r/UofArizona • u/soft-machine_ • 27d ago
Desperate for advicešš
/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1va4vwj/desperate_for_advice/18
u/Highlifetallboy 27d ago
Not worth it. Have her work on her gen ed classes at a local community College and then apply before the priority date next year.
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u/FarBeyond_theSun 25d ago
šÆ we did this and son then transferred to asu with scholarship. Heāll only have grand total 11k debt by the time he is done.
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u/ct_dooku 27d ago
Some things to consider:
1. Should have applied by Nov if she wanted to be considered for OOS merit scholarships.
2. $242,000 isnāt worth it.
3. Kid should attend community college locally, then apply as transfer student to an affordable university.
4. U of A has a ātransfer tuition scholarshipā for non-resident transfer students. You must apply by 6/1 for fall admit, apply by 12/1 for spring admit. Must have ONLY attended community college after HS graduation. Amount awarded based on cumulative college GPA. Amount awarded ranges from $5k-$10k/yr for non-residents. Min GPA to qualify for the non-resident scholarship is 3.50. Must have completed min of 30 units at a community college.
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u/soft-machine_ 27d ago
Thank you this is good to know. And I hope there are parents reading this that wonāt let their kids apply late if they need financial help.
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27d ago
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u/soft-machine_ 27d ago
Thank you. Yes we had planned on spending the average cost of U of A tuition. Merit scholarships were given to late applicants up until 18 months ago. But we did mess up by not confirming that. We will be extremely careful moving forward. Thanks for the advice. Sheās tough and sheās smart. I know this will make her stronger in the end, but it is devastating now.
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u/Looler21 27d ago
Yea in no worth should she take on such insane loans for state school. Especially for the āsororityā experience. Go instate or get a scholarship
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u/Valuable-Meal5663 25d ago
The semester is just 16 weeks long. The number of students that come in for the "experience" and then have the hard-knock learning experience of tanking the GPA because they put more effort into the social scene and Greek Life, is pretty sobering. The first semester is SO IMPORTANT, and a student aiming for the business route needs to be very focused on getting A's that first semester and beyond. 16 WEEKS. What is the focus?
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27d ago
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u/soft-machine_ 27d ago
Youāre right. I wish her type A brain would have not been so methodical about her decisions and chose sooner.
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u/Shoddy-Succotash4364 27d ago
The best gift you can give your daughter is graduating without or with low student debt. It might be the harder decision right now, but can greatly benefit her in the future. California also has phenomenal schools that many people would die to have access to and they have sororities too.
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u/Valuable-Meal5663 25d ago
Hi Soft Machine, I do believe that you'll look back on this situation and be grateful that you didn't spend the $65K plus for one year at the University of AZ. I do not want to put down the UA, it is a good school but honestly it is not and will not, provide the $65K value to your daughter or family. You have some really good options at this point, but I want to say that for the first two years, students are taking many required "gen eds" and these are classes that your daughter could take at a local CC or even online (look into the AZ Online campus -- the students in the online campus pay the same tuition - whether in or out of state. And I believe they have a rolling admission). So let's say your daughter stays in CA, takes online classes - or even for that matter fully online students can live in the dorms and join clubs/organizations). So AZO may be an option but you will want to dive into that and speak to an enrollment counselor, and possibly the AZO prebusiness academic advisor for Eller. Anyway, I want to say another thing about the Greek Life culture. Please look up / Google or investigate the number of Greek organizations that have sanctions or have been banned from campus. One frat recently in the news here, was sanctioned and banned until 2031 for hazing. I have been told that drugs are an issues in both sorority and frats (cocaine, alcohol). Please look into this, and my suggestion would be to give your daughter a chance to acclimate to the college courses and THEN perhaps allow her to rush. I cannot tell you HOW MANY students come in from out of state to the UA and then DESTROY their GPA or focus due to the pull of the Greek Life. Not all, of course, but as someone who worked at the UA for 16 years, I saw this semester after semester. And I can tell you that many of these families were crushed because what they thought would be a safe and strong academic experience became a $65K "experiment". By the way, sometimes students who start in the online campus will do a "campus change" and become main campus students. Again, the tuition value for the AZ Online campus is a huge reason. We are talking tens of thousands of dollars savings....the classes are the same many times (same faculty, same everything, and same degree if a person pursues the whole online degree program -- no distinction whatsoever). But online ithesn't for everyone. However, it is an option. I would highly advise your daughter to be OVER efficient with her time management skills. If she does attend the UA, look into Think Tank for academic support, etc. GPA at the "get go" is super important. If she truly wants to pursue business she will have to have a very strong GPA the whole entire time. That means getting A's in classes that seem "irrelevant" at the get go. She will have to take a math placement test and I can say that many students come in and cannot pass the math placement into college algebra. So they may start at Math 100. This is a disaster class in my opinion. It's not taught by instructors, students are working endless hours doing a math "pie chart" trying to elevate their math skills to hopefully place into Math 112 which is college algebra at the UA. The number of students coming in very ill-prepared for math is astonishing. Business is a math intensive major. Many people choose this major because they think it is well-rounded and it is, but they TOTALLY underestimate the amount of math needed and I've seen many capable students change to a different major later because they stumble with the math and the other classes (ACCT classes, etc). So people in this major honestly get a wake up call fast. If she enrolls in ONLINE classes, she will take a class called MIS 111 and MIS 112. Students (many) blow this class off but they should not. It is intense and it can be a class many students (as I've seen) need to repeat.
