<p>Looking for advise on whether to apply Ed or RD?
Heard from some parents u get no finaid if u apply ed.
My D's stats are:
3.96/4.0 unweighted GPA
32 ACT
7/250 rank
Rigor of curriculum good
EC's : Piano, lots of volunteering.</p>
<p>It probably matters where she applies. Many people advise not to apply ED if one wants merit aid because why should the college try to lure you with $ if you've already committed to going there if accepted.</p>
<p>Some colleges, however, allege to reward ED applicants by giving them merit aid. As for me, I wouldn't take that risk. I'd rather have my kid be in a position to compare offers and negotiate.</p>
<p>Thanks. but how would it look if u apply in september and go RD...
what advise about schools for my D
Looking for career in health sciences/biology field.</p>
<p>What does she want in her college education in terms of type of college, size, whether she wants to be in a sorority, rural/urban, religious oriented college, conservative/liberal, all girls school, co-ed?</p>
<p>What state does she live in and how far away from home are you willing to allow her to go? Are finances any concern?</p>
<p>What has she accomplished with the piano? What kind of volunteering has she done? Any awards or projects that she has organized?</p>
<p>What APs has she taken and has she gotten any AP and/or SAT II scores? PSAT score? (I'm assuming she's a rising senior. True?)</p>
<p>She is looking for mid-size school, suburban, co-ed .
Live in MI. Distance does not matter if she is happy.
Hoping to get some non-need based scholarship. Waiting for AP scores-she's taken AP US History and AP Chem. no sat II's yet
In piano, she's gotten a superior rating for the last three years for michigan federation. Volunteering--at hospital, tutoring. She has over a hundred hours of volunteering.</p>
<p>With her stats she should be able to apply RD and still be eligible for merit opportunities. Kalamazoo and Alma in Michigan would be good choices, I know of kids who have received merit aid at both of these schools. In Ohio, some choices would be Ohio Wesleyan, Otterbein, Hiram, Wittenberg, Denison and maybe Kenyon. Although Kenyon is becoming a reach, so merit opportunities might be a stretch. In Indiana, I would look at DePauw (very strong in the sciences) and Earlham.</p>
<p>Does she want to continue to study piano in college. It might be a factor in determining a school and certain schools could offer money for those who wish to pursue music. I am thinking of Wittenberg, there could be others.</p>
<p>Most of the schools that I mentioned were popular with my S's friends. They reported that they received good merit aid at these schools, with the exception of Kenyon. I think that Kenyon was generous with need based aid, but I did not hear of merit aid.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input. She had K College on her list, but none of the other ones. </p>
<p>Any more suggestions, anybody? </p>
<p>Any suggestions of schools even without merit scholarships.</p>
<p>My S. will be going to Kalamazoo this fall. They also offer EAI and EAII rounds in addition to ED and RD. S. applied EA and the merit offer followed just a couple of weeks after his acceptance letter. K College's Honors Scholarships are awarded up to $13,000 per year. Your D's stats should put her at the top award level. My S's award was very generous. Since you live in Michigan, you're probably aware of K's very impressive Dow Science Center: <a href="http://www.kzoo.edu/biology/facilities.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.kzoo.edu/biology/facilities.html</a></p>
<p>thanks.</p>
<p>Why not umich for your S? Just curious if u would like to share.</p>
<p>Well, since you're new to these Boards, you missed all the fun the last few months on the U-M forums...:eek: You can do a search and see many threads dedicated to the admissions bloodbath that took place this year. Long story short, after a 6-month deferral, S. was rejected, double legacy and all. However, during that time, he already had moved on. He was recruited to play football at Kalamazoo and, as I mentioned previously, received a very nice merit award as well. Once his decision was made to attend K, he blew off the U-M deferral and never looked back.</p>
<p>Sorry abt that.
K college is very good anyway. Will try and read up on the U-M forum.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Tanmom--
Kalamazoo has posted the 2007-08 online application as well as the various admissions programs/deadlines. They also accept the Common App. If your D. applies under EAI, she'll have a decision before Christmas. Unlike ED, EA is non-binding and the enrollment deposit isn't due until May 1st. Merit award offers are mailed out approx. two weeks after each round of decisions. <a href="http://admissions.kzoo.edu/admissions/application/%5B/url%5D">http://admissions.kzoo.edu/admissions/application/</a></p>
<p>Generally if you really need financial asistance, either need based or merit, it is not a good idea to apply ED. Since it commits her to attending, how will she go if she can't pay?</p>
<p>If you need financial aid, discourage your child from applying ED since that commits him to that particular college, no matter the aid package.</p>
<p>If you merely want merit aid, but don't need it, AND your child has a clear-cut first choice, then do apply ED. ED candidates have a leg up on RD ones, especially if the number of applicants to schools continue to increase.</p>
<p>Be forewarned, though: kids change over senior year. First choices in September are not always first choices in April.</p>
<p>Thanks I will have D start on K applicn.</p>
<p>With her stats any ideas on admissions with or without aid to Duke,Univ. of Chicago,Vanderbilt,WashU,Northwestern,GWU,UPenn.</p>
<p>Are these all very high reachies?</p>
<p>Her stats seem OK, but not top of the line for the most competitive schools on the list. The weakest part of her application are her ECs, which unless you've left out some major information, seem unremarkable for most of the colleges on the list.</p>
<p>If "lots of volunteering" means she put in a lot of volunteer hours, that won't make her stand out in the admission pool at most of the college that you mention, that weigh impact and leadership far more heavily than hours.</p>
<p>The very top schools like U Penn. Duke and Chicago have an overabundance of students who have pursued music ECs, so playing the piano also won't cause her to stand out unless she has accomplished something like winning international competitions or playing solo concerts at Carnegie Hall. </p>
<p>I think that GWU may be a match for her. UPenn, Duke and probably U Chicago are distant reaches, the others are reaches. I don't think she's strong enough to get merit aid from any of the schools that you listed including GWU, which I think would be more likely to give merit aid to a student with greater chances of getting into places like Ivies.</p>
<p>If she wants merit aid, she'd have a greater chance of getting it at places like American U and Fordham than at any of the schools on the list that you posted. Is she not applying to any of Michigan's excellent public and private universities? Perhaps she should consider U Mich. because it has some very nice options of learning communities.</p>
<p>Addnal info would be
Science olympiad to state 2 years
NHS,Key club,French Club,Math Club.
Student rep on YWCA board.</p>
<p>She is applying to U Mich and Michigan State.
Could both these be saftey schools?</p>
<p>Those schools you mentioned are also some of the most expensive in the country. My nephew will be attending U-Chicago this fall, with not a dime in merit aid, at a price tag of $48,000+ per year...OUCH. GWU is also stratospheric at $50,000+, Northwestern $46,000+, etc. If she's thinking about a career in the health sciences, perhaps save all that cash for med school?</p>
<p>MSU definitely is a safety. Have you looked at the Lyman Briggs residential college? It's supposed to be an excellent option for science majors and very challenging. She should be fine for U-M as well, but she must apply EARLY. That's the name of the game with rolling admissions schools. I believe the app is available starting sometime in August.</p>
<p>Good suggestions. Umich applicn is Aug 2</p>