Help With College List Please

<p>Alot of the schools mentioned have big $$ for their top candidates, but much of their aid is need based. For financial safeties, I suggest that the OP look at this post, <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=148852%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=148852&lt;/a>. Although the author is looking for full rides, the same strategies can be used by sliding the %s downward to get near a full ride. The higher the student is in stats, particularly the SATs for a given school, the better the ride, is a general rule.</p>

<p>Zixxa,
Trinity U in San Antonio came to my mind.</p>

<p>Other than size, Agnes Scott I think meets every one of your requirements.</p>

<p>"Presidential Scholarships
These renewable scholarships, which completely cover tuition, room and board, are the highest and most prestigious awards offered by the college. Students chosen to be Agnes Scott Presidential Scholars have excelled in academics, leadership, character and personal achievement.</p>

<p>GPA: 3.8–4.0
Rank: top 2 percent
SAT I minimum score: 1480/2190
ACT minimum score: 31"</p>

<p>They also have a bunch for $20k or so a year.</p>

<p>I compiled this list last year.</p>

<p>( BTW, Harvard, Yale & Princeton are close to tuition free if your family income is less that $60,000/year. And at those schools grants are given to students from families with income above that level at a graduated rate, depending on the exact figure and other relevant factors. I understand that some families with annual incomes near $200,000 nevertheless receive some grant money. )</p>

<p>Ivy League Schools – no merit-based aid, but:</p>

<p>"even Ivy League colleges invite accepted students to submit competing financial offers for review."
<a href="http://www.union.edu/N/DS/s.php?s=2836%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.union.edu/N/DS/s.php?s=2836&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>"Even Ivy League schools might dicker if your child is a star. Last year, they upped their aid formulas, especially those based on merit rather than need. That has opened the aid taps to more kids from upper- and middle-income families. The Ivies made the move after they started losing top students to public schools"
<a href="http://www.wordsthatreach.com/BWHaggle.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.wordsthatreach.com/BWHaggle.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Merit-Based Aid
Here is the U.S. News listing of schools where most of the students are recieving merit aid:
<a href="http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/co...merit_brief.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/co...merit_brief.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Washington Univ, St Louis -- 12 full<em>tuition (+ $1000 stipend) merit scholarships in College of Arts & Sciences
24 half-tuition merit scholarships (Liselotte Dieckmann), same college
Up to 10 full</em>tuition (+ $2500 stipend) merit scholarships (Ervin)
Up to 5 full<em>tuition (+ $2500 stipend) merit scholarships (Rodriguez)
Unknown number of full</em>tuition Danforth scholarships
<a href="http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/%7Ecolleg...s/freshmen.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~colleg...s/freshmen.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>University of Chicago (gives full rides)
<a href="http://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/level3.asp?id=444%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/level3.asp?id=444&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>USC -- <a href="http://afaweb.esd.usc.edu/dcpage2.cfm?PageBaseID=50223%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://afaweb.esd.usc.edu/dcpage2.cfm?PageBaseID=50223&lt;/a>
Merit-Based Awards:
Trustee
Amount: Full tuition (approximately $32,000 per year)
Number of awards: 100-120</p>

<p>Presidential
Amount: Half tuition (approximately $16,000 per year)
Number of awards: 150</p>

<p>National Merit and National Achievement Finalist Presidential
Amount: Half tuition (approximately $15,000) Students cannot receive this award and a Presidential, Trustee, or Deans; these awards are mutually exclusive.
Number of Awards: Varies</p>

<p>USC Associates
Amount: $7,500
Number of awards: 15</p>

<p>Deans' Scholarship
Amount: One-quarter tuition (approximately $7,500)
Number of awards: 250</p>

