Pennsylvania parents share your strategies

Actually, Pitt, PSU, and Temple all offer merit. Until recently, Temple offered one of the few auto full rides. At one time Pitt was very generous with entry to Honors College and generous merit too. No more. Ironically, PSU used to be the school that rarely offered scholarships but after the child abuse/molest scandals, started offering small awards.

No idea how the directional state are with awards. I seem to remember hearing about scholarships, not large amounts, but awards nonetheless from PSU satellite schools. The Pitt campuses other than Oakland were giving out generous awards not that long ago for academic stats not that way up there

Pitt is attempting to bridge the financial GAP with some of their new programs such as Panthers Forward, Pell Grant Match and meeting full need for Valedictorians of Pittsburgh high schools.

I think PASSHE schools give out a few Board of Governor full tuition scholarships.

My S got a few thousand in merit scholarship and need based scholarship from IUP last year.

@InfiniteWaves my sympathy as a PA parent on the PSU decision, I think we will be in just the same position (full pay PSU) next year. PSU and Temple are the only pre prof architecture schools that are affordable (sorta) in PA. I was actually thinking that people would recommend more o o s options (like Kent state which did appear in the thread).
I have a connection with IUP and the PASSHE. It bothers me very much that there is the extreme negative partying crap at IUP that you see elsewhere but not many people hear about the thousands of great teachers musicians and others that graduate IUP each year. I don’t know if it’s worth going to IUP from out of state (still more expensive than other states but less than Pitt or p s u) but for PA kids IUP should be a serious option. People that know it respect it.

I believe Ohio State, U Cincinnati and Kent State all have architecture and can possibly be more affordable than PSU with merit.

We wanted to stay instate because of qualifying for PHEAA grant and trying to keep distance from home to reasonable driving distance.

They can save some money if they can do 2+2 and complete their Gen eds at a PSU branch and commute from home for the first two years, and then share an off campus apartment at State College the last two years. Several of my kids’ friends are doing that.

Another advantage is that the class sizes for Calc or science courses are much smaller.

I know people going to satellite campuses and got merit money. But that is not in the cards for DS. He doesn’t want to go to any satellite campuses.

How early can you apply Pitt and PSU? D17 applied PSU and got a free application code by attending an alumni event. But that is in August or September (she didn’t apply Pitt at all). Wonder if that is too late. DS20 is my unmotivated kid. See his stat here.

http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/university-pittsburgh/2136545-school-of-computing-and-information-admission-stat.html#latest

We are local, and he did a 3 weeks free camp at Pitt last year and will be going to another free camp in July,

P.S. I will be so happy if he gets admitted, so that I don’t have to keep nagging one thing or another. But I probably need to continue doing that anyway. Lol

My D applied to Pitt a few years ago in August, as soon as she could get her transcript sent.

Applying in August shouldn’t make any difference from September.

She wasn’t taking any chances since there were only 50 or so spots for the pharmacy GAP.

I agree. Every minute can count. College counselors from some schools where this is very important to families used to hand deliver to desk on very first day the apps are being accepted. Guy I knew swore it made a difference. Once those seats filled in some of those programs, it’s over.