<p>My D has a 3.86 UW and 4.26 W GPA
1400 SAT
31 ACT
Governor's School in Computational Physics
Girls State
Lettered Swim team 4 years but not placed on local or state level
NHS, Mu Alpha Theta
She took the tough classes including 7 AP
Key Club - very active in it
Student government
HOSA VP
volunteered this summer at local regional hospital
STEM program (1 of 5 in her high school)</p>
<p>We toured Davidson this summer and she loved it. We're middle of the middle class with another D who's a junior at a state school. Is there first, any chance of getting in and second, any chance of merit aid?</p>
<p>She certainly has a great profile and good leadership / extra curricular activities, so of course she’ll be competitive. She will need to write a strong personal statement and get recs from teachers who know her well, but she’s on the right track for sure.</p>
<p>Here’s a list of merit aid possibilities for Davidson. If this is very important to her and your family, it’s probably a good idea for her to look at some of the nomination/competition scholarships, because while the site says everyone is considered for merit aid automatically, I don’t know how common it is to get an award just with the decision.
[Merit</a> Scholarships - Davidson College](<a href=“http://www.davidson.edu/admission-and-financial-aid/financial-aid/scholarships]Merit”>Scholarships | Davidson)</p>
<p>Yeah! Good luck.</p>
<p>Also, I don’t know how merit aid and financial aid generally apply in [binding] Early Decision programs, but if Davidson is unquestionably her first choice, ED is an option worth exploring. Broadly speaking, ED tends to be a thumb on the scale in college admissions.</p>