<p>UW (Wisconsin) typically does not have merit aid for incoming students. Departments may have merit aid for those in their department (amounts often depend on how much alumni donate specifically for the department). Do not count on any merit aid from UW.</p>
<p>Something to consider- some high caliber schools do not need to offer merit aid to attract top students. Be careful to look at quality in the major as well as costs. Consider the overall fit of the school as well. This includes social factors as well as academic. Consider the school’s national or regional reputation when thinking of future jobs- it depends where she may want to be. </p>
<p>Also- consider that with exposure to an on campus environment she may change her mind about major, where she wants to end up, etc. Do not let her feel that her path is etched in stone because she has been going it for awhile. Please encourage her to reevaluate her interests. She may discover something different. Teens are still maturing their ideas and she should not feel pressured to complete a major just because she invested HS years in it. She doesn’t want to regret her decision decades later because she didn’t realize she could change course. Most likely it will be the right course, however.</p>
<p>As a woman Chemistry major I did not want any women’s colleges eons ago as I wanted to prove myself with men as well. I suspect your D is as tough as we were back then and doesn’t need nurturing/coddling. I was lucky my flagship was UW and its excellent Chemistry dept (thank goodness there was no reciprocity with MN at that time or I would have left the Madison suburbs to go to a school with much older Chem facilities). btw- today’s good students have so many more options with need blind admissions policies (although you still need to figure finances to attend).</p>