Strong LACs w Merit Scholarships?

[northeastdad]

I did this research four years ago when my D was a NMF. She was into LACs too. Among the LAcs she liked Bowdoin was the only one that sponsored NMS.

[icy9ff8]

With a 1500/1600 SAT--2280/2400 SAT-- finding a challenging enough LAC which offers her substantial merit money might be difficult as well as counter-productive in the long run. The most academically demanding and challenging schools tend to be the most generous with financial aid. Students learn from other students as much as they do from classroom instruction if not more. This is especially pronounced at small schools such as LACs. It may be difficult for your daughter to realize her full intellectual potential the farther down the line she travels in pursuit of merit money. Everything has a cost--even "free" money. Of the schools listed above in this thread, Davidson & Grinnell Colleges are your best bets. A person with your daughter's preferences and intellectual abilities might want to focus on Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore & Wellesley Colleges in addition to the two, Davidson & Grinnell, merit aid schools listed in the prior sentence.

[great lakes mom]

Less of a rarified air, but still good places with merit aid-Kalamazoo College, Lawrence University in Appleton, University of Puget Sound in Tacoma.

[icy9ff8]

Another aspect to consider when looking at LACs is the "average freshman retention rate". This is a great indicator of student satisfaction/dissatisfaction. For small, private LACs try to stay with schools showing an average freshman retention rate close to or above 90%, but not less than 88%, in my opinion, which covers the Top 48 LACs in USNews and includes several others in the Top 100 LACs. There are a large number of private, LAC options with retention rates above 90%. Note that public schools often have lower retention rates as their mission differs from most private schools. My recommendation refers only to private schools. P.S. "Rarefied Air" is good air, it is just hard to come by. If your daughter has earned it and has the ability to thrive in it, then let her develop in the rarefied air of intellectualism, hard work & prestige.(Oxford dictionary spelling = "rarefied" which looks odd).

[northeastdad]

I agree with icy9ff8. Our D ended up in Swarthmore.

[janieblue]

If your D would consider an all-women's school . . .

Bryn Mawr also offers merit scholarships, though they don't publicize it. The one with which I'm familiar is the "Trustee Scholarship" (all merit-based), though there may be others.
~~

Not sure if she's interested in the Southeast, but Davidson offers several merit scholarships, most notably the Belk. The Belk would also require leadership, community service, as well as top academics. Sounds like she might be a strong candidate for that.

Edit: Oops, sorry-- hadn't read all the posts, but yes-- Davidson would be academically strong.

[great lakes mom]

Thanks for correcting! Obviously no history of rarefied air here. Or spellchecking each post.

[Erin's Dad]

To address another of the OP's concerns, Denison does have a somewhat active Greek scene, but not as you may envision it. The Greek houses are all general dorms now. Not an excessive amount of drinking takes place (that DD1 knows of - she is a freshman there). The Greek organizations tend to be less related to parties and more toward campus in-reach. The campus is beautiful, all kinds of new buildings, and she loves the place. NMF can get a full tuition scholarship (Pascal Carter). The grade point requirement to retain the scholarship is also reasonable.

[Katja]

Thanks so much to all of you for your thoughtful ideas. Very helpful. Icy is right-on-target with our concern---we don't want to sacrifice our D thriving in a challenging enough LAC for the sake of decent merit $$, & to do so would be a terrible disservice to our D.

I imagine that all of us struggle with wanting our kids to realize their full intellectual potential, & merit money could seduce us away from what's most important. We want our kids to be with other internally motivated, excited-about-learning students who are also striving to be the very best that they can be intellectually, socially, emotionally, physically, etc. Icy's insight is right-on---we all learn from the people with whom we socialize, interact, discuss, etc. So, a good reminder to me to not to sacrifice the right college for the $$.

Our D has visited schools in the NE, & particularly liked Bowdoin, Williams, Amherst, & Swarthmore. She prefers a co-ed school so Wellesley was out.
Do you all think that these 4 schools are as incredible as they seemed to us on our visit? Are there other schools out there that are as exciting intellectually? (I got to go to some classes & was amazed as well)

My D also wants some safety schools that she's equally excited about, since it's hard predicting whether she'll get into any of these 4 schools. She wondered if she could find equally great schools that might offer merit $$ (thoughtful kid , & that's our current quest.

