<p>I need some suggestions for schools that I can afford to go to without sacrificing a good education. So far i've been looking at Reed and Vassar, but I'm not sure I can afford it. I'm looking for a LAC that has great financial aid or a cheaper school. It doesn't have to be a LAC if it has a LAC atmosphere.</p>
<p>My stats are:
GPA 3.82 unweighted
SAT Writing 700 Math 710 English 700
SAT II US History 750
AP Lit and Comp 4, AP Language and Comp 3, AP Calculus 3, AP US History 4
IB Diploma Candidate at a very competitive school
EC's: National Honors Society, Volunteering at VA Medical Center, Tutoring Elementary School Kids, Math Team, Lots of involvement in music (jazz band, musicals, etc), and a couple other clubs.</p>
<p>I'm looking for a school that has a strong English and Art department. I like the intellectual atmosphere of Reed. I'd like a small school, preferably in a bigger city, but not necessarily. Co-ed, not religiously affiliated. Also, any possibility of a LAC WITHOUT a huge drug rep? </p>
<p>I'm planning on getting financial aid, but my family can only contribute a max of $9,000 per year, including additional costs to tuition. I need a school that I'll love being at but won't put me into debt for the rest of my life. Help!</p>
<p>Minnesota has University of Minnesota, Morris (2,000 student public LAC), but cost of attendance is around $22,000 per year. While relatively inexpensive (and with no out of state surcharge), it is still above your budget, and probably not very generous with financial aid if you are not a Minnesota resident.</p>
<p>Some of the most selective LACs have relatively generous financial aid reputations, but they should not be counted on as safeties.</p>
<p>You really need to calculate your EFC before looking for financial safeties. Just because a school give good financial aid does not make it a financial safety.</p>
<p>All schools are required to have a net price calculator. Go to the Vassar one and see if you can afford it. It will give you an idea of your EFC as part of the calculation.</p>
<p>I’ve used the NPC before. The numbers that is turning out are reasonable, but my counselor told be that they aren’t always very accurate. The estimated remaining cost reported on the vassar one is $2,150.</p>
<p>If you’re looking for merit aid, you’ll need to lower your sights significantly and apply to schools where your scores are above the 90th percentile. There are lots of threads that list guaranteed merit scholarships at various state universities.</p>
<p>Well I completed the Net Price Calculator thing and it reports my Estimated Family Contribution as $14,000.
Kudryavka: I’m looking for both merit and need based aid, anything I can get. Any suggestions on schools that I could get good merit aid? Someone else suggested Clark U?</p>
<p>Private schools are hard to use as safeties, because many of them consider “level of interest” in their admissions criteria (see the school’s common data set, section C7); they may reject high stats applicants who appear to be using them as safeties in order to keep their yield rates high. Public schools, including UM Morris, generally don’t care about that and don’t consider “level of interest”.</p>
<p>You appear to be in a pretty good position, the amount that your family can pay is close to your EFC. Schools that meet full need may very well work for you. </p>
<p>A true financial safety must be affordable and an admissions safety. Do you have some of these? Perhaps use the full need link from above to find some.</p>