On a couple of other threads, the question of which schools give good merit aid is being discussed. This comes up often, but the combined knowledge of all those here on cc tends to be buried among many posts on many related topics.
I thought I’d start a thread here. I have only a little knowledge, but will start with a few that I know of/recall being mentioned.
Hope this will be an efficient repository of the info that so many can use.
Tulane Vanderbilt Case Western Reserve
Santa Clara (?- offered S about half of what Tulane did, but still over $10K)
This is a general question, rather than specific to a particular student. So, if it works, I think the answer to “what looking for” is: schools that offer good merit aid (not nickels and dimes) to applicants at the top of that particular school’s pool.
I think we need to set some definitions. What exactly are we defining as “good with merit money?”
Are we talking about schools that give full rides to a few selected students or are we talking about schools that give merit awards to a high percentage of students? Two completely different things – and the average merit award is probably something we need to consider as well. Some schools potentially fall into both categories.
Schools that give full rides (or close to it) to selected students:
Emory
Vanderbilt
Southwestern U (TX)
Dickinson
Seattle U
Johns Hopkins
University of Arizona
Arizona State U
Schools that offer some merit money to a large percentage of students:
Beloit
Goucher (this may be changing however)
Knox
College of Wooster
Hendrix
University of Redlands
Whittier
Chapman U
DePauw
Lawrence
University of Puget Sound
Gustavos Adolphus
Case Western
Texas Christian University
Wabash
Albion
Linfield
We can compile a huge list of schools which may actually not help much. What I’d like to propose is that people post a list of links to college scholarship pages that show merit grants and what it takes to qualify for them. For example, Ohio University (Athens, OH) is a public school, but gives automatic aid for certain SAT/GPA/Rank combinations, and also gives extra money for out-of-state students:
ADS is one of the nation’s outstanding scholarship programs, based on intellectual performance. The stipend, which is renewable over eight semesters, covers tuition, fees, room and board, plus $1,000 per year toward expenses (approximately $13,500 per year for Michigan residents and $24,000 per year for out-of-state residents). Students from all over the nation compete by examination on the MSU campus in February. Participation is by invitation only. Invitations are sent to the most outstanding students who apply for admission to MSU by November 1. At least 15 awards are made each year.
Distinguished Freshman Scholarships
Awarded to at least 20 runners-up in the ADS competition, tuition and fees for nine semesters (approximately $7,000 per year for Michigan residents and $17,400 per year for out-of-state residents).
Who gets them? Kids that would otherwise get into top 25 schools.
My son received their top scholarship which was at the time $9000 (36000-4 years) and I believe there were quite a few more recipients - maybe around 40.(He did not attend) We also know another kid from our high school who received one of the scholarships at a lesser amount; he was a good student but not stellar. I know I saw a chart somewhere on the website that shows number of recipients for each award each year. I can’t remember if the number I saw was for the top scholarship or all of them.
Rhodes College
High both in numbers and amount, also give community service scholarships for kids interested in community service, not pure merit. These scholars do a certain number of community service hours.
I think it would also be helpful to people to post the amounts their children were offered. It was done last year in the Parents Forum, Best Merit Awards from Where? I know it helped me to see how much merit aid different schools offered.