Would Emerson be worth a look? In Boston, gives merit aid (though I don’t have a sense of how much), don’t think it has a football team, pretty sure it’s fairly liberal. Not as diverse as some, though.
I’ll second U of Denver. No football but good sports in hockey, lacrosse, skiing. Limited Greek life. Great study abroad programs. Big international relations program (2 secretaries of state as alums). Urban.
There is a ton of overlap between the schools suggested and a bunch on my kid’s long list, so here are some from there that haven’t been mentioned yet. I can’t speak to IR / poly sci, since that’s not her area of interest, but smallish, happy kids, and not-rural are what she was looking for.
Lawrence
Rhodes
Trinity U (TX)
Rollins
Soka (this is a love it or hate it)
Southern Methodist (secular despite the name, but the name was a deal breaker for mine; may be too big)
U Denver
U Tulsa
Whitman
Eckerd is completing dorm renovations this summer. They will accept the Bright Futures and will give merit aid, with his stats, he would be eligible for $21,000 per year. Eckerd now has the Peace Corps Prep program, January term at the UN, London Study Center, huge study abroad programs for semester/winter term/summer/spring service break abroad/ spring into summer programs. They also have a diplomat in residence. eckerd.edu/internationaled/spring/
It is a green campus and known for environment and ecology. There is a Phi Beta Kappa chapter and an honors program, Senior capstone project and a required reflective service learning.
At Denver, my D (with same exact ACT and slightly higher GPA) was offered the max merit scholarship of $26,000. Their direct cost (without expenses, books, and travel) is about $64,000, so that could take it down to $38,000.
Denver does seem a lot like American (midsize, urban though a little removed from the center of things, big on international studies), though it’s easier to get into and the merit aid is more likely. Party/pot culture is likely to be a thing there to some extent. And it’s big on hockey, not football.
Hey. I was in a similar situation recently (and had some friends whose experiences compensate as well), so here are my few cents:
~American U: I had a friend apply there. They seem to practice heavy yield protection in RD round, so watch out. Don’t hear the best thing about their aid, but no first-hand experience.
~UMiami:They might give a grant; try the NPC. Don’t let the Bright Futures/In-State discount fool you; that combined probably not make or break it for you (check NPC). Still, it would be a great school if you can afford it.
~A few things:
Has he looked into honors programs at colleges? They’re supposed to be smaller, more personalized segments of large public colleges that feel more like LAC lite. A friend of mine last year was kinda like your son - wanted a small college to study pre-law/biz/international and tried for Georgetown, Emery, and American - and ended up going to FSU because their honors program was very alluring and the price was hard to pass up (just finished his first year and really enjoyed it). Those would be very appealing financially, and he might like them.
Remember that schools have presidential etc. scholars awards for top applicants. Definitely don’t expect it or anything, but if a mostly need-awarding school is just so appealing, might as well apply just in case he gets it.
I’ll throw in Richmond and Wake Forest just because they have great programs in what your son wants to do, but not sure about if how well they would be financially (they’re pretty need-heavy, like Macalester).
It’s about $10k/yr now, or $40k over 4 years, so not something to be dismissed lightly. UMiami also has other merit awards too.
I second Whitman. Really lovely school, though it’s become a tough admit, but the OP’s son should be competitive. Definitely a liberal place and not sports obsessed. Out of the way, which might not excite the OP’s S, but Walla Walla is supposed to be such a nice small city (30,000+) that maybe he can be flexible, especially if it means going to school in the PNW?
The OP has sent one child to a CTCL school (NOTE: full transparency, I am also a CTCL grad), so the OP should already know that CTCL schools and similar non-CTCL colleges are the places for merit. I realize that the OP’s S is not strictly looking at LACs, but it’s tough to find significant merit. There are so many schools that would give the OP’s S strong enough merit to bring COA down to the 35K range, only if he would expand his reach. But the OP knows this!
Let’s see. Lake Forest is just north of Chicago in a very wealthy suburb, but sports and its pre-professional vibe might be a turnoff. Still, significant merit would be found there, and it offers a popular PS & Govt. major. Hendrix in AR checks every box perfectly, but it’s in a rural location. Excellent school and merit would be sizable, and Hendrix has a Politics and International Relations major. Conway, AR (where HX is located) is only 35 minutes from Little Rock, so perhaps internships and study of state government would be possible. I really love Ohio Wesleyan, and Political Science and Govt is a popular major. Delaware, OH is not a happening place, but it too is only 35 minutes from Columbus.
