Smaller school with merit aid for Jewish girl B+/A- premed [really 3.95 unweighted HS GPA]

College Search & Selection
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I have a feeling that when it’s all said and done, she’s going to wind up at College Park U Md because it’s going to be your only financially feasible option, be happy there, and do just fine there. But let’s look at the rest of the list. Virtually every private school that you have listed is not low down enough on the admissions scale to offer her significant merit money - you have to be looking at schools with at least 65% acceptance rates for them to be offering her merit money. She’ll get in, but they won’t offer her enough merit money to bring it anywhere near her cost at College Park MD. The less selective the private college, the more likely she is to be offered merit money.

Tulane is a great place for Jewish students. Problem is money.

Oberlin is in the middle of nowhere, has a hyper left wing atmosphere that has bled over into antisemitism. Many Jewish alums no longer support Oberlin. I would not have sent my child there. And I don’t think they’ll offer her merit money.

Trinity is in an inner-city high crime slum area. Doubt they’d offer her merit money.

Muhlenberg has a substantial Jewish population. If they offered her a lot of merit money, might work, but I don’t think that her stats are that much above their usual admitted student for them to offer her big money.

NOT HAMPSHIRE! Hampshire is a great school for highly self-directed students who want to design their own program. Not the place for premeds.

I think that if she’s looking for significant merit money, she has to look at significantly less selective schools. She could consider U Hartford, which has a strong Jewish studies dep’t, and a significant Jewish population. The campus is safe, they have all the sciences she needs, she will be able to get straight A’s there, and there are a number of hospitals nearby where she could gain volunteer experience, or even work part time as, say, a phlebotomist. Plus the town it borders, West Hartford, has a great Jewish community. U Hartford will likely offer her big merit money. If she’s absolutely set on medicine, she definitely could get into med school from there, if she gets a high GPA and high MCAT score. But if it were my child, I’d send them to U Md.

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Thanks a lot parentologist!
Very good info. I had not idea about Oberlin or Trinity (I frankly know very little about LACS). I hear you about UMD. But I frankly not big fan of it even with saving money. It will be more like cut throat competition for nothing in huge science classes… Every time I visit UMD it gives me wrong vibe. DD is OK with it, but only from an angle of saving money for future education.

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Saving money is a good idea before med school.

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Saving money is good, only if it will not destroy your dream with huge classes, not caring professors and not high enough GPA for med school after working very hard.

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So you have a 3.5 and 1400 and want big merit aid at a LAC. Schools like Tulane are no shot with those #s. The #s in general while solid, are not top notch - so you need to go third tier. But the issue is you’re not going to get huge $$.

Merit aid is relevant - because what are you looking at for total cost. If you are starting at $80K, it’s different than $40K, etc.

So Charleston was a great recommendation. Their cost is low $50Ks (all in) and you’d potentially get $12K.

If she gets a 1420, she’d get $28K at Alabama…$24K if a 1360. Tuition is about $31K. So Alabama is not small or hand holding but it is cheap and has an Honors College. Oh, and surprisingly a lot of Jewish students…so that could work $ wise. My son goes there - i’ll be spending maybe $70K over 4 years. My daughter goes to C of C, by the way, free tuition - but she’s well above their average student. For regular merit, the most is $12K.

For LACs, you might look at Beloit and Kalamazoo. Also, College of Wooster could work.

Look at Hofstra and Bradley - they post their expected costs via the NPC.

In general, she’s not a top student - sorry - just reality - so you have to go lower level to get big bucks.

Let’s be honest with your list:

Pitt - she’ll get in - but you won’t get merit - so that’ in the 50s. Can you afford that?

UMD - it’s not a slam dunk with a 3.5 unless weighted is higher.

CWRU - with a 3.5 and 1400, little chance.

Tulane - no chance

VCU - in

Furman is not going to be good for a Jewish student.

CT is a need based school…meaning meet 100%. Yes, they have merit - but not a ton.

I think for some on your list - she’ll get in - but not huge $$ because you are overreaching. To get big aid, she needs to be well above the profile.

You listed Randolph Macon - that’s the type of school where she is. You might look at Ohio U, WVU, and Miami Ohio for Jewish kids and low cost.

If we had your budget vs. just at least x$, we can help.

Also, did you do Fafsa? If so, what’s your EFC. Trying to see if you’d qualify for aid vs. just don’t want to pay.

