[BiWiccanAndProud]

Okay I'm a jr in high school, and I'm planning for college now. I've decided what college I want to go to and that after I graduate from high school I'm taking some time off school to save up money that way I won't have to take out any student loans cause I realize how expensive those are cause my mom is still paying off hers.

I want to go through college to be a english teacher and possibly further my knowledge of painting and sculpture. Is there anyone here who can tell me how much college would be for those kind of classes? I want to know how long and how much I should save up for college cause I want to either not get any loans or just a small one.

Also I've heard that no matter what you go into college for you have to take some sort of math and science classes? Is that true? And do you absolutely have to pass them to graduate college? I'm terrible at math so thinking that I might HAVE to take math classes worries me.

[Wondergirl]

Check out the community college near you. There you can take all the required courses and get basics out of the way very cheaply. Math can be business math which is mostly everything you already know.

Depending on your major once you get to a four-year college, you probably won't have to take any more math or science. I was an ed major with an English concentration and never took math and science in college, but that was 1,000 years ago.

Check into state universities for your state. Costs are usually lowest and also check into grants and scholarships. For some scholarships, you don't have to be smart but might have to write an essay or be from a certain culture and be willing to visit the scholarship donor's grave once a year. Scholarships can be weird. Check at your local public library for scholarship books (get current ones! ).

Holler if you have more questions.

[luvmylab]

I agree with Wondergirl. You can take many courses at a community college and save a ton of money. Since you said you know which college you would like to attend you, need to talk to someone in their admission office, someone who specializes in transfer students. They can tell you what classes to take at the Community college that will transfer to their school and meet their graduation requirements.

I know you don't want to take out students loans (believe me I understand) but you may have to. Paying for college as you go will take you a very very long time to complete in the long run you are better off getting your degree ASAP because you have the potential to make more money with a degree than without.

You need to apply for Financial Aid in March of your Senior year. Do this even if you do not want student loans because you can get Grants. Grants are totally free money with no strings attached. So apply! If all you get are loans you do not have to accept them.

One more piece of advice: When you buy a car you never pay the sticker price and the same is true with college. Colleges do not expect to get full tuition. They know that their price drops as students get loans, grants and scholarships. When you are apply for FA list the community college and the college you want to attend. The 4 year college may be able to make their college affordable for you.

[BiWiccanAndProud]

I thought scholarships were things you earned when your really good at something at school, like sports or a class of some sort. I was worried cause the only thing I'm really good at at my school that I could get a scholarship for, is a class the college I want to go to doesn't have.

Their site isn't very informative either, the only real reason I'm going is cause they offer a lot for future teachers.

Edit: Really love? I didn't realize colleges did that, I thought they wanted the money all at once. And thankfully I've already got a car with a payment I can afford. I wanted to go to K-State (not cause I like the team I just like the school), but my dad said they are really expensive so I found a community college only 30 miles from home. Me and my boyfriend were going to move up there together after we saved up enough money for college and for moving.

[ISneezeFunny]

There are scholarships for EVERYTHING. You don't have to be "good" at something. There are scholarships for gender, race, whether you're a lefty or a righty, etc.

I go to a private college... which is pretty pricey ($43,000 a year) but after grants, I end up getting money (school pays me $8000 a year... just to go). Of course, I ended up applying for about 22 scholarships... and got about 8 of them...

So go talk to your school's guidance counselor. See if he/she can help you find scholarships now so you can start applying. Best of luck!

[BiWiccanAndProud]

o.o... that's a very expensive school... I think I'll stick with community school. You really applied for 22? Wow... Oh! I just remembered something else with you bringing up the guidance counselor! We just took the practice ACT test not to long ago and my counselor told me that I had average scores but that was cause I didn't finish all parts of the test (I think hard on every question I don't think I know). He said that the ACT, the actual one, could me taken at our local college for 30 dollars and that it can help you get into college. Is that true? How big of a difference does the ACT make?

[ISneezeFunny]

A lot of schools take the ACT scores into consideration. If your SAT scores are weak, the ACT helps your scores... while if both your SAT and your ACT scores are relatively high, then it should definitely put you on top of their lists.

It's a theory but many say that the SAT are for those who are more science + math oriented while the ACT is geared towards those who are arts/literature oriented. I strongly recommend you taking the ACT as it won't hurt you one bit... however I do suggest that you go to a local bookstore/library, pick up a few books on the ACT and study for a little bit before you take it. Also, take a couple practice exams and see if it's really what you want to do and if your scores are decent.

[BiWiccanAndProud]

Ya my counsler told me I could borrow one of his books and gave me my test back so I could study. Now I just have to make sure I have the money to take it next year. I don't have the money to take it this year sadly :(.

[luvmylab]

Generally students do better on the ACT because you are graded on your correct answers only. SO if you don't know an answer guess because you have a 1 in 4 shot of getting it right. I almost doubled my ACT score after using The ACT for Dummies book.

[BiWiccanAndProud]

Lol they have a dummies book for everything don't they >.< thanks a lot guys you all really are being a great help