Sunday, September 30, 2012
Why not to avoid germs
JAKE! This is why your camping lifestyle is flawed!
Oh, and coincidentally I just saw this in my google reader: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/d2n-stopping-germs-12/kids-and-dirt-germs?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Monday, September 24, 2012
Organic vs. Conventional Foods
This was a very interesting read from Scientific American (link).
We should continue to analyze pesticides, but we should not scare people away from eating fruit and vegetables because of the slight risk associated with them. They provide too many health benefits for people to be avoiding them. The levels of pesticides in conventional crops have not proven to be detrimental to health. Some level of pesticides may actually 'gear up' our immune system and provide a health benefit. Organic crops have less synthetic pesticides, but apparently many organic crops use organic pesticides (I had not heard of this before). In which case, I want these organic pesticides to be under the same level of scrutiny as synthetic pesticides.
My one concern may be shortsightedness on part of toxicologists. Do pesticides (organic or synthetic) have a long term affect? It seems the studies sited in this article find no correlations, but I find it hard to believe that such large epidemiological studies exist (I could be completely wrong though and have not done the research).
So I guess my advice is:
1. Eat as much fruit and vegetables as you can
2. Don't worry about pesticides
3. Buy what you can afford. I don't think anyone can claim at this point whether conventional or organic crops are more beneficial from a health standpoint (environmental considerations may give organics an edge?)
We should continue to analyze pesticides, but we should not scare people away from eating fruit and vegetables because of the slight risk associated with them. They provide too many health benefits for people to be avoiding them. The levels of pesticides in conventional crops have not proven to be detrimental to health. Some level of pesticides may actually 'gear up' our immune system and provide a health benefit. Organic crops have less synthetic pesticides, but apparently many organic crops use organic pesticides (I had not heard of this before). In which case, I want these organic pesticides to be under the same level of scrutiny as synthetic pesticides.
My one concern may be shortsightedness on part of toxicologists. Do pesticides (organic or synthetic) have a long term affect? It seems the studies sited in this article find no correlations, but I find it hard to believe that such large epidemiological studies exist (I could be completely wrong though and have not done the research).
So I guess my advice is:
1. Eat as much fruit and vegetables as you can
2. Don't worry about pesticides
3. Buy what you can afford. I don't think anyone can claim at this point whether conventional or organic crops are more beneficial from a health standpoint (environmental considerations may give organics an edge?)
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Nutrition Indices!
About a week ago I started working on a nutrition index to represent the nutritional well-roundedness of a food. Ultimately, I want to use this index to put in terms of $/nutritional point.
I first broke down the index into 2 sub-scores using macro and micro nutrients. I am somewhat happy with my macro-nutrients results so far. The inputs to this sub-score are total calories, carbohydrates, proteins, saturated fats, unsaturated fats, and fiber. Everything is normalized by total calories, so the score is not dependent on portion size.
Very generally, a food can get about 1 point for net carbs (carbs - fiber) if carbs aren't too high or too low; 1 point for protein if protein is high (very high protein can get over 1 point, but not typically), and 1 point for fat (less than 30% calories from fat). A food can also get up to 0.6 bonus points for a healthy fat profile (high unsaturated fat compared to saturated fats) and 0.6 bonus points for fiber.
Some categories can also result in negative points. If a food is almost all net carbs, then it can get a small penalty (-0.2). If a food is almost all fat, then it can get up to a -0.5 penalty. If a food has an unhealthy fat profile (saturated fat greater than unsaturated fats), then it can get up to a -1.5 penalty. No foods in this dataset were given greater than -0.1 penalties for their fat profiles. Butter would be a good example, but the butter listed below is a SmartBalance brand with about a 50/50 ratio.
An interesting finding was that fruit did not score well. I'm hoping fruit makes up ground when I do micro-nutrients. Otherwise, I may have to reconsider the macro scoring as non-fat foods seem to be underrated. I am also a little concerned with inconsistent nutrition data as some data were obtained from packaging and others were from online research, but anyway, here are my results:
I first broke down the index into 2 sub-scores using macro and micro nutrients. I am somewhat happy with my macro-nutrients results so far. The inputs to this sub-score are total calories, carbohydrates, proteins, saturated fats, unsaturated fats, and fiber. Everything is normalized by total calories, so the score is not dependent on portion size.
