<p>Are there any high value private schools on the east coast/southern part of the country? I've looked at the traditional "high value private school" lists, and they confuse me quite a bit. Places like Rice are attractive to me due to their low average indebtedness numbers, but they just don't break things down enough for me to feel confident in a school like that being an economic possibility.</p>
<p>Does anyone know of a school with relatively predictable merit awards that would drastically cut tuition costs?</p>
<p>This was answered in your other thread: look at schools where your GPA/test scores are significantly above average. That’s where you’ll get the merit aid that you need. </p>
<p>The easiest way to do this (although perhaps not the quickest) is to go to [Princeton</a> Review](<a href=“http://www.princetonreview.com/schoolsearch.aspx][b]Princeton”>College Search | The Princeton Review) and look at the difficulty of admission and average test score for every private school listed. Or use the search tool to find schools that accept students with stat’s significantly lower than yours. Yeah, it will take a while, and yeah, you’ll end up with a bunch of schools you’ve never heard of . . . but if they’re willing to give you a full ride, who cares?</p>
<p>You’re not going to find the merit aid you want at the most popular, most competitive schools. They don’t need to pay students to attend. So, yes, they may have a few good scholarships - but the competition for those scholarships will also be rigorous.</p>
<p>So, you’re looking at state schools with automatic scholarships or smaller, lesser known private schools with good merit aid.</p>
<p>What do you want to study, what ate your stats, etc?</p>
<p>Having two threads going without pertinent info in one won’t really be helpful.</p>
<p>*I’m a rising senior, my GPA is unimpressive due to early slacking in high school(which is my other problem) ~3.6 unweighted, 30 ACT (shooting for 32 in september), low SAT, I’m looking at a major for premed… Still undecided.</p>
<p>My parents have joint custody, but I live with my father and step mother the majority of the time, and they make ~70k+ a year. My mother is single and makes 25-40k/yr, and I only have one 12 year old sibling.*</p>
<p>What state do you live in?</p>
<p>What colleges could you commute to, if necessary (that’s a $10k-15k savings right there).</p>
<p>One of the least expensive private colleges on the east coast is York College of PA. in York, PA. They also offer some merit aid, but most people don’t need it. They also have free applications.</p>
<p>I would think you’d have a good shot at getting merit aid at York in addition to the low tuition.</p>