Kassia Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 (edited) We live in OH and dd wants to attend college where it's not so cold. She prefers a smaller college and would need generous merit aid to attend a private school. Any recommendations? I looked at the Down and Dirty List, but it seems some of that information is outdated. For example, I found Furman on that list, which looked like a great match for her but then read here that their merit aid is not what it used to be.  ETA: stats:  She took the SAT for the first time as a freshman and scored 1460. SAT Spanish Subject Test - 800 She wants to increase her SAT score and is also hoping for National Merit. 4.0 GPA with 31 credits of DE and will be doing DE full time for junior/senior years. She should have excellent letters of recommendation and good leadership on her activity resume. I don't really know where that puts her competitively - will have to research and see how her future scores are.   I would love to keep the price to 20k max for tuition/room/board.   Edited January 24, 2018 by Kassia 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 For a competitive student, look at Claremont Consortium colleges in southern CA. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 (edited) What are her stats like?  Will she be completive for more selective schools or is she looking for a school in the Furman range? If she is competitive then look at Davidson College.  Some that I can think of that aren't quite as selective:  Elon Campbell Wofford Eckerd Belmont University in Tennessee Rhodes Agnes Scott Sewanee  I seem to have had a brain flop, let me come back and add after I've had coffee. Edited January 24, 2018 by Attolia 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetC Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 According to collegedata.com, Furman still seems to offer merit - Â PROFILE OF 2016-17 FINANCIAL AID Freshmen Financial Aid Applicants 529 (65.5%) of freshmen Found to Have Financial Need 406 (80.4%) of applicants Received Financial Aid 406 (100.0%) of applicants with financial need Need Fully Met 143 (26.4%) of aid recipients Average Percent of Need Met 81% Average Award $40,141 Need-Based Gift Received by 406 (100.0%) of aid recipients, average amount $37,293 Need-Based Self-Help Received by 288 (71.3%) of aid recipients, average amount $5,940 Merit-Based Gift Received by 406 (100.0%) of aid recipients Merit-Based Gift 305 (36.8%) of freshmen had no financial need and received merit aid, average amount $18,327 Â How low do you need your price to be? What stats? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 (edited) We live in OH and dd wants to attend college where it's not so cold. She prefers a smaller college and would need generous merit aid to attend a private school. Any recommendations? I looked at the Down and Dirty List, but it seems some of that information is outdated. For example, I found Furman on that list, which looked like a great match for her but then read here that their merit aid is not what it used to be.   Furman doesn't have the need aid that it used to have.  They still offer merit aid but no full rides if you want a full ride.  DD was offered their top scholarship (offered to 8 students each year) and it was still $17,000/year for room/board/books/fees. Edited January 24, 2018 by Attolia 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Just how much merit does she need? Full tuition leaves anywhere from a 12-20K balance. (For example, dd received full tuition from Fordham, but between room, board, books, and transportation, we estimated it would cost us $20,000/yr to cover the costs, whereas UKY's NMF scholarship covered all costs.)  Without stats, it is really hard to even make suggestions. NM opens more doors. If she is only a sophomore, scholarships might change a lot over the next 2 yrs. Bama reduced theirs this yr. So did UOK. Temple reduced theirs 2 yrs ago. Etc.  FWIW, is your dd positive she wants a small school? Has she visited? My dd thought she wanted a small school until she did a couple of overnights. She decided she found them claustrophobic and actually preferred large publics over small privates in the long run (and this was from a girl who had never stepped in a classroom before.) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 (edited) Sewanee (University of the South) gives a lot of merit aid; we've known kids who've attended and LOVED it. Passionate alumni network. Oglethorpe University in Atlanta is a hidden gem. Berry College in Rome, GA, about an hour north of Atlanta, gives tons of merit aid and consistently appears on the "prettiest college campuses" lists. Queen's University in Charlotte gives massive amounts of automatic merit aid (run their NPC), and we've known people who go there who love it. Super-friendly campus in a residential neighborhood close to downtown Charlotte.  UAH if she's interested in a STEM field.  ETA: My Atlanta girl is going to college in Ohio largely because she wanted cold weather; yours should come to Atlanta so we keep everything balanced.   