I have a daughter junior at well regarded urban high school for gifted in major city. We won’t qualify for financial aid. We are starting the process of looking for schools with big merit aid. Her stats are near perfect SAT (800V, 770M) taking again to try for perfect score), 3.99 unweighted GPA (one A-). She had 3 AP classes last year, 4 this year and 4-5 next year. somewhat light on ECs due to illness (no IEP) and introvertedness. But 4 years youth symphony, music tutor underprivileged kids, 3rd chair cello in top HS orchestra. Hopes to intern at summer music camp she has attended every year since 7th grade. Job taking care of neighborhood chickens! A few others but nothing earth shattering. Has disabled autistic sibling (many medical bills and special education limits our ability to fully fund college). Any ideas on where to look?
Yes I forgot to mention that. She did well on them sophomore year and would have qualified in our state had she been a junior. We looked at the list of schools that offered full rides and none were super appealing with the exception of half ride at USC which is on our list.
^^I completely agree. I would not have your D retake it.
There are lots of opportunities for merit out there. If you post some of the parameters that she’s looking for (school size, area of the country, what she wants to study, etc.) posters can offer you suggestions.
I suggest looking at the four year cost of any school you are considering. Add in some inflation for each year, add in traveling expenses, estimated personal expenses and books.
We had one school on our list, with a full tuition scholarship, still coming in at an estimated + $90K for four years.
You’ll have to ask yourself some hard questions re: what your budget is, and what you’ll do if your kid gets offered an amazing merit package at schools that are not selective, not elite.
Even if you can afford $100K for college, what’s the opportunity cost? Does the family need that money for something else? Would it be better put towards grad school, a downpayment on a house, something?
Thanks. She is open to most parts of the country except for the South. She plans to minor in music and major in the sciences (not specific yet but leaning towards biology). She toured a flagship state school and felt it was too big and chaotic. I think she would do well at a smaller liberal arts type school. She is very bookish and would feel comfortable in a very academic environment.
The University of Richmond offers 45 full tuition/full ride scholarships to incoming freshmen each year (in various areas, science, arts, leadership, general). Older D just graduated, and she had a full ride science scholarship (2300 SAT and other good stats). Middle D also attends UR on a full tuition science scholarship (35 ACT and other good stats). UR has been great for both of them, it is a very nice LAC with challenging academics, a beautiful campus, and a great location, approx 3200 undergrads. Admit rate last year was 31%, so fairly selective. Study abroad is very popular, advising is great, classes are small, and the professors are excellent.
A family friend attends Washington and Lee on a full ride scholarship and really likes it there.
Smith offers a great scholarship (see Zollman on the website) that includes amazing research opportunities. It isn’t full ride but Smith’s financial aid can be generous too. Academics and social life might be better fit for your daughter than some of these other suggestions.
If she got the USC “half tuition” (it is NOT a half ride), then would you pay the other $45k per year?
Did she not take the PSAT junior year? Or are you waiting on her scores?
Once you tell us what your net cost needs to be, then we can better help you. There’s no point recommending schools that give a lot of merit, but would still have a net cost that you can’t afford.
<<<
We looked at the list of schools that offered full rides and none were super appealing
[QUOTE=""]
[/QUOTE]
Then I hope you’re willing and able to pay a big chunk of her college costs. If she’s got her eyes on top schools, she’ll be in for a letdown if you all need huge merit.
I think you need to set your budget and work from there. If she’s going to eliminate all the schools on the high merit list, or the south, or too big, or too rural, she is going to have to acknowledge that some opportunities are going to be lost. She needs to be careful of being too picky without even exploring those schools. I think it is hard to eliminate whole categories of school and still keep the big merit awards in place.
A lot of private schools give merit scholarships for $15k or $20k, but that’s often not even half tuition, and you’ll still be looking at $45-50k every year. My daughter was able to stack that merit with state grants, athletic award, alumni grants to make it work. But then again, she’s in the south (and 70% of the domestic students at her school are from OOS).
Also remember that you child is maturing while in high school. A big flagship might seem huge and chaotic to a 15 year old, but to an 18 year old it might seem more exciting, have more to offer. Now that mine are in college, they appreciate how much the bigger schools can offer, with all kinds of courses, opportunities, friends. D2 is at a smaller school, 3500, but has spent time with friends at the big flagship and admits she would have liked that too.
Would she consider a women’s college? Scripps, Bryn Mawr and Mount Holyoke give good merit aid. Wellesley, alas, gives none, but they do meet 100% of demonstrated need.
Oberlin also gives excellent merit aid and has a dual degree program for Conservatory and College.
I second Richmond for a musical kid with high stats looking for merit money. Also, Davidson and Duke have some nice but competitive scholarships (if NC is not too far south). She also might be able to get merit money from Oberlin, BC or Northeastern.
It sounds like the family doesn’t qualify for need based aid.
We need to know what the net cost needs to be. There are $65k schools that give “good merit,” but if that still leaves the family with an unaffordable $45k per year to pay, then those schools won’t work.
If the family can only pay - say - $15k per year…then the student needs a full tuition award.
Many people consider Richmond ‘in the south’ and certainly North Carolina schools are southern. I lived in Maryland and many consider that the south (including those who live there!) A woman posted on another group I’m on that her daughter was no longer considering any schools from the south, like Gettysburg. Actual geography not withstanding (or that it was a Union state and battle), I do think Gettysburg has a southern feel to it (the town, not necessarily the school).