3.5 weighted, 1300, chance me on Merit

Paying for College
1

Just a quick thread. My daughter has a 3.525 weighted GPA (and I honestly fear that there is a chance it could slip to something like 3.45 this year with challenging courses - is there really a hard line on the 3.5 vs 3.49?), and 1300 SAT (650/650).

I saw someone else posting a chance me on a 1540 SAT and 98% gpa (not sure why they would bother posting considering that is nearly perfect and would win large merit at almost ANY school).

But for a kid who has taken honors and AP classes (non honors math), with an early college experience (UCONN ECE Honors) science class each year, where in the mid-atlantic to northeast would you recommend for a large chunk of merit? Or is that a pipe dream?

It seems her best chance of merit may be small schools (2K students, which is the same size as her HS), but she has preferred large schools by a wide margin when visiting. I’m not sure there are a lot of northeast colleges that are large in size that would offer a 3.5/1300 merit.

Thanks

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I think of merit money as bribe money to make you want to go there. To have a reasonable expectation of merit you should be in the top 25% (at least) of the freshman class or have something else great to offer. And some schools don’t do merit at all. Also there’s a wide variety of merit – 2k or 40k? You’re better off deciding what you can afford each year and running net price calculators.

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People post threads for high stats kids because there are actually very, very few full rides. It is a misconception that many people seem to have.

As stated above, look at less selective schools where your daughter’s stats would put her way above the 75th percentile.

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Is your daughter a senior?

Yes, there often is a “hard line” in regards to GPA, but that’s generally when the student applies, not with what they graduate with. So if your daughter applies NOW, with a 3.525, that’s what typically will be used.

Uh, no. There are many schools that won’t give that student a dime of merit. Even some top schools that give merit will have competitive merit, and not give to that student.

What is your daughter’s major and career goal?

What is your desired net cost? In other words, how much will you pay per year?

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And she likes large schools and wants to study abroad in Asia.

The NE and MidAtlantic are not happy hunting grounds for significant merit. You’re essentially asking for FREE TUITION, if you want your net costs to be $15k-20k per year. And really, you need to FIRST FOCUS on having a net cost of $15k per year, because each year, costs rise, so you’ll be at $20k when she’s a junior or senior in college.

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Ok, and you have a younger child who will be going to college.

The problem I see is that once you have #2 going, you’re really going to be in deep doo doo. It’s not as if the school that Child1 is going to will then give more money. Very likely you won’t see a penny more from School #1 even after Child2 is going to college.

I worry that you’re going to be like that Ohio State parent who let Child1 go to OSU thinking that once Child 2 went to college, OSU would “give more”. He could barely afford the costs for OSU for Child1…which was about $25k per year.

The following year, when it was time for Child2 to go to college (also wanted OSU), dad found out that OSU didn’t give extra money even tho EFC was cut in half. He was still expected to pay about $25k per year for EACH child. He was devastated and “in a pickle”. He was very sad that he had to tell Child1 that she couldn’t return to OSU, because there would be no money to send Child2 anywhere. It was a very depressing story.

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There is a very good chance that is going to be us, or something like that. Trying out best, but really only those who had steady (and significant) extra income AFTER saving for retirement - for most of their careers - were able to sock away college savings.

As far as just how far we can bend … I really can’t honestly answer that. There are people who are far more organized than I am who are able to do that, who are strict budget experts. For all I know we may be able to afford 3-4K per month, if we trade in a newer car (and its payment) for a rust bucket, if we cancel LTD insurance, stop eating out entirely, maybe even raid the large retirement fund a little in a pinch. Home equity line of credit, etc.

So without really knowing for sure what we can afford, I am just looking for very good deals. UCONN is a very good deal for those who live here ($13,500 tuition), and you get a 40K tuition level education. UMaine is no where close to UCONN, but they do match the price for CT kids. Seton Hall sent us a letter talking about us being a potential 84K merit candidate (I doubt it, but they also offered free application fee so why not try).