Very generally, a food can get about 1 point for net carbs (carbs - fiber) if carbs aren't too high or too low; 1 point for protein if protein is high (very high protein can get over 1 point, but not typically), and 1 point for fat (less than 30% calories from fat). A food can also get up to 0.6 bonus points for a healthy fat profile (high unsaturated fat compared to saturated fats) and 0.6 bonus points for fiber.
Some categories can also result in negative points. If a food is almost all net carbs, then it can get a small penalty (-0.2). If a food is almost all fat, then it can get up to a -0.5 penalty. If a food has an unhealthy fat profile (saturated fat greater than unsaturated fats), then it can get up to a -1.5 penalty. No foods in this dataset were given greater than -0.1 penalties for their fat profiles. Butter would be a good example, but the butter listed below is a SmartBalance brand with about a 50/50 ratio.
An interesting finding was that fruit did not score well. I'm hoping fruit makes up ground when I do micro-nutrients. Otherwise, I may have to reconsider the macro scoring as non-fat foods seem to be underrated. I am also a little concerned with inconsistent nutrition data as some data were obtained from packaging and others were from online research, but anyway, here are my results:
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Preliminary Vegetarian Grocery Breakdown
I switched to a vegetarian diet about 2 months ago while reading Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and The Call to Mercy by Matthew Scully (hopefully I will have time in the next couple of weeks to post something on that). Since the change in diet, I entered all my grocery expenditures into a spreadsheet except for one missing week. I also went on 2 vacations where I did eat meat, but most of those expenses are not included below.
First, here is a percent by cost breakdown of my groceries. The key on the right is in order from high to low, and the pie chart starts at about 12 o'clock and goes clockwise from high to low.
I somewhat arbitrarily separated foods into groups. Some may be smaller or larger based on whether it is a general or specific category. For example, it may make sense to combine cereals, grains, crackers, and bread into a grains/carbs category, but I split these into separate categories. Also, juice is included in fruit, which probably accounts for at least half the high placement of the fruit category. There is one more caveat and that is the short time span. I have a huge collection of some of the foods above and will not need to buy anymore for several months, so some percentages such as protein bars, fat (oils), and tea will decrease.
This graph still gives some interesting insights. I am spending approximately 57% of my grocery money on soy, dairy, vegetables, cereal, and fruit. I expected soy to be high, but not the top category. I typically buy tofu and tempeh for protein in roughly half my meals, but seems somewhat cheap with a pound of tofu costing ~$2 and a 1/2 pound of tempeh costing roughly the same. In comparison to meat, soy is probably the same price or cheaper per gram of protein (with comparable amino acid profiles). Dairy may be high because I recently switched to organic milk, which is almost twice the cost of regular milk. I'm glad to see that vegetables are high (consuming roughly 6 to 8 ounces/day). These are mostly frozen vegetables, which are typically much cheaper than fresh vegetables. Cereal is sometimes a breakfast food but usually an after-dinner snack. Although the high cost for cereal seems unnecessary, I think the high protein and fiber makes this a nutritionally dense food that is worth the high cost.
A good question after seeing this graph is what can I cut. I don't think I actually eat that much fruit, so I think cutting fruit juice and increasing other fruits may be nutritionally beneficial while still reducing costs. Jelly seems high, but PB&J is my go-to for lunch if I do not have any leftovers available. There may be some way to reduce that as jelly isn't the greatest thing nutritionally anyway (maybe less jelly/sandwich).
Here is the same data, but graphed to give a better idea of the magnitude of each cost. This graph isn't too much more useful than the first one, but it is interesting to consider with these numbers: a total of $588 was spent for 2.5 months of food, which comes out to approximately $7.74/day and $54.19/week.
First, here is a percent by cost breakdown of my groceries. The key on the right is in order from high to low, and the pie chart starts at about 12 o'clock and goes clockwise from high to low.
I somewhat arbitrarily separated foods into groups. Some may be smaller or larger based on whether it is a general or specific category. For example, it may make sense to combine cereals, grains, crackers, and bread into a grains/carbs category, but I split these into separate categories. Also, juice is included in fruit, which probably accounts for at least half the high placement of the fruit category. There is one more caveat and that is the short time span. I have a huge collection of some of the foods above and will not need to buy anymore for several months, so some percentages such as protein bars, fat (oils), and tea will decrease.
