I’m starting my college search, but am having a hard time finding colleges that I want to go to that are also affordable. My parents make around 200k a year, and so I am not eligible for any financial aid scholarships that I have seen, but with three other siblings also attending college at the same time, a $45,000/yr school is out of the question. My parents are willing to pay half of my tuition, up to $10,000/yr, and so I’m looking for a school that is either inexpensive or has good merit aid. I have a 3.98 uw GPA and 4.5 w, and a 36 on the ACT, so I am hoping that I will be able to find a good school that still offers merit aid for this. I live in Minnesota, but am looking at schools all over the country, preferably larger schools, but I would appreciate info on any you know of, thanks!
University of Rochester, Case Western, Washington & Lee come to mind for upper tier schools. Washington & Lee awards 10% of each class a full ride and stipend. It is a great school.
You could go to a southern school like Alabama for free.
Tricky thing about merit aid is that it usually entails going to a school that is not nearly as selective as you could normally get in.
Northeastern U. in Boston tends to give pretty good merit aid to high stats kids, and a 36 ACT definitely qualifies. I think their Dean’s Scholarship ranges from 5k-25k a year, their NMF scholarship is 30k/year, and a very limited number of students get full tuition.
I’m wondering why you wouldn’t qualify for financial aid though? My parents make roughly 150-160k, and I qualified for financial aid easily with 1 sibling in college along with me. I received grants, WS, Stafford subsidized, and the Perkins loan on top of my merit scholarship at NU. While your family makes more than mine, you also have twice the amount of kids in college. At LEAST fill out the FAFSA and apply for aid, I’d bet you’d get something; I applaud your looking at cheaper options, though.
What is your major and career goal?
Are you a likely NMF? What was your PSAT?
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but with three other siblings also attending college at the same time,
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are all of these siblings undergrads??? When will they be graduating?
How much would UMinn be after merit?
Holy Cross has some merit scholarships-music, latin majors, etc.
Thanks for all the info guys! and @mom2collegekids, my PSAT was only a 115, and so I’m not sure if that will qualify me for NMF, but it might at least get me past the initial cut. As for my siblings, two will be seniors when I’m a freshman, and one will start college a year after me:)
And I’ve looked into the U of M as a serious option, because it will probably only be around $7,000/yr after merit.
Once the older sibs graduate, will your parents pay MORE for your college or will they stick with the $10k per year rule?
That answer is IMPORTANT, because while you may get need based aid while all four in college, but once 1 or 2 have graduated and you’re full or near-full pay, you may find yourself with an unaffordable school.
At Alabama you’d get at least free tuition. Likely more because typically there is a bonus for an ACT 36.
My bet is that NEU would give you a full tuition scholarship; they’re looking to climb the ranks and that 36 ACT combined with a 3.98 GPA will look VERY enticing to them.
There are certain elite schools (Duke comes to mind; I’m sure there are plenty of people on CC who know exactly which ones, because I know there are more) that give an EXTREMELY limited number of huge merit scholarships. If I were in your shoes, having the stats you have, I would try for one or two of those schools, because…you never know!
Good luck!
Even if you got a full tuition scholarship at Northeastern room and board are over $14,000/year. Your parents will have to pay more than $10,000/year. Also the full tuition scholarships are for those with exceptional EC’s.
Apply to U of Southern Calif EARLY [no later than Dec 1] and you will have a good chance for one of their 240 1/2 tuition merit scholarships. Maybe even one of their 120 full tuition scholarships, if you WOW them in their required on campus qualifying interview.
Show them the LOVE.
It’s not quite the Rhodes but the AB Duke is as close as it gets. If you are an absolutely stellar applicant that is your best bet. Good luck.
Tulane gives great merit aid and also a lot of full rides for your stats BUT please make sure that you show a lot of interest to Tulane and other schools because they might think you are just using them as a safety. I was shocked to see how many high stat applicants were rejected for lower (but still great) stat students who visited, went to local info sessions, contacted regional reps, etc. Interest matters to some schools and you need to research which ones so you can have the best options at decision time. Clearly you have worked hard I’m sure your options will be great! 