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Ohio Wesleyan offers the Branch Rickey Scholarship which is $30k per year bringing the per year cost to 26-28k range. Your daughter would auto qualify.

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@jbseattle Does the Branch Rickey scholarship use weighted or unweighted GPA? Not sure we know OP’s unweighted GPA, which would be helpful as some merit scholarships use that, rather than weighted gpa

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I am pretty sure it is unweighted. Needs to be 3.4.

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I think it’s time for a sit down.

What’s most important- size? study abroad? major/minor? geography?

With just your D’s wish list and your need for “just looking for very good deals” we are all going to be wasting your time. It’s not going to help to hear about a fabulous opportunity in Minnesota if your D won’t go further than Pennsylvania, and it’s not going to help to hear about a really great merit opportunity but your D won’t be able to squeeze in study abroad in Asia without adding an extra semester (who can afford that?)

And what’s commutable for you guys? Could that be an option???

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Commutable: Uconn Stamford Branch, Sacred Heart, Fairfield U, U Bridgeport, Southern CT, U New Haven. I may be missing some.

Unweighted GPA: Probably around a 3.3, not exactly sure since they only show the weighted.

My D wants to go all the way to Colorado … but her mom wants her within a few hours drive. For two reasons, she has anxiety (documented, although she is really trying to work through it) and subconsciously because she doesn’t really want her kids to fly the nest. I’m allowing my D to apply to a couple of schools in Colorado, just in case, but I think her mom is going to veto them anyway. Realistically I would saw 1-6 hour drive from CT, which would include UMaine, to Syracuse, and down to say Washington DC. West is a little more empty, as Pittsburgh starts to get to be 8 hours or so.

Oh, and what’s most important. Great question!

To her: To be able to study abroad. She actually doesn’t have a strong desire for any major right now, just wants something she knows she can put up with. Her real goal is Asian culture. She wants to move to Japan for life (we think this is something that will pass, but we can’t mock her. For all we know, maybe she will). She also likes the big schools with lots of great resources (library, greenhouse, science center, student center, and LOTS of clubs so she can find some where she feels fits a niche.). She’s hoping college will be an exciting fresh start and new chapter.

To me: A financial good decision. Major in something that can support a career, pay itself back. Go to a good school, with options, because like many kids you may want to switch majors once you figure it all out. Try to avoid a college that gets your resume skipped in the pile - trust me, this happens a lot, and where I work it’s a key factor.

My wife: Her mental health well being, nothing else really is of importance. Ideally something close so she can come back home without a 24 hour delay with a flight, etc.

I don’t think any of any of these ALONE as THE right answer. They are all a factor.

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What is her class rank? It’s not likely she will get merit aid at UConn.

Didn’t we already have this discussion on your other thread?

http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/2108153-too-rich-for-aid-to-poor-to-afford.html#latest

I live in CT. I suggest she visit Eastern Ct State University again. And Southern. Both will be within your price point.

I can’t think of one college where study abroad is impossible. If she couldn’t do a term abroad during the school year, there should be opportunities during the summer.

Another suggestion…which was made to you before…after graduation, your daughter could go to say…China…and teach English. There are a number of programs set up for this. She would certainly get a good taste of the culture, and language by doing so.

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Study abroad is never impossible. The issue is, can the D do study abroad, get full credit for her time overseas AND stay on track with graduation requirements so they don’t end up having to do an extra semester back at the home institution. I am always amazed at the kids I know who come home and discover how many of their credits won’t transfer. And if the Bank of Mom and Dad hasn’t budgeted for the extra semester, that can really take the zing out of the overseas experience.

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Don’t worry about Study Abroad. All the schools have Study Abroad and they all (or virtually all) have SHARED study abroad or options where kids from all over can participate.

