<p>Bsymom - IMHO - which few agree with - my D was admitted to a couple of her schools based largely on her essay. For UofC her Where is Waldo essay was pitch perfect! In fact, they contacted her to feature an excerpt on their website but she ended up not choosing UofC so that never happened. WUSTL does not have a supplement - so the Common App Personal Statement becomes super important there.</p>
<p>@CRD and Kennedy - USC for the OP refers to the institution in Columbia, not Los Angeles. Go *****!</p>
<p>Also, applying ED anywhere when finances are an important part of the decision is a risky approach. Even if WUSTL matches their NPC figure, OP has stated that this dollar amount will be challenging. The applicant will potentially be faced with the agonizing decision of accepting his first choice school for a high price (without seeing any other offers) or rejecting, based on finances, what might turn out a few months later to be his best offer.</p>
<p>Interesting that South Carolina’s mascot (abbreviated form of Gamecocks) was edited out of my post. OOPS!</p>
<p>Oh, OK. By the way WUSTL offered the best financial package. I never ran the NPC though. Maybe I should…</p>
<p>Oh, OK. By the way WUSTL offered the best financial package. I never ran the NPC though, shame on me. Maybe I should now…</p>
<p>Kennedy, it would be really interesting (perhaps enlightening!) to see how your financial package compares with what the NPC says…</p>
<p>I ran the NPC and is was no where close to the package D received. I do not have an explanation to offer.</p>
<p>Does WUSTL have a reputation for “preferential packaging” of FA, i.e. giving more money to more desirable applicants?</p>
<p>I know some schools do this, but none that I have heard of are nearly as selective as WUSTL.</p>
<p>I have no idea about the explanation. I never ran any NPCs for any of the schools either of my kids applied to. Today was the first time - not sure what to think.</p>
<p>Oh, I do know that being need aware may help decide where to distribute funds.</p>
<p>If WashU is his favorite school, I second the suggestion to ED there. WashU is need aware in admissions, but meets need. So, if you can manage to afford the EFC, you can assume to get financial aid to cover the rest. However, if you can’t afford the family EFC, WashU’s merit awards are very competitive and can’t be counted on. ED definitely improves chances of acceptance at WashU, if the student’s stats are “within range”, and your S’s definitely are. </p>
<p>I also would think about adding another couple of schools to his list, since the more selective schools are just so unpredictable. Perhaps Rice, Tulane? Maybe Furman as a financial safety, since he would be a good candidate for merit aid?</p>
<p>Um, I realize that each applicant is an individual - however S was admitted to Rice 3 years ago and similar to USC for D this year - they came with the worst package of any of his schools.</p>
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<p>Hah! Good one.</p>
<p>Davidson had great aid for the family I know. Yes, it seems to be a rigorous school but the student I know absolutely loves it.</p>
<p>OP: The postcard you got from the study abroad professor at UA was from Dr. Halli, the original Dean of the Honors College. He sends them every year from the Alabama at Oxford program. He’s a wonderful man. </p>
<p>Here’s my take after 2 rounds with 2 NMF high stat kiddos (although their numbers weren’t quite as high as your S’s: D1 applied to 5 schools; she could have applied to 1. She knew where she loved, it was an absolute safety, had her admission in hand before senior year started in August & she received an automatic full tuition and room scholarship (UA.) <em>I</em> “made” her apply to the other 4 because I knew that minds change over senior year and I didn’t want her to look back & say “what if.”</p>
<p>D2 applied to 7 schools. She had different criteria than D1. She needed bigger than her HS, but didn’t want a huge school. She applied to 2 super reaches, 1 match & 4 safeties. 1 was an absolute financial safety (UA,) 2 were likely financial safeties (Miami of Ohio, College of Charleston.) When she got the merit award letter from Miami, she looked at me and said “now I don’t have to go to Alabama.” </p>
<p>D2 has some amazingly high performing friends & I was stunned at some of the admissions decisions this year. It seems to have gotten more unpredictable since D1 went through. </p>
<p>Since you mentioned CBHP at UA and that your S didn’t feel like a Tech kid, and since you’re planning a visit to U of South Carolina, may I suggest that you take a gander at College of Charleston? It’s a liberal arts college adjacent to a teaching medical center with a Biochemistry major available. They have an Honors College and with a 35 ACT and probable NMSF, he may be in line to get an invite to interview for their William Aiken Fellows. It’s in the heart of Charleston so his initial reaction to Vandy being “too urban” may mean he finds CofC too urban as well, but Charleston’s a different kind of urban than Nashville.</p>