Yes, thanks. Applying to Tulane. Didn’t know about GW but my daughter would prefer a non-city school.
Unfortunately even with the $30k merit that could happen, you’re unlikely to hit your #.
Has she put in any early aois to schools with rolling admissions? Yiu get quick answers. A Pitt,etc.
Tulane typically gives up to roughly 50% merit aid…no application fee so why not give it a shot. More possible, but a real long shot.
Pitt is a little too urban for her.
She is getting all her apps in by Sept 30…some deadlines are Oct 15.
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Yes. Worth a shot. Do the extra essays and demonstrate interest !!if she likes aesthetically nice, it’s not. Great Jewish life tho.
When chasing merit after you get your assured then fire rapidly at schools that could……
I thought Tulane was switching to less money for merit and more toward a need based FA formula? A friend applied about 3 years ago and got much less in merit aid than she was expecting (based on stats and prior year awards).
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They were advertising 5-30k. I hadn’t heard anyone getting more than $15k. Mostly rejections. It’s gotten really tough.
I’m just hoping for the best. If not much merit aid the cost equation just doesn’t work. They were advertising up to $35k in their marketing literature.
So I have two kids. One I’m paying $3k tuition - Alabama - many Jews. 1000. Active Hillel.
Dudnt push my son - he chose so he could have his own dorm room. Applied to 15 total. I hoped he accepted Purdue. Nonetheless a school like Bama with auto merit takes the pressure off. Then u can swing for the fences like Tulane. Use all 20 common app spots.
If you have TCNJ or another cheap safety, then yes use your spots.
There’s also scholarships that aren’t auto u can apply to. Hence my other is at Charleston - and her $40k scholarship is above the $35k tuition.
My son applied to 15 and daughter 21. What they all had in common behind the definitely would meet our budget is the others could…not all did but all could.
That’s why it’s important to apply wide.
Sounds like you have it all covered.
Excited to follow your journey.
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Thank you so much for sharing. I will have to look again at Alabama and Charleston.
Not saying those two. Charleston does not on paper get your there. She got $25k after accepting.
UAH is a small Bama school with great merit but u won’t find Jewish life.
Not suggesting those. Those were our example. But I’m saying like Bama - a school that’s an auto in that u can be assured of hitting your target. U do need one of those. For us it was gonna be Bama or UTK (in state). Bama is it’s own app, 15 mins to do and a decision within a week or two if you do go there. Lots of smart kids bought in…not brought. More national merit finalists than any school I believe. Over 1k now.
For my daughter we set a $50k price tag so finalists were Charleston and So Carolina, FSU and U of Arizona. We also would have approved Florida, Indiana and a few more (UGA). But she loved Charleston.
Washington & Lee was her top admit. They have Johnson. It’s awesome. Didn’t get. Interviewed for Weinstein. Didn’t get. So was $81k. Didn’t go :). But I think worth applying. Gorgeous campus. I actually walked Bowdoin today and imho W&L was so much nicer. We also loved LSU (no Jews) but hated Tulane (run down). Same trip. Called Hillel after. My D was so excited. Then the director told us 
Find your safety that’s cheap. Yours not mine. Like TCNJ or Ramapo etc. And then swing for the fences on the others. Use all 20. You’ll get some great prices. Schools like Arizona (auto merit…tons of Jews…awesome honors dorm). American Frederick Douglas. SMU Presidential (SMU ok for Jews), etc or just cheap - WVU, Ohio u. But at the size she desires….u of Denver, etc
Emory. Vandy. WUSTL all have home run merit. Unlikely but more likely than Tulane. Miami Fl another with home run merit.
Once u have that safety u can hit those smaller…the charlestons…that have big Jewish presence but it’s too urban if Pitt is.
U got this.
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How did we get here? I thought you were looking for a midsize, private school in the Northeast, Midatlantic or Midwest that is affordable. Alabama (32,000 kids, Deep South, public) doesn’t seem to check any of those boxes but affordability.
I would think a TCNJ checks 3 of those 4 boxes and would be a much closer fit from what you describe.
You mention she is afraid of getting lost in the crowd at a big school. TCNJ with 7,000 kids feels private. Only down side (and I know you wanted to be outside of NJ) is that some kids go home on weekends. Double edge sword if she gets homesick.
Another set of alternatives that are generous with merit, within 3 hours of NJ and private are Marist and Quinnipiac. Both are sub 10,000 undergrads and draw lots of kids from NJ. Neither school is particularly preppy.
I found it interesting that you mentioned Brown is her reach but she didn’t like LACs. My son graduated from Brown and I went to Vassar so I have first hand experience that her reach will feel like a big LAC. Brown’s focus is undergraduate teaching and it often feels like an OC large LAC. She may want to take another look at schools like Vassar, Wesleyan or even Sarah Lawrence if Brown is the reach. The economics however may prove challenging at those schools (but similar to Brown).
