<p>*I would INSIST that my child apply to AT LEAST 3-4 schools that give BIG MERIT! One or two can be competitive merit, but at least 2 schools need to give ASSURED big merit.</p>
<p>I found this strategy interesting … I typically would communicate how much we as parents are willing to pay and help the kids work through their options given this budget … state school, merit scholarship, live at home, while discouraging lots of loans. Why be that directive and tell the kids they should pursue a specific path? To ensure they have that option when it comes to decision time in the spiring? *</p>
<p>I am talking about a situation where the parents are rather certain that they can only pay XX dollars, which is a lot less than their likely expected family contribution. It sounds in this case, the parents EFC will be about the COA of a private school, but they’ve determined that they can only pay $25k-30k per year. That would leave a $20-25k shortfall every year.</p>
<p>Because of that issue, there’s a risk to applying to a bunch of top schools that will only consider need and only one financial safety. You’ll end up with a bunch of unaffordable schools and the child feels like he’s being railroaded into the only affordable choice.</p>
<p>It’s ok to apply to some of those top schools that don’t give merit, just to see what might happen, but to ensure some choice, some affordable merit schools should also be included.</p>
<p>However, schools with competitive merit cannot really be considered financial safeties if the school isn’t affordable without getting the scholarship. And…often schools with competitive scholarships are “matches” not “safeties”.</p>
<p>Some kids mistakenly only apply to a competitive merit school as their “safety,” only to find out that they didn’t get the award they were expecting. So, the school is not really a safety because it ended up not being affordable. </p>
<p>Schools that have assured big merit can be safeties because you know ahead of time what you’ll be paying. If you know from the website (not just rumors) that your child’s stats will get - say - free tuition, and you can afford to pay for the room, board and books, then that school is now a financial safety. </p>
<p>Some ascribe to the idea that a child only needs one financial safety that he likes/loves. The problem is that a safety school a child likes in the fall may not be liked in the spring. Another problem is that if the other schools aren’t affordable, the child feels like he never really had a choice - which I think can affect the child psychologically when he begins at that school.</p>
<p>So, by having at least 2 schools where the student will received assured big merit, the student will - at least - be able to choose among two schools in the spring.</p>
<p>Obviously, when money isn’t an issue or when families can pay their high EFCs, then a different strategy can be used.</p>