<p>UC Berkeley- Cal Bears Scholarship $5580 / Alumni Scholarship $1500</p>

<p>UCLA- University Scholarship $1500</p>

<p>Whitman- A.J. Anderson Scholarship $6000</p>

<p>Tulane -- offers 100 (I believe) DHS full tuition (not room/bd) rides; and a very good % of generous merit awards (2005-6 was $19K for the DSA, about $15K for Founders; others for La. residents and urban residents (cities >200,000).
<a href="http://www.tulane.edu/%7Efinaid/scholarships.shtml%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.tulane.edu/~finaid/scholarships.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Boston University -- Trustees Scholarship, full tuition (and others too, such as one for classical languages)
Avg. merit award - $11,902 (16%) $14,324 (13%)
Avg. athletic scholarship - $27,699 (1%) $28,275 (1%)
Merit award link:
<a href="http://www.bu.edu/finaid/grants/fre...merit_fr2.shtml%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.bu.edu/finaid/grants/fre...merit_fr2.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>George Washington University’s merit award link:
<a href="http://gwired.gwu.edu/adm/financial/freshman.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://gwired.gwu.edu/adm/financial/freshman.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Vanderbilt
<a href="http://www.vanderbilt.edu/catalogs/...schol_need.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.vanderbilt.edu/catalogs/...schol_need.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Rhodes College -- High both in numbers and amount, also give community service scholarships for kids interested in community service, not pure merit. These scholars do a certain number of community service hours.
<a href="http://www.rhodes.edu/Admissions/Scholarships/index.cfm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.rhodes.edu/Admissions/Scholarships/index.cfm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Rochester -- Rochester awards a number of students $ 10,000 Rush Rhees scholarships, a few students full-tuition scholarships, and a number of other smaller ones. Last year our S was awarded $ 13,000 in a combination of Rush Rhees and Dean's merit scholarships
<a href="http://enrollment.rochester.edu/adm...cial/merit.shtm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://enrollment.rochester.edu/adm...cial/merit.shtm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Brandeis -- awards apporximately 50 full-tuition scholarships per year, approximately 50 $20,000 scholarships, and approximately 100 other merit scholarships.
<a href="http://www.brandeis.edu/admissions/...cholarships.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.brandeis.edu/admissions/...cholarships.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Southwestern University (Texas)
<a href="http://www.southwestern.edu/admissi...holarships.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.southwestern.edu/admissi...holarships.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Denison, Muhlenberg, Kenyon all offer merit scholarships to their top applicants.</p>

<p>DePauw's merit calculator:
<a href="https://go2.depauw.edu/merit/%5B/url%5D"&gt;https://go2.depauw.edu/merit/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Beloit's scholarship list:
<a href="http://www.beloit.edu/%7Eadmiss/finai...cholarships.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.beloit.edu/~admiss/finai...cholarships.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Hendrix:
<a href="http://hendrix.financial.collegetre...holarships.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://hendrix.financial.collegetre...holarships.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Rice -- note, the actual dollars are out of date, it was up as much as 50% this year.
<a href="http://www.futureowls.rice.edu/futu...?SnID=449783039%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.futureowls.rice.edu/futu...?SnID=449783039&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Goucher:
<a href="http://www.goucher.edu/admissions/t...fm?page_id=1377%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.goucher.edu/admissions/t...fm?page_id=1377&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>University of South Dakota:
<a href="http://www.usd.edu/finaid/freshmen.cfm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.usd.edu/finaid/freshmen.cfm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Occidental -- offers top applicants I think up to 17k. Here's a full list, including smaller ones:
<a href="http://departments.oxy.edu/finaid/db/award_list.asp%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://departments.oxy.edu/finaid/db/award_list.asp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Rochester-- offers full tuition to 10 students a year out of 50 candidates it nominates to come interview. Some of the 50 receive 1/2 tuition (this isn't publicized, maybe they just started offering it this year.) Demonstrated interest w/ Rochester's pretty important; they're big on you fitting the school well and getting excited about it. Also the merit deadline is Dec 1.
Scripps - JES scholarship- 1/2 tuition to 40 students. One or two full rides plus airfare: "New Generation Scholarship." deadline Nov 1. <a href="http://www.scrippscol.edu/dept/admission/jess.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.scrippscol.edu/dept/admission/jess.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Drew -- Scholar Award (100% of first-year full tuition)
Trustees' Scholarship (75% of first-year full tuition)
Recognition Award (amounts vary based on academic and extracurricular criteria)
The Thomas H. Kean Minority Scholarship ( amounts vary)
Presidential Scholarship in the Arts (up to $10,000)</p>

<p>Davidson -- has a number of scholarships the most generous of which is the Belk which pays both tuition and room and board.
<a href="http://www2.davidson.edu/admission/..._opts-merit.asp%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www2.davidson.edu/admission/..._opts-merit.asp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Baylor: <a href="http://www.baylor.edu/admissions/index.php?id=24812%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.baylor.edu/admissions/index.php?id=24812&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Goucher: <a href="http://www.goucher.edu/admissions/t...fm?page_id=1377%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.goucher.edu/admissions/t...fm?page_id=1377&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Valparaiso University (IN): <a href="http://www.valpo.edu/finaid/merit.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.valpo.edu/finaid/merit.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Wake Forest -- (very generous programs, particularly Reynolds and Grayling Scholars which are full rides, but others, too).</p>