Um…what else? Ursinus is 35 minutes (lots of 35-minute schools!) outside of Philly, though PS/IR doesn’t register among the top ten majors. K-zoo C. in K-zoo. (population 75K)? Willamette has already been mentioned, and it’s a great choice, as it is quite literally across the street from the state building. You might as well also look into Lewis & Clark in Portland, OR. It also has a strong IR major, and it is definitely a liberal environment. How L&C is not in the CTCL book is beyond me.
Honestly, I would lose Goucher. Goucher is, well, it’s Goucher! It might be the right fit for some, but it’s sort of like Reed without the intellectual intensity in its student body. I know. That’s a sweeping generalization, but Goucher’s reputation, fair or unfair, is that it’s sort of the slacker, n’eastern Reed. Another comp: liberal artsy, former women’s college version of Hampshire. OP’s son would be a shoo-in at Goucher. In fact, he doesn’t need to fill out a full application. He can do a selfie video and he’ll be admitted without hesitation, with huge merit. If the OP’s son loves Goucher, okay. Otherwise, I would axe it.
I’ll play!
UPS (university of puget sound) loves test scores), should see decent merit and may hit budget goal.
Willamette, same as above
Lewis and Clark, and Whitman are both more selective than the first 2 and less generous. I’d run their NPC but both would be great additions
On that note though, Walla Walla is lovely (as an adult though) and Whitman is top notch.
Agree with removing Goucher
American is not known to be generous with merit for donut hole families, horrible net price calculator.
Ursinus is a nice east coast/mid atlantic option. Similar vibe to UPS, east coast style and the test score would mean guaranteed merit that I think puts it in budget.
U Denver is nice but I would think outside of price range. Suggest looking at Seattle University.
I’d also suggest looking at: St. Olaf, Muhlenberg, Lawrence
Ditto on Willamette (I have a kid there if you have any specific questions) and Lewis and Clark (was her 2nd choice, she got less merit aid there. Gorgeous campus and Portland is a more interesting city than Salem, although Salem is only an easy hour’s drive away if you have a car or a friend with a car (or take the train)).
BTW, this would only appeal to a small group and probably not your son’s particular interest group, but among Lewis and Clark’s many options for semester-abroad programs is one where I think it’s mostly based in New Zealand but they go to Antarctica for a bit for field research. How cool is that?
Based on last year’s experience, Dickinson and Macalaster’s merit maxed out at 20K, so that would come in over your budget.
Case Western checks a lot of boxes. It is not just a tech school. Nice urban environment. Greek life but more service-oriented than party-oriented. Serious students. Demonstrated interest is VERY important and admissions are not predictable. Offers merit money up to about 30K and offers a few full tuition awards by separate application.
Also agree that Willamette and Puget Sound are worth a look.
Some of my D’s friends looked into Redlands in Southern California. There may be merit there, but I’m not sure.
Redlands would have merit, good idea. Could come under 40. We looked at it and it is lovely. Not sure program wise for the majors.
Hi Collegefortwins - I rarely feel qualified to chime in on threads, but my D graduating HS next month had similar priorities and profile to your S - wanted urban, diverse, smaller, study abroad. She definitely wanted an LAC. She is undecided major but with humanities and possible IR bent. ACT 33, 34 for rare school that superscores, with pronounced tilt toward English/Reading (and science, which seems to me to be almost as much about reading as science) subscores vs. lower for math. And we are a donut hole family (although not entirely full pay at the most expensive schools, our EFC is high enough that merit was a priority too).
I’d say the initial list looks really good and you and your S have clearly done your homework. Our D’s final application list included, among others, Occidental, Puget Sound, Lewis and Clark, Rhodes, and Clark. All offered merit. Some impressions of those and other schools you may or may not consider that my D looked at:
Occidental: Bias alert, my D chose Occidental. It seems to check many of your son’s boxes. Although Eagle Rock is not downtown LA urban, it is plenty urban, genuinely close to downtown, and connected to as much other urbanity as anyone could want. My D also felt that Occidental’s commitment to coursework and a campus culture that embraces and uses LA as an urban resource was authentic. Diverse and progressive/liberal student body. Lots of wealth like many LACs, but also higher % than most LACs of students who qualify for Pell Grants. Student body of 2000 students, many of whom skew English/reading in ACT profiles like your S and my D (per IPEDS). Strongly committed to study abroad as part of the culture with high % of students participating in overseas programs. Diplomacy and World Affairs major is one of the school’s headliners, and campaign semester and UN semester also highly regarded opportunities. Emphasis on civic engagement.
