@UCDProf, have you looked at Centre College in KY? Might be worth running the numbers.
I think UVM would be a match given what I see from our school - kids with his stats are almost always admitted from our HS (in MA).
bad numbers on Centre college. Iām not going to go on that alone though, since some colleges I get bad numbers, some good, and these donāt correspond to what people here on CC say anecdotally. But bad numbers is notā¦ good.
Hollins for example has bad numbers compared to many others and I know is not floating in money but my D22 likes it so sheāll apply anyway.
I donāt know much about Centre, but they seem like they might be willing to work with you on the money. I just did the quick MyinTuition form and it said the low estimate was $18,400K so not too bad if that came true. Seems like an interesting school. I think it might be too small in a small town for my D22, but she hasnāt even looked at it yet. Really like their Study Abroad program.
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I think part of the issue for @UCDProf with his NPC numbers is that he makes a high income (>$140K/year), even if it doesnāt feel high income with living in a HCOL area. That is going to really affect lots of NPCs at schools that give great merit, because they are probably going to expect he can pay more than he probably has in his college budget.
Getting $20-30k in merit isnāt helpful if your budget per kid is $14-$18k per year and the remaining cost after merit and financial aid is closer to $25-$30k per kid.
The important thing to remember is that your child can only go to one school, so you donāt need dozens that all come in āaffordableā. You just need one (two or more is gravy because then your child has the luxury of choice).
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I go away for a week and the thread gets so lively! Love all the new voices!!
Thank you @Juno22 for your info on Beloit. It was one my D knocked off because I ādidnāt talk about it enoughā but I suspect she should reconsider, especially since Knox is sitting very high on her list! Ah well
@UCDProf I did post my write up on our Hendrix trip over in the Hendrix forum. Not much happens over in the forums for these smaller schools so I figured that would reach a wider interest group. Also if you havenāt already check out Southwestern University in Georgetown Texas. My D18 came from an iffy CA public school as well and their cost ended up being the lowest in part because she was awarded their competitive top level scholarship. Your kids should be very competitive for it as well being in top of their class (Texas values class rank highly) and out of state (I think Southwestern is trying to increase their geographic diversity). Full disclosure, I learned only this year, after 2 years that apparently this scholarship requires a 3.5 gpa to maintain (!). I was shocked because I was aware even when she was applying to look for that and avoid it, but I missed the fine print š¤¦. However, it should also be said that she definitely fell below that metric at least once in her 4 semesters there, and not so much as a warning about losing the scholarship. She ended up above it, and now after some medical issues forced a withdrawal last year she is transferring somewhere local to finish.
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I ran the MyinTuition quick estimator with $150K income. I think Centre might be worth an application if it otherwise seems appealing. The low estimate for the MyInTuition estimator is 18K, so might be possible. I am also in the doughnut hole, but our budget is a little more flexible.
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I sometimes think the hardest part of being in the ādonut holeā is being able to see opportunities and possibilities that feel so close and yet are so far away. In some ways, it seems very much like the Olympic phenomenon of athletes who win Bronze often being happier than those who win Silver.
If you are farther away from being able to win something, it doesnāt hurt as much as if you are close enough to see just how little ādistanceā away still means no.
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Been lurking here for awhile. D19 going into junior year at Elon and this site was invaluable as we navigated her process. S22 has been a roller coaster - dealing with a lot of personal issues which has really impacted his grades. Currently 2.91 UWGPA/3.36 WGPA. He has only taken SAT once - 960. He is currently working with a tutor and scheduled to take ACT on 9/11, which they decided was the better test for him.
Unfortunately, he will have a failing grade on his transcript (AP Chem B, he got a C in AP Chem A), which he cannot re-take until next year.
He has been completely uninterested in the college search process to date. He has not visited any colleges other than those he tagged along with on D19 search.
He has expressed an interest in business but other than that has done no research.
Looking for suggestions on schools that may be a fit for him. Keeping in mind that he will likely need a lot of hand holding to keep on task. I donāt think the big state schools will be a good environment for him. Need somewhere where he wonāt be allowed to slip through the cracks. I know Iām probably asking too much.
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@ElonMomMD You may want to read @ububumble thread from last year.
It gets into how to construct a good college list and is very positive and realistic. One of the best threads ever on CC in my opinion. There are plenty of schools that would love to have students like your son, and where he could flourish.
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@ElonMomMD you are absolutely NOT asking too much. If I can help in any way based on our experience, please reach out.
Thanks for this - very helpful.
@ElonMomMD is the MD in your user name for Maryland or are you a doctor? Just curious and wondering if S22 wants to stay close to home (if that is Maryland or somewhere else).
There is a school out there for everyone. And you are definitely not asking too much.
Sounds like your S22 is a good candidate for a supportive LAC. Have you looked at the Colleges That Change Lives list? Roanoke College in Salem, VA (next door to Roanoke) where ububumbleās son ended up is definitely worth a look. Maybe Goucher in Towson/Baltimore? Or McDaniel in western MD?
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Yes - we are in MD and nowhere close to an MD.
No decision on how far away S22 wants to go.
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yeah thatās about my budget with two kids simultaneous, which you probably know from other posts. My income is right at 140k, enough to qualify for full covid relief but no good for college.
I can do about 15k per kid or 30k total, and thatās with each of us taking loans but the kids no more than the govt loans of about 20k for 4 years. Itās probably going to wind up in the end being quite a bit more all things considered.
Iām also hoping some one place or two will come in low enough to get there. There are NPCās out there that put COA in range or below. Most of those are super competitive colleges but not all.
You are right: Iām hoping that the anecdotal information I get here about this or that college coming in low will pan out in just at least two places.
Has he seen Frostburg State University in western Maryland? Would he enjoy the mountain/small college town setting? It offers a business degree and academic support for those who need it to get on their feet. I also second McDaniel if heād do best in a SLAC.
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The NPC for centre is not as good as the myintuition. I ran the NPC with less income and got 27.5 NP, or a 12.5 gap (which times two is impossible for me). No financial aid and 30K+ in merit, inputting a 4.0 gpa and no test scores.
I havenāt been running MyIntuition at all so maybe I should take that as a second data point. I think there was at least one person somewhere on CC that reported Centre as coming in low for them.
Might be worth reaching out to them and asking how accurate the NPC is.
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First day of school today. I told S22 - you just have to kill it for 1 more semester! You canāt tank it spring semester, but youāve just got to have your foot on the gas for 1 more semester. Is that cynical? Hopefully he knows that actual learning would be ideal. But honestly, after a summer program that was basically like college courses, and a year of remote learning - I just donāt want him to look past this semester! Itās like when a football team gets sunk by game they should win because theyāre already thinking about the big game on the horizon!
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Can you share all the colleges she was accepted to? My D22 has a very unbalanced ACT score. Is your child an athlete?
Thank you!