<p>SAT: 2300, superscore 2340 GPA: 4.0 UW with somewhat rigorous schedule ECs: I won’t list them, but they are only slightly above average (sports heavy). School: Full-time dual-enrollment. I will be graduating high school with an AA. Awards: National Merit Major: Economics, Econometrics, or International Economics </p>
<p>Reaches: Cornell, UPenn, Brown, Georgetown, Swarthmore, Amherst, UVA, W&M Matches: Fordham (EA), Northeastern (EA), Boston University Safety: Drexel</p>
<p>I do not want to have a reach heavy list, but I am having trouble finding financial safeties. Four of the colleges on my list give scholarships to NMF’s. (Full tuition for Fordham, Northeastern, Drexel and 20k for Boston U) The other private schools supposedly offer full-need financial aid.</p>
<p>My parents had a high-ish EFC, but two other of my siblings will be in college next fall. Consequently, I would like to stick to a constraint of 16 to 22k. My instate residency is in Pennsylvania, and my parents will have also established residency in either Maryland or Virginia at the time of my enrollment (not at the time of application, so I will be applying OOS to UVA and W&M).</p>
<p>Could you please suggest a safety for me? I have ruled out Penn State and UPitt. Are there any other matches and reaches that I should consider? Would USC be a reach?</p>
<p>Yes, they will likely pay the full family contribution. </p>
<p>Maybe you could explain how having multiple siblings in college changes one’s EFC. The originial EFC was 48k, and my older sibling attends a public university that costs 22k. Does this mean the new EFC, for my twin and I, becomes about 26k?</p>
<p>My parents will pay public tuition, private school tuition if it is low, or the room and board for a full-tuition National Merit school-sponsored award. </p>
<p>I do not mind Drexel, but the award for NM is not guaranteed. :(</p>
<p>It’s hard to tell exactly what CSS Profile schools will do with sibling splits with family contribution.</p>
<p>We also don’t know what CSS schools will determine your “family contribution” to be with ONE child in school. FAFSA EFC may be $48k, but CSS may be a lot more since they can use home equity, etc.</p>
<p>Are you saying that your family will have 3 in college at the same time? an older sibiing, you and your twin? </p>
<p>CSS profile schools sometimes do a 60%/60% split when there are two in college. Not sure what they do with 3 in college…maybe something like 45%/45%/45%??? If so, then your parents will be paying a LOT.</p>
<p>Your sibling who is attending a state school will NOT likely see any new aid. Your parents will likely still have to pay full freight for that child. State schools rarely give much of anything when a student has an EFC beyond Pell. Even with 3 in college, the FAFSA EFC for the older sibling will be about $15k…that’s often too high for aid at a state school…except for loans. </p>
<p>If your FAFSA EFC for one child in college is $48k, then family income is likely around $150k. That doesn’t seem like a high enough income for a family to make large contributions to 3 kids’ college costs.</p>
<p>Please ask your parents how much they can pay for EACH child when 3 are in school.</p>
<p>Thank you again for a thorough reply! FA can be a confusing process…</p>
<p>More than likely, I won’t know exactly what my parent’s will contribute to each child until we file for FA and my twin and I are admitted to colleges. However, they clarified that they can pay the full EFC, but do not want to. With three children in school, I assume that will be difficult. </p>
<p>You are right that my sibling is only getting merit aid and loans at the state school. If the EFC was cleanly divided (at 15k each), my twin, who also plans on attending a state school, will probably not get need-based aid either. </p>
<p>Consequently, I am trying to cost as little as possible because I realize that they will be paying quite a bit. I believe that their income is around 140k, but they have saved rather than spent.</p>
<p>Thank you for your help on FA! I am sorry that I could not give you a definite answer. :(</p>
<p>Do you have any suggestions on shaping my list?</p>
<p>why not apply to some schools with great reps that may want you with scores/grades and may offer you a sweet deal.
