I’d been thinking that S21’s great aid package at Kalamazoo was, in part, related to geography (we’re in the Atlanta area), and it seems others are seeing the same kinds of trends. I didn’t realize Hendrix decisions would be out today (thanks for the heads up, @psblstnr)…it seems S21 got an email alerting him but didn’t tell me. 
Best of luck to your D for a Hendrix acceptance with a great financial aid package.
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Yup, definitely!
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It’s funny about wanting boys. I’ve looked pretty closely at the CDS for most LAC’s my son applied to and the acceptance rates for boys generally is slightly lower than that for girls, even for schools with a fairly big difference in the number of boys and girls who enroll (when do they become men and women for me? The day the graduate High School?)
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RIght? 
I have three boys in their 20’s. I still call each of them “Sweet boy.” I refer to them as amazing humans rather than amazing men (even though they are, of course). Hmmm. Maybe when they become fathers, it will be easier for me? 
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oh yes, it will be much easier with other people’s kids!
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HI Everyone. I am so glad to have found this thread! The other 2021 threads were positively giving me heartburn! My son has a 3.43 weighted GPA and a 1280 SAT. He is determined to study mechanical engineering. We applied EA to almost all the colleges on his list and have so far heard back from Arizona State and Washington State, both with acceptances and merit money. Definitely a good start but hoping for some of his top choices to come through as well. Good luck to all the kids.
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I’m not sure if these schools match your financial needs or other requirements, but with those stats, Manhattan College, University of Dayton, University of Cincinatti would be options that might accept with those stats with some amount of aid. Drexel might also accept, but the aid would probably leave a higher COA. Good luck.
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Also, Clarkson is an excellent engineering school and gives great merit for lower stat kids.
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Drexel is on his list. The quarter system (with no summers) and the cost even with money might be deal breakers. But keeping all options open now. Will definitely look into those other colleges you mention. Thank you!
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@momofrs2021 I’m right with you. My wish isn’t, “I hope she gets in,” but, “I hope we can afford it.”
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My nephew is a lower stats kid - even for this board. GPA 2.6 with an upward trend (.1.7/2.5/3.5) and 26 ACT. My brother ran the NPC for over 50 schools, all with engineering. For some schools that were a reach for engineering, he looked at Physics/Applied Physics. My understanding is that its relatively easy to go from Physics to engineering as most of the first year classes are the same (provided there’s space in the engineering program.) Based on that, below’s where my nephew has applied (in order of NPC, lowest to highest). He’s got a bunch of reaches and several privates that we’ve heard give good $$$ but we’ll see… He applied to so many because the money will be key to his decision and outweighs “fit” in other areas. All have engineering - hope this helps!
SUNY Oswego
Ramapo (instate NJ)
SUNY New Paltz
DUSQUENE UNIVERSITY
Rowan (instate NJ) - Denied engineering, admitted Bioinformatics (not sure why he chose this but…)
Valparaiso University
RUTGERS – NEW BRUNSWICK (instate NJ) - Reach - Applied to Arts & Sciences for Physics
Iowa State University - Accepted
Miami of Ohio (Oxford)
NJIT (instate NJ) - Waitlisted
Penn State (2:2 - Behrens, Harrisburg) - Admitted to Behrens
SUNY Binghamton
University of Missouri-Columbia
Arizona State University-Tempe - Denied
TEMPLE
University of Arkansas
SUNY University at Buffalo
Ohio Northern - Accepted
PURDUE - Applied to Arts & Sciences for Physics
Clarkson University
University of Utah - Easy to get instate after first year
UNH DURHAM - NPC is high but a number of OOS friends have received good merit even with low stats.
Susquehanna
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Here are some of the schools my S was accepted at, with good merit, for engineering:
UMaine
Manhattan
UMass Dartmouth
Quinnipiac
Wentworth Institute of Technology
UHartford
Clarkson (already on your list)
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Juniata acceptance in the portal today with the 2nd tier merit of $31K plus an additional $1K per year for an alumni contact and opportunities to apply for a little more. Makes Juniata similar but slightly better financially than OWU at the moment. We had a really good experience at an open house there in February. It wasn’t my or my husband’s favorite from the schools we got to tour, but my son felt really good about it. He hardly had a reaction today about the acceptance and the award. I really look forward to the day when he’s excited about college again.
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@BktoNJ - my D got accepted to Juniata last month and they just recently sent us the FA award - the less generous from all schools and we are removing it from her consideration list. OWU package is not great either, but they do offer other competitive scholarships to reduce the cost.
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@BktoNJ congrats to your son on the Juniata acceptance and merit. I think for my son after the first 1 or 2 acceptances, he’s not as excited anymore either…because he doesn’t know which to choose, he hasn’t been able to visit most, and he is bogged down in schoolwork…college next Fall during this stage of the pandemic just seems like non-reality to him, I think ? Hopefully in 2021 we’ll get a few visits in and the interest and excitement will ramp up as the possibilities start to seem like reality instead of words on paper ?
@psblstnr did your D hear from Hendrix ?
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@nichols51 - yes, Hendrix is the best offer at the moment - 25K merit makes COA around 21K. What about you?
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@psblstnr That’s great! Hendrix is our best cost at the moment as well (by a few hundred in comparison to Kalamazoo, but Kalamazoo’s includes both merit and need). We expected Hendrix to be our most affordable (which is why, after it dropped off the list for a while it eventually got added back onto the list). S21 get $24K in merit.
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@nichols51 - such a great value without even applying need aid amount! They also have special competitive scholarships due 2/1 that my D might apply for. Also, finally got an official acceptance envelope from Beloit, but nothing from FA.
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Congrats to your daughter!
And @psblstnr and @nichols51 and @BktoNJ…it’s nice to be in similar company - following the money.
D isn’t expressing any excitement about schools/acceptances either. Her heart isn’t set on any one school. I guess that makes it easier to drop some due to lack of money.
I also had her apply to Temple’s Ambler campus (commuter) thinking an acceptance might be easier for her there compared to Main campus. At least she’ll have that option if the money doesn’t work out for her at other schools. The Ambler campus offers a $3,500 grant to freshmen who complete their full freshman year there. That would make it $13,000 a year.
I was hoping to hear from Wooster, but nothing yet. And no word on Kalamazoo or Knox financial aid.
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Good merit @psblstnr ? It usually is! FA is usually great as well. 