If we’re doing a show of hands, I think she will get in to St. Olaf. (I was thinking about back-ups in terms of other potential full needs schools in case St. Olaf’s package didn’t turn out to be feasible.)
The thing I don’t know is how much the need-aware thing figures in. I had read it was something that comes into play as sort of a tie-breaker for kids that are on the bubble, but I probably read it here and it’s definitely second hand. Seems like that is the thing that might point toward casting a wide net, because one school’s “bubble” might be different from another’s depending on priorities, endowment, whatever.
@homerdog I think that’s a reasonable assumption and agree with you about Kenyon and BMC.
You’re right about it being haphazard. I’m doing the best I can. Remember we didn’t have any direction towards this path from our schools.
We just got our first full FA package tonight via telephone call, and they are still going to try to tweak it. I believe Earlham is going to be a viable option. But I can’t say it with 100% certainty until I see it in writing.
@Grinnellhopeful There was a poster very active here last year @cloudysmom, who reminds me so much of your situation. Her D was rejected at her ED school and was devastated, thought she would get in. Had very strong gpa but lower test scores. Needed a lot of financial aid. Non-custodial parent was a tricky situation. Even had a grandparent like you that helped out with some bills. D sounded like yours in terms of character, interests etc as the poster described her D in similar terms you use. They moved on to ED2 and applied to a school, sight unseen, that they had researched extensively. Thought it was a great fit. Was accepted with doable aid and even had the same questions as you about payment cycles for work study and paying for incidentals. You may learn from her experience or at least get a kick out of how similar the situations are. Only negative is that now, she is back on the board, looking to possibly transfer.
@wisteria100 I was loving your post until I saw the last sentence about transfer. I just said to someone else in a PM that the one thing I wasn’t worried about was my D transferring or dropping out. She is all about commitment and follow through, as you’ve seen me say over and over as her character and maturity were questioned.
She will stick it out and make it work if accepted somewhere that works financially. That’s just who she is. So, telling her to drop her service hour commitment or her commitment to her grades…lol…if she gave her word, she’ll follow through. Me changing the game plan 3.5 years later and telling her to not worry so much about her IB tests or contest, or commitment to her choir…she would think I was insane.
I bet F &M and Dickinson would love a kid from Kansas. We toured Dickinson, and I think it would be a nice fit for your D. It seemed like a studious, down-to-earth, diverse environment. My D liked the fact that it seemed very nurturing and class sizes were small, but she didn’t like when the tour guide (a science major) said she goes to bed at 10pm most nights lol. Also, Mount Holyoke is most likely a match for your D. You have nothing to lose.
St O is a reach because they are not need blind. If she were full pay, it would be a match. But they are NOT a need blind school. So high need does affect her odds.
From my research, Gettysburg and F &M maybe too mainstream, preppy and Greek for her. From what you say about her I always thought schools like Beloit, Knox and Earlham are great fits.
Hopefully Earlham and others are able to come through for you if SO doesn’t work out. My family’s EFC was near zero, and between scholarship and aid Earlham fully met my need. My wife’s EFC was about the same. She was accepted at Oberlin and the University of Chicago, but Earlham’s scholarship/aid package was far better than those places. My fingers are crossed for you. I know I said this several dozen pages back, but take offers to visit if you can. It was the visit in Spring of our senior year that clinched the decision for me and my wife. Also, I agree with @intparent on Mount Holyoke.
@citymama9 Sign her up!! I wish she would go to bed at 10pm. That child hardly sleeps. I think she studies more than she needs to. I don’t think she feels like she’s earned something unless she works super hard for it. She spends so much time studying it feels out of whack. I’d say she goes to sleep around 2am most nights. She studies for hours at the library, eats something, studies more at home, then waits until me and her sister go to sleep because she likes to have everything just so when she gets up in the morning or it throws her off.
And can’t sleep until she’s sure her sister and I won’t mess with whatever she has in place. She likes her structure and creates a routine and structure for herself where there is none. But at least she knows how to study and work for her grades. It will serve her well in college and a career.
Just saw your question about St. Olaf’s and I do not think it’s a reach. I think she has a great shot of getting in, as long as they are okay giving her a full ride. I think only 15 percent of the students are Pell recipients according to some stats I read. I think they could use more economic and racial diversity so I can see them making it happen. Then there is also the geographic diversity.
Hey there, I’ve recently been reading this page and I think both you and your daughter are doing great with the entire college process.
Since a lot of people are mentioning looking for work, as a senior in hs myself, I’ve actually been told that there are numerous opportunities for scholarships online. Especially since your daughter’s in IB, I believe she can probably pull off a good essay (or maybe even reuse one) for some of these scholarships. I think most of these scholarships may grant $1000+, especially if she’s able to apply to and win multiple so the end result’s probably better than just working minimum wage. Personally, I am and I know a lot of my friends are using fastweb as a possible source. One of the seniors last year spent a lot of time researching and working on these instead of having a part-time job, and out of maybe 20-30, she was able to get thousands in scholarship money. So if you guys can’t work anything out, I hope this is a second option for her.
