<p>^^^^^But applying ED is a terrible idea if you are full-pay (and thus don’t have financial reasons for backing out) unless you are positive that school is your top choice. I know this isn’t the OP’s situation, but it is for others, so be wary.</p>
<p>Not every ED school will provide the entire financial picture before you commit. I know that WashU does not award merit scholarships until after the ED commitment time-frame. I don’t know how many other schools operate this way.</p>
<p>^^That’s what I thought…that accepting ED would mean pulling other applications maybe before financial aid was determined. Guess you really need to check fine print on specific schools.</p>
<p>But remember that when admitted ED with financial aid, the school really, really wants you to attend (it’s willing to take a substantial financial “loss”), so if the school also gives merit money, talk to them before declining the ED offer.</p>
<p>I see a bunch of reach schools and no viable safety. I would spend some time and actually make some visits in the fall. Find out what the feeling is at the various schools. Make sure that a couple of safety schools are on the list. You could do Muhlenberg and Lehigh in one afternoon without any problem. With this many applications and no clear favorite I would encourage really narrowing the focus and identifying schools that your child would like to attend, it is an important decision. Best of luck!</p>
<p>beenthereanddone, I see that you have kids at PA LACs and have good knowledge of them, but with all due respect I think you are off base. This kid does have a safety: Northeastern. Sure, it would be a good idea to have another, just in case, and it could be Muhlenberg. When kids are viable candidates at the lottery schools, as this one is, narrowing down the list to be fewer than 11 or 12 is not a particularly valuable exercise IMHO. If what you meant was making sure that those 11 or 12 schools were ones he actually likes, rather than random selections, that I do agree with. :)</p>
<p>Lots can change between fall and spring of senior year. Few students have a really good feel of LAC vs large university so I would recommend a safety or 2 in each category. I say that because at first glance I question a student liking both Northeastern and Muhlenberg (sp?).</p>
<p>I would take the approach of applying EA to Northeastern (which is definitely a safety). Then if he gets in and likes it well enough (and is NMF and get full tuition) then drop the other safeties you would do RD and just concentrate efforts on reaches for RD round. If Columbia is top choice do ED there while doing EA at other places that let you.</p>
<p>kiddie: OP here. I think that’s the strategy we’ve come to. DS will apply EA to Northeastern. Pitt has also been suggested here and I will see if we can have him apply there early as well. </p>
<p>It really would make a difference to have an acceptance with good aid under his belt, and then we can go from there.</p>
<p>I don’t think anything will shake his interest in Columbia ED, unless we discover the likely cost is not doable. </p>
<p>We are not looking for the lowest cost possible, just that it’s something we can handle.</p>
<p>He really wants to be in a city but just put Middlebury on the list the other day. Yeah, don’t understand how that fits.</p>
<p>It may make sense to come up with just one more early action safety school beyond Northeastern. My son’s stats are not as good as your child’s, but he did come out of a very top, nationally ranked private high school with decent SAT scores and GPA. He applied to Northeastern early action and was a full pay student. He was accepted to a program that Northeastern has where you attend an international branch of Northeastern for the first semester and then matriculate at Northeastern in January. In my mind, it was a deferred admission, and a very pricey one at that. I’m not sure if we received that type of offer because of the full pay status (we could afford to send him to Australia), or if Northeastern didn’t think he was as good a candidate as others (certainly possible) . . .but our hs counselor thought it was a safety for our son for sure, and fortunately, we had other early action schools in the mix that took the pressure off. We didn’t think going abroad the first semester was an optimal way to start college. You’ll probably have better luck than we did since your child is a better candidate, but just throwing it out there in case.</p>
<p>Gee, that’s useful information amarylandmom. Where did your son end up going?</p>
<p>DS is definitely ok with Northeastern and McGill on the list and maybe we will add another (perhaps Pitt?) for a safety/match.</p>
<p>In MA, I second Tufts and would add Boston University and Clark University (Worcester) </p>
<p>I always feel badly when I hear kids don’t want to go to UMass. A common sentiment, but it really is a good school and the students I know thrived when there and after graduating.</p>
<p>My youngest (now 21) applied to two schools, my oldest applied to 4, and my middle one applied to two colleges and four conservatories. I cannot imagine applying to so many schools. My youngest applied to her two as early action and the stress was over in 6 weeks. I know noone does that these days, but still, winnowing it a little might help.</p>
<p>PITT, I believe has rolling admissions. Check the PITT forum but if memory serves then kids were applying in the summer during visits and hearing in September. When my daughter started in 2007 the application was VERY easy. When invited to apply for the Chancelor’s scholarship it did entail essays and then interviews if you made it that far. Alas she did not but full OOS tuition was VERY NICE indeed.</p>
<p>
Tufts is not a safety. Boston probably would be, but it is enormous and has no campus feel. Clark might be okay - I don’t think of them as a science school. I think Rochester is a better choice.</p>
<p>Pitt does have rolling admissions, but the first decisions do not go out until early October.</p>
<p>compmom, I hear you about UMass. I think it’s a fine school. However, it’s not all that affordable for us, what with out of state tuition, so it’s ok if it’s off as long as he has another safety.</p>
<p>I’m sure this has already been said, but the problem I see with that list is that there’s a huge drop-off from the highly selective schools to Northeastern and UMass Amherst. There’s no Trinity, Bucknell, Macalester, etc., on there.</p>
<p>UMass Amherst grants merit scholarships of up to $12k/year for high stat OOS kids. Your DS might qualify. We’re targeting UMass as my DD’s safety for that reason. I don’t think anyone has mentioned Case Western Reserve Univ in Cleveland. Great school (USN&WR #37) and probably a match for your DS’s stats, plus they are known for merit aid.</p>
<p>On the other hand, it isn’t called ZooMass because of the quality of its animal science major.</p>
<p>Northeastern’s stats have changed a lot since the last time I took a hard look at it.</p>
<p>They used to have lower SATs, freshman retention rates and graduation rates than BU. Now it’s the opposite.</p>
<p>By the way, their SAT ranges are higher than Bucknell’s.</p>
<p>Northeastern test Scores – 25th / 75th Percentile
SAT Critical Reading: 630 / 720
SAT Math: 650 / 740
SAT Writing: 610 / 710</p>
<p>My main concern with Northeastern is whether DS will have the same attention to writing he’d get at another institution. Also, he likes to talk about ideas. Does Northeastern’s practical bent, certainly admirable, make it not particularly intellectual?</p>