senior daughter still searching...help! Envi. Policy/Sustainability w/32 ACT

Hello again! This forum is so helpful, so I’m reaching out one more time. Daughter 2 is still looking for that “perfect” fit. She is interested in environmental policy/sustainability. ACT 32 (single sitting), GPA 3.9 UW, strong AP scores, community service award(over 200 hours) and EC’s decent for our area(average midwest high school). We are able to give a total of 50K to help her out. We have 4 kids, one in college currently, income under 100K. I’m also confused about schools that say they meet full need. For example, Middlebury, high on her list but we recognize a reach, same for Boston College. Specifically, if our EFC for one kiddo says 25K, would we theoretically split that when having two in school? Other schools we looked at were Elon(can’t afford most likely), Miami- Ohio(she LOVED but got really scared off with the heavy drinking culture), Colby(reach?), Vandy(big reach), Loyola(meh). University of Minnestoa has a good program and we’d get reciprocity and receive in state tuition, but the older sister goes there and she’d like a different school. Would love a Catholic school(hence Loyola), but that just may not be possible(Villanova?) She also realizes that there is no perfect, and is open to most locales or sizes, but needs to be co-ed. Any thoughts out there?

Have you looked at University of Vermont? Strong in environment fields. Nice college town. Not sure how generous they are with need based aid but they do give out a fair amount of merit aid.

Also good in ES:
Dickinson
Colorado College
St. Lawrence
Whitman
Carleton

So you might want to look at those and run numbers.

Forgot to add Colorado College…that’s a possibility. thanks!

With a 3.9 and a 32, Colby should be a match. You can also look at SUNY ESF

For a Catholic school, College of the Holy Cross would be a match. Has an Environmental Studies major which has an interdisciplinary approach which may appeal to your D. They are a need blind, meets full need school.

With regards to EFC’s: Your FAFSA EFC is divided in half when there are two in college. Your college net price may not be.

Have you done the FAFSA or FAFSA4CASTER yet? How does your EFC compare to your budget? Is your daughter willing to supplement your 50K budget with her federal student loans?

For each school, run the net price calculator twice: once with sibling in school and once without. This will give you an idea of how your price will change depending on how many are in college.

A public university where you get instate tuition like Minnesota is a good foundation to any college list. MN is great, but if your DD wouldn’t actually attend the school her sister does, you need to pick a different one.

For a range of schools she could consider (including those on her current list) Allegheny, Bowdoin, Colby, Eckerd, Hamilton, Hobart & William Smith, Middlebury and St. Lawrence. She could trim any out-of-reach schools if necessary.

Hamilton offers enrollment in its Adirondack semester to students from other colleges, which might be an appealing option for your daughter irrespective of her school of eventual attendance:

https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/offcampusstudy/adk

I would seriously consider the University of Maine which will likely come in affordable. I was really impressed by there environmental program. They will be the least expensive in NE for a public.

https://umaine.edu/ecologyandenvironmentalsciences/

Probably comes in about 22k

UVM will still be expensive. BC won’t give much aid. That will be too expensive. Your EFC is not half. It is 60% if they meet full need.

@Buchholt, Your daughter should look at Williams. Programs in environmental science, environmental policy and environmental science are administered by the Williams Center for Environmental Studies one of the oldest environmental organizations in the country. Strong networking and career support in environmental and sustainability fields and many prominent environmentalists among alumni/ae. Location in the Berkshire mountains provides hands-on sustainability experience.

Very selective and definitely a reach, but excellent need based aid. Run the NPC and see how you do.

Northeastern is certainly worth a look. It has strong environmental offerings, and some of its combined majors (Environmental Studies/International Affairs, Environmental Studies/Political Science, Biology/Political Science) would be right up her alley.

http://www.northeastern.edu/cos/academics-3/undergrad-majors-minors/

Since OP has tuition reciprocity with Minnesota, I’m assuming they’re in WI. One could hardly do much better than Wisconsin for anything related to the environment.

If small, New England colleges interest you and the intended major is environmental science/policy, you might want to have a look at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, ME. According to its CDS for 2016-17, it met 97% of need on average of students who were awarded any need-based aid. It is less selective than Middlebury and the other NESCAC schools, so might make a good match/safety. Note that every student at this unusual school majors in some variation of “human ecology”.
https://www.coa.edu/about/

I second the Colorado College suggestion, too. CC’s block plan and Rocky Mountain location make it almost uniquely well-suited for field work in environmental science.

Indeed we are in WI. While a great school, it doesn’t have anything in the line of environmental policy, just science. Also, we’re fighting the “everyone goes there” problem. She’s looking for a new adventure…

It is extremely unlikely Northeastern comes in affordable. The best I’ve heard is the 30-40 k a year range. Sounds like you need no more than 20k per year.

@gearmom 30-40K a year would be based on merit for Northeastern. Try running the NPC, as Northeastern is need-aware but does meet demonstrated need and also guarantees financial aid for all years once granted. I know plenty here with much larger FA packages. It depends on the family situation though, and overall the calculator leans towards less aid than average.

I would second Holy Cross in Worcester MA.

Dickinson offers merit which many of the others do not.

The suggestions above are good . And for most of the NESCAC schools, she’ll be solidly in the running – it’ll be more a matter of whether she gets lucky (so no, I wouldn’t count these as matches simply because they have sub 20% acceptance rates) and if they are affordable.

Dickinson, or another vote for Whitman (very strong in her area of interest). Run the net price calculators on both. But you need more than the merit they would offer to get down to your price range – but need based aid could be adequate.

Look into Haverford College. Amazing school especially for the sciences!