<p>bethie, this is a newbie question…if a school like Reed meets 100% of need but they don’t give merit money can I assume that the difference between EFC and the total is made up with a combo of loans and need-based aid? Do schools that don’t offer merit $$ typically graduate students with higher debt or is that a simplification? Thanks!</p>
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<p>How about both? Pomona has Ski-Beach Day, where students ski at nearby Mt. Baldy in the morning, then lounge at Newport Beach in the afternoon. <a href=“http://www.pomona.edu/magazine/pcmfl04/47thingsskibeach.shtml[/url]”>http://www.pomona.edu/magazine/pcmfl04/47thingsskibeach.shtml</a></p>
<p>Although Pomona does not offer merit aid, it pledges to match 100% of financial need - having two in college at the same time will help with that. Several of the adjacent Claremont Colleges do offer merit aid.</p>
<p>Check out Pomona’s new Admissions Brochure for the full experience: <a href=“http://www.pomona.edu/ADWR/Admissions/ViewBook/mypomona.pdf[/url]”>http://www.pomona.edu/ADWR/Admissions/ViewBook/mypomona.pdf</a>
(caution - large PDF file)</p>
<p>Renee…that was powerful! Thanks for posting it.</p>
<p>My S attends Colorado College. He loves it. He got significant merit money, but look at their website because merit money (as such) does not abound. However, like many LACs, they will get you a financial package that is do-able.</p>
<p>Sports. 2007 Women’s Lacrosse went to the NCAA Regional Finals. Women’s soccer and Men’s Hockey are very respectable programs.</p>
<p>Women in science thrive at Colorado College. Three CC Alumnae Made Discover’s Top 50 Women in Science</p>
<p>Discover magazine’s November 2002 issue lists the “50 Most Important Women in Science.” Out of those 50 women, three are Colorado College alumnae – Margaret Liu '77, Jane Lubchenco '69, and Marcia McNutt '74. The total of three graduates from CC was topped only by MIT with four. </p>
<p>**Academics. **Phi Beta Kappa selected CC for ‘Deliberation about Things That Matter’</p>
<p>Colorado College is one of 11 colleges and universities nationwide that have been selected to participate in Deliberation about Things That Matter, a series of events sponsored by Phi Beta Kappa for teaching and learning deliberative skills through the discussion of major issues of meaning or value.</p>
<p>Events at the 11 institutions will be funded by a $100,000 grant to the Phi Beta Kappa Society from the Teagle Foundation</p>
<p>Block schedule. Working intensely on one subject in a small class setting. </p>
<p>Block Breaks. 4-1/2 days off every 3-1/2 weeks at the end of the block. Outdoor opportunities galore. Hiking, skiing, kayaking.</p>
<p>Location, Location, Location. Pike’s Peak out the window. Red Rock nearby for music.</p>
<p>Size. 480 (approx.) freshmen.</p>
<p>Endowment. Approx. $450M.</p>
<p>H and I liked Colorado College when we visited with D, but she decided the block schedule wasn’t something she wanted to deal with as a language major. </p>
<p>Back to Whitworth, here’s a blurb on testing/admissions policy from a newsletter last spring:
“We’ve decided that students applying for admission after this year may choose to be interviewed rather than to have us include their SAT or ACT scores in our admission decision. Although the vast majority of students will elect to have their scores considered, we know that some very intelligent and driven students don’t do well on standardized tests. Data indicate that the most accurate predictor of college success is a student’s high-school grade-point average; when we combine that with recommendations, an interview and other application criteria, we can make a good and fair decision. We are not doing this to get more applications (we had almost 5,000 for fall 2007) or to boost our average SAT scores (1,201). We’re doing this to get better applications and to make better decisions. We’ve found that many excellent liberal-arts colleges around the country have taken this step.”
<a href=“http://www.whitworth.edu/administration/presidentsoffice/ofmind&heart/2007/March07.htm[/url]”>Page Not Found | Whitworth University;
<p>I don’t know how Reed handles need-based aid. I think they pride themselves on using their FA resources ONLY for need-based aid, but we knew we wouldn’t qualify, so didn’t apply for it. Emeraldkity might be able to give you better info on this.</p>
<p>Admission Profile. Colorado College --Official Rank in Class for HS class 2007: top 1%-24%; top 5%-53%; top 10%-72%; top 25%-95%. </p>
<p>In HS class 2006 median SAT: 2020 (out of 2400); 2007:median 50% 1290-1430 (out of 1600 M and CR). ACT 2006 class–median 30; 2007 class median 50% 28-32.</p>
<p>VALUE. Colorado College is ranked 10th in Consumers Digest’s “Best Values for Private Liberal Arts Schools” list, published in its May-June 2007 issue.</p>
<p>Consumers Digest calculated estimated cost for 2005-2006, then applied a value index that includes students’ standardized test scores, high-school rank and grade-point average, student-to-faculty ratio, graduation rates, and the percentage of faculty members holding a doctorate or a terminal degree.</p>
<p>In April, Kiplinger’s magazine named Colorado College the 15th best value among the nation’s private liberal arts colleges; in fall 2006, U.S. News & World Report’s annual America’s Best Colleges named CC the 13th best value among national liberal arts colleges for the second year in a row. CC was also included in The Princeton Reviews 2006 edition of Americas Best Value Colleges.</p>
<p>GOOD LUCK in your DD’s hunt!</p>
<p>07Dad I have to be impressed by your enthusiasm! If you quit your day job you could easily work admissions for CC 
Thanks! It really is so sweet of you to do all this leg work for me and my girls! It really does sound like an intriguing school. Sounds like it is definitely worth further exploration!</p>
<p>My son is a bio major / chem minor at Lewis and Clark. He is now a senior and planning on applying to PhD programs in marine science. L & C is very outdoorsy and has a great outdoor program. Also, they do have merit aid. He is very happy there. I doubt we will ever get him back to THIS side of the Mississippi permanently.</p>
<p>Colorado Springs is an interesting place.
