<p>smart.cookie, please don't forget about your siblings. Your parents probably want to keep things fair and square for the 3 of you. That might be why you "only" have $15K per year for your education. Sure, maybe Dad <em>could</em> afford to send you to an Ivy, but could afford all 3 of you? </p>
<p>I think you're on the right track looking at excellent schools with generous merit aid. Good luck.</p>
<p>Another southern school with really good merit aid is USouth Carolina.</p>
<p>momofthree- Rhodes looks awesome! I really like the volunteering aspect of the fellowships! </p>
<p>DougBetsy- The 15k figure is not to be "fair and square", and the amount each kid has is different (older sis has almost 2X what I have...) I would ask for more, but that would be met with anger, so merit aid is what I am aiming for.</p>
<p>kelsmom- Thanks for the suggestion! I will definitely look into it.</p>
<p>Don't forget RICE UNIVERSITY! Great college, and they do offer an increased amount of merit aid, plus good needbased financial aid and capped or non-existent student loans (depending on income).</p>
<p>For Rice, though, I'm worried that some of their merit-based awards also factor in financial need. If that is the case, I would not likely be selected.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Vanderbilt
Furman
University of the South
Emory
Boston U
UMiami
Brandeis
Washington and Lee
WUSTL (they give out very few, but it is worth the one in a million chance)
[/quote]
</p>
<p>You consider Furman and Washington & Lee to be good universities? We will have to look at those. Ditto for WUSTL.</p>
<p>I formed a bad impression of UMiami on these boards after a student there complained about his program there.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>If you are a National Merit semi-finalist (and will be a finalist), do a Search for the thread that details the scholarships for NMFs on this board. That is how I discovered U.F. and UT-A scholarships. I called the schools up and they told me in-state tuition is what they offer NMFs. Did you know that UT-A got 2 fewer NMFs last year than did Harvard, which got the most NMFs of any college, which I think was about 280 last year, and UT-A got 278 NMFs. So if that many NMF's are picking UT-A, they must be doing something right!</p>
<p>Best wishes.</p>
<p>Furman is a very good school.</p>
<p>I know a young man who graduated from UMiami. He is getting his masters there now. He wasn't thrilled with everything there, but he got a very good education for a bargain ... tons of merit aid. He has some kind of assistant position for grad school & will get out of school with no debt. There is a lot to be said for that!</p>