<p>We just crunched some numbers and our EFC is below 1000 . S has interest in computer engineering . GPA 4.28 , SATS are grand , IB program and some AP's , orchestras participations , ect . Expects to get a little merit but he is not a Rennslaer medalist ( don't even know if they do that at his high school ) .</p>
<p>Who is better with need-based aid as well as merit ? Case or RPI ?? What percentage of needs met ?? </p>
<p>State U.'s are his back-up for financial safeties obviously .</p>
<p>Son accepted to both. Great merit aid from both-$7,500 more from Case. I think if he had declared a major he could have gotten even more however he doesn't recall a space on the app. for this. Unknown on the need based.</p>
<p>Why not just apply to both and see which pans out better? I have a friend whose daughter is at RPI and she keeps getting small unexpected scholarships beyond whatever money they originally awarded. Both parents are academics so they aren't hurting for income though they aren't wealthy either.</p>
<p>I agree with mathmom about applying to both. Our son happened to apply to both Case and RPI and received merit scholarship offers of $17k/yr and $25k/yr respectively. While both are very good academically they are also quite different in some regards.</p>
<p>The reasons our son chose RPI was because all RPI scholarships do not require any minimum gpa and thus guaranteed for 4 years, distance from home(the 6+ hour drive seemed too far for him) and program. RPI offers an interdisciplinary AI program which has, as a capstone requirement, an undergraduate research and senior thesis component. As a junior, he will be working out the details of this with his cog sci and comp sci advisors later this semester or early spring semester.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I'd agree - apply to both and see what happens. My son applied to RPI thinking it was a financial safety since he had the medal and it turned out to be the worst by far in terms of the financial aid offered(though he didn't apply to Case). Though our EFC was also below $1000, RPI offered my son very little beyond the medalist money leaving us with a huge gap between our EFC per FAFSA and what my contribution would have been at RPI. My sense is that RPI expected a contribution out of our home equity. I have lots of home equity but very low income.<br>
But indeed, everyone's experience is different - whether or not you have home equity, how much merit money is offered an individual student, etc.<br>
Good luck!</p>
<p>Apply to both! (DS is....) Both take the common application, and Case has no application fee if you apply on-line.</p>
<p>I agree with the suggestion to apply to both. There are many variables in need-based aid, including where your son might fall in the admissions pile, so it makes sense to apply to both if he likes them.</p>
<p>Here, however, is some actual data:</p>
<p>87% of students at RPI applied for need-based aid, 75% were determined to have need, 57% had 100% of their need met (exclusive of PLUS loans). 20% received merit scholarships.</p>
<p>85% of students at Case applied for need-based aid, 72% were determined to have need, 82% had 100% of their need met (exclusive of PLUS loans.) 24% received merit scholarships.</p>
<p>So, it is probably likely that the chances of anyone having 100% of demonstrated need met are greater at Case than at RPI. However, as I noted above, financial aid awards involve many considerations, including where the student falls in the admissions pile, so I would not let these numbers stop me from applying from both schools and seeing how their FA offers compare come spring.</p>
<p>By the way, Case has non-binding early action with deadline of Nov 1. DS was supposed to submit his last night, but....</p>
<p>Have son apply to both. My son applied EA to Case last year, notified of nice merit aid around time of acceptance. Wasn't looking too good for RPI, was accepted in December, but wasn't a medalist, no mention of scholarship. Was suprised by a letter received in March, RPI was offering generous merit aid. Ended up at Case, just came home on break and seems very happy. Has some excellent teachers, enjoying SAGES program and lots of activities he loves. Glad he is at a more rounded school than RPI.<br>
FYI-the GPA required to maintain scholarship money at Case is very reasonable.</p>
<p>second spring--</p>
<p>"Wasn't looking too good for RPI, was accepted in December, but wasn't a medalist, no mention of scholarship."</p>
<p>Could you explain how he was accepted at RPI in December? Do they have rolling admission?</p>
<p>Thanks,
dad-o</p>
<p>T</p>
<p>My son was offered the option to do an on-line application, so he heard in December last year. I don't know if this is just for medalist or if its available in general.</p>
<p>Dad'O'2
Son used the Candidate's Choice Application, which is basically a shortened version of the regular one. The turnaround time was just a couple of weeks and decision non binding. I know several kids who got this application, perhaps in November, and haven't the foggiest who it was targeted toward.
Some of the kids were very liberal arts types and would never consider RPI.
Others were not the most stellar students.
I suspect you could just call admissions and ask about/for it. Was nice to have the admission in hand early, but still had to wait months to find out about money. Good luck!</p>
<p>oaklandmom and second spring--
Thanks for the info. I found a link to the "streamlined application" or "Candidates Choice Application" from RPI's website that I hadn't seen in the past. "This streamlined application is available to students who have expressed an interest in Rensselaer through a request for information, visit to campus, attendance at an open house, participation in a chat, or other interaction." It claims: "Fewer Questions," "An Admissions Decision within 28 Days," and "Earlier Notification of Fincancial Award." I don't even see an essay requirement. DS was somewhat reluctant because of additional essay on the common application supplement. This should make him happy.</p>
<p>Thanks again</p>
<p>Case is better with need-based aid as well as merit. Apply to Case "EA" on-line application is free.</p>
<p>"I don't even see an essay requirement. "</p>
<p>There's an essay, but it's half the length as the common ap. Which actually might be a problem.</p>
<p>"There's an essay, but it's half the length as the common ap. Which actually might be a problem."</p>
<p>Thanks--I found it. "Personal Statement: Write a personal statement, in 250 words or more, about yourself .be [sic] as creative as you like." </p>
<p>Good. That means he could insert his common application essay, and not write a new one to the prompt on the RPI common app supplement. Hopefully it will fit in the character limit.</p>
<p>I'm impressed that they can evaluate these so quickly to turn them around in 28 days. I guess with a 78 percent acceptance rate, they can be pretty objective and quantitative with the evaluation. (Good SAT: check. Good HS courses: check. Good GPA: check. Application fee: check. Oh, look--he wrote an essay! OK, he's in--Next! Ooo, not as clear cut--give this one to the Dean to decide on.) I wonder if they use a similar approach to determine merit awards?</p>
<p>(Sorry to hijack thread!)</p>
<p>It was more than 28 days before my son had his decision from RPI...I think it was 5 or 6 weeks They emailed him and asked for his first term transcripts in December. He emailed back and said first term grades would not be available until the end of January as his high school only gave semester grades. RPI must have emailed him 4 more times over the next few weeks saying they'd need first term grades before they could make a decision. Finally my son emailed RPI and told them he'd been accepted at Caltech & MIT so unless RPI's financial aid offer was amazing he didn't care what their decision was ;). He got his acceptance from RPI in the next day or two.<br>
(another hijack of this thread)
good luck in the admissions process!</p>
<p>Had he really been accepted at Caltech and MIT? Yes, right? (I'm just thinking this would be a pretty good bluff when my DD's time comes!) I wonder why RPI was so poky.</p>
<p>Yep, he's at Caltech now, doing his first midterms. I think RPI just really wanted to see those first term grades...</p>
<p>Yeah the first time I looked at the RPA candidate's choice application I thought it was we'll let you know in 3 weeks, but a closer look made it clear it would be 3 weeks after first term grades - so for now we are concentrating on getting MIT and Caltech out the door.</p>