<p>I should be more knowledgeable. I have done a ton of research but now I am overwhelmed. Please help recommend affordable schools for a student like this:</p>
<p>White male senior
GPA 3.14
SAT superscored: 580(M) 690(CR) 690(W)
AP U.S. History Score: 4
Currently taking 4 AP's (Eng, Gov, Bio, European History) and a non-AP Calc. He definitely is not pulling back his senior year.
Attends a small independent h.s. to reduce distractions from an ADD diagnosis, and has blossomed well there.
Musically gifted but not classically trained. Interests are: Guitar, piano, voice. Made all-district twice as a base II singer; excellent guitar and piano player but mainly in jazz, improv, and composition (compositions are quite good). Does not have the focus or energy to attend a conservatory (so no Oberlin, Juliard, Eastman, etc.) Music opportunities should be good at the college but in a low pressure way. May not major in it, but may include it in his studies and career.
A whiz on the computer and with recording equipment, software, etc.
Clean-cut, drug-free (I am certain), a bit geeky and awkward but also cool, funny, and laid back in many ways. Sort of an undiagnosed Asperger's kind of guy.<br>
Smart, witty; an outstanding reader of large, thick novels.
A whiz on the computer.<br>
He is a B student all the way but actually has good study skills, thanks to habits taught at excellent, independent school he attends. I am certain he will do well in college and will finish on time, and not because I demand it. He wants to go and my husband and I feel he can be trusted with our saved but limited financial resources.
Thinking an LAC would be best, but can't pay more than $28-30K a year.<br>
Would prefer schools with a low fraternity/sorority profile.
Would prefer Mid-Atlantic region....?
Who will give financial aid to this kid?</p>
<p>Muhlenberg (nice focus on the arts)
Allegheny
Gettysburg (has a conservatory but there is significant greek life, and this may be a slight reach so not sure about the FA part of the question)
Wagner (Staten Island so kind of mid-atlantic)</p>
<p>What is your Expected Family Contribution (EFC)?
Use the Net Price Calculators on the college sites to estimate costs at each school you’re considering. If your EFC is significantly above $30K, then you need to focus on public schools. SUNY-Geneseo and UNC-Asheville are small mid-Atlantic public universities with OOS costs of attendance below $30K.</p>
<p>If your EFC is at or below $30K, then also check out the Colleges That Change Lives.
[Colleges</a> That Change Lives | Changing Lives. One Student at a Time.](<a href=“http://www.ctcl.org/]Colleges”>http://www.ctcl.org/). Your S should have a shot at admission and aid at most of these.
Start with Goucher, Guilford … and Hampshire, which is in Massachusetts (not mid-Atlantic) but has the advantage of being in a 5-college consortium.</p>
<p>??? How can we tell? You’ve told us about the child, but financial aid is based on YOUR income and assets. A school that is known to give “good FA” may give you NOTHING because your income may be too high. </p>
<p>Schools that give the best aid usually require higher stats for admittance. There are a number of very nice schools that would accept your child, but they likely do not give much aid.</p>
<p>If you’re asking about merit scholarships, then it’s also hard to tell because his stats wouldn’t qualify at many schools…and his GPA would likely prevent him from getting many scholarships that is SAT might qualify for. Also, merit scholarships are often based on “single sittings” not superscores. His super scored Math + CR is 1270, but his single sitting M+ CR may be less (writing score usually isn’t used for merit). </p>
<p>Merit scholarships are generally awarded to students whose Math + CR is well within the top 25% of the school. There is often a req’t that the minimum GPA be a 3.5 or higher.</p>
<p>A number of LACs are costing $50=60k per year. It’s doubtful that your child would be given 20-30k in merit scholarships. And since most schools don’t “meet need” even if it were determined that you have “some” need, you may still be gapped. Even if a FAFSA calculator determined that you have “some need”, if the school doesn’t “meet need” then you’d still be gapped.</p>
<p>York College of PA will offer merit aid for those stats. You’d have to check out to see if they matched what you are looking for.</p>
<p>You could also try Susquehanna. I saw a big aid award last year for a student with lesser stats (merit aid, not need-based), but she probably had a higher GPA, so you’d just have to try.</p>
<p>Elizabethtown? Millersville? Lebanon Valley College? Many kids attend these with lower stats than your student and they are quite happy with the schools. You’d need to check them out more for fit. I know them by name and the many students who go there, but not specifics like music offerings nor Greek life, etc.</p>
<p>Franklin & Marshall seems like a good fit, but they don’t offer any merit aid, so it would only work financially if their net price calc falls correctly into your financial window.</p>