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tsbna44, you misread my post. DD does not have 3.5. Her current GPA in HS is very high (close to 3.95 unweighted) We do not want 3.5 in college, since it is not enough for medical school. All DD classes are Honors, AP or Dual Enrollment through CC. She is neither technical not humanities kid. That is why expected SAT will be around 1400-1430 (could not practice much last year with Covid). She has all necessary (not fake) extra curricular (do not want to list them here, but she has club leadership, community service, honor societies, sport clubs, religious leadership etc) She is not top schools material, but she is quite competitive… Do not take me wrong, but consider her accepted to UMD (She can transfer there from CC too.) She will be B+/A- student in college in science classes. ( I am realistic.) Her strength are amazing social skills, maturity and working very hard. However, she is not always confident in her own skills.

We are looking for something close to half ride or at least $20k.
I am sure she will be accepted to Pitt. Not sure about money.
CWRU - hard to say. It is hit and miss for many students.
I do not have experience with Tulane, but she should make it.
VCU should not be a problem.
I think I read somewhere opposite info about Furman… I even have a note about it.

I have zero experience with LACS that is why asked for help.
We will not qualify for financial aid. (Did it before with older kid).
We will only have 1 year with multiple kids in college.
Again after my experience with older kid, I would not bother with EFC. (Older one got 5k financial aid from top private school. We laughed :slight_smile: and said no, thanks…)

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Can somebody explain me why Ohio University and Alabama are good choice for premed?
I have seen them several times listed as reasonably good for premed.
Are these school so much easier to study (good GPA)? Is it because they provide merit aid?
Why is Alabama or Ohio would be better than UMD?

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I think you will find a lot of students at UMd go to medical school and didn’t find their classes to be too big, their professors uncaring, or their GPAs not high enough. Not dream crushing at all.

I like big schools. My daughter went to a flagship (although a smaller one) and did have a couple of classes of 100-200 when she was a freshman, but almost all her upper division courses were capped at 24. She knew her professors personally (but she had to put in the effort to get to know them).

Your daughter could go to a smaller school for 2 years and then transfer to UMd for her upper division courses when the classes are smaller. She could go to St. Mary’s college of Md, which is the LAC of the U of Maryland system. She could go to U of Maine which has a tuition match program and is much smaller than College Park.

I thought from your post that money was not only important but necessary. It doesn’t do any good to find the perfect school if you can’t afford it.

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Pitt is known for offering merit based on 1500+ SAT. It’s often unaffordable even instate (like Penn State, too). Keep it on the list for a university because it’s good for premeds, it fits the environment she wants, and it’s easy to take courses from the Honors college to have smaller classes, but make it clear now that if it doesn’t come under $X it has to be off the table, so that she’s not crushed later on

I listed 4 LACs that provide lot of merit, are known for a nurturing atmopshere (important for premeds) and have excellent undergrad advising including for premeds: Juniata (strongest for pre health), Drew (excellent pre professional advising and access to service opportunities), Susquehanna (supportive, honors college likely), Elizabethtown (safety, supportive, merit).
I would add Wheaton, MA or College of Wooster.

College of Charleston offers a vibrant Jewish life and good merit.

St Mary’s Maryland (public honors college) should be on her list

Ohio U is large and rural but would provide merit. Miami OHio likely to offer merit, might appeal more. Both likely listed upthread due to merit opportunities.

I’ll focus on your list through the prism of smaller schools that offer merit.
Rhodes College, TN (14 hours away…) => very good for premeds, offers merit

Oberlin, OH => odd one out on your list due to being the “model left wing” college, v. Furman and Trinity which are conservative, so you’d either want that or these. Merit highly unlikely

Trinity, CT => conservative, preprofessional, lots of service opportunities in the area (but “closed/gated” campus because area is not safe), merit unlikely

Furman University, SC => has broken ties with Baptist convention but still Southern conservative Christian in atmosphere, not quite what you seem to want

Muhlenberg, PA => best likely combination of merit+Jewish life+ premed support&advising

Other runners up are
Dickinson, PA => excellent Jewish life, supportive, good advising, not sure there’d be enough merit

Hobart and William Smith, NY => preppy, may offer enough merit
(If you like it, check out St Lawrence - named for location, not religious)

Hampshire, MA => totally wrong for premeds: self directed, no grades, etc.

