Strong Math Programs + Great Merit Aid (for NMF, etc.)

College Search & Selection
1

<p>A new puzzle for y'all:</p>

<p>My daughter loves math. She takes math with Art of Problem Solving and really loves the challenge and the complexity of these classes. (She is currently taking their Precalculus over the summer for fun and will take their Calculus in the fall.) </p>

<p>I had nudged her to consider engineering as a practical undergrad degree, but I am thinking that she might want to consider pure math, too, so I'd like to get a list of schools that offer that.</p>

<p>She enjoys the very high level of complexity that Art of Problem Solving offers. For instance, for the coming fall, some friends are leaving AoPS for "easy" AP BC Calc classes due to the high time commitment for AoPS classes, but she wants to stick with AoPS because she fears that the "boring", repetitive, formulaic approaches of more traditional math would "drive her crazy."</p>

<p>So, I am thinking that maybe pure math would actually be a good fit and I'd like to find some options for her.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, we won't be eligible for significant (if any) need based aid at most/all colleges due to complex finances of being small business owners, but we can NOT in any way afford 50-60k/yr no matter what those calculators say. </p>

<p>So, we are trying to limit our primary search to mostly schools that could feasibly offer great merit aid (ideally at least full tuition, but definitely would like to keep our contribution down under 25k to max 30k/yr). </p>

<p>She will very likely be a Nat'l Merit Scholar, but we won't know for sure for a long time. Our state (WV) has a low cut off (<=204) and her first go at the SAT this month was solid, 2100 -- would have been a 2130 if the essay was excluded as the do in the PSAT -- so her chances are good for NMF, so that is what I've been trying to look for.</p>

<p>(She is homeschooled. Straight As. Four APs this Junior year, more to come, good extra curriculars. She is a harpist, which might help or complicate matters.)</p>

<p>So, I'd love for her to be able to consider MIT or similar, but I really need to find some schools that offer high level math with merit aid, too.</p>

<p>Any ideas? THANKS!</p>

2

<p>My school, the University of Oklahoma gives a huge amount of aid to NMFs and seems to have a good math department along with an excellent honors college.
Here’s a list of the courses offered [Mathematics</a> (MATH) Course Descriptions](<a href=“Course Descriptions < University of Oklahoma”>Course Descriptions < University of Oklahoma)</p>

<p>I can’t speak for the strength of the math program, but I will say that I’ve been nothing but impressed by the quality of the applied sciences at OU. Every other day I get emails regarding research opportunities, job openings, and conferences open to undergraduates. Honors students get even more perks, and at the end of their undergraduate career work closely with some of OU’s top professors on a capstone project or thesis.</p>

3

<p>Texas A&M would be about $12,000 per year with its National Merit Scholarship ($10,000 scholarship per year with waiver of non-resident tuition):
<a href=“https://scholarships.tamu.edu/national_scholars/national_merit.aspx[/url]”>https://scholarships.tamu.edu/national_scholars/national_merit.aspx&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“https://financialaid.tamu.edu/Cost/COA_Undergrad.aspx[/url]”>https://financialaid.tamu.edu/Cost/COA_Undergrad.aspx&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>University of Minnesota - Twin Cities has a relatively low out-of-state list price (about $30,000 per year), although there are rumblings about raising it.
[Estimating</a> your costs](<a href=“http://onestop.umn.edu/finances/costs_and_tuition/cost_of_attendance/index.html?year=2012-13&residency=non-resident&program=undergrad&CSOM=false]Estimating”>http://onestop.umn.edu/finances/costs_and_tuition/cost_of_attendance/index.html?year=2012-13&residency=non-resident&program=undergrad&CSOM=false)</p>

<p>Stony Brook is also relatively low cost for out-of-state students (about $34,000 per year):
[Stony</a> Brook University - Financial Aid](<a href=“http://www.stonybrook.edu/finaid/cost/undergraduate.shtml]Stony”>Cost | Financial Aid)</p>

<p>There are also <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1461983-competitive-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-2.html#post15889078[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1461983-competitive-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-2.html#post15889078&lt;/a&gt; that may be worth looking into at schools with good math departments.</p>

<p>Math majors do often have job opportunities in finance and computers; supplementing math major courses with courses in economics, finance, computer science, and/or statistics may help in this respect.</p>

<p>If she decides to go for engineering, that may be somewhat easier to find schools for, since ABET accreditation tends to assure employers that engineering graduates at lower prestige schools (where huge merit scholarships are easier to find and get) are reasonably worthy (the rigor of the curriculum needed to meet ABET accreditation standards does result in a high attrition rate out of engineering at less selective schools, though).</p>