<p>Don't question my motives, I was just wondering what the populace thinks. my options are Kenyon College,with a full ride, or the University of Notre Dame (in the Honors Program) which would put me in about 65.000-70,000 in debt.I really want lots of internships opportunity as well as research, and ND's Honor Program is one of the best hthings I have ever seen at a college. </p>
<p>$65,000 is too much debt.</p>
<p>Way too much debt. If ND won’t budge on that, Kenyon all the way.</p>
<p>I agree, that is way too much debt. Plus, Kenyon is a fabulous college. My dad went their for undergraduate and I have visited there many times over the past few years. Being Catholic, I love ND and understand it is the premier Catholic university in the U.S. Nonetheless, I would go to Kenyon on a full ride, in a New York minute… faster than a speeding bullet… quicker than you can say “Jackie Robinson.” You get the picture.</p>
<p>Also, simply a “no brainer.” 
</p>
<p>@missouriboy How’d you get a Kenyon full ride? Do you mind sharing?</p>
<p>@isaelijohjac Preferential Packaging, a merit scholarship stacked on top of need-based. </p>
<p>@missouriboy ah…nice. Can you share your stats?</p>
<p>GPA: 3.76 uw 4.18 w
ACT: 35 (one sitting)
Lots of EC’s with lots of leadership, solid recs 7/10, 9/10 and 10/10
very strong essay.
lots of demonstrated interest. </p>
<p>Kenyon is an amazing school; Kenyon with a full ride is indeed a no-brainer. Thank your lucky stars and send in your deposit.</p>
<p>It seems like a pretty obvious choice to pick Kenyon, that is a lot of debt. And if you have shown interest in Kenyon, then I presume you know what a charming campus is has. That is what a college SHOULD look like. 
What are your major and post-graduation plans?</p>
<p>My husband and son went to ND and we love the school. Still, I’d say that as long as you feel you can be happy at Kenyon, that you’d be better off in the long run going there on the full ride and not taking on such a huge amount of debt for your undergraduate studies. But perhaps it is worth contacting someone at ND (perhaps the head of the honors program) to let them know your predicament and ask if they might reconsider your aid package (unlikely but who knows) before you make a final decision. </p>
<p>I know I’d be happy at either schools, and honestly I do prefer Kenyon, the issue is I have ZERO idea what I want to do, so Notre Dame’s resources, and name, would prove extremely helpful in exploration of that. Also the Honors Program has some really amazing opportunities that you cannot get anywhere else. </p>
<p>For $65,000 there are better ways to figure out what you want to do, including graduate school; maybe even… at Notre Dame.</p>
<p>Actually, liberal arts colleges like Kenyon are perfect for people who do not know what they want to do. At ND you could get so caught up in all the school spirit that you might not really learn about yourself. Kenyon provides a better atmosphere for contemplation and exploration. A lot more dialogue with fellow students too. As at ND, the students at Kenyon come from all over the country. There are just not as many of them (and they are not distracted by football).</p>
<p>Don’t push the issue of what you want. None of your friends know what they want to do either. The ones that think they do are just guessing. With time, you will discover what is right for you.</p>
<p>That’s actually really comforting, thank you! @NROTCgrad</p>
<p>Kenyon is also very well-known among the circles where it matters (grad schools, employers especially on the East Coast). And the setting really is conducive to figuring out what you want to do with your life. A full ride at such a prestigious college is no brainer. Congratulations!</p>
<p>I’m interested in what Preferential Packaging means? I have a child who has been offered a spot on one of the teams, told they would admit her by the coach/admissions. How do we apply without knowing how much aid they will give? Do the coaches at D3 schools have any influence on financial aid packages? </p>
<p>Preferential Packaging: they really want you, so they frontload your package with grants rather than loans, even if you do have a loan and a work study. At colleges that don’t meet need it means your need is prioritized in resource allocation.</p>
<p>D3 coaches indicate whether such and such player would fulfill an institutional need. The student has to be within range for all students who are typically admitted (ie., if its range is 1760-2010, the admission office would want to see a score in the 1700-1800 range). If the student can be admitted and has financial need, it will be made easy to decide.
If coaches want you to apply ED, it means your odds are pretty good and you’ll get the best financial aid package you can get at this school.
Run the Net Price Calculator to see how much the school would expect you to pay.
The ED agreement can be broken for only one reason, finances, so if they really want your child, I doubt they’ll risk it.</p>
<p>Often times, coaches do not have much influence on FA pkgs. Not all sports are considered “important” to a school. If you’re a star quarterback, then maybe a better pkg can be had. Other sports/positions may not warrant special treatment.</p>
<p>You can ask each college for “an early FA read”. That will likely let you know.</p>
<p>In the meantime, be sure to apply to some schools that you know FOR SURE will be affordable either thru family funds or assured grants or merit scholarships for stats.</p>