<p>You should find out what your parents are willing and able to pay, and then what the NPCs for the schools you are considering, as well as the EFC estimator tells you. If your parents say $20-25K is what they can manage and your EFC is $30K, for example, you are highly likely to have a considerable gap because few school will even give you enough so that your EFC is what you end up having to pay. Almost all colleges, even the generous ones, even the ones that guarantee to meet need, have formulas that are more draconian than FAFSA in determining contribuitons. Also getting merit money for large amounts is very difficult and that money almost always reduces the need first, so it’s not like you will get that on top of your financial aid.</p>
<p>So, congratulations on that very nice award from Case Western, BUT, if the bottom line cost is still more than your family is going to be able to pay, it’s a problem. It’s not the awards but the final costs that are to be used for cost comparisons. When you get your financial aid packages, make sure you also strip out the loans and other self help, (work study) out of them so that you are doing a true apples to apples comparison in cost. Loans are just delaying the payments and you can always work, and may want to do so to REDUCE what your family is expected to pay rather than work as part of your financial aid package.</p>
<p>I don’t usually disagree with ClassicRockerDad, but MIT and CMU would be huge reaches. His SATs are 25th percentile for MIT, and considerably below 25th percentile for CMU SCS. Without some truly amazing personal accomplishments, those schools would be dreams. There’s nothing wrong with taking a shot, and I encourage that - but it’s getting late, and right now he should be devoting most of his effort towards finding credible targets.</p>
<p>MIT and CMU are reaches. They are not unreasonable reaches. </p>
<p>He’s already in at Ohio State so we’re not talking desperation. </p>
<p>He needs aid to go elsewhere, so I think the group of schools I mentioned (Rochester, RPI, Johns Hopkins, CMU and MIT) along with the ones he’s already applying to Northwestern and USC will all likely provide aid. </p>
<p>The Ontario schools are based on paying close to sticker, which isn’t much more than his budget. </p>
<p>Spend school vacation writing applications. Most people do. Get the recs and scores in before school ends for the holidays.</p>
Exactly. And we already had the adcoms as Cornell take a look and not find the app compelling. I’d say that on Dec 18th the better plan is to look for matches, not far reaches.</p>
<p>Priority consideration was Dec 1 but you have the stats for a half to full tuition scholly at Miami. That would be under $25K at full price and around $17K even if you only got the half.</p>