<p>zooser- Goucher is also SAT optional. However, she will have to submit scores for merit $$ consideration. For example:</p>
<p>Dean's Scholarships</p>
<p>These are Goucher’s most prestigious merit scholarships, awarded in amounts totaling $21,000 or the equivalent of first-year full-tuition ($32,168 in 2008-09). We will consider as candidates all students who have distinguished themselves through superior academic achievements, extracurricular leadership, and other accomplishments. However, it is imperative that all of your application materials, including complete transcripts, recommendations, and other required documents, are received no later than February 1, the Regular Decision deadline. *Last year’s recipients had a mean secondary school GPA of 3.93 (in core academic subjects only, cumulative for grades 9 through 12) and average SAT Reasoning Test combined scores of 1426 (critical reading and math only). * They also completed a rigorous program of study in high school. Dean’s Scholarships are renewable for up to eight semesters. Renewal requirements include full-time enrollment and a minimum GPA of 3.25.</p>
<p>As someone above pointed out, I think Carolyn's daughter seriously considered Goucher for awhile, and Carolyn is always an outstanding source of information.</p>
<p>I second checking out the historic preservation program at University of Mary Washington. Class selection is very extensive. I believe one of the main professors in this department retired this year so check out the status this year.</p>
<p>We also liked Goucher. Made several visits with 2 dd's. The $10,000 merit scholarships seem to be plentiful. Their FA offer however was the worst one we received out of 10 acceptances. And the people in FA were not nice. A friend had the same experience.</p>
<p>We know two students there who are seniors. The only complaint they have is the number of friends who have left the school to transfer. So, check out the current retention rates. In 2004 when we toured Goucher for the first time is was quite low, fifty something percent I believe. The retention rate was definately the lowest out of all the small LAC's we researched.</p>
<p>I would agree with applicantmum77 re: FA. D and I liked the school but both of us were not sure of the value. Since D wants to major in education she decided to concentrate her pick among several public schools.</p>
<p>Not yet mentioned, but definitely a nice plus: Goucher requires all students to study abroad at least once. They are so committed to studying abroad, that they give every student a $1200 voucher to pay for travel costs. They have some wonderful short-term school run study abroad programs, and lots of other options.</p>
<p>Another plus about Goucher: students can cross register each semester for up to one course at any one of 10 or so Baltimore area schools, including Johns Hopkins, Towson, and Loyola College (which would definitely be worth visiting if Catholic U is on your list as well). </p>
<p>I've visited Goucher several times, both as a parent and as a counselor, and it has some very solid academic programs, a beautiful campus (really one of the nicest locations in the country), and the students seem happy and engaged. They can be very generous with merit money -- my daughter was a B/B+ student and was offered a $10,000 a year scholarship several years ago. </p>
<p>Financial aid does seem to vary, so I suspect they use financial aid leveraging to get the most desirable kids to consider them seriously. I worked with one student last year who did not find the financial aid office to be particularly accomodating to her family's rather unique situation.</p>
<p>Admissions-wise, they have gotten a bit more competitive since they launched their study abroad for everyone program, but it is still a good bet for B+ kids with decent (as in 1100-1300) SAT scores.</p>
<p>Main dislikes I hear from my students who have visited are (1) size, (2) lack of diversity - racial, economic - among student body (3) some kids (usually those for whom Goucher would be a safety) have told me that they were disappointed with the level of intellectual discussion when they sat in on classes. But, overall, I think Goucher is a nice choice for many kids, and definitely worth a visit.</p>
<p>I know two kids who were admitted to Goucher -- neither with large merit awards; probably middle-of-the-road stats for the school. Neither ended up attending because the financial aid for middle class families was heavily weighted towards loans and was quite a bit worse than that proposed by several other schools with similar selectivity. (One of the kids is a boy, but that didn't seem to help the FA package.)</p>
<p>"a beautiful campus (really one of the nicest locations in the country)"-carolyn</p>
<p>LOL i live 10 minutes from it, and i'm sad to burst your bubble, but what you say is falseee</p>
<h1>1- Baltimore sucks for a college city... don't let anyone tell you otherwise... between the crack addicts and decrepit neighborhoods, the only thing you can do on weekends is to take a walk in the small area that isn't infested with crime... or try to predict how much the orioles will lose by in the next baseball game</h1>
<h1>2- Towson (where Goucher is located) has a mall and 40 sushi restaurants... beautiful is far from the right word</h1>
<h1>3- Goucher being a beautiful area in itself... sure, its 50-ish acre campus has some nice grass areas that remind me of placid parks, but many high schools are more impressive than the campus</h1>
<p>I completely agree that Goucher is a good college though; I just don't want people to go their thinking that it is one of the "nicest locations in the country". I can truthfully say, however, that the students there are down to earth and sophisticated. People their tend to either like symphonies or affiliate with the "hipster crowd" and rock out to independent, experimental bands. You won't be disappointed if you go there- everyone takes something good out of the experience. Do not go there if you like the idea of school spirit (sports teams and pep rallies) or want to become a business tycoon (it's definitely humanities based)</p>
<p>I liked Goucher very much for my D, but she just didn't get that feeling, despite a very nice merit offer. As a point of reference for you, my D had lower test scores than yours, high GPA, some high awards in National History Day, good in music and languages, but typical ECs other than that. </p>
<p>I think Goucher is the school that another poster's D dismissed as having "too many trees" - at times my D had similarly exasperating criteria.</p>
<p>I'm assuming you've read the Goucher chapter in CTCL? Everyone's tastes are individual, but I didn't find it a particularly appealing campus aesthetically, and it is a baseball throw from a strip mall. The kids seemed great, though, and very happy and proud of their school. They were also <em>really</em> politically involved, which is way cool of you're into that kind of thing. (Alas, my son is not.)</p>
<p>o wow, look at you with the statistics you picked up on a crumb site... the fact is, the campus is a very unappealing place... and by the way, it's a baseball throw away from a high school and more of a pistol shot away from the strip mall</p>
<p>if you're going there for aesthetic reasons (like a 230 acre campus <em>OMG AWESOME</em>) then i send you my deepest condolences...</p>
<p>A wonderful young man from my kids' high school went to Goucher and loved it, graduating in 03 or 04. I don't recall him studying overseas, but perhaps he did. He did a one or two year health internship in D.C., was subsequently admitted to several medical schools, both on the East Coast and in the Midwest, and is studying medicine.</p>