@TomSrOfBoston Two of my friends recieved full-tuition scholarships from NEU, and neither of them had “exceptional” ECs- student government, junior varsity sports, math team, working at an ice cream stand, winning 3rd place at a state history fair. There’s nothing wrong with their ECs, but I wouldn’t classify them as exceptional. I think their essays (in my extremely humble opinion, they were both very well-written and demonstrated how much they could contribute to NEU) had an impact, but the difference between them and the other students accepted to NEU from my school, myself included, was their academics- one had a 2380 single-sitting SAT and 5s on chem, physics, and math II with a 3.85 and the other had a 34 ACT and was 3/170 students with an incredibly rigorous schedule. In their instances, I’m betting it was academics that pushed them over the edge, alongside their essays. However, it wasn’t their ECs that did it for them, I assure you.
Also, the 4k over what the 10k the parents are willing to make would be covered pretty easily by a summer job and small loan, which, I believe, the student would not need a co-signer for and could likely be paid off in part or in full by the money made from Co-ops.
OP- what are your ECs like, anyway?
@qwerty568 Your two friend got into the Scholars program?
@TomSrOfBoston Yes, I have two friends who were accepted into the scholars program; one of them will be attending NEU in said program next fall. She turned down UVA OOS, UNC OOS, William and Mary OOS, Rice, Duke, and Tufts for the scholars program. Money was no object to her in the process but she’s thinking about grad school and liked the opportunities the scholars program provides. The other turned it down for a full ride program at Umass Lowell because she could not afford room and board (her parents could pay absolutely nothing).
There are full tuition scholarships at Vanderbilt, as well as full ride scholarships at UVA. U Michigan seems to offer lots of aid to people without as high stats/ECs (such as those required for scholarships at UVA/Vandy).
@robinmb311 i speak from experience when i say that U Michigan does NOT give merit aid to most applicants. However the OP has a 36 ACT score–with that too score if he applies to the college of literature, science and the arts he may get $20,000 scholarship. But that would be off $43,000 tuition and $12000 room and board. I think $35,000 cost of attendance (assuming he is able to even able to get this scholarship) may be too much for this OP.
@Spence98 you would be able to get large merit aid ( $18,000) at Ohio State with your ACT score. Check that school out.
Kids at my school have gotten merit aid from Duke, Vandy, Washington University in St Louis, USC
You will probably get more advice in the Financial Aid and Scholarships forum, and also it would help to give more information about the type of college that would fit you.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/
With your parents willing to provide you with 10,000, the $5,500 loan, a part time job, summer jobs, you can get to about $20,000 as net cost.
“meet need” schools will factor in your siblings in college but once your siblings graduate cost will increase, so it’s essential you learn whether your parents will redistribute their costs from your siblings to you and increase their share proportionally.
At this point, you need to throw a wide net. If you get tons of acceptances that are affordable, then it’ll be time to cut.
Your very high scores give you lots of options, and if you scored 215 you should be NMF opening full rides at UAlabama, ASU, and UOklahoma (check them out as well as the conditions.)
In MN, that means looking carefully ino UMN, Carleton, Macalester, and St Olaf.
Nearby, you have UWisconsin (check the effects of the cuts first though), Lawrence, Beloit. Then Illinois Wesleyan, Butler, Drake, Grinnell.
Show interest and run the NPCs.
USC or Wash U love high scorers.
You’d definitely be in the running for the Hays at Hendrix - it’s a liberal college with experiential learning opportunities. You get funding for study abroad, volunteering, etc. Research or internship are guaranteed.
Washington&Lee is a good pick for their Johnson scholarship, but only if you intend to go Greek and are quite conservative; it’s one of the most conservative colleges in the country and its atmosphere is very “Old South” (go to class in tie and jacket, etc.) The Johnson is a full ride and W&L is a top college.