2280 SAT (760cr, 730m, 790w)
4.87 GPA
4 / 213
5’s on the APs that I’ve taken
National Merit Semifinalist (NJ)
Which colleges do I have a chance of getting merit aid? I’m looking to study history and maybe music and prefer LACs in the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast/Midwest. I do not qualify for need-based financial aid.
How much merit do you need? How much will your family pay each year?
what is your career goal?
St. Lawrence and Lafayette should be at the top of your list. If you can include Virginia, Washington & Lee awards a free ride and stipend to 10% of each class. W&L is a very prestigious school.
Seconding St. Lawrence.
Grinnell provides significant merit aid to students with your stats. That’s one use to which they put their huge endowment. The other uses include unusually small class sizes even for a LAC, palatial facilities, more economic diversity than usual due to generous financial aid (and that includes a significant international contingent), grant money for student research and activities, a lot of speakers and events on campus, excellent food in the dining hall, etc…S had a great experience there. But you have to be happy with a small town LAC - Des Moines and Iowa City are both about 1hr away.
Fordham has strong aid for NMSF
NESCAC schools do not provide merit aid, so schools like Amherst, Trinity, Conn Coll etc are not an option. From what we understand, Bard does not give straight merit-only, it also takes into account financial need in awarding scholarships. Franklin & Marshall is financial aid only, no merit aid. As I recall, Skidmore does not give much merit aid, though there are music scholarships that non-majors are eligible for. Gettysburg and Dickinson in PA are possibles for merit aid, Gettysburg has a Conservatory. St Lawrence is a wonderful choice, with generous merit aid. Denison and College of Wooster in Ohio, Kalamazoo in Michigan, Knox College in Illinois would all likely be quite generous, 1/2 tuition in all likelihood. Kenyon, Oberlin and Grinnell use merit aid, though is less predictable that at the other schools mentioned.
Good luck, and congrats on your record, you will have lots of good choices in the spring!
Clark University (MA)
Denison University (OH)
Drake University (IA)
Fordham University (NY) – NMSF; larger school.
Knox College (IL)
University of Richmond (VA)
St. Lawrence University (NY)
Washington & Lee University (VA)
You are probably a free ride candidate at both Providence College and University of Scranton. Possibly St. Michael’s College which is in Burlington, Vermont.
St. Lawrence would be tops in my radar.
University of Minnesota will likely give you great scholarships. They also have a West Bank Arts House living-learning community for students interested in performing arts – it is in the same building as the honors living-learning community, and in the middle of several performance halls where students go on outings together. I realize UMN is probably the opposite of an LAC, but you will find a smaller community there among the honors, music and history students. If you travel near Twin Cities to visit LACs in the area, it is worth stopping by to check out UMN.
A couple of other merit-granting mid-west schools not mentioned in @Midwestmomofboys fine list are Macalester and St. Olaf. If you’re interested in music, St. Olaf is among the very best LACs in that department. And, as was already mentioned, Gettysburg in PA has a conservatory, and I believe its ensembles are open to non-majors and non-performance degree candidates, i.e, you don’t have to be formally in the conservatory to participate at a high level. That reminds me of one more, actually–Lawrence University in Wisconsin (not to be confused with the aforementioned St. Lawrence). Like Gettysburg, they have a conservatory, but any student can participate in their musical offerings. They almost certainly award merit aid as well.
Good point, I forgot about Lawrence, and Beloit. Lawrence has a neat campus feel, inclusive, with terrific music for non Con kids.
Hey guys! I am in a similar position (same stats). Although, I’m looking at LAC’s strong in the life sciences, with the most access to research facilities. I was wondering if you guys know any?
@indian98 The LAC that leaps to my mind is Rhodes. Good LAC, very good merit aid, and they are 5 minutes from St. Jude’s Childrens Hospital and have numerous opportunities there for undergraduates.
If merit money is not an issue, then WUSTL would be a strong choice.
You’d get full ride at:
-Bryan College
-Lipscomb University
-University of Evansville
-University of Nebraska
-University of Oklahoma
-Oklahoma University
-NJIT
-Rivier University
-Wichita State
You may get aid at:
-Coe College
-Concordia College Moorhead
-Cornell College
-Creighton University
-Gustavus Adolphus College
-Kansas State University
-Luther College
-Macalester College
-St. Olaf
-UMN Twin Cities