<p>Perraziman- I want to make sure you know that Northeastern has moved over into the “hot today” college list. I read a NYT article about it but can’t find the link now. Basically Northeastern admission stats have risen because it has become more popular so it takes more to get into that school. On top of that difficulty-Northeastern now is offering less financial aid to students with need because it doesn’t have to offer money like it use to in the past. See this link for an illustration of my point. [College</a> Navigator - Northeastern University](<a href=“College Navigator - Northeastern University”>College Navigator - Northeastern University) Under net price it says that a family with an income of $50K would have a net price at Northeastern of $27K!!! simply ridiculous in my opinion. Now I know Northeastern does offer NHRP but just be aware that a student is eligible for it but it does not mean it is guaranteed. If I remember correctly my DS (although he was NHRP) did not receive the full-tution award and instead received around $17K in merit money. </p>
<p>At your income level you want to look at schools that meet at least 80% or higher of your financial need. You can do a search on big futures and under the paying tab put the level of meeting 80% or higher as a search parameter. This may help you having schools that are a bit more generous on your list.
Good Luck.</p>
<p>Talking to the Emory rep for my school, the multi cultural recruiter set it up, pretty sweet actually she seems like a very nice lady and hopefully our email exchanges will give me an edge before she comes to visit. It’s one of the schools on my list, but I’m applying EA to Michigan, Georgetown, and UVA. And also applying to some UC schools and USC scholarship deadline, I plan on applying to the rest of the list(a couple of Ivies and other competitive schools) after I submit my EA schools. May throw RICE in too but I don’t really know much about it besides the fact that it’s a great school.</p>
<p>itsv, thanks for sharing the info. We thought NU guaranteed it’s scholarship but not admission. However, if NU does not gtee the scholarship, then s will probably not be applying to it. After all, TX A&M guarantees admission, pays full tuition and is ranked 13th best engineering school in the country. He is not planning on applying to any other colleges except a couple of reaches such as MIT (#1 in engineering) and UT Austin (#9 in engineering). Perhaps an Ivy or two, but not definite on these. There is a chance he may get into UT, but the rest are just for the heck of it, with no real expectation of getting in. Is that not a good plan in your opinon?</p>
<p>Thanks entomom, I called NU and left one of the admission counselor’s a message to call me back on it. As soon as I get verification I will post it. :)</p>
<p>The main factor is FA, does your D require need based FA and will you want to compare FA packages between schools? Because even though you can get out of ED if Columbia’s FA package is not affordable, you will not be able to compare FA packages with other schools, so you will not know if their FA offer is a good one or not. Sometimes if a family is low income and falls below the FA threshold of a school that has a low income initiative, it is reasonable to go that way, but only if completely sure they qualify.</p>
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<p>How will she take both a Subject test and SAT in Nov since there is only one testing date? And will she have all of the specific Subject tests that engineering programs often require?</p>
<p>It may not be a big deal, but I feel her junior year AP test scores could be seen as too many 4s not enough 5s, although she did take a very heavy AP load . How was her GPA and class rank? Also what were her junior year grades in Physics, Statistics and Calc AB (or Pre Caclulus if she did not take Calculus AB)?</p>
<p>By my estimates (it is only an estimate) there are about 350 or 400 NH Scholars who make NMFs each year.</p>
<p>That’s funny, perraziman, I was just thinking that Orlando’s D showed a real improvement and strength in her junior year AP scores as compared to freshman and sophomore. That’s a lot of AP exams in one year and 4s and 5s are pretty great to my mind. :-)</p>
<p>I agree with sbjdorlo too about Orlando’s improvement. The tough thing about Columbia engineering is that you are committed to the program. It is my understanding from a seminar that if you want to change majors you can’t and that you have to reapply to the school. Plus Columbia is very tough about outside interests. A student from my DD’s school went to Columbia for engineering and she was an incredible actress/singer. Engineering turned out to be too rigid and would not let her sing/act so she had to go through the process all over and basically “lost” a year. As entomom points out ED is tough for a person needing financial aid. </p>
<p>Peraz… I have a lot of work today so I will share my thoughts in a later post but a thing that pops out is the difference in National Merit Semi-finalist (which I think you said your son is) and National Merit Finalist (which is applicable for the Texas A&M full-tuition scholarship). I don’t have a lot of experience with that merit program but it is my understanding that not everyone who is a semi-finalist becomes a finalist. There are essays and applications to do and only a very small percentage of SMF become Finalist (and therefore receive that scholarship.) If you limit you son’s school just to Texas A&M and he does’t get the finalist award; you may then end up with not a good financial fit for you. </p>
<p>Others in the hispanic forum may have more experience than me with the merit program and you might inquire on the merit forum what percentage of students go from SMF to MF.</p>
<p>Thanks. As I said I do not have experience with that particular program. At my DS’s high school it seems no student every makes it to finalist status so that was my basis for knowledge. I think Peraz’s son hasn’t taken the SAT yet if I remember correctly Since some college apps that can trigger merit money start being due around Oct 15 he may not get his scores back before those types of apps are due. I always plan for contingencies-I think you need at least a 2000 on the SAT for MF status. but the merit apps are due before he knows his score therefore it would be prudent to throw some early applications on his list such as Georgia Tech that could lead to merit/financial aid money in the event the SAT score doesn’t turn out where it needs to be.</p>
