Wide Net Choices

<p>Hi All, (also posted in parents forum)
You gave me great advice before and along with my D, we have narrowed the list to 11 schools. I used Naviance to help guide me with admittance. I used CC to help guide me to schools that give good financial aid/merit.</p>

<p>Here are the stats:
A solid B student who lives in VA. SAT W-600, M-640, CR-610, ACT-26. Will take the SAT again in Oct.
Plays soccer (v), basketball (v), softball (v) all of which she doesn't want to play in college.
A year long entrepreneurial service learning project. Traveled to Zambia for 3 weeks for community service. An internship during the school year with political foundation. Summer before senior year, is working at a water park for the summer, first job. The private school does not rank or calculate GPA. URM is the only hook I could think of.</p>

<p>Can you let me know if these schools are good choices. I have 2 open slots that have not been confirmed.</p>

<ol>
<li>UVA (reach even though flagship)</li>
<li>George Mason</li>
<li>Howard</li>
<li>Spelman (or a diff women's college since I hear Spelman doesn't give alot of $$)</li>
<li>NC A & T</li>
<li>College of Wooster</li>
<li>GA Tech</li>
<li>GWU</li>
<li>---
10.---</li>
</ol>

<p>Looking at Southeastern Louisiana Univ, Louisiana State Uni, Ohio State Uni, Syracuse, Fordham, and Case Western Reserve to fill in last two open spaces.</p>

<p>Any info you can give me is greatly appreciated!! TIA!</p>

<p>Why do you have Georgia Tech as an OOS student? Is there some special aid that you’ve been told about? </p>

<p>I doubt Fordham would give great aid.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>This list can be changed… No I don’t know of any aid (but a prayer, LOL). I take from your comment, they don’t give money to OOS. She didn’t like VA Tech (impact from shooting still lingers).</p>

<p>Most publics do NOT give money to OOS students beyond fed aid and any merit money for high stats.</p>

<p>UVA and UNC are the two exceptions.</p>

<p>Publics don’t have enough money to meet need for instate students (whose costs are lower). Schools charge high OOS rates for a reason. It wouldn’t make much sense to then cover those high costs with aid…especially when their aid money is so precious.</p>

<p>Unless your D qualifies for large merit at LSU, take that off too.</p>

<p>It’s too bad that your D has lingering feelings from the shooting. Since it’s instate, and it sounds like she wants a STEM kind of school, that may be her most affordable choice for a well-ranked school.</p>

<p>What is her major?</p>

<p>She might look at Mt Holyoke.</p>

<p>Have you used any of the net price calculators on each schools’ website??</p>

<p>Fordham does offer merit scholies in addition to financial aid, and it does vary, especially if you are a URM. Son received some will have to check to see how much, more than Gonzaga.</p>

<p>WPI offers the Thurgood Marshall/Cesar Chavez scholie (Google it) $8K to full tuition for URMs only- 4 year renewable. Georgia Tech offers the Presidential which is why you probably have it on there, no seperate app but must apply by Oct. 15th.</p>

<p>Colby is a full need school but will “preferential” package for a URM. Will be a reach BUT maybe not so much.</p>

<p>And I do second the women’s colleges, maybe one of the “reachy” ones and maybe a not so reachy one. Meredith in Raleigh does gives aid, but I think you would see more from one of the “reachy” ones. Don’t know about Agnes Scott as far as aid but they do offer merit and financial aid. </p>

<p>Of course I LOVE A&T so we know where I stand on that one.</p>

<p>Maybe as a VA resident you should have 1 or 2 more VA state schools on there. Have you visited any others in VA?</p>

<p>Kat</p>

<p>^^</p>

<p>Yes, Fordham does have merit for much higher stats, which your son had. They give free tuition for National Merit and for others with very high stats. I don’t think the OP’s D’s stats are high enough.</p>

<p>However, how did she do on the PSAT? Will she be National Achievement? if so, then there are schools that will give her a lot. </p>

<p>OP…how much aid do you need? How much can you pay each year???</p>

<p>Alright went and checked, son received merit $25,000 Dean’s Scholarship, renewable for 4 years, plus additional financial aid in the form of grants and work study from Fordham. </p>

<p>And Colby’s is the Ralph J. Bunche Scholar program. No seperate app needed.</p>

<p>Kat</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>hmmm. i currently pay $500 a month now and Im struggling. So yes a full ride for a B student is a reach. Don’t laugh at me, I need a miracle.</p>

<p>Kat did you or your kids go to A & T? Did you receive aid? I’ve been researching alot of threads but for some reason, A & T doesn’t have a forum? So I cant find much. Any info will be greatly appreciated.
TIA</p>

<p>I put Fordham on the list because USN rankings say its a good school for B students.</p>

<p>Yes, have 1 son at A&T, but as NC residents his tuition is absurdly low. In addition room and board is also very low (in my opinion). COA for the semester is under $6,000 and then he is eligible for aid after that. Full Pell, SEOG alone cover his tuition and then some as an engineering student. And they also award merit as well.</p>

<p>I would need to go look at the OOS state tuition for the differential but the room and board would remain the same for your daughter.</p>

<p>I am beyond happy with his education and my 5 kiddos have attended a full range of schools from the ivy’s to far,far away OOS publics to service academies to LACs and in-state flagships.</p>

<p>Have you looked to A&T website or come down for a visit? It has an undergrad population of 4000 so it feels like a mid-size LAC but with the financial backing of NC state funding and an alumni support base that funds substantially. It maintains its autonomy as an HBCU but offers some of the best STEM education. Its engineering school offers small class sizes (1-10 ratio) with TONS of individual help and assistance, has a great nursing program, 1 of 2 state programs in animal science that feeds directly into NC State’s vet program and sends quite a few to UNC’s and ECU’s med schools (and Duke but who counts them!) The recently deceased Dir of Med Curriculm at UNC SOM was an A&T grad.</p>

