<p>There are quite a few FFF (I really like that), so you are not alone.</p>
<p>We have been paying for our kids’ private education for 13+ years, college tuition is only a few thousand $ more, so it’s not as a big of a sticker shock for us. We have 2 more years of paying for 2, and 5 more years of paying for one after that (who is counting). After that, I am getting my walking closet.</p>
<p>I don’t know about Charleston specifically but I know that some merit scholarships do require you to fill out FA forms regardless of ability to pay. Many do not, however. It sounds like you are saying it’s W and M, regardless, though - congratulations!</p>
<p>“but it really bothered me to contemplate that we might be the chumps who pay full freight out of ignorance when everyone with a brain negotiates something.”</p>
<p>Most people aren’t negotiating something. You can’t judge the world by CC. Most people I know are sending their kids to state universities, and are paying full freight there if their kids didn’t get the merit aid that high achieving kids in my state can take to any state school they want to. </p>
<p>People who are sending their kids to private colleges either are paying full freight or have need-based aid. Some of their kids got merit aid, some did not. </p>
<p>I can’t think of anyone whose kid is going to an excellent public – rated as high as W&M who’s getting merit aid. </p>
<p>My older S got offered merit aid from a 2nd tier public, but I had researched carefully the universities before he applied, so I knew he had good chances of getting merit aid from second tier publics. However, he didn’t get any merit (or need based) from his first choice, Michigan, the highest ranked school --a top 25 one- that was he was accepted to, so he chose to go to a public that had offered him excellent merit aid since he was one of their top picks that year.</p>
<p>I think that the chances of your D’s getting merit aid are none. If that had been important to you, you needed to have had her apply to schools where she would have been a top pick. Otherwise, feel happy with your D’s excellent options, and if you don’t want to pay full freight for W&M, have her contribute through employment or taking out a loan.</p>
<p>Cindy – For some reason, “FFF” conjured up the image for me of Margaret Wise Brown’s book the Little Fur Family. I pictured the mommy and daddy sitting at their little kitchen table writing out their little fur tuition check!</p>
<p>Re merit aid: At some schools, all applicants are automatically considered for merit aid. At others, students have to file separate applications to be considered for merit awards. And at some, financial need is a consideration in awarding merit aid – sort of a hybrid.</p>
<p>You have to look at each school individually - some want you to file for financial aid in order to be considered for merit, some don’t. </p>
<p>Regarding the comments on p.1 of this thread from the former president of GWU, they have shifted this year to more need-based aid. On the GW thread, I see a lot more awards that are both need and merit based than the pure merit ones.</p>
<p>This is really a case for figuring out what your stand is on paying for college way ahead of time and communicating it clearly to your D/S. Recently, I met someone who said that he told his son early on, it’s either merit scholarships at a private to bring the cost down to public univ’s costs, or a in state public university. This is what he was willing to pay. So his son knew, as he started high school, that if he wanted to go to a LAC, he needed the grades to win a substantial scholarship. Which he did. When I heard this story, I wanted to kick myself for not thinking of it myself. By that point, it was too late (D had put in applications already to LAC’s), and I felt it was unfair to spring it on her at that point. (Also, she worked really hard in HS. This whole thing presupposes that your child can actually pull down those top grades and SAT scores. If she can’t, and you can almost afford a private, like us, you may not have the heart for it.)</p>
<p>As a warning to parents of juniors and sophomores, you should start investigating the financial aid policies of the colleges NOW. My daughter graduated from high school in 2006, when we checked out William and Mary they were very open about no merit scholarships for OOS. They actually have very little merit aid and their preference is for in-state. </p>
<p>That is one thing I have learned from CC is to listen to what everybody says and then independtly verify the information that is important to me.</p>
<p>Hope this will make you feel a little better. CoCharleston doesn’t use/need the FAFSA when deciding merit aid:
“Students eligible for state and institutional scholarships will be automatically awarded based on the transcripts that the College of Charleston has for the student. Visit the scholarship page for more information.”</p>
<p>Here’s a related question that has been rattling around in my head:</p>