Good luck!
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Agree can’t imagine a kid whose first choice is Brown liking Alabama! I think you can find affordable northeast alternatives! Fairfield University is another idea as is Connecticut College and Skidmore.
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Marist is historically Catholic althiugh I believe they’ve unaffiliated. Fairfield is Jesuit. OP is Jewish and not interested in Jesuit or Catholic or other affiliated schools.
Bama was simply mentioned as the type of ‘gimme’ school at the necessary price OP needs. In their case it may be a TCNJ or Bradley or Mizzou or Hofstra whatever - the sure thing. Bcuz of auto merit and Jewish pop it was mentioned. Mom is already looking at FSU so it has the Oos waiver but not assured whereas a Bama or AZ are assured.
Again - wrong size. Wrong area. But just demonstrating that u need one …and only one…to hit that desired price point. The rest simply need that possibility.
If OP is not going to qualify for aid then the Browns and Wesleyans won’t work. Perhaps a Rochester will or a Davidson or W&L….at least it’s possible. Skidmore I don’t believe has ‘high’ merit. Conn says they mainly find for need but have limited scholarships of $15-34k so it’s worth a shot if u have a spot if that’s a school of interest.
Op is looking all over as they mentioned Tulane tonight.
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A long time ago. There are still things on or near campus like a chapel, but it is not run by a religious order.
" In 1969, due to the institution’s rapid expansion and laws regulating federal aid to religiously affiliated educational institutions in New York State,ownership of the college was transferred from the Marist Brothers to the Marist College Educational Corporation with an independent, predominantly lay board of trustees"
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Ok, going back to your original request of wanting mid-size universities that offer big merit that are mid-Atlantic to northeast or midwest and with a sizeable Jewish population and no religious affiliation, have you thought about:
-
U. of Hartford (CT) with about 13.5% of the student body as Jewish (per Hillel, which may not be accurate…but 650 of 4793 students)
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Roger Williams (RI) has about 6.6% of the student body as Jewish (300 of 4523 students)
Other schools with definite Jewish life include:
- Ithaca (NY): 4800 undergrads
- SUNY New Paltz: 6200 undergrads
- SUNY Oswego: 6100 undergrads
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I think we probably got over our skis in considering so many Deep South options. I don’t think they are a true fit culturally (but I just don’t know). Started with FSU/UoSC purely for OOS waivers and Honors College opportunities. May need to rethink.
Thank you for providing a reality check.
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Not sure if its been mentioned but Miami OH is in the midwest, has provided auto merit, and isn’t as huge a public state school as FSU or UoSC.
I agree that having one or two auto merit sure things gives freedom to shoot for more competitive merit offers.
Good luck
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We are applying to Miami, OH.
Would really love to get a chance at the Full tuition scholarship here (they guarantee $15k).
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Marist has been a lay school since 1969, has an active Hillel and a Jewish population of approx 5%. It is also distinctly not preppy with most kids casual proudly wearing a ton of Red Fox swag. Convenient 1 hour ride to NYC on Metro North.
The sticker price is $63k but average student pays $40k. Obviously can’t predict which side of that your daughter comes out at but worth a look perhaps.
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I’ll play devils advocate. On the Deep South schools - whether FSU, Bama, U of SC, UGA - look at the out of state percentages. Bama over half. Top states represented include NY, NJ, Illinois at most / all these schools. AZ is another drawing huge. It’s what happens when you pay big.
They buy kids In. If you said N Alabama or W Florida or Jacksonville State (Alabama) I buy the hesitancy.
Guess what. The North and West are migrating South in life. There are neighborhoods like mine filled with ex NYers and Californians. These schools are loaded with kids from there. Yes, go 10 miles outside of Tallahassee or Tuscaloosa and Columbia and you are in sticksville.
But on or near the campus - nope. Are there southern things. Of course. But hey there’s country music and bbq in nyc.
Not advocating for a specific school. But I am an original NE and then CA Jew living in Nashville (not redneck) and with kids at a large and midsize southern schools with large Jewish populations relative to many schools and I think the descriptions you all are giving are wrong as these schools are loaded with out of staters from other geographies.
My main point again is find the assures school to get you to a $$. FSU even full pay, Bama with auto merit do that as well TCNJ and others. The Miami Ohio and U of SC while likely, but not definitely do that so they go in another bucket and more can be added here. A WVU, Ohio U, Delaware, etc. Then supplement with 3 or 4 Tulane, Miami Fl, Quinnipiac, Vandy, WUSTL, Salisbury (not overly Jewish but some Jewish life) etc - whichever you can get done without over essaying her. These are unlikely or less likely $$ wise and in some cases admissions wise but u never know And then throw in the W&L Hail Mary bcuz it’s just one more long essay and one short one on Jewish life.
Put a couple articles below for you. Good luck.
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