This graph still gives some interesting insights. I am spending approximately 57% of my grocery money on soy, dairy, vegetables, cereal, and fruit. I expected soy to be high, but not the top category. I typically buy tofu and tempeh for protein in roughly half my meals, but seems somewhat cheap with a pound of tofu costing ~$2 and a 1/2 pound of tempeh costing roughly the same. In comparison to meat, soy is probably the same price or cheaper per gram of protein (with comparable amino acid profiles). Dairy may be high because I recently switched to organic milk, which is almost twice the cost of regular milk. I'm glad to see that vegetables are high (consuming roughly 6 to 8 ounces/day). These are mostly frozen vegetables, which are typically much cheaper than fresh vegetables. Cereal is sometimes a breakfast food but usually an after-dinner snack. Although the high cost for cereal seems unnecessary, I think the high protein and fiber makes this a nutritionally dense food that is worth the high cost.
A good question after seeing this graph is what can I cut. I don't think I actually eat that much fruit, so I think cutting fruit juice and increasing other fruits may be nutritionally beneficial while still reducing costs. Jelly seems high, but PB&J is my go-to for lunch if I do not have any leftovers available. There may be some way to reduce that as jelly isn't the greatest thing nutritionally anyway (maybe less jelly/sandwich).
Here is the same data, but graphed to give a better idea of the magnitude of each cost. This graph isn't too much more useful than the first one, but it is interesting to consider with these numbers: a total of $588 was spent for 2.5 months of food, which comes out to approximately $7.74/day and $54.19/week.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Classical Theism and Contingencies
This post is a continuation on my thoughts on open vs. classical theism. I tend to lean towards classical theism, but I would like to point out that I find it difficult to consider there to be contingencies from God's perspective under classical theism.
I do agree that from our perspective there are multiple contingencies. We have the free will to choose, but I believe God knows the outcome of these events. If He does know the outcome of all future contingencies, then it is not really a contingency in my mind, but I am content with that now. I can put my trust in God's plan, but I think it is also very important to realize that we do have free will. We must continue to honor God in everything we do. We must realize that God gave us free will to do great things in His name (even if He knows what we will do).
I was concerned over the idea of our limited potential under classical theism. The idea that we are limited to what God has planned for us, but as I said, I feel content with that now. I do not think we are meant to think we are limited. The whole idea of free will is to give us potential to do great things, and we must realize the great potential that we have. We should act on our potential. God knew our potential from the beginning. He knows the potential we will choose to attain, and He is content with the outcome. It should be comforting that God knows every outcome in advance. No matter how godly we are or how much we struggle, He is always there, and He is content with the decisions that we make. He may be saddened by our missteps or joyed by our godliness, but He has always been aware of those events. Ultimately, we did/do make those decisions. We must remember that God is separate from time. He allowed us to make our decisions, but He was instantly aware of all those decisions when He created us.
We have the ability to be godly, righteous, and loving. Again, I feel it is important that we work towards our full potential because it is certainly possible that we get very close to reaching it. I believe God created us with that ability, and it would be cool if God blessed us enough to approach that potential.
I do agree that from our perspective there are multiple contingencies. We have the free will to choose, but I believe God knows the outcome of these events. If He does know the outcome of all future contingencies, then it is not really a contingency in my mind, but I am content with that now. I can put my trust in God's plan, but I think it is also very important to realize that we do have free will. We must continue to honor God in everything we do. We must realize that God gave us free will to do great things in His name (even if He knows what we will do).
I was concerned over the idea of our limited potential under classical theism. The idea that we are limited to what God has planned for us, but as I said, I feel content with that now. I do not think we are meant to think we are limited. The whole idea of free will is to give us potential to do great things, and we must realize the great potential that we have. We should act on our potential. God knew our potential from the beginning. He knows the potential we will choose to attain, and He is content with the outcome. It should be comforting that God knows every outcome in advance. No matter how godly we are or how much we struggle, He is always there, and He is content with the decisions that we make. He may be saddened by our missteps or joyed by our godliness, but He has always been aware of those events. Ultimately, we did/do make those decisions. We must remember that God is separate from time. He allowed us to make our decisions, but He was instantly aware of all those decisions when He created us.
