Have been offered $31,000 from Wooster, $25,000 from Oberlin, and $17,500 from Kenyon. No merit aid from the other 3. No financial aid. Financial resources will allow payment of 4 years with no debt. Thoughts? Looking at pre-med, probably Chemistry major.
I’d say it depends on the academic strengths and interests of the student. If he’d like to explore some of the deeper and more interesting areas of a field such as chemistry, then one of the more academically rigorous and highly-resourced colleges on his list might be appropriate. If he’s more looking at college as simply a path to medical school, then any of these schools might work. IPEDS can offer you a sense of the popularity of chemistry at his potential choices (e.g., https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=Oberlin&s=all&id=204501#programs).
College of Wooster.
http://www.finaid.org/calculators/awardletter.phtml
Run the numbers. See which will leave you with the most money to put toward that expensive medical education.
Since finances appear to be a major aspect of this decision, it would be worth noting that Forbes included Hamilton in its article on expensive colleges that are worth their prices: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nataliesportelli/2017/04/26/10-expensive-colleges-worth-every-penny-2017/.
Assuming you are agnostic towards campus culture, location or fit in general.
It would be a Kenyon vs Hamilton for me.
The 68,000 saved at Kenyon would be really helpful down the road.
If you are completely cost indifferent. Hamilton.
Wooster’s Chem department has historically been one of its strengths, improved even more by the recent opening of its new science facility. Recent Chemistry Independent Study (IS) projects have had some valuable, applied, real world outcomes…the IS program plays particularly well with the Chem major.