My daughter is high achieving with strong GPA, good test scores and extracurriculars. I suspect we do not qualify for financial aid but are not in a position to fund a private institution. We live in CA so UCs are an option. As she builds her college list what private institutions or out of state publics offer merit packages? And, what is needed to qualify?
Alabama is one of the few universities that gives automatic scholarships based on GPA and test scores and publishes their requirements.
https://scholarships.ua.edu/freshman/out-of-state/
@parentjunior17 Could you provide additional information about possible major or majors and what qualities she is seeking in a school, in terms of academics, size, location, student vibe, etc? Is she likely to qualify for National Merit?
As CA residents, you can look at the Western Undergraduate Exchange, although most of the schools that offer a break on OOS tuition will not rise to the level of the best UCs.
Merit for stats plus good Honors colleges can be found at ASU and U of Arizona. U of Alabama (both Tuscaloosa and Huntsville), UT-Dallas, and U KY have good deals for national merit scholars.
For privates, there are merit scholarships available at Emory, Duke, Vanderbilt, Wash U, and U of Richmond, all highly competitive and requiring separate application and/or interview.
Many liberal arts colleges offer merit awards that cover up to 50% of tuition (this will still leave 40K+ to pay typically). These are not the very highest ranked small schools in New England or the mid Atlantic. Look for places that are located in the midwest or the south where your child’s academic record would place her in the top 25% of accepted students for best chances.
Can you afford a UC full pay? Really the landscape for the future is going to be so unpredictable. Are you looking for merit at ANY school? No matter location, ranking etc? Define high achieving, because this is CC.
Arizona State University, University of New Mexico.
Look at schools in Utah, Wyoming, Montana. They are more modestly priced to begin with.
In terms of private schools, i agree, not enough info.
What can you afford to pay annually?
The private colleges that meet full need…many of them give need based aid only.
Look for the thread by @KevinFromOC . His daughter was high achieving and they also are from CA. He had a firms price he wanted to pay. She is getting the full ride McNair Scholarship at University of South Carolina. But there are lots of suggestions on that thread for colleges to consider.
Thanks for all of your responses: Our budget is set to pay for full price at a UC and up to $40K per year.
Daughter has a 4.8 Weighted; she will have 11 APs by first semester senior year; 3.97 unweighted. All As/A+; in the most challenging classes in her school with 1 B dual enrollment class after freshman year in bio but got A+ in AP Bio; 1410 SAT/1450 superscore/730M/720E. (She will take ACT if offered since we know scores are not good enough for merit); 6 year Intern at UCSB in marine science in research and educational outreach, 4-year waterpolo/swim athlete, Mock Trial 4 years (won county; state didn’t happen). In a competitive academy at her school for high achieving students, community service and leadership. At least 400+ hours community service; Wellesley book award recipient to honor a female student from junior class whose academic record and character are exceptional and who has also made significant personal contributions to her school and/or community; AP scholar with distinction; CIF academic award
AP exams: 5 env science, 5 World, 4 on Physics; waiting on 5 scores
No subject tests yet
Interests: strong STEM-bio passion, but also likes liberal arts; a very intellectually curious kid; not sure what she really wants to do
Geography: not interested in north east
Thank you!
I should add: interested in UCs and attracted to southern privates: Tulane, Emory, Vanderbuilt but recognize all reaches and $$$
Have you run the net price calculators at those three schools? That should give you a sense whether they will be affordable or not…I think it will be tough to get those down to $40K.
Aside from the (few) large scholarships at those schools (and some of their peers), your D may have to step it down in selectivity for the best chances of getting a private school price to $40K.
If accepted to Emory and Tulane etc…it is doubtful that the cost will come down to what you are able to pay.
Your D will have to take it down a few notches in terms of selectivity…for merit. Take a look at some of the NC schools (not the flagship, which is a reach).
I would take a look at Elon. That’s a private school where she might get merit (?). It’s also a school that is not priced as high as some other privates…so if she takes the student loan it might be affordable (?).
My twins were in a fairly similar position three years ago, not wanting to pay much more than full pay UC costs (though with slightly higher stats: 1540 SAT for S18 and 35 ACT for D18).
S18 applied widely for merit at T50-T100 privates and OOS publics but couldn’t get below about $45K per year, the best value by far was the UCs and he loves it at UCLA (he got a small amount of merit there too but it wasn’t the deciding factor). The only college that would definitely have offered better value for money was Oxford and unfortunately he wasn’t offered a place after interview.
D18 applied to a range of schools with strong dance programs, many of which were T100-T200 OOS publics. She had better merit offers and ended up with a full ride OOS, but we attributed a lot of that success to her unusual combination of very strong academics and applying for audition-based programs. I doubt she would have been so successful applying for a more conventional academic major. For example she was offered an OOS tuition waiver at UT Austin of which there are only a literal handful available each year and got Regents at UCSB and UCI. It’s important to take that into account when thinking about merit possibilities for a kid (like her brother) with no real hooks.
There’s no question that D18 has a better deal than S18 but if she had been applying for a conventional academic major then I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t even have applied to her current school and would instead have gone to UCLA with her brother (both of them got into UCB and UCLA, but Berkeley is too close to home). Most of her classmates with the same scholarship were either in-state or were explicitly merit hunting because they couldn’t afford the cost of their in-state flagship. You are fortunate to have great affordable in-state options so can apply to a few lottery ticket scholarships, but the chances of winning enough to get better value for money than the UCs is not high.
Southern privates that are down a notch and where you MIGHT get merit to reduce cost to $40k…
Southern Methodist (Dallas) - maybe! need to check…
Furman (SC)
Samford (Bham AL)
Rollins, Flagler (in FL)
Belmont (In Nashville, strong Christian background)
Wofford, Wingate in S.Carolina
State schools with merit which have a southern private school vibe and could be safeties…
College of Charleston
Ole Miss
Auburn (AL)
Clemson maybe? (SC)
Kansas State would come in under 40 easily. Great merit available, excellent study abroad and son loved the vibe of the university. He was OOS from TX. He just finished undergrad and felt he had a great education, intellectual peers, nice Honors college etc. Extremely friendly school. Just something to look at.
Your D will have to take it down a few notches in terms of selectivity…for merit.<<<
Yes, so make sure the desirable UCs are her best work. Money will be tight and the current situation will drive up selectivity in all options but especially desirable publics. She really needs to work on her test score, as you know.