For middle class families the idea of going to a major university is often way out of the question because of expenses. Unlike many students, freshman Kate Herrmann has a challenging goal for herself: going to Harvard University.

“It is really hard to get into [Harvard]. You have to have a lot of extra curriculars and a great GPA,” Herrmann said.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Even though Harvard’s acceptance rate is low, students like Herrmann are not discouraged and are still working towards this goal. Parents on the other hand are weary of goals such as these because of the finances. What parents do not realize is the many financial aids that are available. College adviser Ramsha Akhtar’s works for Kansas State University to help high school students in our area navigate the college process.

“Many students don’t know about need based scholarships for families that are struggling to pay for college,” Akhtar said.

Unlike Herrmann, freshman Mary Ward’s goal is to get accepted into a state school, Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. Getting into BYU will be much easier than getting into Harvard for sure, but Ward still has challenges such as grades, out of state costs and tuition costs.

“I hope to get a good enough scholarship so I don’t have to [take out student loans], but I would if I needed to. [I’m hoping for a] full ride scholarship for running or music,” Ward said.  

Both Ward and Herrmann know what it takes to get into the colleges they want, but many students still haven’t looked into colleges.

“You don’t have to be a junior or senior to come see me [for help],” Akhtar said. “It’s never too early.”

Just don’t forget, you still have to have a good GPA to get into any college.