Edited January 24, 2018 by plansrme 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Sewanee (University of the South) gives a lot of merit aid; we've known kids who've attended and LOVED it. Passionate alumni network. Oglethorpe University in Atlanta is a hidden gem. Berry College in Rome, GA, about an hour north of Atlanta, gives tons of merit aid and consistently appears on the "prettiest college campuses" lists. Queen's University in Charlotte gives massive amounts of automatic merit aid (run their NPC), and we've known people who go there who love it. Super-friendly campus in a residential neighborhood close to downtown Charlotte.  UAH if she's interested in a STEM field. I have a ds at Oglethorpe who also had Sewanee and Berry in his final 4 or 5 schools. He got merit at all. Depends on your budget though if it is enough. Berry has a unique scholarship program for students will less than $20,000 EFC. If that applies to you it looked like a great program. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 What does she consider small? My dd's school is considered mid-sized with about 9,000 students. That's quite small compared to the nearly 40,000 at that state's flagship, but large compared to a LAC with 2,000 students. I agree with 8 that you have to visit to figure this out (and she can visit local-ish schools to get a feel for this, my kids have visited several schools they had no stated interest in).  Keep in mind that many schools with less merit aid may still have a lower net cost, because the sticker price is lower to begin with. Start with a rough idea of what you are both able and willing to pay, and look for schools that will land you in that ballpark. Agnes Scott is on many lists for having generous aid, but they are also nearly $54,000 a year in hard costs - tuition, fees, room and board. Their top scholarship is $25,000 per year, leaving $29,000 per year plus books, travel, and so on. A family with a $40,000 budget might be slap happy with this, but it's not going to work for a family with a $20,000 budget.     2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018  Oglethorpe University in Atlanta is a hidden gem.   And it looks like Hogwarts! I was pretty sad when both of my kids nixed it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 And it looks like Hogwarts! I was pretty sad when both of my kids nixed it.   I think I will add it to the visit list for DS now, just based on this :lol: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kassia Posted January 24, 2018 Author Share Posted January 24, 2018 (edited) What are her stats like?  Will she be completive for more selective schools or is she looking for a school in the Furman range?  How low do you need your price to be? What stats?   She's only a sophomore now, but we are starting to research colleges and will do some college visits this spring/summer.   She took the SAT for the first time as a freshman and scored 1460. SAT Spanish Subject Test - 800 She wants to increase her SAT score and is also hoping for National Merit. 4.0 GPA with 31 credits of DE and will be doing DE full time for junior/senior years.   I would love to keep the price to 20k max for tuition/room/board.     Furman doesn't have the need aid that it used to have.  They still offer merit aid but no full rides if you want a full ride.  DD was offered their top scholarship (offered to 8 students each year) and it was still $17,000/year for room/board/books/fees.  Thank you!       FWIW, is your dd positive she wants a small school? Has she visited? My dd thought she wanted a small school until she did a couple of overnights. She decided she found them claustrophobic and actually preferred large publics over small privates in the long run (and this was from a girl who had never stepped in a classroom before.)  Her brothers attended a large state school and she is doing DE at community college now. She said she loves the small size and classes at the community college and is intimidated by a school as large as the school her brothers attended. I did warn her about the claustrophobic issue with small schools and so did one of her brothers.      ETA: My Atlanta girl is going to college in Ohio largely because she wanted cold weather; yours should come to Atlanta so we keep everything balanced.   I have a friend in Atlanta and both her kids ended up going to college in the NE partly due to the weather!     What does she consider small? My dd's school is considered mid-sized with about 9,000 students. That's quite small compared to the nearly 40,000 at that state's flagship, but large compared to a LAC with 2,000 students. I agree with 8 that you have to visit to figure this out (and she can visit local-ish schools to get a feel for this, my kids have visited several schools they had no stated interest in).  Keep in mind that many schools with less merit aid may still have a lower net cost, because the sticker price is lower to begin with. Start with a rough idea of what you are both able and willing to pay, and look for schools that will land you in that ballpark. Agnes Scott is on many lists for having generous aid, but they are also nearly $54,000 a year in hard costs - tuition, fees, room and board. Their top scholarship is $25,000 per year, leaving $29,000 per year plus books, travel, and so on. A family with a $40,000 budget might be slap happy with this, but it's not going to work for a family with a $20,000 budget.  