Parents, could you help me with my college list?

Parents Forum
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<p>I'm a bit conflicted right now. I've known since about a year ago approximately where I wanted to apply to college. Recently, as deadlines get closer, I've become worried that my list is not only too reach heavy, but downright unaffordable. </p>

<p>Parents want me to apply to: UofL, UK, Centre, local Catholic college. Can't change these. These are my safeties admissions wise and financially. You can probably tell where I am from :) The problem is that I want to get out of this state and go to a place with a more intellectual student body and better programs in STEM fields.</p>

<p>My current list: HPSM, Caltech, UChicago. My mom is iffy about letting me go to Stanford or Caltech due to the distance, though she may have a different reaction if I get in.</p>

<p>These schools may be unaffordable. My net price is basically sticker price at these schools for the first two years, then I get about 10-20k off in FA when my brother goes to school. We don't make so much that the money would not be felt, and external scholarships are pretty iffy. I plan on doing tutoring for pay in college for pocket money, but I don't think I could ever contribute more than $10k per year to my COA. I don't think my parents would want to pay more than $30k per year on my college.</p>

<p>So I started looking at other good schools that offer substantial merit offers. I like the idea of going to Duke, Vanderbilt, UMich, USC, Purdue, or UVA on a full tuition or full ride scholarship. This leads me to my two questions:</p>

<p>How competitive are merit scholarships to these schools? I know most of the big-ticket scholarships require interviews and additional essays, but will stats and ECs get my foot in the door? I don't want to post a chance me thread in the parents forum, but to give you an idea of my app I have high stats (4.0, 36, good SATII) and good ECs, but I don't think I'm gregarious enough to be an outstanding interviewer, and my essays are decent, but I have no story of hardship to speak of.</p>

<p>Are there any other highly regarded schools that offer full tuition or full ride scholarships? To give you an idea of what kind of schools I like, I loved MIT and liked Harvard on my visit but hated Yale. I'm interested in CS, EE, Math, and Physics (can't decide among them). A school doesn't have to offer EE but it's a plus. Small LACs don't appeal to me very much.</p>

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<p>Here a bump there a bump everywhere a bump bump.</p>

<p>I just looked at Georgetown but I don’t think it’s too good in CS and Math from what I can tell.</p>

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<p>If you look in the financial aid and scholarship section, there is a list of schools with guaranteed merit. You can also start a thread with your stats. </p>

<p>The regular posters over there are serious gurus on this stuff. </p>

<p>Good luck to you!</p>

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<p>The thing about most of the schools with guaranteed merit is that they are mostly OOS non-flagship publics. I could go instate to my flagship (UK)and get paid (net-income) to do so, so there’s really not much of a reason to look at OOS publics imo. I’m also a NMSF but I have no reason to go to most schools offering scholarships for NMF since I’m not interested in PetE. I’m mostly wondering about top privates like Vandy and well-regarded state flagships like UMich and UVA that offer merit regarding the competitiveness of the full tuition and full ride merit scholarships there.</p>

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<p>With your interest in math, physics and EE, look at Case Western Reserve. They are known for giving generous merit money.</p>

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<p>With your interest in math, physics and EE, you probably could also consider GA Tech or Northeast U.</p>

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<p>I can’t speak for everywhere, but while Duke does offer merit, it offers only 40-50 scholarships per class, including one program that is exclusively for NC residents. In my anecdotal experience, burying the needle on grades and test scores is just table stakes for those programs, and it takes a real “wow factor” EC or talent even to get an interview. In fact, the 36 by itself may not even get you admitted at all. Duke turns down quite a few perfect scorers. </p>

<p>I don’t mean to be discouraging but I also want to make sure you are realistic about what merit-hunting really entails.</p>

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<p>Take a look at Northeastern in Boston - they still have the full tuition scholarships for NMF. It’s not MIT (which rejects 91% of applicants anyhow), but it is an up and coming univeristy ranked around #70.
<a href=“http://www.northeastern.edu/admissions/costs/scholarships.html[/url]”>http://www.northeastern.edu/admissions/costs/scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>The extra perk there is terrific co-op program.</p>

