<p>I'm looking for schools in the Boston area that have been known to give substantial merit aid to students in the 98/99th percentile of the SAT, have an interesting family background (I guess that would be a hook?) but don't really have low income.</p>
<p>Any thoughts, experiences, names?</p>
<p>Northeastern has been known to give good merit awards…they’re still quite expensive, but do have co-ops and it is Boston! Do you know how much your family can contribute each year?</p>
<p>Northeastern’s current merit top is about 16 thousand. That still leaves a lot of money to pay…the do offer a select few “full” tuition awards but the requirements are stringent and they go to the top 1 percent of applicants. You can find the information on their website. Other than NEU, you would need to go to a third tier perhaps to get more merit.<br>
The coops basically cover your living expenses in Boston while you are not in school but working so do not make the mistake of thinking your coop money will be available to help pay tuition.<br>
(My child is graduating from NEU this year…a great school but even with merit it is expensive).</p>
<p>Your interesting family background isn’t likely going to help you get merit money. A “hook” is really only for the elites where students use “hooks” to help them stand out from the other tens of thousands of applicants with similar stats.</p>
<p>The northeast is usually not the best place to look for big merit. As noted above, NEU only gives up to $16k. That’s less a third of the total cost of NEU. How much do you need?</p>
<p>What are your exact stats - GPA and ACT/SAT (including SAT breakdown)?</p>
<p>Clark gives a presidential and Traina scholarships which do layer to a total of $33K/year, leaving about $12K a year to cover the remaining tuition, cheapest dorm room, board, books & supplies, but you need to be a science student to get the Traina. Your SAT score seems to be well within the range.</p>
<p>^^
How many Presidential and Traina scholarships does Clark give? What are the typical stats of the recipients?</p>
<p>Bassir…it’s ok to apply to a couple of schools that have competitive scholarships, but if you can’t depend on getting one. If you need merit to help pay for your education, then you need to apply to a couple of schools that will give you ASSURED big merit for your stats. </p>
<p>Good luck with your future exams. :)</p>
<p>If you’re a National Merit Finalist & apply to Northeastern, you’ve got a shot at full tuition for 4 years. Room & board, fees, etc. after that = roughly $15K/yr.</p>
<p>^^
Is the OP a NMF?</p>
<p>If so, he should also apply to Fordham.</p>
<p>Brandeis offers a couple full rides, along with lesser awards in the 15k range</p>
<p>super duper competitive, but there isn’t any harm in trying</p>
<p>My GPA is a 94/100 (this translates to a 4.0 according to CB? [How</a> to Convert Your GPA to a 4.0 Scale](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>How to Convert (Calculate) Your GPA to a 4.0 Scale – BigFuture) ), probably in the top 15% of the class, and around 2150+/2400 (~1500/1600) on the SAT.</p>
<p>I don’t mind third tier so long as the campus isn’t terribly hideous and the dorms are decent enough. I plan to go on to medical school, so I don’t want to spend too much on undergrad.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>Smart young man (guessing that you’re male…LOL)</p>
<p>Is that your anticipated SAT score? Or have you taken the SAT?</p>
<p>Are you restricting yourself to the NE? Why? You’ll likely get more money elsewhere.</p>
<p>The reason I give a range like that is because I haven’t taken the SAT yet but I have taken past released SAT exams and my range tends to be 2150-2250. I’m currently a junior.</p>
<p>The reason I’m restricting myself to Boston is because I really like the area, and it’s somewhere I want to spend my adolescence. I’m currently a New Yorker and I want to move out. The only city in my mind that comes close to NYC where I’ve grown up is Boston.</p>
<p>I’m just wondering where I can get substantial merit aid in the Boston area because, well, I don’t want to end up with 200 grand debt before even entering medical school. I’d rather get killed with student loans during med school than during undergrad.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>I agree. But, the merits in the NE tend to be competitive ones…so no assurance that you’ll get one or that you’ll get a big one.</p>
<p>Therefore, as a back-up, you need to apply to a few schools where you will have ASSURED big merit for your stats. Those will be your financial safety schools in case your NE schools don’t award you the money.</p>
<p>What would you rather have…NE and big debt? or Someplace else and no debt?</p>
<p>Also, how did you do on the PSAT?</p>
<p>I suggested NEU based on 98/99th SAT percentile, and having no need (ie. so parents can likely handle some expense/loan). If your SAT’s do turn out well, it’s a very good school and well worth a look…although the co-ops aren’t really meant to finance your education, you would likely derive a great benefit in terms of experience…not a bad thing to have on your resume when you graduate! </p>
<p>Do you know how much your parent’s are planning to contribute?</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>I could be wrong, but since he mentioned his fear of ending up with $200k in debt for undergrad, that would suggest that his parents aren’t contributing much - so he’ll have an unaffordable highish EFC. That could be a problem.</p>
<p>True, but if he can get one of their top 1% type awards, I think NEU is well worth the price of room & board! As we all know, so many premeds do not end up in med school! I guess I took the 200K remark as something all the kids say, not as a statement that his folks wouldn’t pay anything. If so, Boston is probably not a great choice for a high EFC, self-paying student.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>True…</p>
<p>Do you know what the typical stats are that get those top 1% awards?</p>
<p>I was just thinking that maybe those go to kids with ivy-league-like stats who happened not to get into an ivy (or can’t afford ivies).</p>
<p>Idk, but (as I remember) NEU is in the ivy price range without the ivy FA!</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>lol…</p>