<p>I come at this from a law school background (decades ago!), so take this for what it is worth.</p>
<p>Me, I’d shoot the whole wad on undergrad education if that is what it took to get what I wanted in a college. Who knows? Maybe parents will pop for some more money if you do well at a great school and get admitted to a great grad school. You can always work after college, work during grad school, take loans, whatever.</p>
<p>As for the gap year . . . nah. You’ve worked hard in high school. Go to the college of your dreams (whatever that is) right now on your parents’ nickel and enjoy yourself!</p>
<p>USC offers significant merit aid, but I believe that the deadline for the application to be considered for their merit-based scholarships is Dec. 1!</p>
<p>I know it’s not in the NE, but the aid can be sufficiently generous that you’d be able to fly home and visit.</p>
<p>Also, if you’re a female (don’t want to be sexist re martial arts!), consider Scripps College, part of the Claremont cluster, with substantial scholarships based on merit.</p>
<p>Dickinson, Bucknell, Franklin & Marshall, Trinity, Conn College, Drew - there are so many wonderful, wonderful schools out there with merit aid for someone with your stats - and excellent reputations for having their students get into good grad schools. You have no good reason to be considering a gap year. (and I think gap years are a great idea.)</p>
<p>If the OP does not feel he is ready to make the step to college, perhaps a gap year is in order. Americorp, volunteer work, a job, travel, specialized study in something he loves, are all things he can do as he hones into what colleges he wants to choose. It is getting a bit late to put together a list if you are looking for good merit awards as some of the deadlines have passed. </p>
<p>The problem with this whole college admissions process is that one often does it all wrong the first time which tends to be the time to do it. Once you learn how it works, it is done. So it goes for merit awards. I know so many families who are sitting there at the end of the year having learned so much from the process but with the wrong results. They did not know how financial aid worked, how merit awards are, etc,etc. They learned everything one step, one beat or so too late. So a gap year could be an answer to someone who is coming into December just beginning to see what needs to be done to get into an affordable school.</p>
<p>I suggest running your parents’ numbers through some financial aid calculators just to see what the results are. Pick a few schools that you like and see what the likelihood of financial aid from them would be, given your parents financial situation. You can also get a good grounding on which colleges are likely to come up with merit money for you as you see what your classmates get.</p>
<p>I agree that a gap year isn’t likely to improve your chances at merit scholarships, which are already pretty good! I’m not sure what you’re looking for in a college experience (large/small, urban/rural, etc.), but I think you’d be considered for merit aid at some very well-regarded schools that offer it (BU, Brandeis, GWU, Syracuse) in addition to several others already mentioned on the thread. Case Western is a great school, for science/engineering particularly, that’s very generous with merit aid.</p>
<p>I think you’re wise not to allot everything your parents are willing to contribute to your undergrad experience. If you find yourself at a very affordable school, as Rutgers would seem to be, you can use some of that college fund for great internships or study abroad programs, and still have money left for grad school. Good luck - you’re a strong candidate. (And I hope you’re getting busy this week, since it’s December already )</p>
<p>Why not consider The College of New Jersey. It is more selective than Rutgers and it’s graduate placement rate is exceptional. Merit aid wih your stats should also be available. My daughter just graduated from TCNJ after attending Dickinson for 1 year & originally considering Bucknell, Franklin & Marshall, Lehigh,etc. I feel she received a superior education at a reasonable cost. As an economics major she had many opportunities and is currently with a fortune 500 firm in NYC.</p>
<p>cpt said “The problem with this whole college admissions process is that one often does it all wrong the first time which tends to be the time to do it. Once you learn how it works, it is done.”</p>
<p>Taking a gap year will not help you - it will be seen as a weakness.</p>
<p>I think you should go to the best university you get into regardless the costs. Don’t forget that there are many many ways of getting $ for gradschool (and getting $ for attending gradschool is much easier than getting $ for college) so you probably will do fine without your parents’ financial support after undergrad.</p>
<p>I like the environment/feel of Mcgill. Am I overestimating it’s reputation? I’m applying for a major scholarship, so I might be able to attend for as little as 15k a year.</p>
<p>The kids I know who have gone to McGill point out it is nothing like an American college experience. Few dorms, I believe no dining halls and lots of commuter students. Classes are large. It’s probably best compared to a good large state school.</p>
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