Ivy League Schools: How to Get In & How to Afford It
If you come from a average family, with average funds, you’re probably thinking that the possibility of attending an Ivy League school is out reach and $40,000 a year is a lot of money.
newsone.com
While the thought of student loans makes you cringe, you are 100% positive that you have the potential to be a great Ivy League graduate, right?
Thankfully, their are ways around having to pay thousands of dollars you don’t have. For your benefit, we’ve collected a few in hopes of being able to help you out:
1. Don’t Skip Class in High School
Your performance in high school plays a crucial roll in the type of university you get admitted into. Many of us think that high school doesn’t matter, that it is just a phase in our life we need to get over to keep it moving but attitude is all wrong.
You have to treat high school as if it is a mini university: get involved with organizations, communicate with your teachers, study, get good grades, pass all your classes with A’s and B’s and graduate with a 3.0 or above.
Many universities ask for a resume, which includes your involvement throughout high school, including community service. Therefore, showing them that you can be a great asset to their college campus is a must.
You should also try taking AP classes, also known as Advanced Placement. Many high schools offer these courses for students who show the maturity to survive in them. They give college credit and if you pass the class and the exam, you wont have to take that specific course in college.
This is a great tool to utilize because it also saves you money! High school classes are FREE, college isn’t!
2. Study For the SAT and/or ACT
If you haven’t been taking this seriously up until this point, reevaluate yourself!
Your SAT and/or ACT scores are vital to your acceptance at a top-rated univeristy. If you have a banging GPA but horrible scores, the Ivy League institution of your choice may think twice about accepting you. You don’t want to give them the slightest idea that you can’t handle test taking.
The better your score, the more scholarships are offered.
3. Apply For Scholarships
This is where all of your hard work in high school will pay off. You can’t get any free money if you don’t work hard enough to prove to them that you deserve it.
The more scholarships you apply for, the better your chance to gain some extra money!
getyourbizsavvy.com
4. Do Research
Doing research to see which university campus fits you best is very important.
Being in college usually takes four years to complete depending on your desired major, so you would hate to pick a school/location only to find yourself miserable one month into the semester.
When you research the universities of your choice, ask yourself several questions similar to these: “can I see myself here?” “Does it cater to my major?” “What are other student reviews?” “What is the retention rate?” etc.
If you have any doubts, it’s okay; keep looking for a school that better suits you. You want to earn a degree from an institution you can be proud of.
5. Apply For Federal Student Aid
Federal Aid is available for anyone who applies on time.
There are many fake websites that claim to be the original FAFSA, so you have to be extremely careful what you fill out because the application requires a lot of personal information such as your parent’s income and financial assets.
The maximum financial assistance you can receive is $5,000 per year. When you think of the Ivy League institution rates, $5,000 doesn’t seem like much, but it is better than nothing.
Click here for the official FAFSA website.
6. Don’t give up!
It seems like a lot of work, and it may be, but it will pay off. Nothing worth having comes easy, so keep in mind that you need to invest the time for YOURSELF.
Once you get accepted in the university of your choice, the hustle is the same: hard. Keep your head up with one goal in mind: graduation.