<p>Davidson -- (Belk and Baker Scholars are full rides, and they give out a lot of additional merit aid every year.</p>

<p>William & Mary -- has a full tuition ride for 4 students under its new College Scholars program.</p>

<p>Kenyon
Emory
Carnegie Mellon
U of Miami
Tulane
Case Western
SMU,
UT Dallas
Univ. of Tulsa,
LSU
Vanderbilt
Case Western Reserve
Rice
Duke
Emory</p>

<p>NYU, Boston University, Lehigh, Clark, Northeastern, Univ. of Delaware Honors. (most do not require seperate scholarship applications but being in the top 10% of applicants is the expectation for consideration).</p>

<p>CalTech
Allegheny College
Grinnell
Trinity University
American
Ohio State
Arizona State
U of Oklahoma
U of Texas at Austin
U of Florida
Emory
Dickinson
Seattle U
Johns Hopkins
University of Arizona
Arizona State U</p>

<p>Schools that offer some merit money to a large percentage of students:
Beloit
Goucher (this may be changing however)
Knox
College of Wooster
Hendrix
University of Redlands
Whittier
Chapman U
DePauw
Lawrence
University of Puget Sound
Gustavos Adolphus
Case Western
Texas Christian University
Wabash
Albion
Linfield</p>

<p>Nice list and thanks for the work, JoeBob.</p>

<p>For everyone who uses his list, be sure and verify the information directly one each college website for schools which interest you. For example, I happen to know Tulane. The DSA was $22K in 2005-6 (not $19K, my S had it), becaue there is a $3K housing portion in addition to the $19K tuition.</p>

<p>Tulane now adds the $3,000 housing allowance to the DHS award, so the DHS is full tuition + $3,000. Also, I think that William and Mary's 4 full scholarships are split 2 in VA and 2 OOS.</p>

<p>Thanks to everyone for being so generous with your suggestions. We have looked at Scripps (probably can't get it into price range though) but hadn't looked at Oxy (the Calf bias thing) but it seems that if she adds California, that opens up several things that seem to fit her college profile. </p>

<p>Tulane keeps moving up the list. Anyone who got the DHS know what kind of projects they are looking for or what has stood out in the past?</p>

<p>JoeBobHalley, I think that's a list that will be helpful for a lot of kids, not just mine. Thanks for sharing. Looks like DD has a lot of web surfing to do when she gets home from work.</p>

<p>Now, I need some more advice from all you generous people. After reading other threads on this forum, I am thinking of having my DD apply to one full tuition/full ride scholarship school were she is really competitive so hopefully something big comes through merit. Then, maybe that offer could be used for negotiations with other schools. My thought is maybe look at a school in one of the areas that are a little further North (not as far as Minnesota or Maine) and who knows, maybe in looking for a school for "negotiations" she will find one that really intrigues her enough so the weather issue becomes less critical. What do you think of this strategy and if it is reasonable, any suggestions? (Cold combined with very rural/isolated won't work though). </p>

<p>weenie- If we go this route, I'm putting Denison on the list just so I can go visit and hang out. I know, I know, suppose to be her decision but hey, arent' we entitled to have some fun of are own with this?</p>

<p>Just so you know, I think weather/geography is a reasonable criteria for choosing a school. I have known kids who can't adjust to hot/humid climates who are miserable because they can't get outside to do anything without wilting so it makes sense that too much cold would work the same way for some people. Especially true if someone is prone to Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD) or Hypothyroidism. Mine wears sweaters/hoodies to school when the temperature hits 75 and the heavier jackets go on at 65 so she spends a lot of time in winter clothes when others are still in tshirts.</p>

<p>Zixxa, I think your idea is great. Southern schools are also a good bet. My friend's daughter with stats very similar to your D's got some nice awards at Sewanee, Rhodes, and GW ( where she now goes).UMiami is also a possibility. Some schools where the ticket price is low are Uof South Carolina, College of Charleston, James Madison, Mary washington, Uof Fl. Florida State, U of GA, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Virgina Tech, grove City, York College. These schools have a low sticker price and are also likely to give you a nice scholarship to bring the price down even lower. Catholic colleges are also a good bet. Loyola in New Orleans, for instance. </p>

