HELP!! LACs like BOWDOIN, BATES, VASSAR ... BUT THAT GIVE MERIT AID

<p>Hello, my daughter went on a college tour with her father to see VASSAR, WILLIAMS, AMHERST, BOWDOIN, BATES and COLBY. She pretty much loved them all. She has a 4.93 gpa, got a 31 on her ACT (took them twice) and a 720 on History SAT subject matter test. She has and is taking a rigorous high school curriculum (honors or AP courses whenever available). This August, she interviewed at Bowdoin, Bates and Colby. She runs cross country and the coaches at Vassar, Bates and Oberlin have been in regular contact with her. She likes them all. She really likes Bates and would definitely attending Vassar because she has a good friend who loves it there (the friend is a sophomore). The problem is, of course, the cost of attending these schools. We cannot afford the $60,000+ price tag of these schools. However, it is unilkely that she will get any financial aid (although we will apply). I'm wondering what schools are out there, similar to the LACs that I mentioned, BUT are different in that they provide merit based aid. My daughter desperately wants to attend a LAC with >2,500 students. She does not want to be in a city like Philadelphia, DC or New York. She has worked hard in high school and it is difficult to tell her that she needs to move to a less selective school because that is how she is going to get merit aid. Also, from coaches so far, we have heard that they want the althetes who the select for their team to apply early decision but, if our daughter does that, then we are stuck with whatever aid is provided, which means we really can't allow her to apply ED. What do coaches say about that? Does that mean that she won't be offered a spot on the school's cross country team? Any wisdom, insight or advice you have would be MUCH appreciated!! </p>

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<p>I know this will be difficult because you have waited so long to tell your daughter what you can afford to spend for college, and now she may be shocked that those wonderful schools you had her interview and fall in love with are off the table. The main suggestion I have for you is to tell her now, and quit taking her to schools that are not affordable. This is really not fair to her, and your family’s economic circumstances have nothing to do with “how hard she worked.”
Next, start researching colleges that offer merit aid to kids with her stats. There are threads on this board that can help you (use the search function) and books, and perhaps her school counselor. And yes, she should not apply early decision to a school you can’t afford. That will only make the disappointment worse when she’s accepted and you have to beg off because of finances. </p>

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<p>Maybe, but why would you want them to offer a spot that she will then have to turn down?</p>

<p>Be honest with her now. Good luck.</p>

<p>You are one of the tons of families that have to take price into account when making a college decision – it is not unusual. There are tons of great schools out there.</p>

<p>First I might talk to the coaches and let them know that your D cannot apply ED unless you are guaranteed enough merit aid to allow her to attend the school. Ask the coach how applying RD would impact her. I’d imagine if she goes to a school where she is qualified for the team that they would still be happy to have her but I also think that if she applies RD the coach may not be able to intercede on her behalf in the admissions process.</p>

<p>In terms of LACs there are a ton of great ones out there. Look at the USNWR list (although I don’t love rankings, it is a good list of schools) and look at ones a little lower down the list. <a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Look into getting merit aid at schools like Muhlenberg, Lafayette, Franklin & Marshall, Dickinson, Dennison, Goucher to name but a few.-- there are many others. If she is in the top 25% of the stats for a school, merit aid could be possible.</p>

<p>Union College, although it’s right in the middle of a small, not real nice, city (Schenectady, NY). You won’t find many of the more selective LACs that give merit aid. Coaches want their “recruited” athletes to apply ED because that’s when the coach has the most pull with admissions. Usually in the regular decision round, all bets are off as far as the coach having influence in getting his/her “recruited” athletes accepted. But if the coach wants her and your daughter gets accepted, ED or RD, she’ll probably have a spot on the team (or at least be at no disadvantage).</p>

<p>Bowdoin does offer minimal (several thousand $) National Merit Scholarships for NMSF students, but only if they name Bowdoin as their first choice school.</p>

<p>Oberlin offered my son merit aid. Worth a look. </p>

<p>My suggestion to you is to look for LAC and small colleges (Catholic schools are a good bet) where her ACT is in the very top echelon of test scores. That is where the merit money is for her. Not at the name schools where they have more than enough applicants like your DD , so that it’s ludicrous that they even consider paying for her to come there, which is essentially what merit awards are. And forget the early decision if you want money. As for the cross country, track teams she’ll get a spot if her times are in line for one. I wouldn’t get distracted by that sort of thing. </p>

<p>Ursinus is a school that gives nice merit money ; there are a number of such schools, and schools like York College, Flagler College have low sticker prices. There are some smaller state schools like St Marys of MD, Geneseo in NY and a number of the Universites in Pennsylvania like Slippery Rock, West Chester that are reasonably prices How much are you willing and able to pay? </p>

<p>In part the answer to your question may depend on what you mean by “similar to” the LACs that you mention. If you are wanting schools that have the same types of selective admissions criteria, but give merit aid, you may be looking for a while. If your daughter is comfortable with less selective schools, then you will have more choices.</p>

<p>Not knowing what your geographic preferences/limitations are, here are a few thoughts: Davidson College in Davidson, NC; Kenyon College in Gambier, OH; St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY; Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, PA; Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA; Sewanee: The University of the South in Sewanee, TN. All of these schools offer merit aid, although not all offer full tuition/full rides, and the merit aid is awarded on a competitive basis. (Also, I don’t know how those cross-country teams are ranked.)</p>

<p>You may want to check out some of the threads at this link: <a href=“Links to Popular Threads on Scholarships and Lower-Cost Colleges - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums”>Links to Popular Threads on Scholarships and Lower-Cost Colleges - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums;

