Compiling a list of Ohio colleges to consider for merit

What did she decide @Gatormama? My son is really close to probably going to Cleveland State (and their dorms were great!) - and we are not from Ohio.

@DHC - she’s a junior so no decision yet. Still amassing options and always up for hearing about more, so plz tell me all the things that made you pick Cleveland State? Tia!

I’m kind of late to the party but have you looked at Juniata in PA? They are a private LAC but they have an excellent environmental studies program and are known to be very generous with merit. Shippensburg also has a geoenvironmental program and her stats should get her merit there… And as a passhe school the COA at Ship even without merit is within your budget. Curious as to why you aren’t considering any of the passhe schools since it seems to me the better passhe schools are on par with schools like Youngstown etc.

@Gatormama Son that is leaning hard towards CSU is a music therapy major. He applied and passed auditions at 5 schools. Ohio ones were Baldwin Wallace and Cleveland State. PA ones was Slippery Rock. NY ones were SUNY Fredonia and Nazareth. He also was accepted to Wooster (no audition needed until Soph year of college).

Price? State Schools win hands down, so Slippery Rock, Fredonia and CSU. Best price and top notch amazing liberal arts college? Wooster, hands down. But after going through the intense audition season (and passing them all) he doesn’t want to face one more a year into college.

Quality of program and warmth of the professors is pushing him towards CSU. But top notch instructor in his instrument and very very high quality of music program is pushing him towards Fredonia. But he loved the CSU campus. City not fields like Fredonia. Great dorms. Big school, etc. And they give a lot of money for good ACT scores so he’s not being punished for being an OOS student there.

@DHC -thanks so much;we will be going through the same weeding out this time next year, with many of the same factors as priorities.
@zozoty - since I started this thread, theater tech has become the obsession, with an environmental studies/science major tossed aside for “if nothing else works out.”

So my search is now theater tech program-intensive. And yes, Slippery Rock is on our list, as is West Chester. Neither offers much, if any, merit; and there’s no BFA. I’ve run the NPC, and both would be about 23-25k.

Akron is very generous with aid but is know most in the area for their engineering program. Not sure about the env. sciences. Good luck on your search!

@Gatormama did you look at Ohio U for tech? It was on our original “Merit Money Tour of Ohio” Spring Break itinerary but bad weather took us off course. I think it might be a really good safety for both my kids (one of whom is also interested in tech) so I’m super disappointed we skipped Athens on this trip.

My daughter left PA for Cleveland state…amazing opportunities in Cleveland.
http://www.csuohio.edu/class/theatre-dance/playhouse-square

Loves the city, great location, DI athletics(if that matters to you, but no football), significantly less expensive than PASSHE schools, amazing dorms, new heath science building/facilities, new engineering building, new international school on campus…lots going on. Anyone in PA should at least take a look at CSU. $5/$10 Indian/Cav tickets for students…lots going on.

CSU is an urban experience…many kids now desire that more than my generation(we liked going to school in the corn fields…lol).

Part time job just down the street from dorm pays her $15/hour

Cleveland, once called the mistake on the lake, is on the cusp of cool…
http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-cleveland-20170716-story.html

@Bubblewrap666 - yes, we toured OU on a discover the arts day and I loved it. D liked it. Could move to love. Depends on offers, I guess. We will def. apply. @bester1, lol at mistake on the lake. Cleveland has been on the cusp of cool for over two decades. I love it and have great memories of trips there. We will add CSU to the list - thanks!

Denison is the strongest academically. They have both need based and merit money plus special scholarships. Run the NPC.
Next would be Ohio U and UCincinnati.
Is the budget due to a low EFC or an unaffordable EFC?
Look into Capital, Ohio, and Chatham, just in case.

@MYOS1634 - high EFC in a high-rent district. We will be cash-flowing this.

Thanks for the suggestions; will check them out.