<p>I think what’s a smaller number, itsv, is those that are finalists that actually receive scholarships. I don’t know the exact number but that would probably be good for people like perazziman to find out.</p>
<p>^My understanding is that the National Merit Scholarship is actually quite small, about $2,500. So there really is not a big incentive to become a scholar to get one of those. What really helps, I am told, are scholarships given by colleges to Finalists. As jokahugo has suggested, 15,000 of the 16,000 Semifinalists (90%) do go on to become Finalists, so it is not a huge obstacle. Most people who do not proceed usually either do not fill out the application/ submit an essay or have disciplinary problems at school or have not maintained good grades. Also, I believe there are colleges such as University of Alabama that will give Semifinalists a full tuition scholarship too.</p>
<p>By the way, son does have an old SAT from before the PSAT in which he scored a 2000 in which he scored 620 in writing, 690 math, 690 reading. I believe that should be good enough to confirm the NMSQT. His writing has improved substantially since then. In the PSAT he scored a 760 in writing. He also has a 5 in the AP English Lang. His math has improved substantially too, which is why we are so optimistic for the SAT in Oct. However, I understand what you mean, we should perhaps apply to a place such as Alabama, just in case these things do not work out. Thanks itsv for the great advice.</p>
<p>There are three types of NM scholarships. the $2500 one is really hard to get. It seems to go to the top students in a state (but I could be wrong about that). For instance, I know my son, with a 225 on the PSAT and a 2320 on the SAT, would never have gotten that in California (or so I can assume).</p>
<p>However, my son won what’s called a “Corporate” NM Scholarship. My dh works for a particular company that sponsors corporate scholarships, and truly, by God’s grace, my son won one of those. Apparently, many of these types have a varying dollar amount based on income, and because our income is modest, my son was awarded the highest amount, $6000 a year, so he is very well positioned financially because of that.</p>
<p>The last kind of NM scholarship is the most common one, and that is the one that’s sponsored by the colleges themselves. These are the scholarships that most students should be looking at when considering financial safeties if they are pretty sure of being a NM finalist.</p>
<p>So, yes, Alabama is worth applying to, though I did hear that even <em>they</em> have reduced their scholarship somehow. (I don’t remember the details)</p>
<p>perazziman, what about UT Dallas’ McDermott Scholars and/or NM scholarships and other scholarships? My son and I really liked UT Dallas when we were there. I think it’s very underrated.</p>
<p>I am up late so I have a few free moments to comment. Peraz… in response to your post asking if your plan is good as well as sbjdorlo’s advice- here are my thoughts. </p>
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<li><p>Go the UT Dallas website (remember the source-e.g. is always better than speculation on CC). Sbjdorlo’s recommendation about UTDallas is a good one. That school is generous and has engineering. </p></li>
<li><p>Your son’s list is too limiting. As I posted in response to ryry’s questions in another thread about their list-I encourage you to read my suggestions there re: applying to college and having a list that is a good academic and financial fit. Sbjdorlo’s son’s list which she has posted earlier is a great example of illustrating this point. In this climate of competitive college admissions it is could to apply to enough colleges so that the student has choices that they like and more importantly financially feasible. 10-14 schools on a list are best. You know your son best so you know what he is capable about doing so that should be a gage for whether his number is 10 or 14. If app fees are an issue ask the counseling department or colleges for fee waivers. </p></li>
<li><p>You focus is maybe a little too much on what merit (i.e.g NMF) scholarship he is going to get and therefore your college discussion has been only about that when your income level of just at $50K could equally open other very good college doors to him if he is accepted. Have you run the net price calculator for some schools? I have previously posted how to frame searches that can show you the most generous colleges and if you need more of an explanation then I suggest you read the articles on the website [The</a> College Solution](<a href=“http://www.thecollegesolution.com%5DThe”>http://www.thecollegesolution.com). search for “9 steps to find the most generous colleges for financial aid.” Sb’s… son mixed merit and financial aid to give him some great money for college. My own DS got 3 merit scholarships (2 due to SAT/PSAT scores) and 1 from an essay competition to combine them for a full-ride at Ohio State. You have to think of both avenues as means of paying for your son’s college but you have to be smart in your son’s list to take advantage of such opportunities. It takes you basically getting in the trenches of researching colleges-their merit scholarships and running the numbers. </p></li>
<li><p>It is my understanding that Texas A&M operates similar to our Cal-Poly’s out here in CA. A student applies for their major but with popular majors such as mechanical engineering fill up quickly so a student could be pushed into a different major. I also think you can’t switch majors but do not quote me on that one. So if you put all your son’s eggs into the TA&M basket and he doesn’t get ME-what then will be his option. </p></li>
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<p>I just counseled a student with this similar problem at Cal Poly and I had to advise him to take a gap year since why use all of his family’s money to study something he doesn’t want. I would hate for the same thing to happen to your son. Plus this student never visited Cal Poly until a week before school started and hated it. Has your son visited TA&M?</p>
