<p>Thanks to everyone for these responses. I really appreciate it. The link to the comparison tool was very helpful. I’ll need to read over cptofthehouse’s response a few more times before I get my head entirely around it, particularly the parts about the loans and what is desirable/undesirable; I may have follow up questions if you don’t mind…</p>
<p>The school she did apply to in state (Westfield State) is one where she would live at home. She has friends and a cousin who currently attend. She would still need to get some grant money and take out loans but it’s achievable. She’d also be very unhappy (and it’s unlike every other college she’s considering) but it is our absolute safety. At the moment, she’s undecided but is most interested in studying English or Environmental Studies. I expect that will change. Westfield is not the school to do that. It has excellent programs for teaching and criminal justice but English Lit, or a liberal arts curriculum, isn’t where they’re going to shine. UMass-Amherst would have been a better school for her academically but it’s a 45-to-60-minute commute and she couldn’t deal with 25K+ students and the party atmosphere. I tried to convince her.</p>
<p>Here are the schools to which she’s already applied – the parentheses are our best guesses at her chances. The good news is that, other than Westfield, she likes every school on her list. Several of these schools were Profile schools. Not exactly sure the implications of that, but we’ve submitted them for all of those schools. She’ll have FAFSA complete by end of month.</p>
<ul>
<li>Clark (target)</li>
<li>Connecticut College (low reach)</li>
<li>Dickinson (target)</li>
<li>Goucher (safety)</li>
<li>Holy Cross (reach); 100% need blind, need met</li>
<li>Kenyon (reach)</li>
<li>Mt. Holyoke (target)</li>
<li>Muhlenberg (target)</li>
<li>Wesleyan (big reach)</li>
<li>Westfield State (safety)</li>
<li>Wheaton in MA (accepted with merit and thrilled to have that in hand)</li>
</ul>
<p>When my sister used the NPC at several of the schools, her EFC was nothing. I understand that schools expect families to contribute regardless, and we will do whatever we can to make that happen within reason. I also understand that schools may estimate differently during decision time.</p>
<p>Would you recommend that she apply to another school? I fought the good fight for Grinnell for months but, as of yesterday, lost that battle. There’s certainly a cost to applying to more schools which I’ll cover but, if it makes sense, at this point I don’t want to quibble over $50 when we’re talking about costs of $240K over the next four years. I just want to make sure that the schools to which she could apply now could possibly come back with a package that would make a difference – and where she could get a great education and graduate happily in four years. While I know there’s no way to know for sure, there’s no use applying to places which would never be able to give her a lot of money.</p>
<p>Those she’s considering:
- St. Lawrence (she’s already interviewed and submitted SATs; she just a little freaked by the cold)
- St. Michael’s (cold! but she’s already visited so her interest would be know)
- Ursinus
- College of Wooster (is it crazy to have another college on our list that would require flying?)
- Juniata
- Susquehanna
- Hobart & William Smith (cold!)</p>
<p>Would you recommend applying to one of these? Any others we should consider?</p>
<p>Thank you so much for all your help.</p>