<p>We were told that Davidson just did not have the merit money to give out this year. I guess what I found disappointing was that if you read the information posted on their website about financial aid, we should have qualified according to the examples they gave. They should take those examples off since they are quite misleading.</p>
<p>Are all of your EFC’s over the cost of attendance and that is why you are not receiving the expected amount of aid??</p>
<p>I’m sorry to hear that Davidson had to cut back on merit aid. IMO, the generous merit aid is one of the things that is most attractive about it, and sets it apart from other highly regarded LACs that offer only need-based aid. I hope things turn up before my D applies!</p>
<p>Based on what I’ve read about enrollment management, a school’s bottom line can benefit when it lures great students with a tuition discount; even if the family can theoretically pay full price, many won’t. But with a discount of even $10k or so, the college can try to bring in a student with the means to pay the other $40k - and that’s a really good student to have there for 4 years. It would be a shame if Davidson backed too far off of an excellent merit aid program.</p>
<p>fauxnom, I agree completely. Had they even offered a small amount of merit aid it would have made the decision difficult and they might have had another almost full paying student. Since they took the approach of eliminating all the merit awards except the very large ones (and not really being honest about what they had done) Davidson will have a class composed of upper and lower income folks without the middle class. It is what it is but disappointing and shortsighted in my view.</p>
<p>I’m another middle-class student who will not be attending Davidson. I was not at all impressed by their scholarship administration. I can accept that I’m not receiving a scholarship–I’m sure there were more qualified students. However, I don’t appreciate the fact that I applied before January 2 for a special application scholarship and never even received the courtesy of a rejection letter. It’s pretty lame that in the glossy “Understanding your Class of 2013 Award Letter” that I received on April 18, I finally learned their notification system for scholarships—“Note: If you will receive a merit-based scholarship, we will notify you after April 15. If we do not contact you, you have not been awarded a scholarship.”</p>
<p>I agree, sunshine, it is rather lame. </p>
<p>Also, Davidson is listed as a sponsor of National Merit scholarships. We were told today that my D’s one-time $2,500 National Merit scholarship award (one of 2,500 finalists direct from NM) is larger than Davidson’s National Merit scholarship, so she is not eligible for any more money from Davidson. </p>
<p>I know of no other schools who offer such a minimal amount for this designation. (Actually, Northwestern is probably worse–they are substituting their automatic $8,000 Finalist scholarship with the $2,500 NM award because of “lack of need.”) Davidson really ought to remove their name from the PSAT handbook, it is embarrassing.</p>
<p>One of the reasons my D applied to Davidson was because they were known (so we thought) for good merit aid. She even received a “likely” letter from them last February. Either things have significantly changed, or we were greatly misled.</p>
<p>National Merit Awards are somewhat confusing. This is from their website:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I gather, then, that institutions can give larger awards to students with NMSF designation, but that the institution makes up the difference financially from other sources when it gives larger grants and that award doesn’t fall under these particular guidelines from the NMSC. Anybody else have an explanation?</p>
<p>At my son’s college, he gets the more traditional $1000 per year NMF award, plus the college awards half-tuition to any NMF who is admitted and picks USC as his #1 choice. So yes, a college can do a variety of things regarding NM status. He picked a college where all this stuff was crystal clear to every applicant.</p>
<p>Kentuckydaughter’s situation is different, and what Davidson did is not all that unusual, as I understand it. For several years, people on CC have discussed the fact that if a student wins one of the one-time $2500 awards, that will normally replace the award a college might otherwise give for NM. How unfortunate, though, that she got a likely letter from Davidson but no other merit aid! </p>
<p>So where are all these stellar middle class students enrolling, if not Davidson?</p>
<p>I sympathize with everyone who was hoping for some merit aid. There is plenty of disappointment and frustration to go around. I also was hoping my daughter would get some merit aid to ease the pain of full tuition. She turned down three nice merit offers from other schools to attend Davidson. But I fully understand the lack of merit aid this year. We are in extraordinary times in the financial world. With their endowments cut by a third at many schools, the money is just not there.
That being said. The comunication could have been better.</p>
<p>It’s the economy and this is everywhere. BEG them to reconsider if Davidson is one of your/your kid’s top choices. A week before the May 1st deadline this year, only 45 Regular Decision applicants had accepted. They might NEED YOU this time next week if they can’t get up to 490.</p>
<p>Looks like the stats in the above post are true. Interesting article from the college newspaper…as of April 22 only 47 of 635 regular decision admittances have accepted seats! [The</a> Davidsonian - Admissions aims for 490 to join class of 2013](<a href=“http://www.thedavidsonian.com/admissions-aims-for-490-to-join-class-of-2013-1.1728038]The”>http://www.thedavidsonian.com/admissions-aims-for-490-to-join-class-of-2013-1.1728038)</p>
<p>man. unless a lot of people start accepting in these last few days, im doubtful that even with the waitlist they’ll be able to get 200 more people</p>
<p>Exactly.</p>
<p>There are several things to consider here though:</p>
<p>To the College’s advantage
-They’re probably going to get to use the wait-list. Usually people who stay on a school’s wait-list really, really want to go there.
-Many, if not most people finally decide on their college in the last few days before the May 1st deadline. Some decide on May 1st. So, there’s still time.
-We’re a top-ten liberal arts college, so anyone who’s going to let prestige be a final deciding factor might be more inclined to pick Davidson over a state university.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for the College
-Stephen Curry is leaving, and he and our basketball team’s successes in the 2008 NCAA tourney were a tipping point for the undecided and a hook for the sports lovers.
-As said above, the College is unable to openly offer adequate aid (merit and assistance), so they’ve unfortunately turned away many students that can technically “afford it” but really can’t, realistically.
-It is almost guaranteed that some of the Regular Decision students who have already accepted or who will accept are on the wait-list of a more “prestigious” university that will utilize its wait-list after May 1st…and so Davidson will lose those kids.
-Most of the kids they accepted were also accepted by Ivy League schools. Hard to turn down Harvard.<br>
-Some of the kids they take from the wait-list might change their minds and stick with the school where they’ve enrolled instead.</p>
<p>Hmm…I’m having a hard time thinking of things to help out the College, here.</p>
<p>I really wish it would have turned out better for all of you, it’s a shame. I wonder why my financial aid package was more generous than expected? This whole process still boggles my mind.</p>