Two kids from my daughters grade school ( we still keep in touch it was a small school) attended CC and my brother lived there mos recently while he was in the Air Force and finally completed his engineering degree at UC Colorado Springs.
It seemed like you had this outdoorsy liberal cohort & the Focus on the Family folks. Interesting change from the northwest though.</p>
<p>I think for some subjects the block schedule would work well, for others and other types of learning styles not so much.</p>
<p>We like Seattle Pacific a lot, however it is a stones throw from our house, but I expect it will be getting more known in the next few years if the president ( of the college) has anything to say about it.</p>
<p>I haven’t figured out how Reed does aid. My daughter did have 100% of FAFSA EFC met ( including self help)- however, other students who seemed to have more need and who even seemed “better” qualified, reported getting less, even to the point where they had to transfer or take out loans.
I didn’t actually look to see their info though.</p>
<p>Shennie- when we toured L & C, it seemed they placed a lot of emphasis on a 2nd lang. My daughter because of having a sub for most of junior year, didn’t feel she could go on to take 4th year/AP lang, so she isnt taking a lang this year. It would be cool if she could live in Portland though ( well for me anyway).
Perhaps we will tour again.</p>
<p>Yes, we thought Lewis & Clark looked wonderful. I loved the “rain forest canyon” that split the campus. My son said, “This looks like Jurrassic Park.” The tour guide said, “It looks even better in the rain!”</p>
<p>Lewis and Clark is beautiful, but remember that 2/3 of the school year will be during the dark and wet months. Will you want to negotiate that canyon bridge back to the library from your dorm in the cold wet darkness? D visited most of the NW small private schools and L&C was the one place where she didn’t get hello’s and friendly help from the students she tried to strike up conversations with. Maybe it was mid-terms. Maybe it was the bad weather. Maybe she just had bad luck in the class she visited and the tour she took…</p>
<p>One of my Ds will be attending U of Puget Sound after her gap year. They want geographic diversity, and we got good merit money partially for that reason. Attractive school, outdoorsy, interesting programs and a powerful new president. Everyone I have spoken with there is very nice, and fun. After dealing with a multitude of schools, I really found their attitude welcoming. That D, interested in Pacific NW schools, thought she’d be excited about Lewis and Clark. But something about it was offputting, and she fell in love with UPS, head over heels.</p>
<p>Both Whitman and Lewis and Clark do give merit aid. Reed does not.</p>
<p>DD applied to Redlands, Willamette, Occidental, and U of O honors college. Got into all and good merit aid from all. Redlands was very high on her list but got knocked off because it was too close to home (only 10 hour drive) and she felt it would not be enough to push her out of her comfort zone. She loved the school though (especially when we went into the cafeteria to eat and there were two tables set outside the doors side by side - one advertising the upcoming transvestite ball and the other recruiting members for the campus christian club )</p>
<p>What great juxtaposition! My DH has a 20+ year old perception of the city as having thick air and high/airless temps. He is dead set against either of his girls attending there but they are both attracted and will visit in the summer at the height of smog season and make their own decision.</p>
<p>May I suggest St. Olaf in Minnesota? Good sciences, good merit money, west of the Mississippi (which originates in Minnesota - you could go see the source).</p>
<p>Whitworth & Gonzage</p>
<p>Whitworth has some really nice merit awards based only on a combo of SAT/GPA- up to $12k annually. Whitworth is Protestant and Gonzaga is Catholic, if that matters to you. If you make a visit to Spokane, visit both to get a feel for the differences</p>
<p>Whitworth
<a href=“http://www.whitworth.edu/Administration/FinancialAid/ScholarshipOpportunities/AcademicScholarships.htm[/url]”>Page Not Found | Whitworth University;
<p>I have heard wonderful things about Colorado College- from others besides Dad07.</p>
<p>We know several kids at Whitman- it is CSS Profile, whereas Whitworth & Gonzaga are FAFSA only.</p>
<p>Baylor in TX gives nice merit aid and is Fafsa only
<a href=“http://www.baylor.edu/admissions/index.php?id=49977[/url]”>http://www.baylor.edu/admissions/index.php?id=49977</a></p>
<p>USC gives some wonderful merit aid, but from what I saw, many years ago, it was the 1500/1600 SAT students who got it, whereas the 1300-1400s got in, but no big amazing scholarships. I think many of the really well-known, highly desirable schools give their merit to the kid who also gets into an Ivy. Baylor/Whitworth may have more merit aid for the BWRK</p>
<p>I have heard of some amazing merit aid at Lewis & Clark, too.</p>
<p>^^ we are Catholic but Renee’s post about religion above was inspiring and led me to believe that, as with all of the Catholic schools my girls are looking at, they may be Protestant or Catholic in history and in administration but seem to be truly ecumenical in spirit and practice. In some ways, Whitworth actually seems a closer fit than Gonzaga and seems also to have a better reputation. Thanks somemom!</p>