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<p>@SomeOldGuy
I have good ECs but not “wow” factor, I suppose, unless I get a really cool new research project. I know personally and from reading the newspaper that a lot of perfect scorers do not really do that much outside of school and maybe one other small thing, but I’m not like that, I promise :)</p>

<p>GTech doesn’t interest me because I’ve seen quite a high number of people online claiming it to be absolutely miserable. The gender ratio isn’t too great either. I hadn’t looked at NE and CWR before but they look nice. My dad is from Cleveland so maybe he can give me a little insight :)</p>

<p>Hmm, Duke only gives out 40-60 scholarships. I think Vandy gives out over a hundred full tuition scholarships, yes? Do you think I would have a better chance at that?</p>

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<p>Just a quick note about Case…run the Net Price Calculator on Case’s site. It is pretty accurate if not a little understated. Case likes you to show demonstrated interest–def. visit if you can and make contact when they are in your area. Apply EA–unrestricted for best merit. Applications have gone way up at Case in the last two years. My daughter is there–she loves the school and has had great opportunities.</p>

<p>Also re-read the merit money thread at the top of the Parent’s Forum.</p>

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<p>The merit scholarships at the highly selective schools on your list are long shots for everyone, including the best and the brightest. Even if Vandy offers 100 full rides (that sounds high to me), you need to remember that they have 1,800 students in their freshman class. Statistically, that means the top 6% or so. The top 25% of the class will have 34/2250 and 3.9+ GPA, and even being in this group does not guarantee anything. They have so many excellent candidates that they use the scholarships to target specific qualities in applicants.</p>

<p>I would encourage you to reconsider some of the automatic scholarships for NMSF. Alabama, Oklahoma and Northeastern are a diverse collection of schools that will surely have some appealing qualities to you. Also, closer to home, the University of Cincinnati does not guarantee a full-ride to NMSF, but it is highly likely - and they have one of the best co-op programs in the country, so you might graduate with more money than you started with.</p>

<p>My kids didn’t have great offers from Case, but Purdue has excellent STEM programs and strong merit offers. UIllinois, Minnesota and Ohio State are also great engineering programs that have reputations for generous merit offers. If these Big 10 schools appeal to you however, be sure to get your application in soon - their deadlines are pretty early for merit consideration.</p>

<p>Two other schools that have a smaller campus feel and offer great STEM programs (and good merit aid) are Georgia Tech (urban) and Virginia Tech (rural).</p>

<p>Finally, Kentucky is part of the Southern Regional Education Board Common Market. This would allow you to have in-state tuition (and use KEES money) at a variety of schools across the South. The catch is that you would need to major in a program not offered by a Kentucky college, but this rule leaves considerable wiggle room. You can get more information here:</p>

<p>[Southern</a> Regional Education Board](<a href=“http://www.sreb.org/page/1304/academic_common_market.html/]Southern”>Academic Common Market - Southern Regional Education Board)</p>

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<p>" I know personally and from reading the newspaper that a lot of perfect scorers do not really do that much outside of school… " - They are often rejected from MIT. Wow… I was really astounded reading the MIT threads a few years ago and seeing the stats and accomplishments of rejected students. I think all of the students that are accepted are highly qualified. But lots of highly qualified students are rejected simply due to supply/demand.</p>

<p>Another vote for Case, especially for high stats / well rounded STEM students looking for merit scholarships.</p>

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<p>My bad… NEU guaranteed NMF merit scholarship is $30,000 per year (not full tuition). It says there is possibility of more merit $, but not sure how difficult it is to qualify.</p>

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<p>Harvard gives financial aid to families making up to $180K. The Ivies and schools like Amherst and Williams are very generous with financial aid.</p>

