<p>^Of these, Elon may have some merit scholarships, as well as Miami-Oxford (OH), perhaps Wake Forest and USC. Definite merit at USan Diego and a safety. UNC is extremely hard to get into from OOS and, while it meets need, is unlikely to give merit.
Has Chris talked with the NCP about how much s/he’d contribute?</p>
<p>Just to clarify…when @sosconcern mentions UA, she doesn’t mean U Arizona. Her DD is a presidential scholarship recipient at Alabama.</p>
<p>@erin’s dad (you need to fix your name so you can be properly tagged 
) lol</p>
<p>I really do think students need more than one safety when finances are a big issue. Not only so that the student still has a choice come spring, but sometimes a loved safety chosen in the Fall becomes a not-so-loved-safety in the spring. A change in major or some other new info may suddenly change a student’s mind about his one safety. And, sometimes safeties turn out not to be safeties. Sometimes a rejection comes because the school is protecting yield or sometimes financial calculations turn out to be wrong. It truly is best to have 3 safeties when money is a big concern. </p>
<p>Both big public AZ schools should be on the safety list and include Univ of AL - I keep forgetting about the UA also being claimed by Univ of AZ although UA has the web site designation, Roll Tide.</p>
<p>Keep looking at financial safeties - @chris17mom you and your son do not want strained finances hanging over you during his college years. It takes the joy and focus away from academics. Be sure to meet applications and scholarship deadlines - you can sort out the options (and continue to gather info and do visits) up until deciding by the May 1 time.</p>
<p>If you limit yourself and things do not fall into place, you may leave yourself with terrible options.</p>
<p>Wow, this is a ton of great information…thank you all so very much!!! </p>
<p>I hadn’t been considering any oos public schools because I thought they were automatically off the list, due to the extra oos costs. Except for U of Alabama of course, which I have a lot of info about now (thanks @mom2collegekids!). I guess if one oos public school offers good packages to oos kids, it makes sense that others might too.</p>
<p>I will start researching the honors colleges at all the schools mentioned above right away! I think adding U of A and U of Alabama as safeties makes sense. I also really like the idea of him being is San Diego…@dadof1 and @MYOS1634 is that the jesuit University of San Diego (USD) or are you talking about UCSD? </p>
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<p>What is the NCP? Is it the non-custodial-parent? My ex husband has zero money (literally) so he won’t help out at all. He is remarried, but I don’t know how much the new wife makes, and I wouldn’t ask her to help (though I am now finding out her income could work against us!). The only person who will be contributing is me and possibly my mother if I asked her, but I’d really rather not, since I want her to use her money for her own retirement.</p>
<p>One thing that is tricky here is that it seems like to get the maximum aid at nearly every school, we need to apply early, which in many cases is November 1st! We are also working on the Flinn Scholarship (a local Arizona scholarship that ensures a full ride + lots of extra benefits at any of the three state colleges in AZ). This scholarship would solve all our problems! Chris would be at ASU, but he’d have such an amazing package, he has already stated he would be fine with it. But that application is due on October 17th! So I’m just feeling a huge time crunch. The only schools we don’t seem to need to apply early to are the super selective reach schools like Stanford and Duke. Do any of those schools (Stanford, Duke, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, U Penn) have early action that is non restrictive? Would there be any benefit in applying to any of those EA?</p>
<p>@chris17mom Yes, that is Univ of San Diego. Here’s a link to the Bloomberg rankings. <a href=“Bloomberg - Are you a robot?”>Bloomberg - Are you a robot?;
<p>encouraging you @chris17mom - you are on the right track. Many people figure out this stuff too late - you are on the money so to speak in my view.</p>
<p>What one poster meant was Net Price Calculator - or what contribution based on various financial information, your expected family contribution.</p>
<p>I do not know about how ex factors in to the financial picture - if they look at his household financials…</p>
<p>Highly selective schools - what does GC say? Would your son like any of these schools? </p>
<p>As you say, you have some deadlines to deal with first.</p>
<p>FYI…USD is Catholic, but it’s not Jesuit. Not that it probably matters to you, but just clarifying. </p>
<p>USD will likely give at least enough to get costs down to around a UC instate…that is often the goal for high stats kids. Max award is $25k per year. COA is $60k. </p>
<p>The remaining cost, $35k, sounds like it would be more than what the OP would like to pay. </p>
<p>I know of a couple of kids [LA area] who got very generous FA packages from TCU. I have visited U of San Diego campus & it is gorgeous. I know of 3 kids who graduated from USD & they all enjoyed their time there.</p>
<p>Perhaps consider USC & Pepperdine for undergrad business - well respected programs.</p>
<p>University of Rochester would be a good fit for your son and he might get some merit money, however you need to demonstrate interest. If you cannot visit, make certain you attend either an outreach event in your area or if an admissions rep visits the school, you need to schedule that visit. Pay attention to deadlines as deadlines for merit scholarships (at least in the past few years) have been earlier than other deadlines.</p>
<p>I also think Pitt would be a good fit as would Case Western. </p>
<p>Some great suggestions CC community.</p>
<p>@chris17mom have a ‘heart to heart’ talk with your son. Show him that you are working hard to help facilitate his opportunities. By checking out these additional schools, he has an opportunity to see what his stats and hard work might allow him with merit and still fit in your budget.</p>
<p>The demonstrated interest is key. </p>
<p>Sometimes students have this warped perception of different schools - may even be a little black and white (like the ivies are the only place for him). However most families have a budget to work with, and many, many students go to a school that fits in their family budget (w/o taking out exorbitant debt which is not necessary for UG degree). A student will show maturity in understanding the process and not give parents grief that they cannot afford the ‘best’ for them (which as defined by the student may not really be the best for them either).</p>
<p>I had a student from my church who is a pretty bright student; he is a junior, and was talking about going into business, but that he was considering our state flagship as a safety (like it would not measure up, just by his manner of speaking). He probably forms his own opinions indep of parents too. I kind of gave him an alarmed “are you kidding” comment about what a great reputation flagship business school has, great honors opportunities; he needs to look closer and attend various programs on campus and presentations in our area (that my daughter did; she was sold before - she is, studying eng, but it was great to see and hear more).</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>@chris17mom Based on another thread, I know that you are looking at Santa Clara. That’s on our list, along with the University of Portland, and Trinity University (San Antonio). These are two strong liberal-arts schools with good merit aid. We have visited both schools, so I can give you more information if you are interested.</p>
<p>Thanks! We now have a huge list, which I don’t like, but I think it’s the only way to try to get a good merit aid offer. I just started some of the financial aid paperwork and I’m more uncertain than ever about need-based aid.</p>
<p>And look at all the movers and shakers today who went to grad school at Harvard, Yale, MIT or whatever and when you dig they went to Podunk U! For undergraduate I agree with mom. SO many good schools in the many hundreds in the US and since you can forget merit aid at the Ivies, why so heart set on getting an undergraduate degree there?</p>