<p>Thanks, NYC for the detailed description of the social life your D experiences @ Smith, as my D specifically is looking @ 7 sister schools, then co-ed due to the networking & friendship opportunities. If her GPA stays close to it’s current number, she’s applying to Smith, Mount Holyoke & Amherst.</p>
<p>My D, also URM, got no merit money from Smith with a 3.9 UW, 2000+ SAT, & decent EC’s. She should check out the Pacific NW.</p>
<p>Merit $ is a little bit easire to come by at MHC than at Smith; the schools are similar in many respects and many young women apply to both. </p>
<p>I recall, from D2’s search, that Goucher (SAT options AND a lower starting/sticker price) had a lot of merit awards, but in general, if a school offered a lot of merit awards, many of them were for lesser amounts ($4K/yr - $8K/yr).</p>
<p>It might be worth cross-referencing the merit award thread with the fairtest (SAT opt) list. I also recall a number of schools using a merit aid matrix where the higher the gpa, the lower the SAT required to qualify of scholarship money. And at least a few of the LACs D2 visited (College of Wooster was one) had scholarships earmarked for URM students.</p>
<p>Northeastern University, Boston University, Florida State University, Ohio State University, High Point University, Trinity University.</p>
<p>I’m not so sure about merit $ at BU or N’eastern for a student with ACT25 (that’s SAT of about 1150 CR/M). And High Point is not at all in the same league as the other schools; it’s also very much an acquired taste (check out the High Point threads).</p>
<p>OP might also want to check out the merit aid threads o the Parents board.</p>
<p>FYI, I visited Case w/ D1. We both liked the school, D especially liked “not being in the middle of nowhere.” I don’t know about merit $.</p>
<p>Apply to the selective liberal arts schools, like Bowdoin, who are standardized test optional.</p>
<p>^^ Not if her daughter is hoping for scholarship money (as opposed to need-based financial aid).</p>
<p>I read the earlier posts where OP first says she’s:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>NOT looking for highly selective schools (but then asks for schools similar in fit to WashU);</p></li>
<li><p>Spellman and Howard would be good fits, but they don’t offer much in terms of scholarships or need-based aid; </p></li>
<li><p>the family is unlikely to qualify for grants; </p></li>
<li><p>she heard that selective schools were generous with grant money, that’s why her daughter ALREADY applied to a number of selective schools.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>As other posts have noted, many of the selective schools set aside relatively little money for merit scholarships, compared to money set aside for need-based aid. And if OP is hoping for scholarship money, her daughter should apply to test-optional schools were her grades put her at the top of the applicant pool - - or take the ACT again and, if the daughter gets a higher score, expand the pool to include schools requiring the ACT where the daughters grades and score put her at the to of the applicant pool.</p>
<p>But it’s difficult to recommend schools w/o knowing where (besides WashU) OP’s daughter has applied.</p>