<p>My son is thinking about applying to Bucknell, Lehigh and Lafayette for Engineering. These are probably reach schools, but if he gets in we cannot afford full tuition. We also would not qualify for financial aid. We just refuse to go into debt. What are the chances of getting any merit scholarship money from them. His GPA is around a 3.9 weighted, 3.7 UW and SAT was a 1410. He will take ACT and SAT again (currently a Junior). Eagle Scout. We don't want to make the long haul to PA if there's no chance of getting any help with tuition. Any thoughts would be great</p>
<p>DS applied and was accepted to Lehigh and Lafayette last year. They ended up being his two final choices. He’s a Freshman at Lehigh in Engineering this year - very happy there. Similar grades to your son, 33 ACT, 1450 SAT I think, strong athletic and non-athletic ECs. We also don’t qualify for Fin. Aid.</p>
<p>Re: merit, he received some from Lafayette, but not from Lehigh. It is very competitive at both schools. Certainly possible, but a lot of competition and focused on the very top end of the applicant pool. The challenge is, both schools appear to put a lot of weight on demonstrated interest. Look at their Common Data Set for how they consider different factors. Visiting and showing other forms of interest are very important for acceptance as well as consideration of any merit. I would think chances for merit would be limited if you are not able to visit. Hope that helps. DS really liked both schools although they are fairly different. Lafayette provides Engineering within a strong Liberal Arts environment while Lehigh is a more traditional Engineering environment - great resources for a school its size. DS liked the idea of being very Engineering focused from Day 1 and also preferred the overall feel of Lehigh. Can’t go wrong with either.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Matmaven, thanks for your reply. That is very helpful. Did you also look at Virginia Tech or Clemson? I like the idea of my son being in a more Liberal Arts atmosphere just because I want him to know there’s life outside of Engineering, but it sounds like Lehigh has a lot to offer outside of Engineering. Did Lafayette seem too small? Did you consider Bucknell? Engineering is a foreign concept to me, so I’m just trying to learn as much as I can. Thanks for your help!</p>
<p>Didn’t look at Va Tech or Clemson. DS also got acceptances to Villanova, Ohio State, U of Illinois, and Wheaton (he was considering Wrestling there). He was waitlisted at Bucknell and received No’s from Cornell, Vanderbilt, and Northwestern.</p>
<p>As far as Bucknell, we visited and he liked it but not at the same level of interest as Lehigh and Lafayette. His biggest concern was the location - beautiful campus but in a somewhat remote, rural area. Really liked relative close proximity of L and L to Philly, NYC, etc. Also was more comfortable with the L and L “vibe” based on one visit to B for what it’s worth. IMO, B is another great choice for anyone, though.</p>
<p>I think he felt Lafayette was a bit smaller than he wanted but not a big deal. Personally, I really liked the idea of DS having more exposure to a Lib Arts education in conjunction with ENG. Like I mentioned, he was more inclined to be able to focus on ENG from the start. With AP credit, he was able to start Freshman year already having fulfilled all English requirements and a couple semesters of Calc. He also liked Lehigh’s focus on leadership development and he is picking up a minor in ENG Leadership.</p>
<p>Don’t know much about Va Tech or Clemson. tOSU and UIUC both have strong ENG programs (UIUC ranks near top in his expected focus - Civil) but they are big programs. Right or wrong, I think he believed he would get more individual attention and maybe improved opportunities at a somewhat smaller program. </p>
<p>There are a lot of good programs out there. I’m happy we took the time to start with a fairly big list and visit quite a few places. Really helped him clarify what he was looking for. He ended up with several options I think he would have been happy with no matter how the admissions decisions ended up - which was the goal from the start. More than happy to share any other info from our experience that may help you.</p>
<p>Matmavan, thanks for your great replies. We still seem to be spinning in circles about our big college road trip! Now we are strongly considering Case Western and SMU because they are smaller schools and seem to offer some Merit Aid. Did you consider these? Also, how important are visits. These schools are a long way for us deep southerners, but we are happy to make the trip if it seems worth it!</p>