Elon, NC
=> good Jewish life, competitive/preprofessional, merit

Juniata, PA => known for its success in helping B+/A- students make it into various Health professions

Connecticut College
=> not sure merit aid is likely but could be applied to as a reach

Sarah Lawrence, NY
=> not good for science, only 3 courses a semester making it difficult to complete premed pre-reqs, tutorial model best for humanities
Union, NY => very Greek, preprofessional, strong sciences. Good if that’s what she wants. (If so, look into Clarkson and Gettysburg, too)

Clark
=> supportive, combines research and undergraduate focus, good service opportunities

Randolph-Macon, VA => look into Randolph and Roanoke if you like it, see which among the three offers the most merit?

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Union NY fits the bill.

Earlham is probably too small but does a great job with pre meds.

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The problem with many of these schools is that you will not bring the cost down to UMD. Personally, I happen to like UMD. College of Charleston is another good one. I just looked at Union and it does not look like it will be affordable, even with merit.

Hofstra and Adelphi might meet your cost. You might also want to take a look at SUNY New Paltz and TCNJ (The College of NJ).

She does not need to be near a hospital on campus. She can get plenty of shadowing hours at home during breaks (I am talking pre Covid- not sure what’s happening now).

I am not sure what you mean by hand holding. Do you think she can handle the stress of premed and med school?

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I’ll admit that the handholding statement also caused me concern. Premed is hard and competitive. Many freshmen end up dropping the idea of med school after doing poorly in their intro bio or chem classes. This is going to happen at every school. Premed, by its nature, requires weeding out. Maybe at a smaller school there will be a more gentle push into a different direction if the student doesn’t show the ability, but no one is going to hold her hand.

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My D is at Purdue. Similar size to UMD which she loved too.

Yes, intro classes will be large but that doesn’t mean they will be impersonal or that professors won’t be available. My D got a hand written note from her chem professor freshman year and all the profs knew her personally.

Yes there isn’t a lot of hand holding but your student doesn’t sound like she will need it. As long as your student can self advocate, will go to office hours and study sessions, they will be fine anywhere.

With a 3.9 GPA they should invites to living learning communities at UMD. That can make a big school feel much smaller.

Don’t discount the amazing facilities and research opportunities on a big campus either.

I will second the recommendation to look at College of Wooster for a very pre med supportive LAC where your child will get merit. Much better choice than Oberlin IMO

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I see that you defined hand holding as small classes and office hours with professors (not TAs).

You will find office hours with professors at many schools, regardless of class size. My D met with professors all the time, even in her larger classes.

If your daughter is looking for a school where all (or almost all) classes are small, then she should look at LACs. But….she needs to look way down the selectivity list to get the price you want.

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Added comments on the schools I’m familiar with.

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My 3.9 33 ACT 7 AP (AP honors with distinction) was denied at Tulane, got $8000 from PITT, $3000 UMD. One B+ freshman year. After applying to 20 colleges, St. Joe’s in Philly came in the lowest at $20,000, BING $28,500. 3 sport varsity captain, honor societies, officer in clubs, tutor, part time job since age 14 - merit is hard to get. Her sister is applying to DPT programs now, those early biology/chemistry/physic classes are weed outs and brutal, and very time consuming, with the opposite of hand holding, since part of their purpose is to encourage students to reconsider their major. She had a 34 ACT, most of the universities came in around $35,000 after merit, UCONN, Quinnipiac, Scranton, URI, UD (where she ended up), Seton Hall… The only schools that didn’t offer merit were Villanova and Rutgers (our flagship). If you want more merit, you need to go lower.

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Sarah Lawrence’s offerings are greater in arts, some humanities, history, and psychology, although it offers enough science courses to meet basic pre-med requirements (but probably not enough for a student who would major in a science – note that pre-meds can do any major along with the pre-med requirements).

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Merit awards are not clearly defined on the SL website, although it does seem as though some merit is given. Most aid is need based.

COA is $75,000+. Can this family afford the cost if $20,000 in merit is given?

It’s not really clear to me what the family is able to spend.

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seconding UScranton in terms of merit + supportive for premed+ excellent science facilities but the 2-course religion requirement, including one in Christian theology, is probably a deal-breaker?

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Well, Elon has a much lower COA to begin with, and if she gets merit, that would reduce it further. Plus guaranteed small classes with professors and a good support system.

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