<p>Nightingale--I hate to say this, but those scores are pretty mediocre on the whole, and below average for the list of schools that you mentioned. People get rejected from BC with higher scores than that. </p>
<p>If he wants a private LAC, he is being a bit unrealistic. I'd look for schools where the mid 600 SATs are in the 75th percentile. It is insane to spend that much money on an undergraduate who wants to study pre-law. Law school is breathtakingly expensive and there is not a lot of government programs to help defray the cost as there is for medical or nursing schools.</p>
<p>Seriously, I'd look at in-state schools and at less-selective liberal arts schools that would want him because he's a boy. St. Mary's in MD gave my daughter a great package (and it's less expensive than private LACs) and her scores were similar.</p>
<p>From his test scores, your nephew isn't competitive for admissions at Williams, Vassar, Bates or Colby, and of those schools, only Colby offers merit aid; the rest are strictly need based. (That doesn't mean that he won't get into them, but his odds are lower.) He and his parents need a more realistic view of where he'll have "no problem" getting in. His list needs </p>
<p>Muhlenberg's merit scholars "typically" have SAT's over 1300 (CR+V). </p>
<p>While he's competitive for Holy Cross, they have few merit scholarships. </p>
<p>BC lists their average SAT as 1980/2400 - your nephew's scores may be competitive for admission, but not necessarily for merit aid. And BC has become increasingly selective.</p>
<p>Based on the last few responses I've read my nephew will have to aim a bit lower for acceptance, nevermind merit. Sounds like he needs to look at a whole new set of schools. As I say his parents are willing to do it without merit aid, but at this point, based on his current list of schools the issue is in doubt. Hmmm.... I thought his scores would be competitive for some merit.. but obviously not at his first choices. I'll cal SIL and tell her to come up with a Plan B. I can't believe his GC didn't let him down easy when he mentioned all these upper crust schools. Reality check time!</p>
<p>I can understand why they assumed he would have no problem getting into one of those schools - 28 is not a shabby score after all - it is the 93rd percentile which means he scored better than 93% of everyone who takes it. Unfortunately competitive schools have so many applying that it is just not a competitive enough score for such a school. I would suggest your nephew not totally give up on the idea of the schools he likes - but realises they are a 'reach' with his statistics and add other less competitive schools where his stats would put him in the upper tier rather than the bottom.</p>
<p>Nightingale, I thought a stretch for an expensive college was doable until you mentioned the 2 younger sibs. IMO, they simply can't afford this. A government pension doesn't usually make for a comfortable requirement. I would suggest they move up the meeting with the financial planner to NOW so their son can make a realistic list. I'd have to agree with other posters that he is not competitive for several of the schools you list. They need some comprehensive help (a college counselor?) and a big reality check!</p>
<p>I think to a large extent my brother and sis-in-law had been relying on my nephew to gauge where he should apply. In turn I think my nephew was using his peer group to gauge where he should apply. It is still relatively early in the process and I'm sure he'll find a decent college that is a good fit, although he won't be accompanying the probable Class Val. to BC.
