@handlmom, my D17 is in her first year at Muhlenberg—feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions, and I’ll try to answer them as well as I can.
@handlmom we’ve a good friend at Muhlenberg with some LD’s, I can find out from the mom if he is using their services. It solid seem a solid match for your D, does she have any true safeties as well or just those 2?
FSU is off our list. Campus visit was meh. We saw a model dorm (all dorms are suite style and the room was HUGE) and visited a lecture hall and the guides were well-informed, but seriously, that was it for the tour.
No visit to the stadium, student union/food, library, rec center, theater, nothing. Granted, it was spring break, but still. Also, the dang fight song plays over the loudspeakers as you walk around near the stadium, which, me being a Gator, was truly obnoxious … 
The thing that took it off the list was the 25-50 stat range for 2018 admits, which now rival UF.
I wrote them down in the admissions session:
4.1-4.5 GPA (FSU, like UF, recalculates using only core courses). And 28-32/1290-1400 ACT/SAT.
When I started researching two years ago, FSU seemed like a good match/reach for my average-stats kid. The 25-50 numbers then, which I still have in the spreadsheet, were 25-29/1110-1280 ACT/SAT. Average GPA was 3.95.
Now, nope. My kid was depressed and didn’t even want to stick around for the tour.
@Gatormama @-) >:/ move away from the FSU/Darkside and come to the UF/light side…
I’m sure you meant the 25% to 75% range or the middle 50% stats.
Those stats are for the early admits and not enrolled students. The final round of decisions for first-year applicants will be announced March 29. I expect those numbers will go down.***
The Seminole Pathways Program may also be an option. It includes four options of admission to Florida State, including beginning their studies at the FSU Panama City campus or at one of FSU’s study centers abroad. The study abroad option is fairly popular. Summer B is also an option, as the average GPA and test scores are much lower for Summer B admits…
http://www.flbog.edu/board/office/asa/_doc/admission_2016/2017SUSMatrix.xlsx
***With the spike in OOS students (at FSU and UF), you’re going to see some funny stats. A large number of OOS students applied, many with excellent stats. However, the yield (% that enrolled) will be much lower than in-state students. That’s why the middle 50% stats of enrolled students will be lower than the middle 50% stats for the early accepted students. The school may still be in your range. 
Good Luck!
@Gatormama - the stats at some of these schools are much higher than I anticipated. It’s been eye opening for sure. Sorry kid was depressed, that sucks.
I’ve run the NPC on a couple schools and its obvious that some schools use the term ‘estimate’ very loosely. Didn’t ask GPA/SAT and only an income estimate and out popped a number that I just don’t have much faith in. I’d hate to have to actually apply before knowing if the school was affordable but that seems the case.
@cotton2017 I don’t think many schools include merit scholarship evaluation in the NPC. Some do, but not many. For schools that have hard cut offs for GPA or ACT/SAT scores, you can get info on their websites, but lots of merit opportunities are not that cut and dry.
@homerdog - understand. But, I ran an NPC and it gave me a grant number that is clearly not going to happen based on just’ do you make over $100K’ and ‘how many kids in college’. It was a large grant that I am going to assume has an asterisk by it somewhere.
@Cotton2017 I would print it and save it in case you want to eventually negotiate with that school. Lol.
I know the calculator you mean. And I agree, don’t trust it. And whatever they say, no matter how good or not, generally doesn’t help a ton for $ negotiations. I’ve tried to renegotiate a few times and while you can get more $ by asking, and that data helps, it may not help enough. However you can get some idea by looking at a colleges Common data set. That will show avg merit given, % of need met and it breaks out athletics separately. While it won’t speak to income bracket you can see total of kids that asked for aid, how many received etc. I find it to be a decent indicator of overall generosity.
@Cotton2017 & @eandesmom, which NPC is it? I think I want to play with it a bit and see what it’s basing all this off of.
@eandesmom - good idea on the CDS. I will look for aid there instead and see the real average
@dfbdfb I’m not sure which school as a few still have it but it’s the awful one with 5 questions or so and then income bracket, which tops out at 99k+
I know American used it, I think Goucher. Lots of others. It’s terrible. Some still pull in 15-16 tuition!
Ha! I just checked and American STILL has it and it’s showing 14-15 tuition$! That NPC burned a 2017 parent for ED and they had to decline which was so not fun for anyone. Goucher has the same one although interestingly enough, their offers matched it for at least 2 of the 2017 kids on this thread including mine. Every time I see that calculator I want to run away as I just don’t trust a bulk estimate based on 99+ and above.
We’re visiting colleges in MD and VA next weekend, but I’m having trouble figuring out which ones to go to. We had planned on seeing McDaniel and Christopher Newport, but now I’m not sure. We’re definite on CNU, but then I wonder if we should see Washington College or Roanoke College or maybe even U of Richmond as a reach. Then there’s Salisbury and Stevenson. I’m so confused! We’re looking for something small to mid-size that isn’t a party school, has good academics with small classes, and is in a nice area. I’m not really familiar with any of the schools there. What do you all recommend?
@eandesmom I’m glad you mentioned the problem with American’s NPC since that is a school that S19 may look at (but not if it’s full pay, geez!) My nephew went there - ED and full pay, and I’m still not sure why. I went there for one year and I think I’m still paying for it, haha.
My kid could commute from home (maybe spend the first year on campus), but he would still need a hefty discount on tuition and I don’t know if that’s happening (I don’t know if they hand out all the merit to ED and he certainly wouldn’t apply ED).
@megan12 Maybe University of Mary Washington and Goucher?
@eh1234 We didn’t include Goucher because S doesn’t want really liberal. Forgot to mention that.
@megan12 - those colleges aren’t very close to each other so I think you are on the right track to pick which direction to drive. There is about a 3 hour drive between a couple of those. CNU is mid sized at about 5K students, Salisbury larger at about 8K and McDaniel much smaller (2K?). What are you looking for in terms of major? I’ve been to McDaniel and it is hilly and small. D19 did not like it all. Are you OOS for these schools? We are in MD but are looking at CNU too but I think the OOS tuition will not work out for us. Everyone who has visited Salisbury seems to really like it and it’s a half an hour from Ocean City!
@megan12 - also we went to Richmond and it was beautiful. We really liked it there but looking at the admission stats and tuition, not doable for us. It’s gorgeous though and if in the area you should swing by. Stevenson is very close to Towson but nobody around us has had a lot of luck getting the tuition down to levels that are doable. It’s small though with very nice dorms.
@eandesmom - yes! That is the calculator and CNU uses it too. My D19 ran in waving it at me all excited that it looked affordable but when I looked at it - I knew it couldn’t be right.
@Cotton2017 He’s not sure what he wants to do. He thought he liked politics until he took AP Gov this year. I’m thinking he would do great in communications or marketing. He’s a master at BS! 
We are OOS. I love how CNU looks online, and I think it will fit his personality so that’s a definite visit, but I’m up in the air about the others. We had Salisbury on our list then took it off, then put it on, then took it off. I got a sense that it might be a party school or not very academically strong, but I just couldn’t tell for sure.
I’ve done a drive-thru of Washington, and it seemed cute, but it may be too small. McDaniel and Roanoke would probably be safeties. I don’t know anything about Stevenson. And I researched Mary Washington, but there was something that turned me off - I think it was the Niche comments.