<p>I've got two thoughts on this. </p>
<p>I feel strongly about 1), especially since your D has so many apps in and has not visited the schools, and less strongly about 2):</p>
<p>1) wait until the acceptances and visits are complete, and a final ranking has been established, before you do any requesting, negotiating or anything. </p>
<p>2) per above, have your D send a note to schools #2 and #3 just to inquire if she is being considered for merit aid.</p>
<p>jamimom, it sound like my son has much the same list as your friend's daughter: Case, Schreyer, Pitt and CMU (also Cornell and UVa). I was also wondering about letting colleges know that you got merit aid and asking if they can match, and if this is usually successful. We were told at a CMU meeting that they would take such into consideration. BUT, nobody I know ever got any money from CMU. I also would not expect anything from Cornell.<br>
Another question: do colleges count loans and work-study money as part of their financial package? To me, anything that my son has to work for or anything I have to pay back, doesn't count! I am so confused about $$$ and hate to wait until April to sort things out!</p>
<p>CMU was one of the schools that I was thinking about in my post above regarding schools having to be comparable in quality. My son had a full ride at Rutgers, full out-of-state tuition offer from Pitt as well as very significant offers from RPI and Case. Since they are upfront about their willingness to negotiate on aid, I gave it a shot. Their view was that none of these were in their league and hence did not offer any more aid than the very nominal package that they put together.</p>
<p>Yes, absolutely - work study and loans are ALWAYS considered part of the total financial aid package. If your need is, say $20,000, the college can offer it any way they want - any combination of grants, loans, and work.</p>
<p>fundingfather (how appropriate!): I'm curious what school your son decided to attend and how you and he feel about his decision. Thanks!</p>
<p>He ultimately turned down all the money and went to Cornell. He loves it despite the weather there which Cornellians seem to bear like a badge of courage. A friend of his took the full tuition at Pitt and is not so happy. This is not an indictment or an endorsement of either school - just some isolated data points to consider.</p>
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<p>I have thought about doing that, however, earlier in the game may be better than later. Especially for some schools that may for example give out fixed numbers of merit scholarships, or have a set amount of money to use.,</p>
<p>omg
I can't believe I was able to do the quote!!</p>
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<p>Do you mind sharing what the great school was, that your son went to, and what the merit school was. You do have to weigh the price difference against the quality difference. Or even what you may be potentially be giving up.</p>
<p>My D is the kind of person who would not even know how to be unhappy anywhere. I almost wish she would, because that would certainly help in the elimination process. We are going to see 3 schools in Feb., 3 in March, and 3 in April, with digital cameras, videos, notebooks, etc. At least I can look forward to lots of meals cooked by others. And lots of nice memories of hanging out with her.</p>
<p>Okay, I was getting too excited with the quotes.
That one was not originaloog, but was Arizonamom. Sorry.</p>
<p>My D's top choice schools will not have any merit aid, but her "matches" and safetys do. She has been notified of two awards (40K, & 36K) and so far not of the third. I think I am going to have her write note to admissions and just ask if she qualifies for any of the merit programs. Might spur a notification?</p>
<p>If my D is admitted to one of her top choices, we will be elated, and it will totally blunt the pain of losing merit aid.</p>
<p>My D is a kid who could be happy anywhere, too (aren't we lucky to have this kind of kid?!!) </p>
<p>However, I think the environment <em>does</em> make a huge difference in the academic experience. The general level of academic stimulation and the intimacy of class size are really important for my kid who is smart, but not what I would call academically zealous. A big Univ would be a hard place for my D to lock in academically.</p>
<p>
[quote]
omg I can't believe I was able to do the quote!!
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choco, you are smarter than the average bear. (See the threads where the smarties had to tutor us all and we had to try and try and try...)</p>
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<p>My D is a kid who could be happy anywhere, too (aren't we lucky to have this kind of kid?!!)
Describes our S exactly, but not sure whether it will or won't "blunt the pain." Figure we won't know how we feel til we get there.</p>
<p>Still leaves me with chocos question - how much of a difference is there in the calibre/atmosphere of schools? In our case: same size schools (ca. 6000), will have similar class sizes. First choice school is #2 in S' field. Merit school is about #75. S loved merit school from the get-go.</p>
<p>Keep wrestling w whether it's really important to go to top choice for undergrad, when there will definitely be grad school in his future if he stays w his current interests.</p>
<p>This is it jmmom. Friends and family keep telling us that if one is going on to grad school, (which I think D will), then it is not necessary to spend $170,000 on undergrad. And then where will the grad money come from?</p>
<p>Yesterday there was a news item on medical conditions putting people on the streets, as they were retired/did not have good coverage/etc. It's not about putting money aside for the good life, but merely surviving for 30 years after retirement.</p>
<p>SBMom: I'm confused. Do you mean your daughter is already aware of and has been notified that she's won these big merit awards ($40K and 36K)? Also..and I think this was the same thread I was reading earlier... do applicants actually (at this point) call up their schools and ask if it looks like they might get merit aid? Every school I know of just says they will announce merit aid in April, when everything is sent to RD applicants as well. Again...I'm confused. Could you clarify? Thanks. </p>
<p>On a related topic, once someone becomes a Nat'l Merit Finalist and also is a Presidential Scholar (nominee), I assume one should send an update about this to their top choice schools? May make no difference in admission, but might with merit aid? Thanks.</p>
<p>My D has merit awards already. She had applied to three schools Early Action (non-binding,) was admitted to all three and has aid awards at two. I should clairfy that these are spread over 4 years (ie 40K = 10K per year.)</p>
<p>SBMom: Thanks. I'm impressed. I didn't realize EA schools would be making those decisions before April.</p>
<p>Jack
Some schools, like state schools, or EA schools, may offer merit money upfront, along with the acceptance letter. Sometimes schools that are trying to improve their incoming freshman class, use merit money as a strategy to attract better students. And it works for them all the time. (Look at us, we have bait dangling before our eyes, and the effect is hypnotic). </p>
<p>Then there are some schools that will offer a certain # of scholarships to early candidates, or to their in-state applicants, and save the rest for April.</p>
<p>My D has ben offered varying amounts of merit money,3 different schools, from November onwards. One of these schools has already been discarded, and they keep sending mail, and better offers.</p>
<p>But most schools do indeed offer merit scholarships after all admission decisions have been made in April.</p>
<p>We met a woman, whose son got a great merit scholarship, (free tuition) to an average school; not only did he attend there, but she put $30,000 down on a condo off-campus for him, and he shares it with 3 other students, using their rent to pay off his mortgage. I was quite impressed.</p>
<p>Chocoholic: Thanks for the information. Wow. I wanna be 'hypnotized,' too!</p>