Please help refine search

College Search & Selection
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<p>I am trying to make sure we have considered the best options for our son.</p>

<p>Attends a private school here in Minnesota, all Honors classes, 4.2 GPA.</p>

<p>SAT's 740V, 700M, 700W (he has horrid handwriting)</p>

<p>He is interested in studying Computer Science and Biology, possibly Genomics or Bioinformatics.</p>

<p>We are looking for small class sizes. He really enjoys interacting with his HS teachers, and wants/expects to be able to do so in College.</p>

<p>He does not drink, so we are probably not looking for a party school.</p>

<p>We want a LAC or small LAU. He wants to take humanities courses, too, not just STEM.</p>

<p>He does a ton of volunteer work, and would like a school that emphasizes service.</p>

<p>He runs XC, but not a star. Quiet, well-mannered young man. Bit of a goofy sense of humor. We like him. :)</p>

<p>Finally, looking for schools with merit aid.</p>

<p>We are geographically flexible.</p>

<p>Schools on the radar that we have visited:
Carleton (no merit aid)
St. Olaf
Trinity University
Creighton (Honors Program, not sure on CS there)
Hillsdale (but no CS program to speak of)
U of Dallas</p>

<p>Considering visiting:</p>

<p>Denison
Furman
Lafayette
Dickinson</p>

<p>We would appreciate comments on these, and suggestions for others that might fit these criteria.</p>

<p>Much obliged.</p>

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<p>any idea what his unwtd GPA is?</p>

<p>Tulane is just starting up a CS program, pouring a lot of money into it from what I’ve heard. They have very good merit, but their best merit (25-30K) short of a full tuition/ride scholarship, which your S is unlikely to score, would leave you with around 35K/yr. </p>

<p>Pitt too is strong in CS, and it offers aid and has lower than usual OOS costs. Your merit there might be 5-10K, bringing your costs to around 35K. </p>

<p>Lafayette may offer you 24K/yr, but probably no more than that. The next level is 40K this year. Costs to you of 34K.</p>

<p>My D applied to these schools and I’m guessing at your merit based on my D’s data and your son’s wtd gpa.</p>

<p>OP, have you run any net price calculators for the schools on your radar? You’ll find them on each school’s Financial Aid page usually. You may get grant aid, depending on your financial assets and salaries, but any merit will go to reduce the grant aid and loans first.</p>

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<p>His weighted and unweighted are identical. No “fluff” classes.</p>

<p>I have tried NPC’s for several schools, with mixed results. It certainly helps.</p>

<p>I think Pitt is too big. I was out there years ago, but not a big school kid at all.</p>

<p>Anyone else have suggestions? 35K net is basically our upper limit. $30K would be better. Not expecting full ride, just don’t want to pay $64K for Carleton!</p>

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<p>you know your financial situation, so only you can tell which schools will come up with a 30K Expected Family Contribution for you. we can only suggest large merit awards your child might get. Those will be at larger schools. i doubt your S would qualify for the top Dickinson award, for instance, of $20K (18-25K a very common top end award at LACs), but even if he does that won’t bring you down to 30K UNLESS your grant was larger than 20K and your S is offered the max loan and possibly some work study. Only you would know those details. So our hands are kind of tied. You could look at the automatic tuition scholarships stickie in the Financial Aid forum. You may be in the place where I found myself with my D. You probably know this already, but almost always any merit you get goes first to pay off student loans and any college grant money mentioned in the npc.</p>

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<p>New College of Florida isn’t known for Computer Science, specifically, but its cost of attendance is under $30k - even for out-of-state students. They do have a Computational Science major, and have upgraded the program recently. You are unlikely to find any other small college of that quality for that price. That cost of attendance is exclusive of any additional need-based aid. NCF takes great pride in having 70% of its students graduate debt-free, and it has an excellent record for graduate school admissions. </p>

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<p>JKE-thanks for the response.</p>

<p>I was probably not clear. I am assuming zero financial aid. Looking at pure merit scholarship, hoping to drive the cost down into the mid-30’s, while meeting the other criteria.</p>

<p>Woog-I will take a look at New College. I recall that is the one with no grades, or something like that. Seems pretty different/innovative.</p>

<p>Any other ideas, above and beyond what we are looking at?</p>

<p>Someone else mentioned Oberlin. Rugg’s Guide does not rank Oberlin as either Tiers I, II, or III for CS. Did Rugg’s miss them, or misevaluate their CS?</p>

<p>Thanks to all who have responded!</p>