<p>Wow, lots of good suggestions here! And I was hoping Curmudgeon would chime in as the resident expert on merit aid - thanks! Looks like it's time to haul out the Fiske Guide and the CTCL book again and start looking more closely at some of those cold-weather schools. </p>
<p>Curm, right now he doesn't want to even consider a Florida school. I'm still planning to check out Rollins and Stetson later this summer on our way to visit S1 in Gainesville. Flagler doesn't appeal to him at all. Eckerd could be a possibility, maybe. New College would be the financial safety but I don't think it's a fit for him. He's a little more on the conservative side, I guess you'd say. And, while he wants a small school, 700 kids is TOO small. As far as how much we're prepared to pay, that's hard to say. While we could probably swing full freight, we don't want to if we don't have to. It would put a dent in our retirement fund for sure. Grandparents are planning to help out to some extent, which helps, but we want the best balance of cost and quality. I guess if I had to put a number on it, I'd say we're aiming for at least 7 or 8 thousand in merit money. </p>
<p>One thing I didn't mention is that he would prefer a college with a business major available. He thinks he might like that along with a minor in philosophy. Who knows, though? The only thing I'm sure of is that he won't be a science/math major -- the rest is fair game.</p>
<p>Weenie, thanks for the Denison tip. We have been in contact with the admissions rep already asking about their diversity weekend in the fall.</p>