I think she's thinking small to mid-sized. She just doesn't want huge classes and mobs of people everywhere like she saw at her brothers' school. $20,000 budget is right about where we are so thanks for letting me know about Agnes Scott (that was the next school I was going to research).  Edited January 24, 2018 by Kassia 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kassia Posted January 24, 2018 Author Share Posted January 24, 2018 Thank you so much for all the ideas!   I am going to edit my first post to include her stats - I should have done that in the first place.  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 I think I will add it to the visit list for DS now, just based on this :lol:  There are definitely worse reasons to choose a school! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 (edited) She's only a sophomore now, but we are starting to research colleges and will do some college visits this spring/summer.   She took the SAT for the first time as a freshman and scored 1460. SAT Spanish Subject Test - 800 She wants to increase her SAT score and is also hoping for National Merit. 4.0 GPA with 31 credits of DE and will be doing DE full time for junior/senior years.   I would love to keep the price to 20k max for tuition/room/board.      Thank you!       Her brothers attended a large state school and she is doing DE at community college now. She said she loves the small size and classes at the community college and is intimidated by a school as large as the school her brothers attended. I did warn her about the claustrophobic issue with small schools and so did one of her brothers.     I have a friend in Atlanta and both her kids ended up going to college in the NE partly due to the weather!      I think she's thinking small to mid-sized. She just doesn't want huge classes and mobs of people everywhere like she saw at her brothers' school. $20,000 budget is right about where we are so thanks for letting me know about Agnes Scott (that was the next school I was going to research).     Definitely look at Davidson. Very selective but I think if she keeps her stats in line she'll have a good chance.  I don't know what your income is but they are great with need aid.  We aren't exactly poor but our package from them was very good.  She might have a shot at the Furman full tuition, but she'll have to show a good bit of interest in the school.  Especially if she is from OH.    ETA - smaller schools really protect their yield.  So make sure you show interest.  interest is key in smaller schools. Edited January 24, 2018 by Attolia 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 When looking at school size, one thing to realize is that the size of the school is not perfectly related to class size. Some larger schools still have a high faculty/student ratio and small classes-especially in some majors. If class size is really driving the desire for a smaller school, I would be sure to look at class size. Also, at some larger schools, an honors program will provide a student with that "small school" feeling.   Is there a particular area in which she is looking at majoring? Some small schools tend to be highly focused, which are very good matches for some majors but not so good for other majors.  1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kassia Posted January 24, 2018 Author Share Posted January 24, 2018 When looking at school size, one thing to realize is that the size of the school is not perfectly related to class size. Some larger schools still have a high faculty/student ratio and small classes-especially in some majors. If class size is really driving the desire for a smaller school, I would be sure to look at class size. Also, at some larger schools, an honors program will provide a student with that "small school" feeling.   Is there a particular area in which she is looking at majoring? Some small schools tend to be highly focused, which are very good matches for some majors but not so good for other majors.  We are going to visit one of our state universities in March even though it's a large school. They seem to have a fantastic honors program plus some other opportunities that would be great for her. With so many DE credits, I don't think she'd be in many big classes since she'll be avoiding many of the freshman-level requirements. Her concern with a larger school is having so many people around all the time, but she's still open to attending if it's a good fit otherwise.   She is thinking of majoring in math now, but is mostly undecided. She could end up in computer science. She loves languages, but doesn't see any career opportunities that appeal to her other than teaching, which she says she can't do because she's so introverted.  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kassia Posted January 24, 2018 Author Share Posted January 24, 2018 .  DD was offered their top scholarship (offered to 8 students each year) and it was still $17,000/year for room/board/books/fees.  Would you mind sharing her stats?  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Would you mind sharing her stats?     I'll message you. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3andme Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 (edited) Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas might fit your criteria. They have some full tuition merit scholarships and other partial ones based on stats. They also have a relatively low COA of $56,880..  