We have the ability to be godly, righteous, and loving. Again, I feel it is important that we work towards our full potential because it is certainly possible that we get very close to reaching it. I believe God created us with that ability, and it would be cool if God blessed us enough to approach that potential.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Greg Boyd: Open Theism/Future
I just read this response to Greg Boyd's view of the future. Whether everything in the future is preordained and has a set path or whether there are multiple paths for the future (Boyd's view).
I just want to get my first impressions down. First, I now agree with most of the classical view that God knows all that will happen based on our free will, but I still had some arguments come up in my mind.
I found this paragraph particularly interesting because these statements seem to be saying exactly what I have interpreted from Boyd, but it is claimed that it is the classical view!
"Finally, classical theism offers several arguments for God's total omniscience, including future free acts. For one, an omniscient God knows all the states of reality, both actual and potential. God's knowledge is not simply of the actual; He also knows the potential. He knows both what is and what could be. He knows what will be and what can be. For God can know whatever is real in any way it can be known. And both the actual and the potential are real. Only the impossible has no reality. Thus, whatever is potential is real. This being the case, it follows that God can know what is potential as well as what is actual.26 This means that God can know future contingents, that is, things that are dependent on free choice. For the future is a potential that pre-exists in God. And God knows whatever exists in Himself as the cause of those things.27"
I just want to get my first impressions down. First, I now agree with most of the classical view that God knows all that will happen based on our free will, but I still had some arguments come up in my mind.
I found this paragraph particularly interesting because these statements seem to be saying exactly what I have interpreted from Boyd, but it is claimed that it is the classical view!
"Finally, classical theism offers several arguments for God's total omniscience, including future free acts. For one, an omniscient God knows all the states of reality, both actual and potential. God's knowledge is not simply of the actual; He also knows the potential. He knows both what is and what could be. He knows what will be and what can be. For God can know whatever is real in any way it can be known. And both the actual and the potential are real. Only the impossible has no reality. Thus, whatever is potential is real. This being the case, it follows that God can know what is potential as well as what is actual.26 This means that God can know future contingents, that is, things that are dependent on free choice. For the future is a potential that pre-exists in God. And God knows whatever exists in Himself as the cause of those things.27"
So it is claimed that God can know future contingents (options) that are dependent on free will.....I thought this is what we were arguing about. Unless I am misinterpreting this paragraph, the same argument is being made, so I will try to explain why I feel this dude and Boyd may be correct on this specific topic.
Saying that God knows all future contingents, is saying that he does not know for certain exactly what will play out. This DOES NOT mean that prophecies in the Bible may not occur. The point is that God left free will to us. He knows each of us has the potential to take many different directions in life with His guidance, but His overall vision for His creation will not change. For instance, you may have been around the day Jesus was to be crucified, but there is nothing you could have done differently to change what would happen. Jesus dying on the cross for humanity was His plan. However, you could have prayed to God today to bring yourself closer to Him. Based on that prayer you feel inspired to make a change in your life that you did not see before. That was your free will to pray. Given to you by God. You could have chosen not to pray. God knew both contingents. Both of them may have eventually led you to the same place, but they are different contingencies nonetheless. He knows an infinite number of contingencies, but none of those contingencies stray from His ultimate plan.
Do I believe this? While reading this response article, I got the sense that I could conceive a reality where God has ONE plan. Where every detail is already determined. God just knows how free will plays out for everyone. I'm still very much on the fence on this one...here are my thoughts on both.
I would rather live in a world where people have a range of potentials to serve and glorify God than a world where people have free will....but really God already knows where our free will takes us. God has the ability to inspire us to change. We have the option to not change. He wants us to love Him, and that is only possible through our choice. God is infallible and omnipotent, but He gave us the option to come to Him. For this reason, I believe individuals have varying potentials granted to them by God. He knows that full range in an infinite detail. He ultimately decides the fate of creation, but it is up to creation to choose which path they go down to reach His goal.
....but, here is the other side of it for me. God knows all time and all the intricacies within that time. He knows each of us infinitely well. For this reason, he knows exactly which decisions we will freely make. He knows when we will pray and when we will not. He knows when we will glorify Him and when we will not. From the instant of creation, he knew this. There is then one plan with no contingencies.
Friday, October 14, 2011
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. 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.
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:
- Work hard
- Find passion
- List of colleges (no limits!)
- SAT
- SAT Subject Tests
- Applications
- 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.
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