D3 Financial Question
- Thread starter From the Spot
- Start date
My daughter received financial aid at a D3 top tier school an did not submit SAT or ACT scores.
vegasguy
GOLD
My son had opportunities at all levels. He chose a D3 school for a few reasons not in any order. 1) The opportunity to start and get significant minutes his first year which is not easy for a Keeper. 2) It was way away from the west coast. 3) They have his major in a major sports market. 4) Great campus No football team. 5) Likes the coach and team and they compete in the College Cup quite a bit 5 of last 6 years.
Me, I was happy with the merit money and it was considerably more % wise than the other divisions. I think D3 schools benefited from C19 as they got a chance to recruit players that the D1 s could not do to backlog with fifth years, funding and the dark period.
Me, I was happy with the merit money and it was considerably more % wise than the other divisions. I think D3 schools benefited from C19 as they got a chance to recruit players that the D1 s could not do to backlog with fifth years, funding and the dark period.
I don't know about California, this was at some out of state schools and don't know that this is the case for every school. Just a heads up it may be the case. My daughter has a 4.6 with a full resume and her independent counselor told her not to plan on getting into the UC schools. There are a lot of variables involved, so I don't want to compare, but its pretty frustrating.
Everybody gets into UC Merced.
To get into UC Santa Cruz, grow a beard (males) or stop shaving your armpits (females).
oh canada
GOLD
A couple points from the education side of things...not specifically to you Watfly, but in general...
1 - don't get too reliant on your kid's gpa...colleges know that grade inflation is more present than ever. Realistically, a HS with 2000 kids should have maybe 20 kids with a 4.0 or higher (top 1%). That's not the case any more for various reasons. Focus more on your kid's class rank. If they are 10 out of 2000, then that will be more impactful than a 4.5 with a rank of 200. I've even seen 5.0 GPAs. Ridiculous.
2 - the high school matters. Just as a 4.0 at Harvard is more significant than a 4.0 at Southwest State Southeast U., the same is true in high school. Not saying you have to go to a top ranked private school, of course. Most of us don't have that option. But, if at a school not as rigorous, then your kid's gpa might be a lot higher but be less impressive.
3 - Love the D3 conversation above. It's so true. Parents main goal re soccer has been to get money to pay for college. Yet, the focus is often only on D1 schools because parents have been associated with a big club at the top of the food chain and their ego sees D3 as a downgrade to D1. Often at D3 the education offered is far superior (class size, professor relationships, career opportunities, alumni network) and the soccer quality is still good. Watch a few D3 games if you haven't already and see for yourself. The quality of life can also be much better as the soccer seasons can be shorter and soccer is not year-round. Be truthful with yourself. Will your kid be happier and better off long term starting on the Johns Hopkins (example) D3 team and getting a degree from a Top 15 academic school at half the cost or sitting on the bench at USC at full price?
Jumping in here as a teacher of high school seniors:
If you meet the min. requirements you will get into a UC. And espola is right that it is usually Merced because it is the least impacted UC. Your admission to a UC is highly dependent on major and campus. For example trying to get into UCD as an animal sci major is hard but easier as an english major. The best advice is to be realistic about impacted majors/campuses, do volunteer work TARGETED to your intended major and have at least one of your essays directly relate your intended major to your volunteer/travel/life experience. Apply to more than one and if wait listed write the essay to stay on the wait list. A 4.6 will get you into a UC and probably your first if not second choice (but not if your first choice is UCLA and your second is CAL)
If you meet the min. requirements you will get into a UC. And espola is right that it is usually Merced because it is the least impacted UC. Your admission to a UC is highly dependent on major and campus. For example trying to get into UCD as an animal sci major is hard but easier as an english major. The best advice is to be realistic about impacted majors/campuses, do volunteer work TARGETED to your intended major and have at least one of your essays directly relate your intended major to your volunteer/travel/life experience. Apply to more than one and if wait listed write the essay to stay on the wait list. A 4.6 will get you into a UC and probably your first if not second choice (but not if your first choice is UCLA and your second is CAL)
The opposite is true as well. If you excel at a title one school it looks like you can handle adversity. The key is to take the most rigorous course load offered at your school. If your school offers IB you need to be an IB candidate. If you school offers AP capstone you need to be in the pathway. If it only offers one AP at each subject you need to be taking those. Most school in so. cal. no longer post class rank on the transcripts BTW.
Add at least UCSB to that list.
Keeper pops
SILVER
My 03 DD committed to a D3 which we all know doesn’t offer athletic scholarships. It’s a private school and out of state. She was offered academic scholarships along with others university related scholarships to play soccer.
She wanted to attend a small size college and the chance to continue to play soccer.
She wanted to attend a small size college and the chance to continue to play soccer.
My kid got a letter that she was already pre qualified for UC school admissions. She would technically be entering college as a sophomore because of the college courses she has already taken and AP classes. So the 3 year plan sounds much better financially to me.
Awesome. That letter guarantees 1 of the UC's and is generally sent to the top 10% of each school. Be aware that entering as a sophomore does not mean a 3 year plan. My eldest is finishing her freshman year at UC Davis. While in units she is a sophomore in reality it didn't really cancel out many if any of her classes. My best friends daughter is at SLO and the same scores on the same tests canceled out a ton of classes. Really take a look at each individuals schools ap score equivalent sheets. Wouldn't have changed my kiddos decision (she chose Davis over SLO) but it is frustrating to see as a parent.
Good advice, thanks... so my wallet will have to be open for the full 4 even though she is already completing college courses at a JC?
MacDre
PREMIER
It will depend on if she took the classes in the appropriate area. Check what classes your daughter has taken on ASSIST to see how many areas of the IGETC she has completed and that will give you an idea of how much scrilla, scratch, paper you’ll be saving on tuition.
IGETC | UC Admissions
admission.universityofcalifornia.edu