<p>I wouldn’t COUNT on merit aid at any of the schools mentioned. My D is a soph at WashU. She was NMF, val, 33 ACT, ECs above average which included regional tennis champ and state medalist in singles, national work with a group that supports a chronic illness including lobbying in D.C. and creating the art for their annual fundraising holiday card, voted top math and science student by faculty, leadership positons, etc. etc. and only received $2,000 a year NMF award from WashU.</p>
<p>My nephew was NMF, val, Pres Schol semi, 2390 SAT (one and only testing), pretty good ECs, and received only the $2,500 NMF a year award from Northwestern.</p>
<p>My D sounds a little like your daughter. She is a quiet soul who prefers studying to socializing. Her study groups ARE her social groups. She is double majoring in a science and a language, while taking the premed prereqs. She spent last summer at Middlebury’s Summer Intensive Language Program. She’s never attended a sporting event on campus, but does go to the occassional lecture, theater performance, etc. that interests her. She is smart, she is kind, and has a megawatt smile that melts your heart. I will tell you that after breezing through high school, she is working her tail off at WashU to stay on the Dean’s List (3.5) every semester. She often tells us during phone conversations, e-mails or in texts, etc. about another amazing experience she has had with a professor - they just blow her away, as do the other students on campus. Often the last words she types in a correspondence are, “Ah, WashU!” She’s in love with the university!</p>
<p>I would suggest that your daughter visit each of the places - that is what made the difference for our D.</p>