Puget Sound: We visited, and it is a beautiful campus in a beautiful part of the world, and Tacoma seems (like Worcester) better and more live-able than its reputation. More manageable urbanity than LA obviously, and proximity and ease of access to the sound and the parks on the sound put peace and beauty easily accessible from campus. Forty or so minutes and good connectivity to Seattle. Strong commitment to study abroad, with especially strong ties academically and study abroad to Asia (with a unique and very cool program that rotates students through a number of Asian countries). A little unique for LAC with a business school, which was not a draw for my D but which Puget Sound views as one of its strengths (it kind of reinvented itself as an LAC over the decades, with the B-School an important legacy program for it). Also a strong music program. More Greek presence than many LACs. Very well-liked by my D.
Lewis and Clark: This was one that while urban in the sense of downtown Portland being accessible, felt more suburban in character to her. Portland is really great though. Beautiful campus. Strong study abroad/IR. Offered good merit. D liked strengths in environmental policy and in gender studies, neither of which probably factor for your S. It’s a neat school.
Willamette: D visited and liked, and it has really good connections to political happenings/internships in Salem. Although Salem was nice sized city (and not much smaller than Tacoma), did not feel quite urban enough to D and not quite close enough to Portland.
Rhodes: If mid-South is OK with your D, agree with recommendations of looking at Rhodes made by some above. We are upper Midwest, so probably got a fair amount of geographic diversity love from them, but Rhodes did a really good job of educating us about their strengths and courting my D with good communication and good merit. She visited and liked it. I really like Rhodes’ new President and think she will continue building on the school’s strengths. Community service/civic engagement is part of the DNA there, which my D really liked, and Rhodes is adding new engagement initiatives around public education in Memphis. Self-contained (and gorgeous) campus in urban area. Very strong study abroad tradition. It is more conservative and religious than coastal LACs, but my progressive and secular D felt it lent more balance while being a place she would have been perfectly comfortable. I imagine it is one you’ve considered. Anyway, another cool college.
Clark U: Another one where I agree with recs of others. Worcester was question mark before D visited, and once she visited she liked it and liked Worcester (there is obviously kind of a sliding scale of urban, and what urban means to different people, and everyone’s mileage varies). Civic engagement and an internship-forward culture. Check out their LEAP program - it is a big part of Clark’s undergraduate approach/philosophy. Good merit. I think it would have been right in the very final discussion, but my D felt it was a little less LAC than she wanted, meaning her perception (again YMMV) was it had a bit of a pre-professional bent with a little more of a career focus from the get-go. I’m not sure it is any more “pre-professional” than other LACs, and as a parent, I see lots to like in a dash of career-ism. 
But that was her impression. A kid ahead of her a year is finishing her freshman year there and really likes it. I think it is one your S could visit once and probably come away knowing if Clark and Worcester were a good fit for him.
Macalester: My D wanted to go to college outside upper Midwest so did not apply, but we are very familiar with Macalester and it is a great school that would also be a very, very strong fit for your son’s priorities. Shares many of the same characteristics as Oxy. I can’t speak to merit, but if you were going to take a flyer on a school or two and see what they may offer - especially considering you offer Macalester geographic diversity that they may value - FWIW I’d strongly encourage your S to apply.
My D had American on her list and almost applied, but app fatigue set in a little and she had not had an opportunity to do a real visit (did sort of a campus drive-by) so she did not end up applying. Especially given your son’s politics/government interest, it sounds like a fantastic fit too.
Scripps also was a strong final contender for D and offered merit, but is all-women’s school.
Hope there is something in there that helps. All the best to you and your son.
@ECmotherx2 you have convinced us to give Eckerd a look! Scheduled a tour in a couple of weeks Since he was only lukewarm to New College, perhaps he will prefer Eckerd since it’s bigger. He will at least be able to choose which one he likes best as a financial safety (especially if they will stack merit on top of the Bright Futures and FL resident credit).
