SgtDonut

Do you think I can consider Beloit a financial safety? Their NPC gives me a price of around 14k, which is nice to hear after using other colleges NPCs. tk, I have read that list many times (and Beloit is on it), but I suppose another look couldn't hurt! Also, some schools (like Occidental) are not need-blind but do claim to be full-need.

reesezpiecez103

I am a current Carleton student and I can tell you that Carleton meets the general criteria that you listed - although it does have a fair amount of drinking (as you'll find at almost any college), it's also easy to avoid if you are a light or non-drinker. In terms of financial aid, Carleton most likely will meet demonstrated need, but it isn't guaranteed. I was pleasantly surprised to receive more FA from it than I expected, though. Feel free to PM me if you have other questions specifically about Carleton.

As to your other question - if the character of the schools is important to you, how do you perceive those schools? Also, do you have any preference for a semester, trimester, or block system? These schools are also in completely different locations. I know you've said you don't care about location - but a place like Grinnell, in the middle of the cornfields, will be a different experience than a place like Vassar, which is in the middle of Poughkeepsie.

LC82

I know Lafayette is not on your list, but this is not how the merit aid works there.
Lafayette Scholarships Tuition & Aid Lafayette College

You may want to research how merit aid would be treated at each school you are considering.

tk21769

^^ Yes, Beloit is on that Wiki list of need-blind, full-need colleges. However, according to their 2011-12 Common Data Set, for that year on average their aid packages only covered 92% of determined need. That's not bad, but it's not "full need". According to the USNWR site, Beloit fully met the need of 65.9% of students who were awarded aid for the reported year (which corresponds approximately to the numbers reported in their 2010-11 CDS).

SgtDonut

I visited Grinnell and liked it a lot. Granted, I've never lived in a rural location, but I think I would like it. Then again, I also loved Macalester, largely for its urban location, so it's hard to say.

The Carleton NPC gave me a price of around 18k, which my parents have told me is affordable. A Carleton rep told me that it was "pretty accurate," so I guess I'll just have to wait and see. I might not even get in, though. If you apply earlier, do you get better aid?

Carleton, Grinnell, Kenyon, and Rhodes are all free applications (though I am worried about the last two being too preppy), so I'm pretty sure I'll keep those.

SgtDonut

LC82, it says "(inclusive of the scholarship)." That means that if you didn't get the scholarship and they were meeting your need anyways, the scholarship would have no effect.

sunmachine

OP, my older son is at Carleton, and we have been very pleased with the FA he receives. Out of eight colleges he was accepted to, Carleton's offer (about $20 k in grants) was second best, behind only Whitman's (which included some merit aid). Carleton's offer was better than Grinnell's, and much better than Colorado College's. Bowdoin and Middlebury, which both claimed to be full need, offered him zero FA.

You asked if Beloit is a financial safety. My younger son was accepted at Beloit, and his financial aid offer was mediocre. He received much better offers from Whitman and Lawrence.

I give these specifics to drive home the point that the offers you receive from different schools can vary widely, regardless of any estimates you receive or any claims to meet full need. The best you can do is apply and compare the offers once they come in.

LC82

Not exactly. For those selected as Marquis Scholars, the "need based award" is 100% grants (i.e. no loans) up to demonstrated need. The minimum award is $20,000 per year (exclusive of need).

SgtDonut

Yeah, and then suppose you have need greater than 20k, they'll give you the rest as grants without loans.

SgtDonut

sunmachine, thank you for the input. Schools that use the CollegeBoard NPC always give a (much) higher estimate than those that don't. Kenyon, Macalester, and others give estimates of around 30k, while other schools say 18k. It's very disappointing. Hopefully, the schools that I need to come through with aid will.

LC82

Actually, the above may not be correct. After looking thru previous policy, LC used to state on their website: "Financial aid applicants who are designated as Marquis Scholars, and whose financial need exceeds $20,000 will receive a scholarship up to demonstrated need minus a campus job of $2,000 and a loan depending on family income (no loan for incomes under $50,000; a $3,500 loan per year for incomes above $50,000)."

That statement is no longer on the website. I suggest that applicants ask specifically how merit aid is handled at each college they are considering, if this is important to them.

SgtDonut

Okay, great... LOL

SgtDonut

Bumppppp...

johnwesley

Ditto, that.

SgtDonut

I guess that's my financial strategy (and the reason why my list is so long).