Originally Posted by Bostonian
Originally Posted by JonLaw
I still think it's realistic to expect a full college scholarship for state schools. My sister-in-law got one a few years ago (dental school now).

There are two tracks to choose from, in my mind.

You can choose the "free" state school track or you can aim for the Ivy.

It depends on whether you are looking for a good brand (Ivy Diploma) or a free school (taking on the debt in grad school).

For either track, one needs good grades in honors/AP courses and good test scores. In 12th grade one can apply both to state schools and to Ivies. So the idea of separate tracks does not make sense to me. How should the efforts of students on these supposedly different tracks differ?

Actually, you don't. Lottery scholarships in our state require a C average and a high school diploma. They are only available to students who have been a resident of the state for at least the past year, and they do require that you begin college at a participating state institution immediately after high school along with then maintaining full time status and a C average in your college classes. But that is really not stringent requirements to get a college degree for about $6000 out of pocket after using just the state lottery scholarship.

~Lisa
http://www.lisaabeyta.wordpress.com/