<p>I hope this isn't too redundant with the top-of-the-forum thread on merit aid; my question is a little more specific:</p>
<p>D is looking at LACs and has put herself in a position to have a realistic shot at top-tier schools. Her main interests are science and theater/dance. To give you a flavor of the sorts of schools that excite her, her top choices as of now are probably Carleton, Middlebury, Williams, Pomona and Wesleyan.</p>
<p>They are all fabulous schools with fabulous price tags to match, and, other than a pretty insignificant $2K for NMF's at Carleton, none of them offer a lick of merit money.</p>
<p>We're likely to fall into that category of folks who make too much to get appreciable need-based aid without making so much that we don't feel some serious sticker shock at the prospect of $52K+/yr for college (maybe there's almost no one who doesn't feel sticker shock at that figure).</p>
<p>I'm trying to identify schools that don't feel like they're much of a compromise relative to her top choices (high-quality LAC experience, with great teaching and bright, interesting students), but also offer some merit money for top applicants. Here's a few of my faves that I've identified so far:</p>
<p>Whitman
Grinnell
Kenyon</p>
<p>So, my question is, what neat schools out there ought to be on this list but aren't? (Brief aside: we visited Davidson, but, despite thinking it was a great place, crossed it off on the basis of weak theater/dance.) Thanks!</p>
<p>Take a look at trinity college in Hartford. They give a very limited number of very generous merit scholarships. If your child is in the running for the schools you’ve listed, it might work out and I think the theater department is decent.</p>
<p>We were very impressed by the University of Richmond, and they give merit aid. S liked it better than Davidson. </p>
<p>D has a friend who studies theatre at Chapman. I know they meet financial need - was looking at their website and it appears they do offer some academic and talent scholarships, but I was not able to figure out how much.</p>
<p>Wheaton in Massachusetts is a great, small, former women’s college that has generous merit money. Probably better $$$ for boys rather than girls – but worth a shot. Located between Boston and Providence with access to both – and some interesting exchange programs as well as (IIRC) the ability to take some courses at Brown.</p>
<p>D has flat-out refused to consider all-girls schools, so Smith, Scripps, Bryn Mawr and Mount Holyoke all get the ax. This is a lot of great suggestions in a very short period of time, however! Thanks!</p>
<p>Sarah Lawrence has recently started offering merit awards. Both my D and her good friend were offered substantial merit awards. Smith also offers merit awards.</p>
<p>ETA: Oops! Comment above was posted while I was writing. Never mind about Smith then! :-)</p>
<p>What about Claremont Mckenna? It has many of the advantages of Pomona and Scripps, and offers merit scholarships. She can take advantage of the consortium for her theater and dance courses, and take her science courses at CMC.</p>
<p>Bard College offers full tuition scholarships for students who wish to major in the sciences. And they have terrific theater and dance departments, if she wants to double major.</p>
<p>Moonchild, I’ve looked at those CMC scholarships. I’m not putting it in the ‘likely merit’ category because, while I think she’d have a solid chance of getting in, her record is probably not spectacular enough to get one of the fairly small number of merit scholarships offered at a place as selective as CMC.</p>
<p>Skidmore was on S’ list until we reviewed the Common Data Set for merit awards. For 2010–2011:</p>
<p>Number of students who had no financial need and who were
awarded institutional non-need-based scholarship or grant aid (exclude
those who were awarded athletic awards and tuition benefits)"</p>