Good schools for merit scholarships

<p>I'm slowly beginning to realize that not every college is affordable. My family doesn't qualify for much need-based aid, so I need to look more towards merit aid. My GPA UW is 3.98 and my ACT is 34. I should be NMSF/NMF. I'm instate for Oklahoma, so I've been looking at OU and KU (where I'm a legacy). I'd prefer schools on the coasts/Texas, though. I've lived in the Midwest my whole life and I'd like to see something different. I want to major in neuroscience, which isn't offered at some colleges. I'm open to suggestions regarding where I would receive generous merit aid. Thank you in advance!</p>

<p><a href=“http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/”>http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“Competitive Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - #46 by ucbalumnus - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1461983-competitive-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-p4.html&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://nmfscholarships.yolasite.com/”>http://nmfscholarships.yolasite.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Ask your parents his much they’ll pay, so you’ll know how much merit you’ll need.</p>

<p>What is your major and career goal?</p>

<p>Have you run the online net price calculators on a few “full need” schools (the Ivies, Stanford, etc.) and shown the results to your parents? Unless you’ve done that, and they said they cannot afford the net price (the Expected Family Contribution), then don’t rule out those schools.
<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2013/09/18/colleges-that-claim-to-meet-full-financial-need-2014”>http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2013/09/18/colleges-that-claim-to-meet-full-financial-need-2014&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>If you’ve done all that, have a look at schools on this list:
<a href=“Loading...”>http://www.thecollegiateblog.org/2012/12/09/national-universities-that-offer-full-ride-scholarship/&lt;/a&gt;
It’s ranked by selectivity. In some cases, academic merit is not the only qualification.</p>

<p>Examples
<a href=“http://www.miami.edu/index.php/academicbulletin/undergraduate_academic_programs/arts_sciences/neuroscience/”>http://www.miami.edu/index.php/academicbulletin/undergraduate_academic_programs/arts_sciences/neuroscience/&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“Undergraduate Admission | University of Miami”>Undergraduate Admission | University of Miami;

<p><a href=“Undergraduate | Neuroscience | University of Pittsburgh”>Undergraduate | Neuroscience | University of Pittsburgh;
<a href=“http://oafa.pitt.edu/learn-about-aid/academic-scholarships/”>http://oafa.pitt.edu/learn-about-aid/academic-scholarships/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>If the NRC graduate program rankings are any indication, Miami and Pitt both seem to have strong neuroscience programs. <a href=“NRC Rankings Overview: Neuroscience and Neurobiology”>http://chronicle.com/article/NRC-Rankings-Overview-/124747/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Schools that are not on the above full scholarship list, but do give fairly generous amounts of merit aid, and also do fairly well in the NRC neuroscience rankings, include:
Case Western, Boston University, URochester, </p>

<p>@mom2collegekids‌, my family can contribute around $30k-$40k a year; however, the more money they spend on my undergrad, the less they’ll spend on graduate school, so I’d still like to spend as little money as possible on undergrad. I plan to major in neuroscience and either go to med school for psychiatry or graduate school to do research. </p>

<p>@tk21769‌, I’ve run the NPCs for Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Brown, and all would be affordable with the exception of Brown. Unfortunately for me, Brown is my first choice by far and Harvard is the only other Ivy I’m considering. </p>

<p>Yes, those schools are affordable but they are very low probability. </p>

<p>@Erin’s Dad, yes and that’s exactly the reason I’m looking for other schools. </p>

<p>Alabama, Minnesota, and Pitt come to mind.</p>

<p>University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) has neuroscience and good merit aid.</p>

<p>@2430ktk UAB has a few (obviously very competitive) slots for several professional entries - MD, Dental, etc. Check out the scholarship level too, very attractive. UA (Tuscaloosa) the state flagship has an excellent honors program, research opportunities for undergrad. UAB’s med school is very good. Other in-state med school is Univ of South AL (USA) - I believe they may also have the professional entry freshmen slots.</p>

<p>You can visit both schools on same trip (Tuscaloosa is 50 mi from Birmingham). USA is in Mobile.</p>

<p>If you do visit - you want your UA tour to be managed by honors setting up your schedule to your career goals.</p>

<p>Honors Recruitment
Allison Verhine
Coordinator
269 Nott Hall
205-348-5534
<a href=“mailto:allison.verhine@ua.edu”>allison.verhine@ua.edu</a></p>

<p>Susan Alley
Assistant Coordinator
270 Nott Hall
205-348-5599
<a href=“mailto:susan.alley@ua.edu”>susan.alley@ua.edu</a></p>

<p>I have one student (nursing major) at UAB; an eng major at UA.</p>