If I remember correctly, the projected scores (which students do receive themselves as well) are automatically included in the guidance report issued to colleges that include GPA and other information, and not just specifically for IB merit $$. I questioned my daughter’s projected score prior to it being sent to colleges as I thought it was a point or two low (which was proven true in the end – one point) so I think its also possible that scores may be projected just a tad lower to protect the high schools from the repercussions of false or inflated scores.
OP- there are some disciplines where your kid will get the “LAC experience” regardless of how big the university is (and it’s not just in an Honors program). Your kid can be a Classics major at a huge U and STILL have 8 students in her classes after Freshman year. I was a Classics major and had one seminar which was team taught by two professors- 10 students- imagine THAT ratio! Hard to show up without having done the reading!
I personally don’t think that the size of the college is that material to the overall experience (intellectually). Socially- that’s a different story. And if your kid has an interest in nanotechnology or another scientific discipline that requires state of the art labs and faculty- then bigger is going to be better.
But at the end of the day- I don’t think the divide between pre-professional and the “life of the mind” should determine her life’s path. There are kids in med school who majored in philosophy, and CPA’s who end up as Chief Operating Officers of large cultural institutions/museums/universities. And many, many kids graduate from college without a clue and manage to find a path relatively quickly despite what the “she should become a nurse” crowd on CC and in real life are telling you.
You know, there’s a lot more to choose from that the in-state public and “top” LACs (I’m not really even sure what those are beyond names that get tossed around on cc). You haven’t said whether or not you’ve got an EFC or run any NPCs. If your EFC is higher than the cost of your in-state public, and you can’t meet it, a private meets full need LAC is going to be unaffordable. However, at a school without crazy-low acceptance rates where your daughter is at the top of the applicant pool, you may garner significant merit, enough to bring the cost down to affordable or even bargain levels.
My kids both went to LACs that cost us far less than the in-state public, which was our “what we will pay” number. I’d like to discourage the notion that somehow LACs are not pre-professional. As we were visiting LACs to make the list, we noticed each had a particular “thing” that they pushed for all students. One was research and that school really had an eye toward grad school preparation, one was all about global experiences, and one was all about internships and work/marketplace experiences (even for the studio art majors). LACS, especially those not shown a lot of love in the national college conversation know very well that how well their students do upon entry into the work force is their bread and butter.
What @blossom says is true. My D is a business major and is also majoring in one foreign language and minoring in another. The language classes for her major are very small and get even smaller (~3-5 students) after the lower level classes. The department is small. And all of the profs know her well. She goes to office hours for extra conversation and reading practice and they love working with her one-on-one. The classes for her minor are a little larger but still very small (10-15 students). Class size is so dependent on popularity of the major. At LACs, many popular intro classes are still going to be 50-100 students.
Note that the OP is a single parent. If the other parent is still alive, that can be a complicating factor in getting financial aid at many colleges.
Dustyfeathers, my daughter agrees with your characterization of NCF students…While her political and social views are fairly liberal, she’s pretty conservative in her lifestyle choices and general approach to life. She just didn’t feel it had the right vibe.
We will definitely take a closer look at consortiums, both in terms of offerings, environment, and finances. She has said she’s not interested in a women’s college, but I think she may have a skewed view of how segregated they are. So far, she has chosen not to date in high school because it’s “too much drama” and she doesn’t have time for that, but it’s on her college bucket list. 
She has also vetoed small schools in the middle of nowhere, such as Grinnell. (Which I liked…feels very safe to this mom!)
I’m really curious abut how the honors code contributes to “calm, happy campuses with gentle communities” that are lower stress. I want her to be challenged, but I also want her to enjoy these years - not be stressed out all the time.
We will visit several of the Florida LACs that were suggested, such as Rollins and Flagler. I’m not quite sure any of the Florida LACs are a fit, tbh, but visiting will help her decide if a smaller school might be right for her.
In terms of stats, she has a 4.78 weighted, 4.0 unweighted. Her SAT practice tests have ranged from 1560 to 1580. She’s a varsity swimmer and has normal ECs, but no special leadership, etc. She hopes to be team captain next year (swimming) and have an officer role in a club or two. She has some community service, etc. but again nothing out of the ordinary. (In other words, no “hooks” to use CC lingo.)
For the PSAT, her selection index was 227, so she will be NMSF and she should be a NMF- which means a COA/full ride scholarship in Florida. So part of me feels like I should just encourage her to take the money and run. Of course she will apply here (UF - semi-reach, and USF, UCF as safeties). (And I very much appreciate the reminders in this thread that large state schools can still offer small classes, meaningful connections, and perhaps more opportunities than LACs.)
In terms of finances, we’ve run some of the numbers and we could swing the EFC at most of the full-need, no loan schools; most come in between 10k - 15k for us, although some of the super-reach schools (Yale, Princeton, etc.) are quite a bit lower. Whether spending 40 to 50k for her undergrad degree would be financially wise is a different question. She might have a shot at some full-ride scholarships (Davidson, W and L, U of R) but they would be a reach, particularly given their emphasis on leadership.
I do think she has a reasonable shot at smaller scholarships at a number of LACs. My understanding, though, is that it really wouldn’t benefit us since we’re not full pay. In other words, the scholarship would replace the need-based grant. Is that correct or do some schools handle it differently?
And one final question…Any specific suggestions for STEM-oriented LACs that offer generous need-based aid or outstanding merit aid where the students are very bright, focused, and ambitious, but also caring and non-pretentious. Not too “quirky,” too “preppy” or too far left as a whole? It’s so hard to get a feel for the overall “vibe” from a distance. Oh, and the campus shouldn’t be too rural/isolated.
