have 2 fee waivers for subject tests (you can take up to 3 subject tests at once, so really this could cover up to 6 subjects! But that shouldn't be necessary).

6. Now, let's say it is the summer of your senior year. It is time to begin applications! Get started early because you do not want to be just starting when you are busy with your senior year. College applications do cost money, BUT you can probably get out of paying anything. First, you have 4 college application fee waivers through the same process as the SAT fee waivers. If you are applying to more than 4 schools, then email colleges asking if they could waive the fee because you may have financial difficulties. This usually works, but they may ask for some paperwork to proof your family's income.

7. Once all the applications are in, then you can sit back and wait. You can begin working on your financial aid. This can be a long process especially if your parents are not familiar with doing their own taxes. It can be done by yourself. You will need to ask your parents for a copy of their tax returns. The rest you can probably figure out online. MAKE SURE TO KEEP UP WITH FINANCIAL AID DEADLINES. The financial aid package will probably be very important to your decision. Getting all the paperwork in on time will insure that you are considered for aid and that you receive your package as soon as possible.

You should have plenty of options with varying costs. Make sure to make a smart financial decision, but you must also use your gut and follow your heart if you have more than one viable option. The school for you is not necessarily the cheapest one.

I hope this was helpful! Let me know if you have any questions.