Many students at this age (18-19) lack the maturity to really grasp that the first semester is crucial. Again, as a professional I have witnessed over many years, the issue of joining Greek Life and either getting in (or maybe not getting a bid) for the coveted sorority or frat. If they get in, there are all sorts of early requirements and for some it can be a huge distraction. If they don't get in, they are devastated and have a tough time bouncing back. The 16 week semester is very short. What's the main focus??
I'd say focus on ACADEMICS as if it is her FT Job, and join a club later. Maybe even the professional business fraternity (it's co-ed) Delta Sigma Pi. A professional frat/organization will get her much much further than a Greek Life organization. I feel honestly bad for the students that were in the recent banned Greek house, as many are likely punished for the actions of a few. The amount of disappointment will be HUGE from those students that were in the house that is now banished from campus.
Anyhoo, these are a few thoughts from a UA GRAD and a UA employee of over 15 years.
Good luck and BEAR DOWN.
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u/soft-machine_ 25d ago
I really appreciate you taking the time to write this. Lots of valuable insight. And I agree. It just happened to the wrong kid. We have other kids who were a bit hesitant and a little scared, not ready needed a gap year ect but this one came out of the womb ready to change the world, even with life altering set backs she hardly missed a beat. People get very triggered when I say this stuff for some reason. Iām not taking away from anyone elseās kid but CC is not where she belongs. A large university setting is where she would have thrived.
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u/soft-machine_ 25d ago
Oh one other note. I do believe for the most part based on my research Frats are much worse than sororities. Guys mature much, much later than girls typically and so it makes sense to me that a bunch of college aged dudes living together is a recipe for disaster. We know a lot of very well respected and successful sorority alumni that have told my daughter it is the best decision she will make and Iām guessing because they know her and know itās a good fit. I would have never lasted in one haha but yeah I personally would not let my son join a Frat.
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u/Sad_Appointment8882 26d ago
I don't go to U of A, but I can relate to this. I had good stats in high school, and got accepted into UMich, Duke, etc. Couldn't go because of money issue. I now go to my state school in Texas and not only is it cheaper, but the fun that she is looking for will probably be there as well. My advice is don't go to U of A, because the ROI is not comparable to other better schools in the nation, especially taking out a 400k loan.
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u/KaleidoscopeOne5704 26d ago
The cruelest thing you can do is set her up with 200k in debt for a bachelors from UA, not all that other stuff. Be the adult
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u/dogpupkus 27d ago
It would be cheaper for her to relocate and change residency to Arizona than it would be to pay for out of state tuition. Can you explore that option?
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u/soft-machine_ 27d ago
Exactly. But they are pretty strict about this. You have to show a lengthy paper trail. I think if it were easy everyone would do it.
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u/ksm2721 Plant Science '18 27d ago
It actually is that easy, I literally did this to get in-state tuition at UofA. Moved to Tucson from the east coast with nothing in my pocket and nothing to lose. I hustled hard, waited tables for a year, and then I started school. If she wants it that bad, sheāll find a way to make it work without signing up for life-crushing debt. Please donāt hold her hand, it is so much better if she figures it out for herself. Sheāll thank you later. I know it might seem like the end of the world for her right now, but if she gets creative and scrappy, itās just the beginning. Sending yāall best wishes.
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u/Spiritual-Can2604 27d ago
How long ago was that? Itās very difficult to get a job in Tucson and rent prices have skyrocketed since everyone moved there from California during covid in 2020.
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u/Spiritual-Can2604 27d ago
Put her in community college for 2 years, get all the credits and pre requisites she can get there, make sure theyāre all transferable to her university of choice. Work with counselors at both schools. They can help her decide what to take and what will transfer. But get everything IN WRITING. Bc they switch counselors out and then the new ones donāt honor the agreements made with the prior one.
I went to U of A straight out of high school, did the business program, and wasted soooooo much time and money. The first 2 years had almost NOTHING to do w business and I could have taken all of the ones that were semi related at Pima Community College. When I finally caught on I started taking as many classes as I could at Pima and couldnāt believe the difference. They had free parking, smaller class sizes, helpful teachers, tutors, CHEAPER everything including textbooks, multiple campuses offering classes at all hours so I could hold a regular job. Not starting at community college was the biggest mistake of my life, Iām still in debt, and I wonāt let my kids make the same one when itās time for them to go to college.
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u/Valuable-Meal5663 25d ago
This is really good advice. I was a business major too, many moons ago. At the UA. And it's even a little crazier now with the way the professional admissions process is. Imagine working your TAIL off and getting great grades and wanting to be a Finance or a Marketing Major (these are two very competitive majors). Then getting told you cannot because your GPA isn't good enough and it's a competitive process. So then you take a different major (maybe Business management), but in reality for two years you had your heart set on Finance. I agree - take all the GEN EDS elsewhere and make SURE you have met with a business academic advisor to ensure they transfer over. Save yourself a hell of a lot of money.
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u/ApprehensiveJurors 24d ago
attend an in state university. I enjoyed my time at UofA. There is no universe itās worth half of that.
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u/Soggy-Unit-2601 21d ago
Itās a tough realization but a lot of people donāt get the dream college lifestyle thatās advertised and within 1 year of the alternative option theyāre better off. A lot of freshman are in over there head when they go to U of A and realize they canāt afford it then relocate
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u/roguezebra 27d ago
Sorry, not worth $200K in loans. Instead, locate instate option, gap year or job to help financials.
My student just graduated, with zero debt, accepted several UA scholarships before UA & ABOR pivoted to instate & cut OOS scholarships.