Good luck with whatever you decide!
@microbial40 I have said consistently I LOVE Earlham. I feel good about it for her and as a parent it’s my choice. If you only look at rankings you don’t get the full picture about what a special school it is. I do t think they advertise they meet full need, it’s not really a secret though. I also don’t think they care to play the rankings game. It’s a different place for sure. My daughter has not said no. She actually likes it from what I’ve shared and the videos on YouTube and our really intense conversation about Quaker values. She’s had some good communication with her AO there, she asked her some very mature questions.
I just can’t say with 100% certainty until we get it in writing. They will fly her in and she will go. BUT we do t have the official acceptance yet, 4 more long days.
It’s a quiet school, they don’t send something via mail and email every day like the others. But maybe it will be the one. I will be happy if it works out. I think it’s a fantastic backup and maybe should have her 1st choice.
@blueshellcakemushroom THANK YOU!! I love hearing from other students. We haven’t looked at fastweb. This is another area we have lacked resources and direction and I was so clueless about everything else!!
What a great post and great information. I appreciate you!!
@wisteria100 yes you are right, our situations are so similar! @Grinnellhopeful I sure can relate on everything wisteria100 said to you. And after reading your recent post about how your daughter never sleeps it seems, studies all the time - same here! She would come home from HS, grab a snack, sit at the kitchen table and go right to work. I would have to make her stop to eat and go to bed. She liked to be up later to get organized - she is one meticulous and disciplined kid who did very well in school & has done well in college,
I never thought she’d transfer either, neither did she and she may not. Never say never. She has worked so hard, harder than I have seen anyone work and deserves to be happy at her school, she has earned that. She is not dead set on transferring, and will only transfer if it’s a “better” school, as she won’t go down. It may not work, and if not she will be fine where she is and hopefully like it more. I don’t see the sense in not allowing her to transfer out of some sense of discipline, she has that in spades, I think she should enjoy where she is, that is not indulgent but you only have 1 college experience, why not enjoy being where you are? In fact, forcing her to forgo that doesn’t make any sense to me. If she weren’t doing well or lacked follow through in life then that would be different but this kid is a machine. She amazes me every day and I have no idea who she got it from, lol! She is looking at UK schools which have turned out to be cheaper, but who knows what will happen.
I’m afraid I don’t know anything about the are of the country youre in so I have no schools to throw into the ring. Since the girls seem similar I will say she liked Gettysburg, as another poster mentioned, but it was a bit small and not in a city. Great vibe, smart, friendly seemingly not snobby - they werent all flashing designer this & that, but I understand about paying for her to fly home. That was & is an issue as well.She is just over 6hr away which is doable and Amtrak has been great and affordable.My ex pays ZERO for college and barely pays us the $28/wk support. I can’t afford to fly to Boston, retain an attny and take him to court and he knows it.
Anyway, I hope she finds a place worthy of her, she seems like a kid headed for great things!!
That’s not a lot of sleep. She goes to bed at 2 and wakes up 6 ish? Any chance her meds make it hard for her to sleep? It sounds like she’s studying excessively. Again, that could be due to the meds or maybe she’s just compulsive. Compulsive people can end up being very successful in their lives, but you have to look out for the emotional toll it can take. I guess the only way to know what’s up is to tell your D to not study for one night and see how she reacts. I would try a Friday night.
Anyway, I wish my D had a little more of what your D has. She does everything she has to do, but I don’t think she ever does more than she has to.
Odds of getting scholarships from Fastweb are pretty low. It isn’t a very productive way to get funding. By far the most of the money comes from colleges themselves. It would be much more productive to apply to more colleges that meet need than looking at Fastweb right now.
No problem, glad I can help!
And sorry if I wasn’t quite clear before, but I believe this can be a good option after college deadlines are over (which is in about 4 days I believe).
I found the link my school’s counselors gave me and the student was actually able to win $13k in scholarships, so I can send you what she wrote for her tips if you’d like.
@citymama9 it’s not the meds, they actually make her sleepy, you nailed it she is OCD… ;j
I know people are suggesting other schools, but it is hard to picture how hard it is to get to some of these places when you don’t have family in the area, don’t have a car to drive to the airport or train, can’t afford to buy plane tickets at peak times. Gettysburg, for example. My grandfather lived near there and worked in Gettysburg. She’d have to fly out of Philly, Baltimore, or Harrisburg. None of them are easy access. I’m sure other kids are also flying and she could catch a ride but then she’s on their schedule, not hers. It’s just hard to handle all the logistics.
@twoinanddone and we’ve established logistics aren’t my strong suit and tend to send me into a downward spiral…I can’t help her if I’m freaking out.