Also, University of Richmond in VA has some full-ride scholarships. Edited January 24, 2018 by 3andme 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodGrief Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 (edited) It certainly sounds like she tests well, and that National Merit could be a strong possibility with some prep. If you can do $20,000 a year, that opens up more possibilities. Â As someone else said, I wouldn't rule out larger schools. Some will have interesting honors programs or special dorms with programs that make a large school seem small. My oldest really thought she wanted a small school, but in the end a large urban flagship turned out to be perfect for her. There are sometimes a better variety of resources at the larger schools too. Â Get on the parent forum at College Confidential (especially the class of 2020 subforum) and start reading, asking questions. This can really be helpful in finding schools that might not have occurred to you before. Reading the 2018 and 2019 forums can also give you an idea about where the large scholarships are coming from. Edited January 24, 2018 by GoodGrief 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetC Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 At private colleges, assume a typical merit award will come in at half tuition or less, and you have to be unusually accomplished to get more. That makes your 20K budget a little tough unless you are also demonstrating significant need. Â Try net price calculators at publics with honors and merit like Alabama, Ole Miss, New Mexico, New Mexico State, ASU, Arizona. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3andme Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 A few other possibilities: Washington & Lee (VA), Hendrix (AR), Centre (KY), University of Tulsa (OK) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kassia Posted January 24, 2018 Author Share Posted January 24, 2018 Thank you again to all who replied! This is such helpful info. She definitely won't rule out bigger schools if scholarships and good opportunities are there. :)  1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Has someone mentioned Rice? Â Ds received some merit there. Not sure if it was the most they offered. Will you not qualify for need-based aid? Sorry - I haven't read the whole thread. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen in VA Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 About Furman --- they do stack scholarships. My dd received two half-tuition merit scholarships from Furman (one from the math department, one from the music department) which combined to the equivalent of a full-tuition merit scholarship. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 In addition to the ones already mentioned, she would probably be competitive for the Huge Scholarship at College of Charleston http://honors.cofc.edu/admission/scholarships.php (one of the weekends that made Dd feel claustrophobic) and maybe the McNair or Horseshoe at USCarolina. https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/undergraduate_admissions/honors_and_scholars_programs/top_scholars/selection_process/index.php (Not a small campus, but the Honors College is awesome and Top Scholars is great.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kassia Posted January 25, 2018 Author Share Posted January 25, 2018 Has someone mentioned Rice?  Ds received some merit there. Not sure if it was the most they offered. Will you not qualify for need-based aid? Sorry - I haven't read the whole thread.  I don't think we'll qualify for need-based aid. We haven't in the past and that was with three to four kids at home (we were very surprised about this). Dd is our youngest. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 I don't think we'll qualify for need-based aid. We haven't in the past and that was with three to four kids at home (we were very surprised about this). Dd is our youngest.   They offered a good bit of merit aid in DD's package and they are just a little cheaper than many other schools of their level.  2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 North Carolina has some schools that offer low tuition for out of state students:  In state pays $1,000/year tuition Out of state pays $5,000/year tuition  There are about $3,000 in fees And room and board is another $8,000-$9,000 (and some higher cost options in there too)  https://ncpromise.com  My son got into Western and we are trying to get him to consider it.  $12,000 not only includes tuition, room, and board, but Western builds book rentals into their fees, so there are no book fees! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 At private colleges, assume a typical merit award will come in at half tuition or less, and you have to be unusually accomplished to get more. That makes your 20K budget a little tough unless you are also demonstrating significant need.  Try net price calculators at publics with honors and merit like Alabama, Ole Miss, New Mexico, New Mexico State, ASU, Arizona.  She's got a good chance of being NM, though, with a 4.0 GPA. That looks like fairly accomplished to me (I hope, anyway, for our future finances!) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 The University of Alabama in Huntsville is mid-sized but has an honors college with an honors dorm. It's a walkable campus (my dd is there with no car). Great guaranteed scholarships based on standardized test score and ACT. It's a great city to get internships and jobs in.  My oldest is in her second year there and loves it. The biggest drawback is the extreme lack of diversity - we live in a diverse city, lots of different colors and religions and languages, and dd misses this. Their airport is meh, so I'd definitely check flight choices if you consider UAH. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 It's not super far south, but she would qualify for full tuition at Lee University where my dd is. It's a Christian college with about 5000 students. That would leave only room, board, and books. It's awarded automatically for the scores, and it's available each semester after the first year with a 3.7 GPA. My dd's there in her junior year on the same scholarship.  http://catalog.leeuniversity.edu/content.php?catoid=10&navoid=5599#Academic_Scholarships 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018  It's awarded automatically for the scores, and it's available each semester after the first year with a 3.7 GPA   That's a brutal scholarship retention GPA! 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 That's a brutal scholarship retention GPA!  It is.  My son in college has a merit scholarship and only needs a 3.0 to maintain it.  He went in with a 3.85 gpa from community college, but I am not sure he can keep it that high in a 4 year school.  We will see. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 It's not super far south, but she would qualify for full tuition at Lee University where my dd is. It's a Christian college with about 5000 students. That would leave only room, board, and books. It's awarded automatically for the scores, and it's available each semester after the first year with a 3.7 GPA. My dd's there in her junior year on the same scholarship.  http://catalog.leeuniversity.edu/content.php?catoid=10&navoid=5599#Academic_Scholarships   Oh man, I would love to send my son to a Christian college, but this looks like it is based on ACT scores.  He is a good student but not the best test taker, and he has taken it twice and not gotten anything near that high.  Oh well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 That's a brutal scholarship retention GPA!  It is high, but they give it to every single student who qualifies as a freshman. After the first year, if the GPA drops to 3.0-3.69, the scholarship drops to half tuition, and it can actually be regained. Every other school we looked at once you lost it, that was it.  DD has made 2 B's thus far. She's in the nursing program, so she realizes how difficult it will be from now on, but she is prepared to do some student loans. She would not be okay with those if she were not going into a good paying, easy to find a job field. She's only had a small amount to help this year with some of her room and board. She has 3 semesters left, so I'm thankful she has done so well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 Oh man, I would love to send my son to a Christian college, but this looks like it is based on ACT scores.  He is a good student but not the best test taker, and he has taken it twice and not gotten anything near that high.  Oh well.  Yes, it is solely based upon test scores (ACT or SAT). I wondered how many hoops I would have to jump through as a homeschooler, but all I had to turn in was a one page transcript, no course descriptions, no samples of work, nothing. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 Oh man, I would love to send my son to a Christian college, but this looks like it is based on ACT scores. He is a good student but not the best test taker, and he has taken it twice and not gotten anything near that high. Â Oh well. If Lee is of interest check out how much they are to start with. I believe they are (or were at one time recently) the lowest Christian school tuition in the country. Can't remember where I read that so maybe it is off but it is a reasonably priced school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 If Lee is of interest check out how much they are to start with. I believe they are (or were at one time recently) the lowest Christian school tuition in the country. Can't remember where I read that so maybe it is off but it is a reasonably priced school.  We have. It isn't completely out for cost ($25K per year) but it is higher than state schools.  We will have to see.  1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 We have. It isn't completely out for cost ($25K per year) but it is higher than state schools. Â We will have to see. I have no idea if they offer any other scholarships besides the automatic ACT ones. My dc have done extensive de at Lee and found admissions folks to be very easy to work with. It might be worth giving them a call to see what they might have to offer. Lee is not the perfect fit for my dc for undergrad but our experience with them so far has been entirely positive. My current high school senior has had some really wonderful and caring professors. Â But yes, if you have affordable in state schools they would still be cheaper. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 I have no idea if they offer any other scholarships besides the automatic ACT ones. My dc have done extensive de at Lee and found admissions folks to be very easy to work with. It might be worth giving them a call to see what they might have to offer. Lee is not the perfect fit for my dc for undergrad but our experience with them so far has been entirely positive. My current high school senior has had some really wonderful and caring professors.  But yes, if you have affordable in state schools they would still be cheaper.  Thanks. It honestly may not be the best fit for my son. He isn't dying to go there or anything. I would love to see him on a Christian campus, but he is fine with public and finding a fellowship group or something.   And Lee doesn't fit the criteria of a larger city, out of the snow, and close to home.  But it does fit the "inexpensive for a Christian/Private college" box.  I will have him take a closer look and see what he thinks before spending too much time on it. It is 5.5 hours from us, in the opposite direction of older son who is 4 hours SOUTH of us.....oy. But I dont' think they will be going in the same direction anyway, we will just have to deal with it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMMom1 Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 For a competitive student, look at Claremont Consortium colleges in southern CA. Â I agree! Take a look at Pitzer, Pomona, Claremont. Might she be interested in an all women's school - Scripps? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kassia Posted February 12, 2018 Author Share Posted February 12, 2018 I agree! Take a look at Pitzer, Pomona, Claremont. Might she be interested in an all women's school - Scripps?  She would be fine with an all women's school but I'm not sure she wants to head that far west to CA.  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen in VA Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Washington & Lee (top 20 LAC) has excellent merit aid -- approximately 10% of their students are on full-ride scholarships, and if a student is invited to the scholarship weekend he/she will almost certainly receive a minimum of a 1/2 tuition scholarship. (One student got alcohol poisoning on the scholarship weekend and wasnt accepted, so there is no guarantee, but that goof takes a special kind of stupid!) Â The Johnson scholarships at W&L are amazing. The same person, Johnson, also set up opportunity grants for summer work so students can do really neat things over the summer and get "paid" for unpaid internships, etc. Â Â 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Regarding Washington and Lee, it's a known BIG Greek school, so make sure the fit is appropriate. If not, the student can end up feeling VERY alone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkT Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Has Sweet Briar made enough of a comeback? http://sbc.edu/ https://www.niche.com/colleges/sweet-briar-college/ Â It was in the news a lot a while back (for not good reasons) Â Maybe they are willing to give merit aid?? Pretty campus and they have some decent majors: https://www.niche.com/colleges/sweet-briar-college/majors/ Â I do not know anyone that went there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen in VA Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018  Regarding Washington and Lee, it's a known BIG Greek school, so make sure the fit is appropriate. If not, the student can end up feeling VERY alone.  Yes and no.  I had two kids who went there, neither of whom even considered going Greek. They found other "independents", were involved in campus organizations, had friends, and generally had a good social life. Both of them have graduated; they both say that their education was fantastic and really prepared them amazingly well.  1) Dd went to a Ph.D. program in engineering and was very surprised to find out that women feeling discriminated against was a "thing" -- her experience both homeschooling and at W&L was discrimination-free to the point where she really didn't realize that it was an issue!  2) Despite her not having an engineering background, she was accepted to the #2 and the #3 grad programs in her field in the country, complete with a generous 4-year NSF grant. W&L obviously prepared her well!  No college is perfect, but my kids are living breathing examples of how independents can thive at W&L.   1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 No college is perfect, but my kids are living breathing examples of how independents can thive at W&L.  Which is why one needs to know their kid. My guy goes to the Top 3 in Reefer Madness (as per Princeton Review) college even though he has no desire to use any sort of medication (legal or not) and gets along fine having found his niche, even expanding it while there.  BUT, not all can or care to do this. I know another person's top notch kid went to W&L and it didn't go so well - a very life changing deal - and not a good one.  Be wary when sending a student to a school outside their fit. For some, it works. For others, it's horrid. It's a caution flag, not a red flag. Know your student and allow changes if it ends up not being the right choice. Money isn't everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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