<p>If you are in-state for Maryland, than public LAC, St. Mary’s College of Maryland is both a great deal financially and a terrific school in it’s own right, in a lovely location on the Chesapeake. Good music program - neighbor’s son is a music major there and loves it.</p>
<p>Keep in mind too that an upward trend in the GPA will be a help to your S since many schools that do holistic review cut ‘late blooming boys’ some slack in order to keep the gender ratio 50/50 or close.</p>
<p>Maryland, than public LAC, St. Mary’s College of Maryland is both a great deal financially and a terrific school in it’s own right, in a lovely location on the Chesapeake. Good music program</p>
<p>Yes, I meant to mention this is my earlier post. Since the student’s stats won’t likely get him admitted into the schools that give good FA (if they qualify) and he won’t likely qualify for merit scholarships, then attending the instate public LAC would be a wise financial choice. </p>
<p>I’m also concerned by the mention that the parents are willing to spend their “limited financial” resources. My gut tells me that spending excessive amounts is not necessary.</p>
<p>Unless I missed it, it doesn’t seem clear what the student’s major or career goal is. If attending the state LAC or univ can achieve those goals for $20k per year, then that would seem a better financial choice because it would save you about $40k.</p>
<p>If the student is considering some kind of major related to computers? Computer Science? MIS? Something that mixes music and technology? If so, then maybe a univ would be better.</p>
<p>Check out Goucher, Rider, and if in state, both Ramapo and Montclair. Also look at Shenandoah U. There’s a conservatory, but other options as well.</p>
<p>Great suggestions I hadn’t thought of. I also appreciate the frank assessment of his GPA and the chances for FA based on that.</p>
<p>We have not calculated our EFC yet. We got FA from the independent school he attends (they have their own form), but that’s a whole different matter.</p>
<p>Don’t we need to wait for 2012 to end anyway to get a fair assessment? Meaning, if we did the CSS and the FAFSA now, it wouldn’t be too terribly useful because we could only use 2011 data. I guess we could estimate our 2012 income because my understanding is they are going to look at our financial picture from the year prior to enrolling, correct? </p>
<p>We will get on this so that we can get a better picture as to whether we can afford any of these mid-Atlantic LAC’s. Some of the public schools you guys mentioned were new possibilities to me. </p>
<p>I will close now. Thanks for your thorough and oft times tough advice!</p>
<p>FA – Some of my son’s choices require we complete the CSS Profile by 11/15 (EA deadline)</p>
<p>You can run the Net Price Calculator in the individual college website without completing a full CSS Profile. We ran NPC with our 2011 info because we don’t expect 2012 to change much.</p>
<p>DO NOT rely on the high school FA as an estimate. For our family, our HS aid is much different than the NPC. We saw a swing in the NPC of up to $20,000/yr among the schools we reviewed.</p>
<p>Many private schools offer merit to a majority of the students, which in essence tuition discounts. I have also seen some schools offer more merit and aid to males if the male/female ratio is closer to 30M/70F. Goucher (which was already mentioned) is such a school.</p>
<p>On top of the great suggestions, I’d like to add Arcadia (Glenside, PA)</p>
<p>Susquehanna has been generous to kids from our high school. It has also really helped the students grow.</p>
<p>You may also want to check out the Colleges The Change Lives book (or website - book is more in depth) </p>
<p>If you are a PA resident, check the Penn State satellite campuses. Some are residential.</p>
<p>What state do you live in? I can name several good colleges in Virginia but the out of state prices are just over $30,000 a year for most of them which is past what you say is your limit.</p>
<p>Some public LACs are relatively inexpensive, even for out of state. In addition to UNC Asheville and SUNY Geneseo mentioned above, there are Truman State (Missouri) and University of Minnesota - Morris, though they are out of the mid-Atlantic region.</p>
<p>With LACs, he should consider his possible majors, since their small size often means that the strength of departments (as in the courses offered and frequency of offering) can be rather variable. Since he is a “whiz at computers”, he should note that computer science is one subject where there is considerable variation in the strength of departments – and note that general reputation and prestige has little correlation (e.g. Amherst has a rather limited computer science department).</p>
<p>Your child sounds like he would do quite well at the public flagship university of your state. Not sure what state you live in, but PSU, maryland, or Rutgers would be nice fit. If he wants LAC, try Ursinus, Muhlenburg, Goucher,</p>