<p>Too funny Coldinminny! The BBC version with Colin Firth of course!</p>
<p>momrath, great advice on the net price calculator and, yes, we are very borderline at 100K. Have run the calculator on all of the schools she’s narrowed it down to and it is interesting to see how different schools can have very different ideas of what a family can afford. Some, like Swarthmore and Bowdoin, were pretty close to being in line with what we think we can afford - and they do not include loans in their packages, which is really nice. And others, particularly Middlebury, would be a real stretch and require loans (in addition to the student loans that are a part of their proposed package). Colby and Hamilton have both sent information on merit scholarships they offer, but you have to be one of the top 10 students in the applicant pool.
I completely concur with your groupings (Swat/Haverford overlapping with Vassar/Grinnell/Weslyan) and Middlebury/Bowdoin more like Hamilton/Colby/Amherst). Interestingly, though, D is all over the place with regard to campus culture. Loves the intellectual, social justice vibe of Swat and Haverford, but equally loves the outdoorsy, small town vibe of Middlebury and Bowdoin. If I had to venture a guess, I’d say she’ll likely opt for the latter - the physical surroundings and outing club type activities are both huge factors for her - it’s how she destresses. Who knows, though, this is a time to grow, maybe she’ll leave her comfort zone a little and try something entirely new.
I also concur that Williams is a great fit for D. She visited with a group of friends last spring and, much to my surprise, took it off her list when she got back. Vague kind of feedback about it feeling a little too isolated and she got the impression that students were focused on having a career vs. making a difference in the world - not sure that’s entirely merited from the research I’ve done though. I think it’s worth a revisit for sure. </p>
<p>Anecdotal evidence only, but here’s what my son’s three closest friends did after Williams:
*Peace Corps followed by NGO and graduate work in developing economics
*Teach for America followed by law school and work in advocacy for progressive causes
*Environmental work followed by urban planning degree and work in government environmental management</p>
<p>My son pursued architecture which I guess qualifies as “professional” but it’s not all Wall Street and finance driven. </p>
<p>Williams is definitely not for everyone, but need based financial aid is good and outdoorsy activities are very much a part of the culture. One of the best Outing Clubs in the country.</p>
<p>If you want merit I’d steer clear of the more prestigious schools mentioned. They won’t offer it. Maybe you will get some financial aid.</p>
<p>My first thought when I read about your daughter was Earlham in Indiana or Warren Wilson in Asheville, NC.</p>
<p>Frankly with $100K of income most schools won’t offer much FA (outside of the most competitive). Some of the schools mentioned (Reed for one) have limited or no merit aid. I think this student should be looking at more schools with merit funding.</p>
<p>Holy Cross is need-blind and has a broad spectrum of students. HC(don’t have to be religious) offers many study-abroad and volunteering opportunities. Also might look at Wesleyan but believe they are no longer need-blind.</p>
<p>Smith sounds as if it would be a great place for her. With 40 houses and 10 dining halls, the living arrangements are intimate, and can provide a comfortable environment for shy students. The students have a lot of drive and push themselves, but the academic and social environment is collaborative and friendly rather than competitive. My daughter is shy and quiet, but has made an amazing number of friends, and continues to make new ones in just about every activity she does or class she takes. They also do a great job of matching first-year roommates.</p>
<p>There is a large contingent of nerdy students on campus as well as a lot of students interested and active in social justice issues. Despite what you may read on CC, the students tend to be friendly and irreverent rather than in-your-face or strident. There are many students who don’t party and who have fun doing the same types of things as your daughter.</p>
<p>It’s a great location for students not interested in a big city. Downtown Northampton, one of the best college towns in the country, is a 5 minute walk from campus, and hiking/running trails through the woods start at the other end of campus. More serious hiking is a short distance away in the Holyoke Range.</p>
<p><em>whew</em>. Now that I know she has good taste in movies, I am comfortable recommending:</p>
<p>Denison, Furman, Wooster, Oberlin, Trinity U (San Antonio) and Grinnell. All give very good merit aid for students like your D.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>come, come. I’ll trade a Colin Firth for a Keira Knightley every chance I get.</p>
<p>She might get some merit aid from Whitman. Reed offers no merit aid. Amherst and Williams have deep pockets for need-based aid. If she’s willing to travel further, she could probably get something from Goucher or many other members of the Colleges That Change Lives consortium. I mentioned New College, because it has a very self-selecting student body, and the maximum cost for out-of-state students is less than $30k per annum. I’m sure people have already mentioned Bard. One thing she might not like about NCF, even if she opened to suggestion of traveling to FL, is its appearance. It has a stunning bayfront location, but their commitment to environmental sustainability means that the campus is not lush and magnificently landscaped.</p>
<p>In reading through the responses, it looks like for FA reasons, our best bet is shooting for one of the more selective colleges that have especially large endowments and generous need based aid policies, and/or focusing on some of the out of state schools that have more generous merit aid - Oberlin and Grinnell had already been on our radar and seem to fit the latter category pretty well. Whitman as well. Woogzmama, we had researched NCF and love the philosophy and approach to education, but D is not likely to venture south for college. She grew up in TX (we just moved to NH 2 years ago), and finds that NE is a much better fit for her - climate, scenery, quaint towns, etc… Her comfort zone is definitely NE/Mid-Atlantic, but she may be open to considering Mid-West (slight chance of west coast) as well if the college environment is the right fit. Earlham is on our radar now as well - Quaker philosophy is very appealing to D - FA doesn’t look so great though. Thanks again all. Have realized from this thread that we really need to more carefully examine FA policies. </p>
