<p>The database below helps identitfy schools that are using a similar model to TU. At TU, 36% of the kids get merit schollies with an average merit award of $21k. Other schools that have similarly high percentages and dollars are:</p>
<p>The model is pretty much high sticker price and lots of discounts. I’d agree with FC that the sweet spot is getting a smart kid who’d pay $55k at a higher ranked school (which the family would really have to stretch to do) but who can pay $30k after merit aid but with no need based financial aid.</p>
<p>Interesting database for sure. I also realize I said “…schools like Northwestern, Duke and many others…” when I meant to say “…schools like Northwestern, Notre Dame and many others…”. Brain malfunction. Duke is actually not bad with merit scholarships. Not as widely distributed as Tulane’s, but a fair number of full ride ones, not just full tuition.</p>
<p>Crux – to shed light on the point raised above, could you comment on what the net price difference for you was between Tulane and Rice, Vandy, Penn, Gtown, Tufts?</p>
<p>I wasn’t going to bother putting my D’s acceptances here since all of the other schools she was accepted to were publics, but why not…</p>
<p>GA Tech (actually her first choice but not enough money)
Iowa State - scholarship
Auburn/Honors - scholarship but not much
U. of South Carolina/Honors - scholarship
LSU/Honors - scholarship</p>
<p>“Crux – to shed light on the point raised above, could you comment on what the net price difference for you was between Tulane and Rice, Vandy, Penn, Gtown, Tufts?”</p>
<p>Penn and Gtown both offered me about $15,000 a year in financial aid. Rice, Vandy, and Tufts offered me no financial aid. The total price at all of those institutions would have been about $65,000, with room and board, books, fees, etc. It would’ve therefore cost me (or, rather, my parents, and myself to a lesser degree) about $50,000 a year to go to Penn or Georgetown, and the full $65,000 for the others. </p>
<p>Since I’m a Paul Tulane recipient at Tulane, I won’t have to pay tuition at all for my Bachelor’s, provided I graduate in 4 years and maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better, which leaves room and board, books, spending money, etc., which I think comes out between $15,000 and $20,000 a year. </p>
<p>It’s the economics of higher education in the US. As noted above many private and state honors programs target the upper middle class elite students with merit scholarships. The elite low income and high income kids don’t need to consider costs but the elite upper middle class students must consider costs.<br>
The elite poor and rich kids end up at ivy’s and the elite upper middle class go to schools offering merit scholarships.</p>
<p>Well said, bud. Of course, some of the rich kids that end up at Ivy’s are not all that academically elite, but when your family donates a building…</p>
<p>DS really only seriously considered a handful of schools. He was rejected by U Chicago, wait listed by Tulane, Haverford and Brandeis (inexplicably!), then he committed to Denison with close to a full ride on scholarships. Got into Tulane off the wait list, and despite the far less generous aid package (and we have significant need), he knew where he belonged! </p>
<p>I am on disability and will have to pay 1/3 of my income to make this dream happen for him. Not sure why we got so stiffed on the FA award when they insisted wait list applicants get the same consideration, but I don’t think that is true. Some of the bigger awards, including community service, had award dates that necessarily meant that wait listers would not receive them.</p>
<p>Not to nitpick, but only to clarify. When they talk about FA in the context you indicate, they mean need-based FA that is based solely on income and asset based factors, not awards like the DHS or Community Service Award. So in theory, the need-based package you received would have been the same regardless of when the acceptance came. Now how true that is in practice, I really cannot say. I have no experience or inside knowledge regarding that.</p>
<p>I can only advise that your DS make an extra effort to do well academically his freshman year. Turning down Denison with its low cost of attendance in his case was a financial risk, so hopefully it can pay off by his flourishing at Tulane. Anecdotal evidence indicates that this is rewarded in future FA rounds. Also, don’t hesitate to make an appointment with his FA counselor and ask them to go through the calculation in detail. It may not get you more, but then again it just might if they understand your situation better. As they say, what have you got to lose?</p>
<p>I wish him the very best of luck at Tulane.</p>