@MON824 Yeah, I think American isn’t even a sure bet as a RD admit, let alone merit. I asked if they ever did pre-reads for financial aid and they basically laughed. Currently, just by NPC, UMiami comes in as most affordable for us. And that’s before they potentially give any merit from the school itself. Again, it comes down to whether they would stack merit on top of BF and FL resident. As @twoinanddone said, it’s a decent amount of help. DS14 was accepted to URichmond and made it to finalist status as a Scholar, and didn’t end up getting any big help beyond what the NPC said (our financial need was greater then with two going to college and one still at home)…so on top of what I perceive as a slightly more conservative culture there, I don’t think it’s a consideration. Good thoughts though!
@Hapworth we just returned from Wooster’s graduation weekend. I am a gigantic CTCL fan! It’s why I had hopes for at least New College or Eckerd, even if he wouldn’t consider the other more rural schools. It’s one reason I am willing to send him to the complete opposite side of the country to Puget Sound - I know what he will get at a CTCL school. Looked at Ursinus - DH went to hs in that town! All I’ve read describes the student body as somewhat apathetic politically, and not activist-oriented, so it went off the list.
Okay, I just realized that DS’ GPA is slightly higher than I realized. It’s a 3.8UW. As of end of first semester, he was hanging in within the top 10% …barely. I expect it to remain about the same after this semester too, where there will be yet another B in Honors PreCalc.
Really appreciate the various comments on Goucher, Willamette, and Lewis and Clark! Axing Goucher. We had tentatively added Willamette after some research last night, and will now check into Lewis and Clark.
Also incredibly helpful to see what kinds of merit awards have been given by various schools. Sadly, comments on Dickinson and Macalester confirm what I had heard and make them unlikely, though he may still want to apply to see.
@JMS111 your comments are SUPER helpful. We also are not quite full pay…but close enough that we certainly cannot pay what they think we should pay! If we had to only go on what we have read about schools, Occidental is easily his first choice…after American. I’m intrigued by your thoughts on Clark/Worcester. I think Rhodes could be a fit, but he won’t even consider TN. You didn’t consider U of Denver due to size or other?
Would love to hear more from anyone about U of Denver? It actually sounds like a fantastic fit, but I’m trying to get a better feel since we won’t be visiting initially. I’ve read contradictory things about it being a party school, conservative, etc. (DS is the third kid, so we are def not naive about party or pot culture at all colleges…just not something he will likely be into and better to have a like-minded student body as a whole. Kids usually can find their people at every school!)
@MON824 forgot to reply to your mention of Honors colleges at bigger schools. Especially interested in your comments about your friend at FSU. DS will be attending Boys State there this summer, and I am hoping that it somehow sells him on the school. I’ve heard good things about their political science/IR programs. Better yet…it would be just about FREE!! Their Honors college was highly selective this past year, as I understand it. Need to do some more research to see if he would qualify.
Time for an alma mater plug. I’m not sure how the grades/merit would shake out for an OOS student, but UMBC has a Global Studies program, is near (but not in) the city, has no football, and has more of a campus vibe than you might think. Might be worth a look if it works financially.
DU is not a big party school. They do have really fun hockey games, but those are Friday and Sat nights. It is a few miles from Downtown, but easy access on the light rail for sporting events, theaters, government offices, museums, etc. It has a strong IR department, a lot of exchange students, a big study abroad program (Scotland is big). It is next to the highway so feels more urban, but it is a contained campus but not gated. The athletic center is really nice and used by the community (swimming, gymnastics, hockey and ice skating, work out center with climbing walls)
Seattle University was mentioned, but that is a Jesuit school and one of the stipulations was No Religion.
Lewis and Clark is much more suburban than DU. Both do have law schools, and those bring in more speakers and programs that might be of interest to a poli sci/IR major.
A big negative to me is that DU is on quarters rather than semesters. Some people like it, but I don’t.
BTW for comparison - my daughter was accepted at 3 of the schools we’ve been talking about, 3 years ago.
Willamette gave her something like $23,000/yr merit.
Lewis and Clark offered I think $16,000/yr.
Occidental didn’t offer her any merit money.
We didn’t apply for need-based aid.