Interesting- that just goes to show you that nothing is guaranteed.
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That is valuable information for the OP. However, remember they have that employer-paid half tuition piece which may get Elon in budget.
ETA: With non-competitive merit, my D had acceptances in the $30k-$43k range (Furman, Rhodes, Case). If we had that employer-paid option the OP is lucky enough to have, I believe those would all have been under $25k. (Iâm not going to do the calculation again! lol)
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My kids graduated high school in 2014, 2016, 2019 and 2021, Iâve noticed a decline in merit amounts. My oldest was offered $25,000 a year from UMASS, my youngest $16,000 with higher stats. Just one example, but there were many.
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Actually you are wrong (at least from my point of view). Do you consider Muhlenberg well known private? I have never heard about it. I have heard about Pomona, Haverford etc. Muhlenberg as of now one of top DD choices. She liked Wooster but hated remote location plus too tiny Hillel. If it would be closer and not so remote, it would be on the list even with bats. In our area you are right all are focusing on Michigan, Ivys ans California schools. We do not consider any of the above at all. So this is not a popularity contest. From her school there are 0 students who will go next year to (Muhlenberg, Dickinson, Denison, Gettysburg, Union, etc.). Everyone goes to Upitt, UMD, Penn State, and big VA colleges.
And no, we will not pay full freight for any private even with work incentives. It absolutely does not matter what school she will be accepted. No scholarship, no love.
And yes she wants to get in relatively good school; I canât blame her for that. She will choose the best affordable for us school where she will get accepted with good scholarship, not necessarily school that gives most money. I do not see any problem with that.
Oops, forgot that part!
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Muhlenberg is a very well known school where I live, but it is not up there with the âeliteâ LACs. That is why students in the top 1% who need merit often find it to be a good option.
I think if your daughter needs significant merit, she should apply to schools where that might happen. For some reason she doesnât seem to want a public school, despite several checking all of her boxes.
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That is a problem with Elon. It does not give more than 6k. Even with job discount it will be $37. I am not ready to pay so much for ElonâŠ
Well, Elon does pay more to some, it is just that your child is not likely to receive any more from them. It will be hard to match the value of the local state school.
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Elon gives about $6000 for the Presidential Scholarship, and they give additional $$ if you are an Honors Fellow (seems to be about $13,000).
This is not a given for your daughter. Your daughter will likely have to go down in selectively (significantly down) in order to receive the amount of merit you desire. Sheâs not willing to do that, and UMD is a good school.
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But this is what I donât understand. With your work benefit, you are not paying full freight anywhere. So if you find a school with a relatively low tuition, then your half off (less with taxes) might still bring it within the range that you are willing to pay.
What am I missing? Why is it more important to get a merit scholarship than to reach your price point by a different means?
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That is my understanding about Elon as well, but my D did not apply so I have no first hand knowledge.
Can any Elon parents weigh in? Doesnât Elon stack merit scholarships (like Presidential) with Honors Fellow and perhaps others?
ETA: While there is no guarantee, OPâs D would be competitive for high merit there based on her GPA and rigor. Even more so if she does well on SAT/ACT.
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And that is exactly why we will not aplly. We do not want to apply to schools that have only scholarships for top 2%. Too little chance to get anything.
You do need to identify schools where your daughter would be in the top 5 or 10 percent or so to get substantial merit aid. Elon isnt one of them.
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ButâŠyour daughter has a list of schools where students in the top 1% applyâŠbecause they need merit. Kids in the top 1-2% will be applying to the same schools as your daughter.
Your D needs to be at the topâŠ.sheâs not at the top at the schools on her current list.
Sheâs applying to schools that you just indicated will likely not give her merit.
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I will have more than 2 kids at the same time in college. We already paying for child 1, 40k OOS (after work discount). We are normal middle class family that is very far from millionaires.
And the problem is she resists to go to schools where she will be at the very top. She wants some kids at her level.
But that doesnât address the issue of why you canât reach your price point goal by multiple means (ie a school with less costly tuition) instead of only via merit.
And some css profile schools may still give more financial aid when two kids are in college simultaneously, so that may be worth exploring if you qualify for need-based financial aid.
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Then youâre stuck with incompatible goals
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I understand, but those are the schools that might give her merit. She canât have it both ways.
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How about ASU Barrett honors college? Or university of Arizona with good merit?
At least applyâŠshe can decide next may that itâs too far away.
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