Holy cross or Fairfield may be possible for him. Any other suggestions? I mean he is no slouch academically, just overmatched in the incredibly competitive northeast, which by the way (and unfortunately) is where he wants to attend college.</p>
<p>Has he considered taking the ACT again, or the SAT again? His scores might rise with practice. (Is he willing to practice using the Ziggi method???)</p>
<p>The young man's parents are willing to finance a $140,000 education???</p>
<p>What about the two younger sibs??? Will they finance their own education at the local vocational school? It sounds like Dad is planning to retire within 10 years.</p>
<p>Exactly fpfan!!! The whole thing sounds wildly unrealistic. There are three children to educate, not just one, and pinning the label of "the family brainiac" on somebody with mid-600 scores seems really unfair to the youngers. I can point to about 20 kids who scored in the 99th percentile and did not get admitted to their first choices, which by the way were more balanced than the OP's nephew's original list. Unless the kid has some wild story like being BLIND and starving and still managing those scores I don't get why his school counselors are saying he would be a candidate for merit aid or even a candidate at the schools you listed. What is the backstory here? Did he manage to achieve these scores in spite of some horrendous disadvantage?</p>
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That's a better score than my daughter had when she applied successfully to Barnard & Chicago -- you have to look at the whole package. (GPA, recs, etc.). So I wouldn't write off the nephews chances entirely, without knowing more. On the other hand, I would have considered Vassar & Williams pretty much out of reach for her -- you do have to target to find colleges that will appreciate whatever the kid has to offer other than test scores.</p>
<p>But the main point of this post is to note that my d. was offered a merit award of about $7K from Fordham, on top of need based aid. ("Loyola Scholarship"). I don't know if that's just the way Fordham structures its need-based aid, or if another kid with similar stats could get the same, but I am assuming that a kid looking at BC & Holy Cross might also want to consider Fordham. My d. had a high school GPA of about 3.85uw/4.1 or so weighted - she was in the top 3% of her class, urban public school. </p>
<p>So yes, the nephew does need safeties - my d. certainly considered Fordham to be a safety -- but I wouldn't write off his chances entirely without knowing more. </p>
<p>I do think this is a situation where I find the finances difficult to comprehend -- so I think the first order of business for the family is probably to take a long hard look at what they can afford for all 3 kids, and to plan accordingly. A 28 ACT is very strong for US News "second tier" colleges and below-- so there will be affordable options, it just might not be at the caliber of college that the family is currently setting their sights on.</p>
<p>I wouldn't call it unrealistic as the equity is there and many do what they're considering. I would question the wisdom. This makes no sense when their strategy has been to pay off the house and save for retirement. And 3 kids to put through college!</p>
<p>I do understand though. We all want what we perceive is best for our kids. Also, MA is not one of the states with top publics and one of the hardest states to get into NE colleges from. We only have a little info, but with scores alone this is not a kid in line for much merit aid
anywhere. These parents are in a tough spot.</p>
<p>"I don't get why his school counselors are saying he would be a candidate for merit aid or even a candidate at the schools you listed. What is the backstory here?</p>
<p>No back story here. I think my nephew may be in a peer group with some of the best scholars in his public HS and simply identifies with their choices and options, without looking more deeply into his own particular situation. I think everyone else probably assumed someone else would set him straight regarding his high tier choices. Maybe the parents thought the GC would do it. Again, the parent's are just getting on board now and not all that familiar with the variety of schools and scholarships out there. The kid has good EC's, awards, and some leadership ...and a 720 on the SAT essay part. Which unfortunately, from what I'm told, counts for nothing unless you're looking at journalism schools. Maybe he should look outside New England ie., PA or MD. That puts him on the geographical diversity train right? I know someone suggested Muhlenberg.</p>
<p>Probably not, unfortunately. You might get some geographic points for the south or southwest...I doubt geographical would do anything for him in getting aid, although it might help a bit in situations where your nephew is in a close contest for admission with another applicant.</p>
<p>If they are willing to go to MD or VA, Mary Washington University and St. Mary's of Maryland might be good choices for merit aid. Both tilt heavily female, so boys have an advantage. Knox gave my DD a half-scholarship offer and her scores were similar to your nephew's and her GPA was about 3.75 with some honors but not the most rigorous courseload. It is in IL and is well-regarded but lower profile than a lot of the east coast LACs.</p>
<p>Washington College, another LAC in MD, offers (I think) a hefty scholarship to National Honor Society applicants.....</p>
<p>One advantage your nephew has is that in being interested in pre-law he could attend a liberal arts college, many of whom are interested in recruiting young men. If he's willing to attend a school that is 60% or more female, he could probably snag some aid in order to recruit him.</p>
<p>Forget Mary Washington for merit aid - they only have a couple of small scholarships, and those are for VA residents only. Nada for out-of-staters.</p>