<p>For my daughter, PSU and UPitt were always on her radar, and she was happy to have been accepted into both.</p>
<p>More as an afterthought, she also applied to Ohio State University in Columbus, and was accepted with the National Buckeye Scholarship for out-of-state applicants (available to students with a 28 or better composite ACT or a 1260 combined math and reading SAT score), worth $12,000 off each year. This brought the annual OSU tuition/room/board bill to about $3000 less than PSU and UPitt. She also received other scholarships not offered to her by either PSU or UPitt, bringing her bill far lower.</p>
<p>I don't raise this to start a comparison of the merits of PSU, UPitt and OSU. Only to bring to your attention that there are other nearby state flagship universities that might be good to consider, and which surprisingly might be less expensive. </p>
<p>She had a 3.5 unweighted GPA, and scores of 32 ACT composite and 1400 SAT (cr + m). </p>
<p>In addition to the National Buckeye Scholarship for out-of-state applicants, OSU offered her a spot in the “scholars” program. She was also awarded a second merit scholarship for the cost of tuition as a Morrill scholar. </p>
<p>ugh, our pa kids can get better deals out of state problem continues(not to mention better deals at some private schools too). Very happy for your daughter but it is a shame the two pa flagship schools do not offer more to kids in your daughter’s range. and before, i get blasted, I think Pitt is extremely genorous to the kids with great SAT scores(1500 out of1600 range) and applaud pitt for that. i just think the kids in the 1350 to 1470 range can get overlooked by both schools for merit aid, which is sad, cause those are still great scores and limits the options for pa kids to get that amazing big state school experience, unless they choose OSO or South Carolina or other out of state schools who offer great deals to them. I went to a flagship in another state(as a state resident) and the cost was a bargain. pa kids don’t really get that :/</p>
<p>My son had high GPA (4.3 or 4.4?) - funny how quickly you forget when you’re set with college - and ACT of 34. We’re OOS (in NY) and my son received a 15K tuition scholarship from Pitt and will be starting next month. A good friend of his from high school is going to Ohio State. The friend has respectable but lower GPA and ACT scores and he received considerably more merit aid than my son’s 15K. I was stunned to see how much Ohio State gives out.</p>
<p>Miami of Ohio also offered her an amazing merit scholarship, essentially full tuition and placement in the honors program (special dorm, priority course registration). </p>
<p>A college education (room/board/tuition) for about $11,000 a year, compared to PSU and Pitt’s price of
$28,000 a year, made her head spin. No debt! Money for grad school! </p>
<p>We had assumed this kind of treatment was reserved for National Merit Finalists, but Ohio offers it to many others as well.</p>
<p>yeah, we had with the just miss with the national merit semi-finalist so i know the ouch first hand the good news is for us is that kid did not really want to go to NM school anyway, and by just missing that cutoff, he got to go to his first choice school!!! and with a fat scholarship to boot! so he was glad he missed the NM as it took the pressure off him to accept a full ride had that door opened up. the costs of the rest of his schools were a lot closer. just to encourage you as you are in “the process” . Take care</p>
the good news is for us is that kid did not really want to go to NM school anyway, and by just missing that cutoff, he got to go to his first choice school!!! and with a fat scholarship to boot! so he was glad he missed the NM as it took the pressure off him to accept a full ride had that door opened up. the costs of the rest of his schools were a lot closer. just to encourage you as you are in “the process” . Take care</p>