Thanks to all of you for your Oberlin & Grinnell comments. Do you all think that those 2 schools are at least as intellectually & socially stimulating as the schools my D loved in the NE--Williams, Swarthmore, Amherst, & Bowdoin? And, what do you all think, is Bowdoin in that "league" of intellectually stimulating & fabulous schools?

Thanks, quaere, nngmm, bethie, & all of you who have talked about Grinnell, & Grinnell's small classes, which is one of my D's priorities. We're both eager to visit Grinnell, & it sounds like Grinnell & Oberlin might be real possibilities, & I'd be curious what you all think about Carleton & Macalester as stimulating places where kids thrive in their intellectual, social, & emotional growth?

Also, Icy's comment on retention rates is quite helpful & we'll look at those rates in the LACs. Keeping the retention rate above 90 at a LAC in terms of kids being satisfied/happy is what we all want for our kids, so we'll make sure to look at those numbers.

I also find it helpful to hear the wide difference in merit $$ that our kids received from various schools. Like preironic's comment on which colleges gave what, & which were most stingy.

Thanks for the Wash & Lee suggestion, Iputt59, & for the Davidson idea, Rachacha & GreatGirls. Do these schools tend to be relatively conservative in their student body & faculty? My D is somewhat liberal, & currently goes to school with a good mix of conservatives & liberals, & the mix works fine for her but she'd probably prefer a bit more open environment to express questions, different perspectives, etc. She would want to "fit in" & feel stimulated by open discussions with friends & in the classroom about politics, religion, ethical questions, meaning of life, etc.

Appreciate Great Lakes Mom's "rarified air" thought, & N.E.Dad's insights as well re this matter. Love the way Icy said this: If your daughter has earned it and has the ability to thrive in it, then let her develop in the rarefied air of intellectualism, hard work & prestige". Excellent thought that I need to hold onto in this.

I'm curious, originaloog, about what it was about Oberlin that your wife didn't like. When we visit Oberlin, anything helpful for us to keep in our minds as we look & listen, etc?

Sorry that this message is so, so long. I look forward to knowing more down-the-road so that I might be able to help others at least a bit as much as you all have really helped & are helping me with this important process.

Thanks so much!!
~Kat

[mattmom]

Kat, don't be scared off Davidson by the fact that it is North Carolina--while it may not be as liberal as its northern peers it is not especially conservative and offers both real academic challenges and a varied and very enjoyable social life. I would say it compares very well to Bowdoin but is not quite at the Williams level (not as much of an endowment, for one thing)--almost no place is, really--but as the parent of a Williams alum, I have no hesitation ins recommending Davidson to someone interested in merit aid possibilities at a truly excellent LAC.

[mamenyu]

Oberlin is certainly on a par with the schools discussed -- great faculty, intellectually strong students -- it boasts one of the highest rates of any LAC of students going on to graduate school, which says something about the quality of its academic environment. One student I know described it as being like an intellectual candy store -- more enticing courses than he could hope to take. The fact that they do offer some generous merit scholarships reflects on its location more than anything else.

[bethievt]

Macalester, Carleton and Oberlin are all incredible schools that would offer as much challenge as anyone wants.

I don't think there's anything wrong with being interested in merit $$ and I don't think that anything necessarily has to be sacrificed quality-wise. I don't buy the notion that there are 20 (or 50 or 100) top schools and that anything else is an inferior product.

Beloit is another really good "safer" school that offers merit $$.

[padad]

Bryn Mawr offers a Trustee Scholarship (based on leadership potential rather than need) that is not advertised at all. But they do offer one. My D received one two years ago and she did not apply for FA. There is a thread at the BM college thread this year where several parents also indicated that their D received one.

I believe Carlton also offer merit aid.

Best wishes to your D.

[LurkNessMonster]

Bowdoin does have a new, more generous financial aid policy, just announced recently. In addition, Bowdoin has a no-loans policy for NMFs. Of course, you have to have need in order for that to be helpful to you. Another school that your daughter may like is William and Mary. Not a LAC, but LAC-like in feel. Strong academics, lovely campus, history abounding, quirky and smart students. Merit money is hard to get, but because it's a state school, it might not cost you as much as a private with no financial aid.

[runmanstl]

Another plug for Dennison. My nephew (PSAT & SAT scores were not as high as your daughters) was given 50% tution merit aid. The money will be renewed for 4 years as long as he has a B average.