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<li><p>Do not focus so much on U.S. News rankings of colleges-those can be manipulated and I don’t want to get bogged into that discussion. Instead for ME your son should look at the program’s specifics such as grad rate; co-op program- internships-support sytems-learning communities-support for latino students-job rate-prof/student ratio etc. What kind of research or programs come out of the ME program at the particular school. For example we toured ME schools in the south this summer. Duke touted that it is rated higher than Georgia Tech yet when my DD toured the COE and labs she thought the labs and resources were better at GA Tech. The other funny thing we discovered is that Duke sends its students to GA Tech’s campus in France for study-abroad and charge Duke tuition-in contrast GA Tech charges their OOS in-state rates for study abroad which is a $15k savings from GA and a $33K savings from Duke tuition. MY DD loves robotics and environmental engineering so she is looking at schools where those programs are valued and offered. </p></li>
<li><p>During this time of year many colleges offer diversity-flys. Do the research here on CC for those programs. Has your son considered those opportunities? It would help pay for airfare and give him an opportunity to see some schools? Has he seen many schools? Do you think he would do well at a large school such as T A&M? What about honors college options which can make a big school “small”?</p></li>
<li><p>Get him working on all his apps now. Time is of the essence. Do not wait until he gets his SAT scores. Schools are already accepting students such as Alabama. If you need help read the book admission possible. Go talk to the counselor at his school. It takes time to write essays and complete applications. </p></li>
<li><p>Schools such as Bucknell and Lehigh have good ME and your son would be an attractive candidate to those schools. I think New Mexico has a very generous scholarsihp (may be Amigo program) for NHRP/NMF and engineering. In Texas SMU; Baylor and Rice might be other options for you to consider. Vanderbilt is wonderful and very generous to students with your level of financial need. A couple of years ago they also gave $5K to NHRP students eventhough it is not listed on their website. I am not sure of your son’s stats whether Vanderbilt would be an option but you should at least research it as an option. If you want to stay in the South then Clemson; GA Tech and the Florida Colleges have great ME programs. I know langpan has posted recently about a great Florida scholarship. </p></li>
<li><p>The time for action with your son is now-You should help him with his list quickly and get him completing those apps. Many schools have Oct. 15 and Nov. 1 as deadlines for merit consideration. You don’t want him missing those deadlines. Your son has a compelling story with his switching of schools (my DD did the same thing and discovered the same thing about her education). Get that story before admission reps in his “additional info” section of the common app. Don’t whine about how his school deflates grads (admission reps hate that kind of stuff) and in all likelihood know your son’s h.s. school profile. Instead put a positive spin on the experience. </p></li>
<li><p>Finally-I would also stop focusing so much on his AP scores. Yes colleges like a student to take a rigorous course load but ap scores are just “margin” issues. Colleges instead focus on his grades and SAT/ACT scores. Moreover many students get 4& 5’s on their AP exams so it is not as much of a factor that distinguishes your son from the next.</p></li>
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<li>continuing. My DD’s AP classes had 100% pass rates on their AP exams with an avg of 4.4 on the test. i agree it is important to pass the AP exams but instead the college is going to be more interested in his SAT/ACT test. (By the way is he taking the ACT this Saturday?) </li>
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<p>good luck. Please excuse the typos and grammar errors. it is late and I have to turn in for the night since I have a lot of students to help tomorrow. Good luck.</p>
<p>That is great information itsv. I will suggest it to him to consider expanding his list. </p>
<p>Will some of the other posters share their view on itsv’s comment,</p>
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<p>I was wondering if there is a consensus on this or are there some differences of opinon? Coming from a British rather than American educational system, it is possible, I may have misunderstood the significance of AP tests to our colleges. For example, Oxbridge will not even consider an applicant from the US without atleast 3 AP test scores of 5 or at least three Subject test scores with a score of 700 or higher. I have heard it said that since AP test scores are not required on an application, they may not be important to American colleges. Certainly, this would be the case at state colleges where the majority of applicants may not have too many AP tests or perform that well on them. However, I feel they may still be most important to top private universities and public engineering schools etc. For example, nobody says performance on AMC or AIME is required on a college application either, but performance on these benchmarks is considered very significant by top schools. I recall reading that R. Fitzsimmons, the dean of admissions and financial aid at Harvard College for more than two decades once said, "We have found that the best predictors at Harvard are Advanced Placement tests and International Baccalaureate Exams, closely followed by the College Board Subject tests. High School grades are next in predictive power, followed by the SAT and ACT. … In addition, I have heard adcoms at top universities repeatedly state that rigor is most important to them, especially in junior year, which seems consistent with good performance on several AP tests. So, I do not competely understand the weight given by some parents to GPA or even the SATs.</p>
<p>Personally, I think that students have to make up their minds, are they going to apply to the private colleges or state schools and select their courses accordingly. What are your thoughts? Thanks.</p>