Many parents wrongly think that the school organizes all SA programs. Typically schools only have a few of their own offerings and mostly use the common offerings that all students everywhere can participate in. The Study Abroad office sort of works like a travel agency informing kids of all the programs that everyone is offering that the students can participate in.

While Study Abroad courses may not cost you more (depending on the school), you may need to extra budget for the other costs…airfare, housing, personal expenses). You might put this on daughter that she needs to work/save to cover that since she wants it so badly.

Now your real concern is getting costs down to about $15k per year.

As for Seton Hall, go ahead and submit the app, but realize that $21k per year in merit is still going to give you a high net cost.

As for Colorado schools, you’re going to have to budget an extra $1k-$2k per year just in travel costs (flights, shuttles). Holiday travel is a killer. Will she want to come home for Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks? And, omg, travel during winter can be a nightmare with delays, re-routings, cancelations.

http://www.utoledo.edu/admission/freshman/scholarships/2019/out-of-state.html

University of Toledo (link above) has lowish OOS tuition and generous merit. You might get costs down to about $18k per year with their assured merit.

Have you looked at the above? Seem like some might be affordable with merit…BUT…check to make sure that merit awards don’t require the student to live on campus. Some have that req’t.

How much can your daughter earn/save during the summers? And during the school year?? Some parents have their kids use their “school year” earnings to cover their day to day pocket money and/or books. Some parents have their kids contribute $2k-3k of summer earnings to help pay for tuition.

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Just wanted to follow up here, in case anyone else is curious about the numbers.

From Seton Hall: $21,000 per year (puts net cost around 36K)
From Clark: $15,000 per year (puts net cost around 41K)
From Binghamton: $5,000 per year (puts net cost around 37K)
From U Delaware: Accepted, merit, TBD but 5K per would be the max, putting net at 42K
Awaiting Uconn, Umass, UVM, Buffalo, Denver

Will update if more are offered as decisions are still coming in.

Also worth mentioning: It’s become clear to me that because of our extremely high EFC (which is largely a penalty for living in a very high cost of living area we can just barely afford), if we want DD to go to what is considered a “good” school, and she prefers to stay close to home where colleges on average are just 10K a year more expensive, we’re going to see net costs in the 35-50K per year.

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You mentioned UConn – how much would that be?

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In November you said (in another thread) that the maximum you could afford was $15-20000 per year. Has your daughter applied to any schools you can actually afford (at which net cost of attendance would be in that price range)? Hopefully UConn will accept her. If not, it may still be possible to apply to some of the other Connecticut public universities. We were much more limited by finances than you are and I wouldn’t even allow my daughter (similar stats as yours) to apply to our instate “flagship” (Penn State), or Pitt, knowing that we’d never be able to afford it. Was she disappointed? Yes, but she’s now enjoying her sophomore year at one of our “directionals”, where there are plenty of other smart students, and planning to go abroad next fall. I’d hate to think that your younger children might have no choice other than community college because big sister insisted on going to over-budget schools requiring large Parent Plus or co-signed loans.

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We also live in the Northeast, and also have kids who applied to schools out of state going as far as Colorado. With somewhat higher stats we got merit aid from most of the schools that our daughters applied to. However, we only got enough aid to get the total cost down to $30,000/year or less at in-state public universities, and at schools in Canada.

Given an EFC of ~$63k, and a budget of $20k, I am thinking that your least expensive options are likely to be in-state public universities. Most students stay in state for the simple reason that is what most of us can afford. Fortunately you have good public universities in Connecticut.

20

Ok…so what’s the plan then?

You’ve indicated that you might be able to come up with about $15k per year…which in “university payment terms” is $1500 per month in “college payments”. If you can “barely afford” living in your expensive area, how will you even come up with $1500 per month for 4 years? Is even doing that possible?

Believe me, I’m not criticizing you. We see stories like yours over and over from the NE area, from IL, from Calif, and so on. People living in pricey areas often are almost living paycheck to paycheck, with little to put towards college.

Have you applied to any schools that she could commute to?