Too easy wrote:
hs kid wrote:I am a college senior. My high school track season has not begun.
TROLL
Typo. Meant a high school senior.
Too easy wrote:
hs kid wrote:I am a college senior. My high school track season has not begun.
TROLL
Typo. Meant a high school senior.
You're going the right route with local scholarships. It's a pain in the ass but like you said, it all helps and you'll be happy later that you did. You should also reach out to the financial aid offices at the schools you're interested in. Obviously they have money for incoming freshmen but they also so have money for current students. See what kind of scholarships you could apply for once enrolled. Some schools will have meal plan scholarships, many have rich alum who create scholarships, individual departments may have some as well. There's also work-study programs that could help significantly.
Do these schools have honors programs? Even if their honors programs don't have money they 100% have admin who know how to get you money. They have people whose only job is to make sure students get awards and scholarships.
I was 4:26/9:43 out of hs. I could've gotten a little money from smaller schools but I was dead set on going to my dream school (big D1 state school) which I'd already been accepted into. I got injured and didn't try walking on freshman year and honestly it was one of the best things that could've happened. I had to channel my obsession into something else--my grades--and ended up getting some serious academic money. Later I joined the club team and couldn't have been happier. Depending on your priorities club running could be more rewarding than varsity, so keep that in mind.
hs kid wrote:
Here are my PRs:
800 1:56
1600 4:22
3200 9:37
I have only gotten one B+ in high school and the rest A's. ACT score was 32.
Discuss.
OP, if you're a senior I don't know what to tell you, except that I wish you the best.
If you're a junior, then you should look at the Ivy League, where you would get a solid financial aid package (need-based, but the Ivies define "need" very generously) and might be able to contribute--again, especially if the 4:22 is a soph or early-junior time, and you can anticipate more progress.
OTOH if you're a senior there's basically no chance at an Ivy. I still wish you well.
[Sorry if you've already given more details--I'm just responding to the OP and don't have time to go through the thread.]
rojo wrote:
1) I'm assuming you are a senior. Here is an unconventional plan. Sit out a year. You need to get faster. It's too late for Ivies now anyway for the most part. BUt if you run like 4:10 or 9:05 this year, they'll be happy to have you. So sit out the year and then go.
2) Community college isn't a bad idea. Cornell has a guaranteed transfer rule for certain GPAs at community colleges. If you can get into an ivy with a 90k parents income, you'll get a ton of financial aid.
3) Navy/Air Force is free and you get a guaranteed job.
All good advice in general, however:
1. re: "4:10 or 9:05 this year" - That's a big drop, unless you have had an exceptional XC season and/or have run 50 point in the 400m already indoors or grew 5 inches, etc. an improvement like that is unlikely. (Not impossible)
2. I agree with the Community college route, CCs are perhaps the most underrated option when money is a big factor. However, for athletes I rarely suggest it. It is difficult to train, compete and remain focused at a CC.
3. Applying to the military academies is a pretty long and involved process, I think it might be too late and it's probably not the best route if you have no interest in what you'll be doing after graduation.
I understand people suggesting I go for the Ivies. But, yes, it is too late. I wish I knew last summer what I know now. My parents were not very honest and up front with me about their finances. But they also had not really done their share of research into the situation other than tell me it is going to be primarily my responsibility to pay for school. However, I was under the impression there was going to be some type of "college savings" a grandparent left me which came from said grand parent prior to her death. This has become messy and the pressure is on.
This could be possible if you would learn how to write a scholarship essay. I chose this tutorial https://topadmissionessay.com/blog/how-to-write-a-scholarship-essay and got it easily.
HS Kid,
I understand what all you are going through. My parents didn't really help with my college as I had an older brother who burned through my parents funds with his 7 years of undergrad. I ran similar times as you.
800- 1:56 (split)
1600 - 4:16
3200 - 9:23
I did not have the academics that you have, but I was able to find a smaller DI State school that was a good fit and got 75% payed for. I finished my undergrad and stayed and got a master's degree and then became a college coach.
Here is my advice:
1) What are your goals for college. Do you want to come out debt free, do research, graduate and find a job, go to graduate school?
2) How important is running? I have seen many kids in your boat last 1-2 semesters because HS running and college running are totally different. Don't pick a school just because you like a coach and like a team and think you are going to make the Olympics. Go back up to #1 and figure out what your goals are.
3) If you want to go to graduate school, go to a smaller D1 college and get as much money as you can (academically and athletically). There are plenty of small D1 schools that are still looking for guys of your caliber. Do undergraduate research, internships and get a good resume prepared for graduate school. Once you graduate, then you go to the Big 10 Big 12 schools and complete your graduate/PHD work. I have been coaching for 15 years and seen so many athletes do it this way.
4) You can work jobs on campus, but that is not going to pay your way through school if you are an athlete. Apply for as many local scholarships as possible and contact financial aid departments directly. I have seen kids sweet talk them into giving you a little bit more money.
5) Look into the small Southern D1 Colleges in the Southern Conference, Big South, Atlantic Sun ect. These colleges should be D2, but football is king down south and everyone wanted to play D1 football. While there is some good running talent in these conference, Furman, Campbell, Liberty. You still have programs that could use guys like you and will give good academic and athletic packages.
I hope that helps!
hs kid wrote:
Here are my PRs:
800 1:56
1600 4:22
3200 9:37
They've seen me win a few local races but think the B1G universities I am interested in attending for academic reasons should be awarding me a full scholarship. Neither one of them went to college themselves and if I don't get a scholarship they expect me to work 40-hrs per week while in school to cover my tuition and room & board because they didn't save a dime for my college education and "know plenty of people who financed their own educations". Per what they reported to FAFSA, their combined incomes are $93,000 annually. I have only gotten one B+ in high school and the rest A's. ACT score was 32.
Discuss.
Your parents are kind of dumb. You wouldn't even make the team for most Big 10 schools let alone get any money at all with times so pedestrian. If you are stuck having to pay for college yourself, I suggest you go to school close to home and hopefully they will allow you to live at home. If not that, go get the best academic scholarship you can or do community college for two years and then transfer.
Sorry that your parents won't help you with college, but you gotta do what you gotta do to get through.
You guys bumped a thread old enough to where the OP should almost be done with college by now.