<p>Does anyone have any knowledge of when EA applicants actually will start to hear? Does Earlham do merit aid? In the acceptance notification?</p>
<p>My D applied ED last year, so I don't know about EA notification. Earlham does give merit aid -- my D got a Presidential Honors Scholarship. Here's their web page on aid: <a href="http://www.earlham.edu/%7Esfs/content/award_descript.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.earlham.edu/%7Esfs/content/award_descript.html</a>. The award notification was not in the acceptance letter, it came a week or two later.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info. If you don't mind, what about Earlham convinced your D from the Bay area to go ED? My S is particularly interested by the biologists. He also likes the Quaker institutional approach. Earlham is one of his favorites. Thanks again.</p>
<p>My D wanted a small school with a strong community feeling and diverse student body. She wanted to go outside of California and didn't care about being near a big city or metropolitan area. She was very attracted by the Quaker values at Earlham, and initially was intrigued by the Peace and Global Studies major (she has since become interested in a different major). And she is a person who likes to know what's going to happen in the future, so she really wanted to find one school to love so she could apply ED and be done with it. </p>
<p>She's very happy at Earlham so far, at the start of her second semester. She says the student body is very non-homogeneous. It's not as racially diverse as her high school but there are a lot of different kinds of kids there -- my D says there's "someone for everyone". She's getting involved with a number of campus musical ensembles and is signed up for a May Term trip to Spain and Morocco. The required freshman seminar classes have proven to be very interesting. The food is pretty bad but she's tolerating it well, and she wishes the trip home wasn't QUITE so long, but other than that she's satisfied with her choice.</p>
<p>Good luck to your son in his decisions! I'd be happy to answer other questions if you have any. You can send me a PM if you like.</p>
<p>My daughter was accepted EA last year and also received the Presidential Honors scholarship. She fits in well at Earlham, a bit quirky herself. To her amazement there are just too many interesting people and she doesn't have time to get to know them all. She's interested in animals, psychology, gender studies, art... and I think she'll dabble a bit before deciding on a major. She's found the school to be a genuinely supportive community. Read up on the Society of Friends and the statement of principles that accompanies the acceptance letter.</p>
<p>My husband and I are field biologists and we felt comfortably at home visiting the Biology department. Many of the profs incorporate field experiences into their courses and conduct research in locations like the Caribbean and the desert southwest.</p>
<p>My friend got his Earlham notification in December. I believe it depends on when the application was submitted.</p>
<p>To answer my own question previously posted. EA app filed 11-30-06-- thickish letter in the mailbox 01-31-07.</p>
<p>My son got his acceptance letter today and is very happy. I will not be happy until I hear about aid. The scholarhips link is very vague. How much is the Presidential Scholarship? What are the qualifications? How about the other merit scholarships? Thanks for any information.</p>
<p>My daughter's Presidential Scholarship is $7,000 per year. I don't know the qualifications, I think it was awarded based on her overall application.</p>
<p>Thanks, beltrami.</p>
<p>My son got his very nice thick envelope from Earlham yesterday. And a very personal letter. Now there will be some tough decisions to make. I've seen Bigpicdad on other college forums here so our sons must have some overlap in their wishlists. My son has been accepted at Knox, Cornell and Beloit. Is this a common LAC list?</p>
<p>I got my EA acceptance letter a couple of days ago. Would I have heard in the letter about money or is that letter coming later? According to the website I should qualify for atleast some.</p>
<p>DD heard a week or so ago about her acceptance RD. Merit and Fin Aid notification must be coming later.</p>
<p>Yes, (although I'm not really familiar with the process) I think some merit letters will go out soon. Financial aid otherwise seems likely to wait on the FAFSA which has a deadline in March, but is preferred by Feb 15, I think.</p>
<p>One of my friends is waiting on the aid letter to make a decision...</p>
<p>He really likes Earlham, but aid is a concern.</p>
<p>Son got letter today telling him he won an Earlham Presidential Scholarship award of $7000. He is delighted, but I still don't know if we can afford it.</p>
<p>Beloit and Earlham attract many of the same students; Lawrence is also a close competitor. I'd put Grinnell and Macalaster as higher-end (academically) competitors. Knox is equally good but perhaps not quite as liberal or quirky. Cornell's unique course arrangement (one class at a time I believe) puts off some students. My DD received a $9K Presidential Scholarship at Earlham, an $11K at Lawrence and a $14K at Beloit, which seems to be trumping all others in her interest. She describes Earlham as a little more "granola" than Beloit, whatever that means to an 18 yr old!</p>
<p>Curious. my son got the same scholarship at Earlham, was rejected from Lawrence and was accepted but got no money from Beloit. Go figure. He got a nice offer with money from Knox and that may be his first choice. Not sure. He really liked Earlham but we were a little concerned ourselves about the "granola" factor. He is a bit conservative politically and thought Earlham might be a challenge. Good thing he enjoys debate! We are still waiting on the rest of the hundreds of schools he applied to.</p>
<p>Most of the LACs mentioned tend to be liberal, but in yrs past Beloit and Lawrence were well-known for their 'quirky' factor--toned down at both now. Earlham has the unique Quaker factor which while liberal probably limits the quirkiness a bit. Knox might be a better fit for a more middle of the road student than theh others. We are from Illinois and my DD hated Galesburg, so wouldn't even consider Knox (but I did not see where Grinnell, IA or Beloit, WI or Richmond, IN were much different!). She found Il Weselyan too conservative, Lake Forest too preppy, didn't like the trimesters at Lawrence, the MN and MI schools were too far north, Earlham is in Indiana which is a no-no for some reason. I know 'fit' is important, but I frankly haven't been able to keep up with her changing criteria. I do know that Beloit seeks students with "passion" for their interests. She has gone from 20+ to 11 applications/acceptances to 4 favorites to a dead heat between two--I will be glad when May 1 arrives! The mailings and emails are already beginning with her 10th grade sister but at least she is very focused and has her career (pharmacy) and selection of schools already determined.</p>