<p>I feel like we are finally narrowing down a list of solid matches for ds, who is a rising senior. We really could use some merit aid, as these schools will be creeping up to $60,000. We have a budget of around $40,000/year.<br>
Here is our list as of now, for a boy that loves Swarthmore and Haverford, but cannot get into them. Ds would be on the higher end of stats for most of these schools:</p>
<p>Goucher
Muhlenberg
Clark
Skidmore
Colorado College
Allegheny
College of Wooster
Dickinson (maybe too much Greek life)
Denison (also may have too much Greek life)
Kenyon
Grinnell</p>
<p>Other schools that seem like a possibility, but I don't think offer merit aid:</p>
<p>Skidmore
Sarah Lawrence
Connecticut College
Haverford (obviously a reach)</p>
<p>So, a few questions.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Are there any schools on the first list that do not offer merit aid? I'll be sure to drop those schools.</p></li>
<li><p>Am I right about the schools in the second list?</p></li>
<li><p>Any other ideas for a kid who likes the Haverford feel?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I believe all of the schools on your first list offer some merit aid.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I believe Skidmore offers some merit aid. I know they have a music award (Filenes Music Scholarship) and I believe they have other merit awards as well.</p>
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<p>Are you looking for schools with merit aid? or not. How about Colgate.</p>
<p>Both Sarah Lawrence and Connecticut College are pricey schools and are known for lack of merit money. My older d graduated from Brandeis (had merit money there as well as other schools) and was accepted to Skidmore Honors-no merit money and an acceptance letter informing us that “we could comfortably afford a Skidmore education”. While yes… we could afford it we were put off by the tone of the letter. Since then Skidmore has become a much hotter school and I do know that there is limited merit money for music. You do not indicate anything else about areas of interest…but I believe that Brandeis might be work a look along with Oberlin.</p>
<p>Conn College- not much in terms of merit aid. Scholarships for students from New London, a a few URM scholarships. Otherwise, only need based aid</p>
<p>Don’t count on getting merit aid from Brandeis anymore. They have all but cut it out in the past year (perferring to give financial aid instead). Many people may not know this, since they gernerous with merit awards in the past. Older D rec’d a $15K Dean’s schoalrship 4 years ago. My understanding is that it is no longer awarded.</p>
<p>It seems like you are hoping for a merit award of about $20K/ year. You should understand that what you are hoping for is on the high end of awards. As I said in the previous post, many schools are changing their policies away from merit aid and many of them are reducing their award amounts,too.</p>
<p>I would add American University, GW, Franklin and Marshall and Muhlenberg as possible options. But again, don’t be surprised with awards closer to $10K- $15K.</p>
<p>Thank you all. I do realize that some of these schools may only offer $10-$15,000. That really would make a nice dent! </p>
<p>I will check into Skidmore’s music award. My son is a musician; you never know. I will reconsider Earlham, American and Reed (this one may be “too much” for him). Someone mentioned Colgate; Hamilton may be closer to what he is looking for. Not sure about their merit aid, though.</p>
<p>I read here on the board that Franklin and Marshall is going to be dropping much of their merit aid. Any truth to that? I am not sure what it was like before.</p>
<p>We live in PA, and there are some great schools that offer merit. Many have a Greek life that is a dominant part of the social scene. I would love it if my son would overlook that! It would give us so many more options.</p>
<p>My daughter applied to two of those schools and was offered merit money by Grinnell and Kenyon. Other similar schools that offered her merit money and are certainly worth considering include Oberlin, Whitman and Knox. It is a mixed bag as to what LACs offer merit money and which do not. PM me and I’ll give you the particulars.</p>
<p>My son was accepted by Denison, Franklin & Marshall, and Lafayette. He was offered merit money by Den. and Laf. but not F & M. The Lafayette Marquis Scholarship which is $20000 per year if the student maintains a 3.0 is offered to 10% of incoming freshman. The current administration is definitely downplaying Greek life.</p>
<p>Take a look at Moravian, in Bethlehem PA, if you are going to be visiting Muhlenberg. It’s a beautiful school, the epitome of bricks and ivy, and a great community of students. They also have a good merit scholarship program, automatic upon admission:</p>
<p>The Comenius Medallion Scholarship
(three-quarters to full tuition) is Moravian’s most prestigious award. To qualify, students should rank in the top five percent of their high school class and have an SAT score of at least 2150 or ACT score of at least 31.</p>
<hr>
<p>The Comenius Scholarship
(half tuition) is awarded to students who rank in the top 10 percent of their high school class and score at least 1850 on the SAT or 26 on the ACT.</p>
<hr>
<p>The Trustee Scholarship
(varying amounts up to $14,000) is given to students who demonstrate academic potential and a strong record of involvement in school and community activities. They should also be in the top 20 percent of their high school class and have at least 1500 on the SAT or 20 on the ACT, or, if not in the top 20 percent of their class, score at least 1750 on the SAT or 24 on the ACT.</p>
<p>I’d second looking at Lawrence. My wife and I both went there. I didn’t mention it earlier because my oldest daughter declined to consider it (because we attended). Maybe my youngest daughter will. Good school and it does do merit aid. Also a bit less expensive than some LACs. We know several recent students/graduates who have loved it. It is included in the Colleges that Change Lives book.</p>
<p>Reed doesn’t offer merit aid. And Denison’s greek life is considerably quieter from what it was a decade ago. There are no greek houses on campus any longer.</p>
<p>I don’t know if he wants a larger university, but the University of Rochester gives merit money if the stats are high enough, and there is a bus from campus to the Eastman School of Music. My daughter looked at Rochester because of the merit money (she was NMF), and the school is a very nice size, not too big or two small, with solid academics. He would have to be able to tolerate cold winters though.</p>