mommamocha

If your son is set on playing sports at the DII or DIII level, his coach should also be able to help. We had kids at our high school who now play on those two levels and their coaches at the club and high school team helped them make films and info packets for the players to send to schools. Obviously you would do this once down to the top 6-8 schools.

This criteria, DII and DIII schools, should also help you narrow down your field.

If LAC's are of interest, then being a male helps, and also if your son wishes to change geographic area that can also be a plus for some schools looking to up their geographic diversity.

Your sons classroom achievements are strong too. I am sure he will be welcome in many, many schools.

floridadad55

university of miami

Tulane


Also, mcgill is relatively low priced

Xwords59

My S plays tennis. He is not good enough to be recruited by Ivy (tennis is one of the few sports where Ives are nationally competitive). He is good enough to play at all LAC/DIII, but of course all these schools are very expensive. So, while those schools will be considered, we will also look at schools where admissions is not as competitive, but we can potentially get a good package. Plus, if nothing works out, we will have OOS backups. I have a preliminary list of 15 schools total right now. I think that enough to deal with to start.

mom2collegekids

Are all the big Div I schools also big with men's tennis?

You mention UMich, UVA, UNC as not working because they're Div I, but are they big with tennis? I realize that those schools probably won't give enough merit, so they may not work out anyway.

Maystarmom

Neighbor's son is good but not exceptional tennis player and he received good tennis scholarship from Villanova.

Xwords59

Most of the schools with big football programs also have very competitive tennis programs. So if you see them on TV in the fall on Saturday, it probably is not an option for my S. U Mich, UVa and UNC have exceptional tennis programs. But I will look into Villanova -- that is a good tip.

livn487

Xwords59: what is your son's intended major? Sounds like he wants a LAC if affordable... any other criteria with geography etc? I'm curious which schools are on your list of 15. I've got a junior d and we are sorting through schools as well.

annasdad

For people looking for an affordable LAC, you might want to consider Truman State University. It's not technically a LAC - its charter is to be "Missouri's Highly Selective Public Liberal Arts and Sciences University" - but it has much the feel of a LAC. A little under 6,000 undergraduates, and an COA ranging from about $14,000 (Missouri residents) to $18,000 (Midwest Exchange state residents) to $21,000 (everybody else).

KKmama

Your EFC is greater than my annual gross income (and husband is currently unemployed, seeking work). My daughter shopped very carefully for schools that had high merit scholarships. Her private school ended up costing less than our state flagship - which didn't offer her major anyway. She will end up with about $50K in debt after her Masters degree, but also will have a very marketable degree. Thank goodness she's in a medical field so we didn't have to co-sign her loans, so we are not responsible (and with my husband unemployed, she'd have had to drop out this year).

Life isn't fair. Just because a kid has the grades and scores to get into the very top schools doesn't mean they will get there. But there are some great, small, lesser known schools that give good educations and graduate people into good jobs and grad schools, and where your son can be perfectly happy. Or, since it is his education, let him take out Stafford loans and work summers and/or during the school year to help attend a more expensive school if that's so important.

FooMonChew

... FYI, My S is 4.7 GPA and 2220 SAT

Those are great stats. I don't understand the replies that "2220 is not even top quartile" and then next reply that this is just average... maybe at MIT but cripes don't go thinking for top 50 the average SAT score is 2300 or higher.

Merit is there, look at schools in the 25-100 range of national ranking. But you've got to plan on say 15 total apps (at $60 to $75 each gotta have some limit). Be sure to apply by early deadlines (frequently mid-OCT to early-Dec)... top scholarships frequently require this. Even with good competitive stats it's still a bit random so cast a wide net, especially at schools more distant than where you live... I think schools like some geographic diversity.