would you go to a place a little further from home or not in your zone you seem to have set up?(northeast and VA)</p>
<p>Yes, I would consider farther away schools. I am aware of the big merit aid schools (Bama, Oklahoma, etc.), especially for NM and scores, but have not decided if I will apply to one.</p>
<p>would you look at a school like Coker College in SC or Centenary College in LA. they are both very good schools out of your box . I am not saying those schools are for you .I do think the fact you are from PA with great SAT scores and GPA might make schools like them want you and give you a sweet deal. (not those two schools per say, but schools like them) just a thought!</p>
<p>If you are a NMF who designates Texas A&M as first choice, you get a scholarship that includes out of state tuition waiver that leaves a remaining cost of attendance of about $12,500 per year.</p>
<p>I believe Drexel IS guaranteed full tuition for NMF this year – call your admissions rep and verify that. Even without that, your schools will get you high merit at Drexel.</p>
<p>My son was not thrilled with Bama, but agreed to visit. It was a great visit and he came away with a fantastic impression. He dropped all safety and all but 1 match schools about 2 weeks after the visit.</p>
<p>If you truly would not feel like you are “settling” at Drexel, I see no reason to add another safety. </p>
<p>If you are more comfortable with adding a safety, I’d encourage Bama or similar that have an easy application and would not add any essays.</p>
<p>True, although I am applying to BU’s honors college too. I have looked at Syracuse for other reasons, and I would not mind adding it. Do you know how generous and guaranteed their aid is? </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I visited both recently and did not exactly fall in love. Penn is too large and comparatively expensive. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That is sound advice, thank you! I think that most schools on my list have strong math departments, although I will double-check.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Hmm, I won’t be able to visit Bama or any of the large NM schools. I have heard great things about them, though, and should add one to my list. Which do you recommend most?</p>
<p>I would really not suggest Coker College in South Carolina UNLESS you are going to college solely to play sports. The location is awful and the academics are very poor.</p>
<p>'Cuse is not very generous with financial aid. I would suggest looking at the public schools you listed. UVA is fantastic, William and Mary and Maryland are both pretty good, etc.</p>
<p>Brandeis, College of the Holy Cross, the University of Rochester, and the University of Richmond are East Coast schools that are a bit less selective than many of the others. </p>
<p>In addition to meeting 100% of determined need, Richmond has generous merit scholarships. It’s a liberal arts college, but at ~3K undergraduates is larger than most other LACs. You might prefer it to a larger school such as Alabama if the net costs wind up in the same balllpark.</p>
<p>William & Mary and UVA are my top choices, but I will be applying OOS. Consequently, they may be reaches. :(</p>
<p>UMCP was actually the school I hoped people would advocate. How difficult are OOS admissions? I would apply to the honors college too. Thank you for your help, informative!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>These are good suggestions, thank you. URochester actually offers 17k per yr for National Merit, but I do not think I will apply. I especially like the College of the Holy Cross for its Jesuitness and Brandeis for its location, but for me, they are not entirely safeties. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>You are right; I am not terribly keen on very large schools (25k+). May I ask what admissions are like for URichmond?</p>
<p>Thank you for all the suggestions! This has been very helpful.</p>
<p>University of Richmond admissions data
Fall 2010 admit rate: 33% (RD), 55% (ED)
Average SATs: approx. 630 CR, 650M, 640W
Percent in top 10% of HS class: 54%
“Very important” admission factors: rigor of secondary school record & academic GPA.</p>
<p>Sources: USNWR & UR Common Dat Set (2010-11)</p>
<p>PR rates it 95 for selectivity, same as George Washington or Villanova.
W&M gets a 97, Wake gets a 94.</p>
<p>Richmond’s aid numbers look better to me than Wake’s, both for need-based and merit.</p>
<p>I’ve never been to UAlabama, but it has always seemed to me that it’s a very similar school to Penn State - large flagship school, big campus, big time football and school spirit, etc. The one advantage Bama has is its excellent financial aid. But if you’re not comfortable with Penn State, I’d find a way to visit Bama before relying on it as a safety.</p>
This has been very helpful.</p>