You are going to have a hard time matching the free ride your state will offer. Frankly, I would try a few super reaches with good need based aid and call it a day. You have some very good in state options.
“I’m really curious abut how the honors code contributes to “calm, happy campuses with gentle communities” that are lower stress. I want her to be challenged, but I also want her to enjoy these years - not be stressed out all the time.”
Based on this, your D should look closely at Davidson. Very strong honor code. It’s academically very rigorous but b/c most exams are take home and they self schedule finals it reduces stress. It’s full need, no loans.
My D is a firs-year there with similar stats to your D. She’s loves the academics/profs and the community. It leans liberal but not really a draw for a lot of quirky/out there kids like NCF and some other LACs. About 1/3 students of color which is not bad for an LAC.
She considered bigger schools – specifically Cornell and UNC but ultimately felt like the small classes and community at Davidson was a better fit b/c the vibe is connected and collaborative which she really values.
Scripps was also high on her list and I agree the 5Cs are a cool option – we had a great visit and I can share some insights there too.
Feel free to PM me if you have any questions!
^ I would agree that Davidson is a good fit. I would also look at Skidmore. Try their NPC and see what they can do for you. I also agree with @roycroftmom, that you should look now at higher caliber schools that meet full need, especially Vassar and, if she’ll consider all-girls Barnard. Good luck and keep us posted!
@roycroftmom, Yes, we’re considering anything else a reach…I think I will give her $x dollars for applications (outside of selected FL NFM schools) and then she can decide on the final list, keeping in mind the financial constraints. If she finds a school that we both feel is perfect for her AND it’s affordable, then we’ll plan a visit. She knows the finances have to work. I just want to make sure we consider all of our options…I don’t think we’re visited the “right” FL college yet, but I’ve heard good things about UCF honors. Some OOS public schools might be on the table as well, such as UofA Honors.
@AlmostThere2018, thank you! Davidson was one of the first colleges I looked at (online) and it just seems to check off a number of boxes. As a family, we also like NC…it feels like home away from home.
@NEPatsGirl, thanks! I just took a look at Skidmore - and it seems like a great option (that wasn’t on our radar.) It’s selective, but not unreasonably so if that makes sense. She was excited to see that she’d be very competitive on their swim team. The first year in London was interesting too…it has been one of her goals since middle school to study in England.
^ Great post. Nothing wrong with the FL schools and BF makes it quite inexpensive (compared to most). That said, there are sooo many great schools (LAC, mid size, and large) that will offer substantial aid. Why does that matter if you have what you need in FL? It may not. That’s a personal decision. Having lived in several states and different regions of the country, I would just tell you there’s something to experiencing life in other places. The exposure to different climates (weather and people) is quite valuable. And if your kid has any interest in jobs that essentially require a relocation up north, out west, etc., it could be quite helpful to be in that area.
Since Scripps was mentioned, Harvey Mudd and Pomona should be considered as well, but they will be expensive.
@TrendaLeigh Denison (near Columbus OH) has a few full tuition merit-based awards. Your child has the stats to be considered, IMO. Also highly-ranked for Division 3 swimming. It’s a beautiful campus in a small town; student body struck me as sporty and more mainstream politically than some other LACs. If you’re willing to look OOS, it might be an option.
Caltech has an honor code and many take home exams. I would not call it low stress! Though they do know how to blow off steam.
I am going to echo other posters and suggest you really look at Davidson. It has some very competitive full ride merit scholarships that require a nomination from your school (Belk Scholarship). Davidson has a nice main campus and a separate waterfront campus area on Lake Norman.
Also, University of Richmond is another LAC that meets full need and has some competitive full ride merit scholarships (Richmond Scholars). Richmond has a gorgeous campus and great food.
As mentioned above, Denison has D3 sports and has some big scholarships, although it sounds like the full rides have some specific requirements. Very nice hilly campus.
Your D definitely has the stats to be considered for these giant scholarships, but the awards are holistic so you just never know.
Someone I know had two of their kids apply to their #1 choices and both got in. Harvard for one, Amherst College for the other. They said one kid was more interested in STEM and the other Humanities. After their first year, they discussed and compared the resources and attention at both schools and said they found them to be similar. Both of their kids were extremely happy. The one difference that stood out, was that at Harvard they had to work a bit harder to seek out the support and opportunities. I think this speaks to, “It’s what you make of the opportunity.”
Had they flipped the kids and sent each to the opposite school, the outcome may not have been the same. Maybe they both would have been miserable. I think you go for fit. Not your fit. Your kid’s fit. As a parent in all your wisdom you can present all the wonderful options and scenarios, but in the end it is the school they feel they can be happiest and set them on a path for success. And then again, once they are there, they have to do what it takes to stay there and come out successful.
We love the experience, the education and resources that our daughter is receiving at a small LAC. What really matters is that she loves it. All we can do is encourage our kids to take advantage of the wonderful opportunities before them.
But there has to be financial fit too, and it is really hard to beat ‘free’ for a NMS at a Florida school.
Agree that CalTechers work extremely hard but know how to have fun. I’ve got an uncle and a brother who attended there (geology and physics). Let me just say that there are stories! Like this prank when some Caltech students manipulated the card section at the 1961 Rosebowl: http://hoaxes.org/archive/permalink/rose_bowl_hoax/
I agree with one of the recommendations to check out Vassar if the NPC shows that it might be affordable. In my experience with my kids applying for the full ride scholarships at Davidson, U. Richmond and others, they are extremely competitive and seem to go to high stats kids who also have very impressive community service and leadership experience. Thus, for non-Florida schools it may be better to focus on schools that appear to be a good fit and meet your financial need.
@elena13 – agreed that merit at Davidson is very very tough, but they also have a generous definition of need and have a no loan policy so I think it’s still a good fit for OP’s D.