<p>@momofwon: It has been a few years but my son had a better GPA than SAT score and he was accepted at Miami of Ohio with merit. I believe he had a 3.3 UW and 1110/1600 SAT. Unfortunately, many of the state schools seem to take into account both based on the large number of applicants and their need for a simple screening method. Merit aid is often restricted on OSS students.</p>
<p>Momofwon- University of Alabama has a sliding scale for automatic scholarships. They all require a 3.5 GPA but the amounts go up based on scores so you may find something there.</p>
<p>onlyonemom, I have posted a visit report of Wheaton. (MA)
S likes it there for small classes, music, no Greek Life, lots of organizations, academics, only about 1550 students, so small student population. Singles, doubles, triples, quads are available for housing, there is special interest housing as well. A single room does not cost any more than another type of room.
Have also sent kids to UCONN, St. Lawrence (NY) and Alfred University (NY).</p>
<p>Been one of those days…</p>
<p>For sale cheap/obo…1 rising sr high school student
Eats healthy (generally)
Braces completed. Nice smile. Dimples.
In need of attitude adjustment and if lucky, a college education.
No expressed warranty on follow through or following house rules .</p>
<p>Back to you regularly scheduled programming<br>
haha</p>
<p>On merit aid, I have actually been shocked to hear those words at all on tours/mtgs with admissions as I usually think of kids with higher stats than these as getting merit aid. It will be a nice surprise if K2 gets any merit aid when all is said and done.</p>
<p>Have a great day</p>
<p>SLUMOM,</p>
<p>I look forward to reading your review. We also visited Wheaton and S liked it. I thought it was really quiet but we were there on a holiday (Patriots Day). I also got the feeling that kids may go to Boston and Providence a lot because there was not much to do in the area. I am originally from Boston and would prefer to be closer to a city. But! I am not the one attending - he is…</p>
<p>Slumom,</p>
<p>I forgot to add we are thinking about St L too but I am wondering if it is too far way…our list keeps growing!
Thanks again</p>
<p>My S will be attending St L in the fall. It is definitely a remote and rural place… but the campus was one of them most active and alive that we had visited. My S was actually looking for that type of college environment, he wanted a school where everything happened on campus and no one left. It is perfect for him, but it definitely wouldn’t be for everyone.</p>
<p>5boys- I think my son would like a campus that students would stay around. He is happy to hang out with a few close friends and be content. I should also mention to the group that my quiet (cute) boy met his girlfriend at an early college program in neuroscience last summer. She lives about 5 miles from us. For better or for worse she also wants to be a neuroscientist. They are 2 cute nerds ! Soul mates - major difference she is a straight A student! Currently taking mostly all AP classes including AP cal BC and she is a junior. I want to adopt her! Lol of course she has not been a good influence. Not her fault - he is smart but just not a good student. My only concern is that whether they will want to go to the same College. I have really mixed feelings about it. Part of me wants them to go together in hopes that they won’t be traveling to see each other and can just focus on school. The other part of me thinks he should go off and have his own college experience. I am wondering what you all think?</p>
<p>@onlyonemom-For whatever it is worth, every single high school couple that I have known over the last 11 years that decided to go to the same college broke up by Thanksgiving. Every single one. That is just my personal experience.</p>
<p>Same here onlyonemom…every single one of them…The turkey drop is alive and well…it is NOT an urban legend…</p>
<p>Agree, with BobbyCT and 5boys, we have known high school couples to attend same school and then they split after they get there. Encourage your S to apply to his own choices, not the same schools his present girlfriend is applying to.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies …I am not sure if the S and his GF are thinking of going to the same schools. I know she is really interested in attending UNE because she has been told she would most likely get a full ride. Currently UNE is high in my son’s list. I don’t really want to say anything about attending different schools because I am afraid if I encourage him to go to different schools - He will do the opposite lol I have just been encouraging to look at his options and told him he should go to a school that gives him the best offer. Of course, assuming he applies to schools that he really wants to attend. Thanks again!</p>
<p>I second the “encourage them to make their own choices” camp.
Let them grow and become the best “selves” each can be.</p>
<p>Our K1 had a SO…and we encouraged K1 to be honest with the SO that it was not a serious thing, they are 17/18 and have a lifetime ahead etc etc…
Both kids are at great schools and if they end up circling back around after 4 yrs, fine.
K1 was happy to be going to the U unattached, the SO, not so much.</p>
<p>If it is meant to last a lifetime (my folks are married 50 yrs, and DH and I almost 27) then college apart is a great time for growing and learning, finding yourself. etc</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>FogFog,</p>
<p>I agree that S should have his own experiences. He just applied ( finished app last night) to a neuroscience camp and he wanted her to also apply. At first he was dragging his feet and then something changed and he seemed really interested. I asked if GF was applying and he said he was unsure…My S is definitely love struck! This is his first GF and he pines away all week waiting to see her on the weekend! They txt all evening…drives me crazy to hear the binging…At least he is busy with sailing practice and weekend regattas and sometimes homework. I wish that I could fast forward to this time next year! I am not looking forward to this summer - bugging him to start his common app and essays! UGH !</p>
<p>Onlyonemom - I think it will work out. With summer and just busy times ahead, these relationships are hard to keep going. My S had a great GF that I thought was a great influence on him. I really, really liked her but, glad when it ended last summer so, he could focus on things he needed to do. She had a bright future to tend to. They are still friends but, where they are suppose to be.</p>
<p>Is anyone feeling the pressure to keep the college visits going yet, are in a slump because of all the end of year schoolwork, activities, testing, prom stuff happening? Knowing how busy the fall is with my son’s sport, I know this is the time to get the visits done. He needs to focus on his apps in the fall, not visits. He is a bit of a slow mover and thinks it will all work out on his own time. I told him yesterday, I hope someone takes him (probably not a good thing to say). But, I am feeling a sense of urgency that probably is irrational.</p>
<p>I also have a high GPA kid with low testing scores. And the GPA is questionable because I don’t know if our school is that challenging.</p>
<p>One of the Lisa’s and momofwon asked about how to find out what a college rates more highly (gpa, recs, sat scores). If you google the Common Data Set along with the college’s name and look at one of the sections (B?) it shows which areas of a student’s stats are valued more highly than others. Also I think section C gives the admitted students stats so you can see if your student really fits the demographic of admitted students. This info can indicate the likelihood of merit aid. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>^ and the college navigator at IPEDS allows you to look at this data as well</p>
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</p>
<p>This is the problem at our school. I know my guy is doing what is needed to do really well there, but what is unknown is the foundation for going on and doing more. Some kids can do it and do it well even though they have catching up to do when compared to kids from good schools. Others flounder when suddenly having to work.</p>
<p>Love College navigator! If only they would add common app info, ED/EA dates and ACT/SAT/SATII test requirements (not the scores, but which they require to apply), it would be perfect for me :-)</p>
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<p>Solution: do college visits in the summer.</p>