<p>Ursinus gives AMAZING aid. I know of a young woman with a pretty good GPA and abysmal test scores (12 on ACT) and is going to Ursinus for free. 1/2 need based, 1/2 merit</p>

<p>You might also want to post a question in the forum for Recruited Athletes: <a href=“Athletic Recruits - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/athletic-recruits/&lt;/a&gt;. But it’s just a fact that the most highly selective schools don’t offer generous merit aid. The schools that do offer generous merit aid are doing so to lure students who might otherwise not have considered them. I believe Oberlin offers merit aid. </p>

<p>The lists linked to in <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1678964-links-to-popular-threads-on-scholarships-and-lower-cost-colleges.html”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1678964-links-to-popular-threads-on-scholarships-and-lower-cost-colleges.html&lt;/a&gt; are probably of interest to you.</p>

<p>What annual amount CAN you afford for college for her? </p>

<p>Typically the LAC’s that would offer significant merit money would be ones where she is in the top quarter of their entering class – and so that would mean that you’d want to focus on LAC’s whose 75th percentile ACT score is a 30 or lower that also give merit scholarships. </p>

<p>Unfortunately, even if the colleges she visited did give significant merit aid, an ACT of 31 is probably not above their 75th percentile ACT score. </p>

<p>If she needs $20K a year in merit aid to make a $65K/year school work, she needs to look at liberal arts schools that are significantly less selective. She can still get a fantastic education at many of these schools, but to get a lot of merit money she probably needs to look more closely at schools like Gustavus, Beloit, Providence, or St. Lawrence.</p>

<p>Most of the schools listed by the OP do not give merit aid. They can beg a sports coach until the cows come home…and no merit aid will be offered.</p>

<p>Oberlin does have some very competitive merit aid awards…but not very many. </p>

<p>Look at the book “colleges that change lives”. Most of those are smaller schools, and most give merit aid.</p>

<p>How much CAN you pay each year? That will determine how far down the ladder you need to go to get enough merit. (merit gets applied to NEED first! be aware of that!!).</p>

<p>For instance, if you can pay $20k per year, then your D needs nearly a full tuition scholarship…so that your money can pay for room, board, fees, books, transportation, misc and personal expenses.</p>

<p>First determine how much you can pay…and stop taking her to unaffordable schools. (imagine that your then-fiance took you to look at pricey engagement rings that were never going to be affordable. After that, a nice affordable ring is going to look like small potatoes.)</p>

<p>A few thoughts…</p>

<p>Very few LACs have more than 2500 students. Is she looking for a rural school? A cute small town? </p>

<p>I am guessing you live in the Northeast. There are many great LACs offering merit aid outside that area, and your daughter might be “geographically desirable” if she is willing to go a little further away. Some schools that come to mind are Centre, Rhodes, Hendrix, Lawrence, Knox, Beloit. The college that I thought of first upon reading your post was St. Olaf–it’s one of the largest LACs and is a fantastic school.</p>

<p>Really, I don’t think you can go wrong with most of the top 100 LACs. They all have different strengths and attributes, so you’d have to do a little research or tell us more about what your daughter might like.</p>

<p>My son got a merit award at Oberlin, but he had a higher ACT and guys get a bit of a leg up with LACs. Grinnell gives good merit aid, but is smaller than your D wants. The advice was good to move down the USNWR list and look at those schools. They are NOT of lower quality academically. Also repeat, do NOT keep taking her to schools you can’t afford. Goucher offered my son great merit aid, but again, higher test scores and they really give a preference to guys because they are trying to equalize their numbers. It is certainly worth a look though.</p>

<p>Did you run the NPC for the schools you looked at? It’s unlikely you’ll get financial aid at State U or Notre Dame, but you might get some from Smith or Vassar. We got no FA from many schools, but running the NPC for some of those you listed did indicted we’d get quite a nice amount. It will depend on your income and circumstances, but don’t count out the smaller LACs just because your FAFSA EFC is high.</p>

<p>I’d also ask your daughter WHY she wants to go to Williams or Bowdoin. What is she looking for (other than the name)? A particular major, a professor? If she loved every school she looked at, she’ll probably love a more affordable school too. My daughter wanted a small school, under 3000, but ended up at a smaller state flagship with about 10,000 undergrads. Loves it. Loves the size. She also had loved some other schools we looked at (for her sister) like Elon and Presbyterian which are much smaller. She’s just a happy kids who would be happy almost anywhere.</p>

<p>Here is the reply I posted on your identical thread in the parents forum.</p>

<p>Most of the schools listed by the OP do not give merit aid. They can beg a sports coach until the cows come home…and no merit aid will be offered.</p>

<p>Oberlin does have some very competitive merit aid awards…but not very many.</p>

<p>Look at the book “colleges that change lives”. Most of those are smaller schools, and most give merit aid.</p>

<p>I tend to agree that if she likes LACs then looking at LAC’s a little “lower down” on the rankings list should find some other schools she will also love. LACs in general attract a different sort of student, and they all will have a similar vibe of community and broad interest in the life of the mind. </p>

<p>If she is looking for athletic scholarships…some of these schools are division 3 and don’t offer athletic scholarships. But she could get academic merit aid.</p>

<p>I don’t know a lot about LACs, so others can chime in here. My gut tells me that as you go down the ladder chasing merit, the male/female ratio at these LACs will be lopsided female. Is that ok with your D?</p>