<p>Miami has a big drinking culture, too. Just be aware of that.</p>
<p>I think any of the Big Ten schools can work as a saftey or match for him if he wants to stay in the midwest.</p>
<p>"I think any of the Big Ten schools can work as a saftey or match for him if he wants to stay in the midwest. "</p>
<p>Like N’western? Yeah, sure. Even Michigan isn’t a match. His GPA is a bit low for OOS.</p>
<p>Please keep an open mind about Ivy League/Stanford opportunities. One might really speak to his heart – and some can be very generous. He could apply for one and then go visit if he was accepted. </p>
<p>17 is really young when teamed up against many 19 year olds who will be freshmen. (Take a look at the female/male ratio on campus. He may be very popular. Will he be ready?). I think I’d have him check out Deep Springs just as a place to grow into a bigger fish! (It’s two years of excellent academics but all male – and all paid for).</p>
<p>This parent is anti-Ivy league and the kid would be a long shot anyway.</p>
<p>I think U Mich is do-able. I don’t know about next year, but this year, it was relatively easy to get into from what I’ve experienced. I know a ton of my friends who got in with gpa’s 3.5-3.8 tests scores from 28-32 on the ACT. I think the best way to make it a match is to write really good essays and other things. I think that is what got me into most of my schools.</p>
<p>Miami University is an out of state public that will charge nearly a $20K premium over IU (in state), assuming equal aid (or no aid). The first of the “Similar Schools” listed on the Princeton Review site for Miami? Indiana University.</p>
<p>It would be nice to see some good tuition reciprocity agreements worked out among neighboring states, so that families did not have to pay such a large price for choices like this.</p>
<p>Look into Clark University in Worcester MA. They have merit aid. Small with a lot of interaction w/faculty. Just a thought.</p>
<p>Your son is more likely to get merit aid at schools that are safeties, rather than “matches” or “reaches.” At least, that was our experience. His CR and writing scores make it unlikely that merit aid would be forthcoming for his general academic picture. The 800 in math might make a place like WPI give him aid, or perhaps even some small, business-focused school (look at Babson in MA). The other thing that gets merit aid is EC’s, particularly service.</p>
<p>With two (presumably) good salaries in the family, and no financial aid possible, I understand there are limits on where you want him to go, and how much you want to pay. But I wonder if there isn’t just a little more flexibility in the picture, financially, so that his options can expand a bit.</p>
<p>I think U Mich is do-able.</p>
<p>If you’re OOS for UMich then the COA is about $50k per year…but more than the $25k you’re willing to spend. It’s not worth another $100k in loans for your son.</p>
<p>Unless an OOS public is going to give your son a sizable merit award, they are often not worth their OOS costs if you have other less expensive alternatives that would work.</p>
<hr>
<p>Re: Merit aid…often merit aid is based on M + CR of the SAT (the writing score is often not considered). Therefore, if your child does well in the Writing section, he might do better on the ACT since then the writing section gets counted.</p>
<p>For in state students at some public universities, merit aid is a matter of formula. Do the same formulas tend to apply for OOS students?</p>
<p>mvic2010, “I know a ton of my friends who got in with gpa’s 3.5-3.8 tests scores from 28-32 on the ACT. I” </p>
<ul>
<li>Did they get good Merit aid package at UofM? I got copmletely different impression about reguilrements for UofM Merit Aid for OOS. Getting in is only one side of story, having tuition covered seemed to be a goal of OP.</li>
</ul>
<p>If you’re an SEC family, put all of the SEC schools on the list. They should all be match or safety with his stats. While there is a stong party component to each of the schools, they also all have strong conservative christian groups. Most have OK to very good business programs, and all should have some kind of merit scholarship opportunities for your kid.</p>
<p>^^^^</p>
<p>Some (not all) SEC schools would have merit for your child. UTenn, Vandy, UF, UGa, & a couple of others wouldn’t be likely sources for good merit. </p>
<hr>
<p>Did they get good Merit aid package at UofMich?</p>
<p>I doubt it. Only some OOS kids with super stats get good merit from UMich. A mom recently posted that her high stats kid (with an ACT 35 and 4.7 GPA) got NOTHING from UMich.</p>
<p>I was talking about just getting admitted. nothing else.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>Oh I know…</p>
<p>But, I think that the entire picture needs to be considered when making recommendations. The OP’s son could get accepted to many, many schools. But, since the family won’t qualify for FA and the parents’ budget is $25k per year, I think that very important parameter should influence school recommendations. </p>
<p>Wouldn’t you agree?</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>Be more liberal minded about the need for a conservative school (intentional word choice). College is a time to stretch yourself- if you have instilled the values you consider proper you don’t need to worry about him losing them in an environment that exposes him to others. Consider first the academics that meet his educational needs. He will find conservative students on all campuses (even UW-Madison), especially larger ones. IU might be a problem if he wants to dissociate from HS classmates, although at large U’s it is possible to never see anyone from HS. Whatever he does, even if possible to live at home the first year, be sure he lives on his college campus. Students who commute miss out on a lot of learning outside the classroom. </p>
<p>BTW- engineers typically make more than teachers and others with the same investment in time/education.</p>
<p>^Well, talking from experience, if good number of prof’s are washing kids’ brains, at some point of time most of them are getting brain washed, just a fact of life that is very worhtwhile considering.</p>
<p>I really don’t think political idealogy is a huge deal. I think you will find like minded people everywhere. There are liberals in the heart of the south and there are conservatives up at places like Reed and Smith</p>
<p>Other than uber conservative schools like Bob Jones and Baptist colleges, the Lutheran Colleges probably draw the most conservative students. (not the extreme conservative, but those with more fiscally conservative viewpoints)</p>
<p>Be more liberal minded about the need for a conservative school (intentional word choice). College is a time to stretch yourself-</p>
<p>Why is this advice only given to those who want a more conservative campus? I never see these same posters give this advice to those who want liberal campuses. hmmmmmm…I guess they think only right-leaning students need to stretch themselves. How come left-leaning students don’t need to stretch themselves?</p>
<p>BTW…unless a school is a bible college, most schools are going to be “middle of the road” or liberal. Many southern schools are “middle of the road” - with students who are left, right, and in between. They seem more conservative simply by contrast to the more left-leaning schools.</p>