Hi! I am a current Junior from Louisiana and I have been going on college tours in the VA/NC area over the past few days. I LOVED Duke. I also loved Vanderbilt when I toured a while back. I have the stats to possibly get in (35 ACT, 4.0UW, All honors/AP/Gifted classes except music and PE, decent ECs, can write a good essay), but I’m not extraordinary enough to even hope to get nearly enough merit aid to go to these places, and I’ve accepted that fact. I may qualify for a little financial aid, but definitely nothing like what I’ll need. My parents are divorced and remarried and my dad makes a good bit of money but does not believe in spending a lot of money when I can go to my in-state school for free. I don’t blame him for that, especially since he has 5 (soon to be 6) kids, but that is why I am chasing merit. What are some colleges that have a similar feel as Duke/Vandy but give out more merit $$? I liked how although the students seem to have fun and have school spirit, they still seem to be focused on academics. I loved the mountains around Nashville and Durham. I know they’re small mountains, but I’m from Louisiana so it was beautiful to me. I also like being far enough south that I’m not constantly freezing, but far enough north that I can date whomever I want without being afraid to go on a date in public. I would not feel safe doing that in my hometown. I also toured Arkansas and UNC. I liked the surrounding areas of both, but they felt terrifyingly huge and even though I know UNC ranks highly, neither felt like they had a very academic focus. Maybe it was just my particular tour guide at UNC. I don’t want a place that’s all work and no fun, or a place that’s under 2,000 students while being in the middle of nowhere. Small but in a city would be okay. But my introverted self felt overwhelmed just being on the Arkansas campus. I also liked how walkable both campuses were. I love nature and really liked how Duke felt like it was built into the woods. Thanks!
Emory and Washington University in St Louis.
Would they be any easier to get into and get scholarships to? I thought they were about the same. If not, awesome. No mountains, but great schools
I don’t see a ton of similarity between Duke and Vandy.
If you need low cost, you could go to a school with lower tuition relative, like an Elon - but it’s still pricey.
A Truman State in Missouri - but not in/near a city would be inexpensive period and it’s a fine school. A UNC would be much less, relative to Duke/Vandy. A UVM or Delaware or Miami of Ohio would be on the smaller public side - but UDel and Miami aren’t in city like Duke/Vandy are.
Unfortunately, Emory, WUSTL, Rice and smilar would get you in the same cost situation.
With a 4.0 and 35, the tradeoff to needing money is - you can go for dirt cheap - whether an Arizona (Honors), Alabama, Miss State, WVU, South Carolina, and more - and these guys all have Honors Colleges, etc.
Privates like Rochester, Brandeis might give you a better chance of merit - but - they are still pricey. Same with Denver - which seemingly gives everyone aid and is solid.
So you’ll have to make tradeoffs - to get to a budget figure. This is why schools like all the public flagships are loaded with kids like you.
You could also look at a school like FAU Honors (very small) or Georgia College and State U. Or a school like Charleston - where if you get into the Charleston Fellows, you could go for less.
Good luck.
Thanks. I’ve been looking into the free ones since I’ll definitely qualify for NMSF/probably NMF. I just didn’t particularly like the big college feel. But I’d rather go to a big college for free than a small college and be in debt.
What are the biggest differences you see between duke and vandy? I only toured both and I know Vandy has a really good music program.
Oh - you didn’t say that - then Tulsa, Fordham but for the best deal, Bama, Maine, UTD. Are you the one I posted a list to the other day?
Yes, you don’t want debt and you can only borrow $5500 anyway - but your parents can borrow more.
If you think they are the same (if you toured both) then that’s fair.
Vandy is in West End, a bustling commercial area…and Duke isn’t…that’s the main thing. The campus layout and architecture are different and Duke has the East campus where first years live.
Both similar…but have different envionments.
Possibly you are yes lol. Thanks for all your help!
They offer a lot more merit aid than Vandy and Duke and also have ED1 and ED2, while I think Duke and Vandy only have ED1.
Oh ok, thanks! I can’t ED because of the possibility they don’t offer enough aid. Good to know they offer more merit though
You can get out of ED if not enough financial aid (vs merit aid). I think also at Emory you might know where you stand on some of the merit by December but you should research.
Lehigh?
Lots of Gothic architecture nestled in the woods like a mini Duke except it’s situated on the side of a hill (read mountain if you’re from Louisiana). Not known for generous merit but much better likelihood than Duke or Vandy, particularly with your high stats. 75 minutes from Philly, 90ish minutes from NYC. Lots of school spirit with serious academics. Only negative for you might be weather – definitely four seasons but not super extreme weather by northern standards. Good luck!
Thanks! I’ve heard of it but never really looked into it.
Hello from a fellow Louisianian! Can’t say much about Duke/Vandy feel but if you are chasing merit Tulane would be pretty good. D got the scholarship of $120K over 4 years, honors college and now it seems that the legislative scholarship is pretty much finalized which would yield full ride.
If you like the vibe at Duke, you should definitely check out Wake Forest. Can’t speak to the possibility of merit money there.
Op I think you have to set a budget bcuz some of these, even with merit, may be $55k.
Do you have a desired figure ? The budget is far more important than finding a school with merit.
But if you are an NMF, you have that in pocket and you can ‘try’ others knowing you will ultimately be unlikely to attend….the Duke, Vandy types.
Yeah, I’m not 100% clear on my budget with my parents. It was 25k/year, then 10k, and now it’s somewhere between the two.
Yeah this is my strategy. Since I can have good safeties, I’ll find a few that I’m willing to put the time into trying for those hard-to-get scholarships. I was hoping to find some somewhere in the middle though where it’s still a reach for the scholarships, but not a near impossibility like with Duke, Vandy, Rice, etc
You’re highly unlikely for a Vandy but they offer full rides. Check each school to see if they do.
But if you do this and only have one safety or do, then you have to be ok going to a very time Tulsa or Bama or Fordham or Maine etc where you’ll be far from the only NMF. But for writing I’d look at Iowa, Sewanee, etc too.
You needn’t go to the highest ranked. It’s a very subjective field.
Furman is beautiful and can give good aid- a little on the small side, maybe, but still D1 sports.