<p>They have the brand new school of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering fully funded and them some! New adjacent campus with new labs and new facilities, 2 gorgeous buildings.</p>

<p>Can’t say enough good about the school, and the school spirit is akin to USC’s. Many take pride in that they are 3rd and 4th generation of Aggies. </p>

<p>Hope that helps.</p>

<p>kat</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>It is highly unlikely that OP’s D a solid B-student is going to get merit $$ from Fordham. Even as a URM, stats are not high enough. They will reserve their $ for URM solid B-students who are aloso low income students applying through HEOP.</p>

<p>OP needs to apply **really early<a href=“working%20on%20her%20app%20now,%20%20e-mailing%20teachers%20over%20the%20summer%20regarding%20recommendation%20letters,%20so%20she%20can%20be%20amongst%20the%20first%20reads”>/b</a> to Howard where she can be a viable candidate for a legacy scholarship , which covers tuition and fees. If she can stretch and raise GPA/SAT scores, she could be eligible for capstone, which covers tuition, fees and room.</p>

<p>[Grants</a>, Scholarships & Fellowships - Howard University](<a href=“http://www.howard.edu/financialaid/grants_scholarships.htm#Freshman]Grants”>http://www.howard.edu/financialaid/grants_scholarships.htm#Freshman)</p>

<p>Stats are too low for merit $ at Spelman (but school would be a match for admissions purposes).</p>

<p>*I put Fordham on the list because USN rankings say its a good school for B students.
*</p>

<p>Ok…but just because a school is “good” for B students, does NOT mean that it will be affordable. </p>

<p>Kat’s son had high test scores and only got $25k in merit…for a school that costs over $50k. Fordham is terrible about putting big Plus loans in FA pkgs. </p>

<p>If you’re currently struggling to pay $500 a month for 10 months…then it’s safe to say that you can’t pay more than $5k per year.</p>

<p>It sounds like your EFC would be too high for Pell grants. </p>

<p>You need to make it quite clear to your D how much you can spend, and that MOST schools do NOT give much aid and don’t meet need. </p>

<p>I think she needs to apply to VT as an instate student. </p>

<p>I doubt any OOS public will be affordable unless it’s a regional with good merit.</p>

<p>Try Loyola-Maryland. I believe that it promises to meet need. It does use CSS. Try its NPC and see what you get.</p>

<p>My B student D (SAT over 2000) was deferred from fall admit to spring and received no merit money at Fordham. We do love the school though. Older D who attended a Catholic HS had slightly higher SAT and more of an A- GPA received a small merit scholarship (I forget, but I know it was under $10,000/year).
We are not a minority family so that be a factor in your favor. I have heard that Fordham considers showing interest as well, so if you cannot visit, definitely try to attend any local/regional events and make yourself known to your regional admissions rep if it remains on your list.</p>

<p>Okay, I will update the list after I do more research on your suggestions. I really appreciate everyone’s help. It really does mean alot because I have no clue. I just wish I found out about this in 9th grade. Instead of 12th. The focuses and priorities would have been shifted dramastically.</p>

<p>She will take SAT again in Oct. I hope she can raise the scores.</p>

<p>Since money is an issue, be sure to also apply to an instate public that your D could attend if all else fails. </p>

<p>I know that’s not what you and she want, but you don’t want to possibly end up with no affordable choices next spring.</p>

<p>Keep in mind that her FA pkgs will already include full Stafford loans, so she won’t be able to use those to help with EFC.</p>

<p>Sign up for both the Oct and Nov SAT.</p>

<p>have her practice the Math and CR sections. Schools don’t care that much about the Writing section, and merit is nearly always based on Math +CR score.</p>

<p>Just saw the recommendation for Loyola, MD. While they may tout not allowing finances as a reason not to attend, my family (including my niece with much higher GPA than my D) did not get favorable results from them at all. My niece, who attended Catholic HS and received merit at every other school she applied to, rec’d nothing from Loyola. They would not reconsider and did not meet need.</p>

<p>@kat, yes we came down for a visit, but no classes were in session so she couldn’t get a feel of the school with an empty campus.</p>

<p>btw, you forgot to mention the newly added press box they built to the football stadium. LOL. I love your spirit.</p>

<p>@mom2kids, oct will be her 3rd time taking SAT. they say don’t take more than 3. plus, she is applying EA to all her schools, Nov 1 and Nov 15. GA tech is Oct 15, yikes!!! </p>

<p>Okay, how do I convince her to apply to VA tech if she doesn’t want to? This makes me so sad because it is not like she is 4.0/1500 stats, where she can cherry pick, You know what I mean? LOL. I am trying to be flexible and listen to her wants and desires, but they don’t want the same thing as my pocketbook!</p>

<p>Assuming “solid B student” means a GPA of 3.0 or higher, Full Ride at Jackson State and either Full Ride or Full Tuition at Coppin State:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/14675705-post98.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/14675705-post98.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>You might consider those for financial safeties.</p>

<p>Also, eligible (not guaranteed - apply early) for full tuition at Hampton U [Hampton</a> University - Admissions](<a href=“The page you requested cannot be found.”>http://www.hamptonu.edu/studentservices/admissions/scholarship.htm) and Howard U [Grants</a>, Scholarships & Fellowships - Howard University](<a href=“http://www.howard.edu/financialaid/grants_scholarships.htm#Freshman]Grants”>http://www.howard.edu/financialaid/grants_scholarships.htm#Freshman)</p>