Safety(ish) LACs

Trying to help put a list together for my DS. We are having trouble finding LACs that he likes in the safety category. We are a full pay family that is unwilling to pay $70+/year. It is unlikely that we will find a LAC safety in the true sense of the word. However, we are looking for schools that have a high probability of getting in the $40k range that he likes with his profile. His likely major is in the Econ/Poly Sci/Philosophy areas. He doesn’t want a really small (<1,500) or really rural school. Here are some basic stats:
GPA: 4.0 uw
SAT: 1520 (770 EBWR, 750 M)
ACT: 34 (35 E, 35 M, 35 R, 32 S)
Course Rigor: Will get most rigorous box checked at College Prep HS
ECs: Editor-in-Chief yearbook (4 year involvement); Section Editor Newspaper; other normal HS club stuff
Awards: Likely NMSF; NHRP (Hispanic/White not URM); Semi Finalist international essay contest; Gold (9), Sliver (10), Bronze (11) in national french exam

Current List:
Oberlin
University of Richmond
Macalester
Grinnell maybe

Ohio State only true safety, but obviously not a LAC.
Will add U of Alabama if NMSF

Schools looked at but not on list
Kenyon too small
Dennison just didn’t like it
Beloit too small
Lawrence University not really sure why. Maybe bc Mom and Dad liked it. Maybe can get it back on the list. Would be a good “safety”.

Any other LAC that would likely be an admit and the cost around 40k? No geographic restrictions. Just seams that most of the better LACs that give merit are in the Midwest.

He would probably get some good merit money from Rhodes College in Memphis.

How about Occidental? Beautiful campus. Median 1350 SAT; 37% admit rate. Run the NPC (they meet 100% of demonstrated need)

For the study of economics, you seem to be on the right track with UR and Macalester. You might want to see what some of the other highly placed colleges in the analysis below offer with respect to accessible merit scholarships.

https://ideas.repec.org/top/top.uslacecon.html

Perhaps some of these?
http://coplac.org/members/

Even at out-of-state list price, some may be within your price limit. For example:

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
New College of Florida
SUNY Geneseo
Truman State
University of Minnesota Morris
UNC Asheville

Are Catholic colleges out of the picture?

@cptofthehouse No. His HS is Jesuit.

@Racingfan53 Just looked at Oxy. There direct cost are 72k. They do give merit but it tops out at 25K. Since their average merit (from CDS) is 12k. It would be another reach school at best.

@janiemiranda Rhodes is a school I am trying to get him to look at.

I was going to suggest Macalester. What about Holy Cross and Dickinson? Both strong in his areas of interest.

https://www.holycross.edu/academics/holy-cross-approach/engaged-learning/semester-away-programs/washington-semester-program

Good luck, have fun!

Fordham, Loyola, Fairfield, Scranton

You have to run these NPCs, and some are getting close to around 1500 student minimum, some may be too rural.

U Puget Sound (look at all CTCL schools)
Whitman College
St. Mary’s Maryland
Gettysburg
St. Lawrence
Hobart and William Smith
Lake Forest Illinois
College of Wooster
Second UNC-W, Truman State, Suny Geneseo and Rhodes.

Getting away from LACs, but not too big, maybe Dayton?

St Olaf?

Based on my D’s experience, those stats will get you close to the $30K range at Wooster.

Ursinus College, a CTCL.org college, 1500 students, outside of Philadelphia, offers $35k Gateway scholarship for 1220SAT/27 ACT and meeting certain curriculum requirements. There is also a competitive scholarship of $40k, too, see info: https://www.ursinus.edu/offices/student-financial-services/scholarship-opportunities/

It has around 1500 students. One of my Ds who ended up attending URichmond also liked and applied to Ursinus. A family friend’s D attended Ursinus and loved her time there.

Trinity University in San Antonio? Their tuition is already relatively low, and they have good merit money. A wealthy school that is on the move and looking for strong students. Some people get nervous about Texas, but San Antonio is a wonderful city.

Also maybe take a look at Connecticut College - they made a very generous offer to our son, although he decided to go elsewhere.

Although the first two are smaller than your son might like, I second Whitman, St. Olaf, and SUNY Geneseo.

Are there really that many LACs that give out $40K in merit aid per year? I know ones that give out aid but either not that much or you already said your son doesn’t like them.

@doschicos, you just read my mind.

Maybe Clark, College of Wooster, Susquehanna, St Lawrence, Roanoke College, Univ of Scranton?

From SUNY Geneseo’s website: OOS COA: $35,202.