<p>We have around the same income and the net price calculators for the selective LACs are very generous with need-based aid so if your D can get in I think that’s a great option. I know this isn’t the NE but Colorado College totally fits the vibe of what she’s looking for. And you can’t get more outdoorsy than being at the foot of the Rockies! Check it out. It’s where I’d go if I were the one choosing a college. </p>
<p>I would absolutely put Grinnell and Oberlin on her list. They won’t match the surroundings of the mountains though, but just speaking for Grinnell (which is what i am most familiar with as my son attends), there are some really beautiful nearby places to go – the Conard Prairie preserve and if she either runs or rides a bike, the surrounding countryside is stunning – wide open sky, rolling farmlands – it’s not a flat, boring scene as one might envision it. I know there is an outing club and they have equipment available, but i cannot speak to how active it is or not – it won’t get as much participation as at those NESCAC mountain schools, i do know that. </p>
<p>Have her take a look at this: <a href=“Social Innovator in Residence | Grinnell College”>http://www.grinnell.edu/grinnellprize</a>
The prize winners come on campus for symposium and classroom visits, and then there are opportunities for students to get involved with the organizations. It’s just one very visible and substantial proof of Grinnell’s commitment to put its money where its mouth is when it comes to promoting social justice.</p>
<p>I will say this about getting out of the comfort zone: don’t base all the decisions on what appears to be your daughter’s personality and preferences now. College opens students up in ways that often are not foreseen. My son actually started the college process saying he didn’t want to fly to college, but ended up halfway across the country! </p>
<p>These midwestern schools are really special, in my opinion. Schools like Oberlin and Grinnell combine the friendlessness of the setting (yes, that stereotype of midwestern niceness is real!) with a progressive campus culture. At least speaking for Grinnell, there is a serious but unpretentious and welcoming attitude among the students. Another term i’ve heard to describe Grinnellians (the students) is that they have a “come as you are” attitude, meaning that people can feel comfortable being who they are and not having to fit into any mold. </p>
<p>My advice is to have a range of options available come April (assuming that she doesn’t get accepted ED somewhere). There is a lot of growth between now and then, and even with her great record, there is so much competition for these schools… </p>
<p>If she does decide to consider schools in the midwest, even if you can’t get to visit them before applying, then definitely request an off-campus alumni interview. Even if they can’t match her up with an interviewer, at least she is on record as showing that interest. </p>
<p>While your daughter may seem shy now, she will make many friends at college and find people who share and support her passions and interests at any one of these schools on her list!</p>
<p>
Despite Grinnell’s massive endowment, its merit scholarships will not come close to matching the cost of attendance. (In other words, it doesn’t offer full rides or even full tuition scholarships like many other colleges do.) The most recent statistic I’m aware of is the average merit scholarship amount reported in its Common Data Set – $15K, which is a nice amount but only about 1/4 of the total COA. </p>
<p>Check out this chart from the NYT, which looks at both the percentage of students receiving merit aid and the average amount awarded. Of course, it’s a couple years out of date, and a college’s website is always the best source of info about merit aid. </p>
<p><a href=“Colleges and Universities That Award Merit Aid - Graphic - NYTimes.com”>Colleges and Universities That Award Merit Aid - Graphic - NYTimes.com;
<p>Incidentally, since she has a strong interest in environmental studies, I highly recommend looking for colleges with geology programs. A college will be severely hampered in covering environmental issues if it doesn’t have a geology or earth science department. Thanks to the US deemphasizing geology (and/or teaching it poorly), there’s fewer graduates than jobs, so geology majors have far better job prospects with a BS than their biology/chemistry/physics comrades. You can get a pretty decent salary, especially with a MS. </p>
<p>The [Keck</a> Consortium](<a href=“http://www.keckgeology.org%5DKeck”>http://www.keckgeology.org) is a good place to start:
[ul][<em>]Amherst College
[</em>]Beloit College
[<em>]Carleton College
[</em>]Colgate University
[<em>]The College of Wooster
[</em>]Colorado College
[<em>]Franklin & Marshall College
[</em>]Macalester College
[<em>]Mt. Holyoke College
[</em>]Oberlin College
[<em>]Pomona College
[</em>]Smith College
[<em>]Trinity University
[</em>]Union College
[<em>]Washington and Lee University
[</em>]Wesleyan University
[<em>]Whitman College
[</em>]Williams College[/ul]</p>
<p>Oh, for environmental studies, I’ll also throw out College of the Atlantic in Maine and Northland College in far northern Wisconsin (near Lake Superior & the Michigan upper peninsula). Very small and great for shy students, with strength in that area. Both are located more or less in wilderness laboratories.</p>
<p>Look at Denison U, located in quaint Granville OH which looks much like a New England town. They’re pretty generous with merit and financial aid.</p>
<p>Denison is ranked “Tier I” in PreMed and Biology, according to Rugg’s guide.</p>
<p>They even have a “Gamer’s Guild”, if that is up her alley.</p>
<p>sDoncc, really appreciate your comments/feedback regarding D venturing out of her comfort zone during the college years. So true and good to remember. Have no doubt that the right environment could definitely help facilitate that process. In fact, I guess that’s the underlying gist of this whole thread - trying to figure out where this bright, introverted, socially and environmentally conscious literary nerd can best thrive. There have been so many great suggestions so far! And the more I check in to the midwest schools, the more interesting they become - the “friendly student body combined with a progressive campus culture” is really appealing to D. Showed her the Grinnell Prize and she lit up - totally resonated with her. </p>
<p>Take a look at St. Olaf - good merit aid plus meets need - lots of social justice, study abroad, Environmental Science options and one can be quietly earthy crunchy without being “out there”. Lots of clubs, singing opportunities etc. It is technically a dry campus but there are certainly parties. It isn’t a “party school” though. It’s a really warm, welcoming place for the most part.</p>
<p>St Olaf has no greek system and LOTS of nordic skiing!</p>