<p>What on earth can explain the fact that D was admitted to all three public colleges she applied to (with two being admits to the Honors Colleges at those publics) and rejected/waitlisted by all five private colleges?</p>
<p>The economy has tanked, people are scrambling to find ways to send their kids to college, the newspapers are full of stories about bright kids with money having all the advantages, rumors swirl about the publics being awash in a tsunami of applications this year. </p>
<p>Yet the private colleges D applied to were unanimous in their “Thanks but no thanks” replies, while the public colleges were unanimous in their “Come on in.” I never would have predicted this result this year.</p>
<p>Any guesses on what might have been going on there?</p>
<p>As I recall, she applied to mostly reaches, and one of her “no thanks” responses was from Brown? Others were from some top tier schools as well? Even in this economic climate a reach is still a reach, and Brown and Wesleyan and the like are still turning down a vast majority of students. Her being full pay wasn’t going to improve her chances at Brown, and Wesleyan is DEEPLY committed to a level economic playing field. But if she was waitlisted at some schools, the economy will probably increase her chances of coming off of a waitlist.</p>
<p>As to your question about merit scholarships – I believe that need-based aid and merit money are totally separate entities. The merit money usually comes when the college is salivating to get you because you are at the top of their heap of applicants. Again, a reach acceptance probably won’t get you any money. That was the case with us. Nice $$$ elsewhere, the big reach, nada. We didn’t apply for need-based aid. The money offered was merit scholarships.</p>
<p>By the way, aren’t you glad all of this is almost over?</p>
<p>OMG, you have no idea how thrilled we are that this is almost over!!</p>
<p>The only thing to which it compares is when the doctor says, “OK, the head is out. Just give me one more big push!”</p>
<p>No?</p>
<p>Too soon?</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>I know that my son (#13 in class) was waitlisted at Princeton, while the kid who was #1 in his class was rejected. So who knows why these decisions were made?</p>
<p>My daughter was waitlisted at W&M two years ago, spent some time on the waitlist, and was ultimately not accepted. She had wonderful grades and scores and was NMF also. I was more disappointed than she was, but the whole family loved the school, with its top academics, lovely campus, quirky student body, long list of traditions, etc. etc. Bottom line, it is very very difficult for an OOS female to be accepted. My daughter moved on and is extremely happy at her chosen school, but I retain a warm spot in my heart for W&M. So congrats to your daughter for getting in. Best of luck to her!</p>
<p>Yeah, these things are so hard because you can imagine so many different ways your child’s life could go depending on their college. And yet, there are so many ways they could be fine, too.</p>
<p>“What on earth can explain the fact that D was admitted to all three public colleges she applied to (with two being admits to the Honors Colleges at those publics) and rejected/waitlisted by all five private colleges?”</p>
<p>Some OOS publics are taking more out of state students this year because the out of state students pay more. Since OOS students also tend to be stronger than in-state admits, makes sense that your D could get into honors colleges at those public schools.</p>
<p>I wish I had understood that better, Northstarmom. D absolutely loved UNC. Thought it was the best college we saw. Decided it would be a complete waste of postage to apply (no one from our high school seems to get in there) and so didn’t apply. She had a friend who made the waitlist, so maybe UNC could have been a possibility? Eh, live and learn . . .</p>
<p>UNC-CH (all NC publics) are capped at 18% for OOS students. This inlcudes all athletic recruits as well. That (18% cap) truly compounds the difficulty of OOS students getting into UNC.</p>
<p>Kat</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>This is true for many schools, but doesn’t apply to the Virginia schools like UVA and W&M, where the in-state to OOS ratio is 2/3 to 1/3. I’m not sure if that’s by statute or just tradition, but that’s what it is. I’m sure UVA and W&M could fill every seat with non-Virginians if they chose to!</p>
<p>“I wish I had understood that better, Northstarmom. D absolutely loved UNC.”</p>
<p>Don’t blame yourself. Lots of the admission policies unexpectedly changed this year due to the horrendous economy. Your D has some wonderful choices, including W&M, which is a lovely school with an excellent reputation.</p>
<p>Another FFF here - taking comfort in the image of OldFort putting her children’s education ahead of the dreamed-for walkin closet. Putting one’s hard-earned savings toward education shouldn’t leave one feeling like a chump!</p>