<p>As for Tulane, the word at our school, is that demonstrated interest is the key. So many kids applied there last year, I heard, and few showed up. The yield plummented. I guess they were using it as a name brand safety, figuring that with the hurricane issues, the accept % would go up. It would be worth while to make the trip there if you are interested and let them know that it is a top choice on your list, and have your counselor allude that in his rec letter, mentioning also that merit aid is important. I know our gc would write one "special" custom rec to the first choice school if asked, in a situation like this. You could also visit Loyola next door if you go there, and get a first hand view of the rebuilding of the devastation that hit this fine city.</p>

<p>My daughter has been in contact with Tulane, American and a couple of others I think. Still exploring so any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.</p>

<p>hey i wanna know wat colleges to consider in texas most probably in dallas and houston for business studies,</p>

<p>Any other suggestions out there? Tulane and American on the list and DD is looking at Honors programs at various state universities. She is trying to connect with Psychology faculty and honors directors at some of these schools. Agnes Scott is a possibility but not really sure about the women's college thing. Her closest friends have tended to be males although she has attended some all female summer programs and did fine for the short term. </p>

<p>Some of the mentioned schools look good to her but the money possibilities just don't seem to be there. Scripps, Pomona, Whitman, Elon, Trinity, Tulsa etc would all be possibilities but their merit aid is non-existant or not enough to get close to what we can do. </p>

<p>She has decided to look again at some LACs to try to broaden the possibility of merit money. So, while I would still like some more suggestions that meet her original plans, I am also now looking for some LAC suggestions that fit the merit aid criteria as well as something besides Denison (already on the list) in the somewhat colder climates where she might be competitive for merit aid (stress somewhat colder, not Maine or Minnesota).</p>

<p>I know it's getting late in the process but daughter is still keeping options open and exploring. Has been to the counselors office multiple times for scholarship/college info. At mandatory counselor visit for seniors, she was suppose to get a personal tour of college guidance center (new this year with new college counselor-never had this before). Secretary just said, "you probably know more about this place than we do." Wasn't meant to blow her off, just acknowledging the reality so they had a good laugh. </p>

<p>Anyway, meets with her counselor (the one writing recs) with resume info, etc tomorrow, so I thought I'd add the following info and see if anyone has any additional advice. I don't think it changes much, just maybe makes her a little stronger. After all, she is still the person she was a month ago before the statistics and scores were officially known and competition she faces is still the same. It will be tight but she still has time to get stuff together for Nov 15 or later scholarship deadlines.</p>

<p>Top 1-2% of class of 450.<br>
Now definately top 1%.
Sat range 1450-1490/ 2200-2250 sat II range 700-800
Now 1500+/2240+ (puts her at 99%)
GPA 94-95/104-105
Now 95 Unwt/105-106 Wt</p>

<p>Thank you so much for all the help already given.</p>

<p>Vandy will give you cash, and alot of it if you show alot of interest.
American: seems like a not very cohesive school and a uninteresting campus. would not be on my list.
Rice: will also work to give you cash and a great school</p>

<p>Since you're willing to look a little further north now, I suggest you look at Dickinson (PA). It offers substantial merit scholarships for students in the top 10% of their class and who have at least a 1380 combined Math/CR SAT score. They give a lot of these out since not everyone who receives one decides to go to Dickinson.</p>

<p>Definitely look at Drew, in New Jersey. They give full rides to students with stats like your daughter's. I know someone who is there on such a scholarship, and she loves it. A plus: I've heard that Drew devotes considerable resources beyond the aid itself to make sure that their top merit scholars have an excellent education.</p>

<p>You want to identify schools that have students with stats mostly below your daughter's and which are moving up in the rankings. (These want to attract top students to improve their status.) Your daughter must be VERY careful to let the schools know that she is not applying on a lark. I suggest that she interview at these schools and make it clear to the admissions officers that she wants to go there if she can get a merit scholarship.</p>

<p>She may as well apply to Princeton as well since they offer the best non-merit aid in the country AND the school isn't too far north. Their aid is not based on the EFC but on their own formula, so you might want to go to their site to try their calculator. I've known people who have been surprised by how much aid they qualify for at Princeton. Of course, getting into Princeton is the real trick!</p>

<p>I haven't visited American, but my son has a friend going there and he LOVES IT!! A top student, he got lots of merit aid.</p>