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<p>If you are interested in CS you should look at Carnegie Mellon - not a lot of merit money - but if you are Caltech caliber you might snag something. In any event it’s not nearly as far away which should be a plus for your parents.</p>

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<p>^ We make a bit more than that. Enough that $60k will be felt but not so much that money is not an option. I’m in a bit of a bind</p>

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<p>OP - You are “in a bit of a bind” common to many families today. Not rich enough to easily $60K/year, but not able to qualify for my need based FA (Financial Aid) either. However, you’ve been blessed by stats can help you get merit scholarships at a lot of US schools. Maybe not tippy top ones like MIT, but very many others. Perhaps your guidance counselor can help you pick some more schools for your list. Good luck!</p>

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<p>You are from what I suspect is an underrepresented state…it’s hardly Massachusetts or NJ…</p>

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<p>USC in Calif would award half tuition for NMF, and maybe increase it to full tuition for your 36 and coming from Kentucky. </p>

<p>Try Santa Clara as well. With your 36, likely get huge merit. </p>

<p>Get a firm number from your parents as to how much they’ll spend each year on YOUR costs, and how much they’ll spend when there are two in college at the same time. </p>

<p>They may be willing to spend $30k per year when one is in college, but NOT be willing to spend $60k when two are in college. </p>

<p>Doubtful that you could contribute even $10k per year towards college costs, unless that includes personal expenses, books, etc. </p>

<p>Private scholarships are usually only for freshman year, so won’t help with the other 3 years.</p>

<p>Also consider St. Louis U. Possibly good merit there.</p>

<p>does Purdue have any free rides?? And, hasn’t Purdue recently cut back on merit offers?</p>

<p>what about Rice?</p>

<p>I’m also a NMSF but I have no reason to go to most schools offering scholarships for NMF since I’m not interested in PetE</p>

<p>?? Are you assuming that PetE is the only majors offered by NMF scholarship schools?</p>

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<p>OK, I’ll try to get a specific number. I feel like it would depend on the school (more willing to pay for Harvard than CMU). Also, my mom usually tells me that we might not be able to afford some schools while my dad says he can pay for them. We all live together. I’m not really sure what to think. I’ll try talking to them both soon. Also, my brother is a good student but not a great one. He might get a decent scholarship from our state schools but not a great one. I don’t think he will be NMSF either. FA at HPM does come in to play when he starts school, but if he goes somewere like Centre or this local Catholic college things might get tricky. On the upside, we both go to a private HS so the $11k per year from his hs tuition is already something that will be accounted for my first two years.</p>

<p>I didn’t know a high ACT from KY was impressive! There are usually about 20 perfect scorers per year here, but if it will be an advantage that will be great. Still, I have two friends with applications and stats very similar to my own ( also 4.0s, 35 and 36, ECs similar, etc.) that are applying to a lot of the same places as me, so there will be some competition I think.</p>

<p>The $10k was including personal expenses and flight. I figured if I do private tutoring for 4 hours a week, charging $50/hr (might be too much, probably geographically dependent), working 50 weeks/ year, I’d make $10k before taxes. I might be overestimating, but OTOH I’ve heard that some summer internships can be quite lucrative. </p>

<p>I didn’t know Santa Clara gave merit, thanks.</p>

<p>Purdue has 12 full rides, which I might not get, and lots of $10k scholarships, which I’m pretty sure I will get. It’s a reach to get the full rides, but they are so good (8 are full ride for UG AND free tuition if I get an MD, JD, MS, MBA etc. at an Indiana school) that I don’t want to pass up my chance.</p>

<p>WUSTL and Rice just don’t seem “me” but I’ll check em out more in depth than I did. </p>

<p>The reason I made the PetE comment is that I can just go to UK on a full ride and study what I want. Most other schools that give full rides for NMF would offer no significant career or fit advantage over UK, the only exception being if I wanted to study PetE, which I don’t.</p>

<p>I’m going to talk to my guidance counselor soon but my school sends very few top students to the top privates or on full rides OOS, so he might not know too much.</p>