match help for a small LAC search

[sally305]

There are probably at least 500 colleges within the area that the OP has asked for, why don't we just concentrate on them?

Several reasons. There aren't that many MATCH colleges that have everything she wants and are within her geographic range. Also, if merit aid is more important than other criteria, it might be worth it to expand the search. Sometimes being "geographically desirable" can make a difference in aid awards.

[morrismm]

D2 was non-Greek by choice at Bucknell (graduated in May) and did fine. She had friends in and out of Greek life. But there are many clubs and activities to get involved with.

D did attend some frat parties first and second year. But overall, her activities involved little Greek life. Totally doable at Bucknell.

[howabouthat]

Wow! Thanks so much everyone. She looked Muhlenberg, Bucknell, Dickinson, Lafayette, Lehigh, F&M on the same trip. Also has looked at Colby and Union. Wellesley would be perfect in many ways, except I think that is a reach school for her. She'd prefer co-ed, but more important than that is feeling good about the community -- both on campus and off.

I'm making a list of all of your suggestions for her to read up on. A few schools I haven't even heard of, which is no doubt a reflection of my newbie status in the college process, and I'm excited to research, too. The sports and alternative activities definitely help Bucknell - we remember our tour guide talking about all the things B was constantly bringing to campus. Should add that I think she's been leaning away from B because the net price calculator result is about 10K higher than M's. She did like F&M a lot - to her it just seemed a little weaker on the music front and she read in The Insider's Guide that it is cliquish -- one comment from one anonymous person, and it has stuck in her mind, true or not.

A few months ago, I did a net price calculation on Lawrence and St Olaf and they came in higher than most on her list. I was surprised, because her stats were good for those schools and she's outside the region. Maybe she should look more into those just in case.

Thanks again everyone!

[intparent]

Just in case you missed this, since you just mentioned it in your post. F&M does NOT give merit aid. They used to, but they ditched it a couple of years ago. It was on my D2's list to look at, but we took it off when they did this. So if merit is important to you, you should drop them off.

I am not clear on whether all the colleges include potential merit aid in their calculators. When we ran them some did, but it appeared that some did not (D2 is a national merit semifinalist, so would assume that some of her safeties would probably give her some, but the calculators usually did not indicate this). Lawrence was a school that did not show any merit aid for her, but I am pretty sure in reality she would get some. So you can't really tell about the merit aid from the calculators, I think. Some do show it (for example, Mount Holyoke did).

[jym626]

Throw Vassar in the mix

[bclintonk]

What about Haverford? It's a little more reachy than some of the schools she's looking at, but it's got terrific sciences and a strong tradition of a capella groups, a very good music department that's open to non-majors, a lovely campus, and it's located in a cute, upscale town in Philadelphia's Main Line suburbs with lots of walkable local amenities. And zero Greek life. I think with her stats she's got a real shot at it, especially if she applies ED. She comes out somewhere around the middle of their class, but it's worth a shot.

[kathiep]

Several reasons. There aren't that many MATCH colleges that have everything she wants and are within her geographic range. Also, if merit aid is more important than other criteria, it might be worth it to expand the search. Sometimes being "geographically desirable" can make a difference in aid awards.

Are you from the the Northeastern part of the country? Because I bet there are at least 2 dozen colleges that would meet her criteria to a tee. When I was new at the college search it was quite startling to me when I saw just how many colleges were in my neck of the woods and many of them have really nice little towns. Google Image Result for http://www.collegebedlofts.com/pictures/2006_us_sales_map.jpg

I agree about going out of state for the geographic edge on applications, but my thought was that instead of mentioning colleges all over the US, that we suggest colleges within the criteria that was mentioned. Which is why I didn't mention my own son's college that has extremely good merit aid but is in the South.

Hartwick College in Oneonta NY offered my youngest son quite a bit in merit aid and has a very nice town within walking distance. With your daughters stats, it would be very affordable. One key to merit is having stats on the upper edge instead of matching.

[Consolation]

Mount Holyoke gives merit aid and is strong in the sciences. It is also in the 5-college consortium with Amherst, Smith, U Mass, and Hampshire. I'm not sure whether Smith gives merit these days, but it fits the criteria even better than MHC because it is in one of the cooler college towns, Northampton.

Bowdoin also fits the bill, but it would probably be reachier.

If financial aid will be important, don't overlook the possibility of qualifying for need-based aid, particularly at generous schools like these.

If the student is going to consider Haverford, she should also strongly consider Bryn Mawr, since they have cross registration. (Bryn Mawr, BTW, has one of the strongest post-grad med school prep programs in the nation.)

[HockeyMomMA]

My S seems to have similar criteria as he is looking for LAC with strong sciences. Not big Greek life. Also wants good college town, same location. Stats slightly lower than OPs, (GPA slightly lower, and slightly higher SAT). Skidmore and Ithaca were suggested, although I'm having trouble getting info on science program. Both seem to have very happy students.

[sacchi]

Susquehanna is less selective than the others on the list, so may be a better candidate for merit aid.

[sally305]

my thought was that instead of mentioning colleges all over the US, that we suggest colleges within the criteria that was mentioned.

Then you should probably also be singling out the people suggesting schools like Bowdoin and Haverford, which are unlikely to be matches for this student (or many others, for that matter).

I actually don't know of two dozen schools in the NE that fit the OP's criteria, largely because of the dominant Greek culture at many of them. A year ago we were conducting a similar search with my son, who had comparable criteria and interests and for whom merit aid was essential. He focused his search on the midwest and northeast. We couldn't find ANY match schools in PA, for example, that were entirely Greek-free, which was something we wanted. He applied to a couple of "outlier" schools in other parts of the country, and guess what? He is now a freshman at one of them. In the end geography was not as big a consideration as finances and fit.

I would like to add a note about Hartwick, which I had found very intriguing (but to which my son never did apply). Their environmental sciences program looked really interesting, and the main campus (from the pictures, anyway) was gorgeous. They also have a three-year bachelor's track, which could save families a lot of money even apart from the merit options.

[luckymax]

For those willing to venture outside of the Northeast "bubble", Whitman College meets all of these criteria, including merit aid. Very friendly, nurturing place.

As some have said here on this board, if Whitman was located in the NE it would rank right up there with the very top LACs.

[Erin's Dad]

Denison University in Granville OH. Walk down the hill from the college to a picturesque NE style town with restaurants and a Saturday farmers market.

Wooster College has good merit aid. I'm not sure about the town.

[HockeyMomMA]

sally - Where did your son choose, and is he happy there? I guess it's time to expand our geographical requirement.
lucky and Erin's Dad - thank you for your suggestions, plan to check them out.

[kathiep]

A year ago we were conducting a similar search with my son, who had comparable criteria and interests and for whom merit aid was essential. He focused his search on the midwest and northeast. We couldn't find ANY match schools in PA, for example, that were entirely Greek-free, which was something we wanted.

Entirely Greek Free would be hard, although that was/is the case at for two of my three kids. My daughters however was in the midwest and my son's does not have the strong Science criteria. The OP, however said

Doesn't want Greek life to drive the social scene. Wants New England, PA, NY or maybe OH.

I'm not trying to slap down any great schools, because it sounds like the OP is actually open for a bigger area then she at first said. I think I just get frustrated when someone clearly defines what they want and then people respond with something very different just because they don't know of any colleges that do fit that criteria. I, personally, would not answer at all if someone asked about a college on the West Coast.

Ohio was mentioned and I'll second Wooster where my niece is loving her sophomore year. The town of Wooster looks pretty darn cute.