Holy shit. I guess this Phi Theta Kappa thing really is worth something.

[jedusor]

I just got a letter from Rockhurst. It basically says, "Hi, congrats for being a member of Phi Theta Kappa! You should get your bachelor's degree here! If you fill out and send in the enclosed application (which, by the way, you don't have to pay for like everybody else does) you can have $5500 per year. If you bring up your GPA two-thirds of a point, you can have $7000 per year. This is, of course, in addition to the $2000 per year you already get from PTK. Have a nice day!"

Now, I'm not going to Rockhurst. First, it's a Jesuit school, and second, it's in Kansas City. But... this means I might get similar letters from schools I actually want to go to. I just looked up Rockhurst's tuition fees, and it costs $18,900 per year to go there. Nine thousand dollars is nothing to sneeze at.

And I just spent some time twiddling around with my GPA. If I get As in French and English, even if I get a C in math, it'll be 3.75 after this semester. If I manage an A in math (not likely, but hey) it'll be 3.87. I'm not too worried about my French grade- if I get another C on the next test, it'll be a different matter, but I think I'm putting in enough effort to pull it up.

Damn. I might be able to pull off this whole college thing, after all.

(BTW, anyone want a fee-waived application to Rockhurst?)

Comments

[mh75.livejournal.com]

Hey, that rocks. Congratulations.

The down side - schools do this specifically to keep bright minds local. I got something like that deal from UCONN while i was in highschool. You're not going to see that sort of thing from Columbia...

The up side - you're correct in being excited about the scholarships. This is because while most schools won't offer you to the all encompassing deal of your local one, most schools will offer you scholarships and enticements based on your superior grades. Keep up all that hard work and i think you should be able to go just about anywhere you'd like to.

(** you will have to work harder to get money out of some of the other schools - its there, but don't neglect things like searching for scholarships, sending in financial aid forms, etc.)

I'm biased, of course, because i went to CMU, which is really expensive, but after my freshman year my parents didn't have to pay for any of it, so i know this can be done. (I worked all through college... it wasn't free, but between my work and scholarships it was certainly doable.) And also because i could have opted for UCONN's 'we'll pay you to go to school here' deal, but i think i would have been eaten alive at a school that big, while CMU suited me well.

oh, and as an aside - don't rule out dorm life. In some cases it might be less expensive than living off campus. Its also a really good experience, and a nice way to be sure you have friends and support during your first years of college. Might not work, but, you should check out the options wherever you choose to go.

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

The down side - schools do this specifically to keep bright minds local.

Dang.

you will have to work harder to get money out of some of the other schools - its there, but don't neglect things like searching for scholarships, sending in financial aid forms, etc.

I will definitely do my best. I've heard about scholarships that no one applies for from people who have been on the choosing committees for them.

(I worked all through college... it wasn't free, but between my work and scholarships it was certainly doable.)

Yep. That's how my mom got through college and, combined with scholarships, it's how I'm going to get through college.

oh, and as an aside - don't rule out dorm life.

I'm definitely not ruling it out. As a matter of fact, I think it's required at some of the schools to which I plan to apply. It's pretty much a question of money. If it's cheaper than living off campus, I'll probably do it.

Thanks for your thoughts- I really appreciate it when people more experienced than I offer their advice.

[mh75.livejournal.com]

heh. hopefully at least some of it is useful.
Mostly i see such incredible potential in you... i hope you really enjoy your education and can reach whatever goals you set for yourself without having to be discouraged by mundane things like money. (too much, a little, i fear, is unavoidable.)