Options for my son

[condor30]

tcap, be sure to submit the fafsa and css profile (if css is required) to each of the schools where he is admitted and definitely request financial aid. you'll have to submit an application for financial aid.
i'm not clear on whether or not you have reviewed actual financial aid packages yet from the schools .......or have gone through this part of the process yet (submitting FAFSA to the schools and the application for financial aid). the actual financial aid package should indicate the amount of grants and scholarships, work study, loans (for the student) and also will show the EFC (for the parents).
you might also want to call National Merit Corporation (NMC) to be sure of the deadlines. has your son already designated a first choice school? please be clear on what the rules are with NMC.
some schools will allow what is called "stacking" of scholarships and some will not.
a couple of other schools for you to check out are Texas Tech and Texas A & M.
the larger state schools may have "recruiters" who work closely with the National Merit families. they work to bring in nmf's to their schools. they would be helpful in letting you know what additional scholarships on top of the nmf merit aid your son might be eligible to receive.

good luck

[LurkNessMonster]

tcap, your son would probably get a full-tuition scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh, based on his impressive SAT score. However, he would have to take a gap year and apply as a freshman early in the cycle next year, say, November. The scholarship money runs out, and those who apply early (Pitt has rolling admissions) are in a better position. Also, he would probably qualify to compete for the Chancellor's Scholarship, which in addition to full tuition also covers room and board and other perks, such as study abroad. My daughter is at Pitt and loves it. PM me if you have any questions about Pitt. Like you, we are New Yorkers.

I am surprised that your son didn't get recruitment letters from Texas A and M, Arizona State, and other colleges that court NMFs. Texas A and M even offered to fly my daughter out for free to look at the school. Arizona State offered admission to the Barrett Honors College and a grant of about $21,000 a year, which would cover tuition and part of the room and board. Some of the programs look very appealing. Those letters should have come directly to your home, not through his high school.

[lonestardad]

Canyon Creek in the first post asked "Does anyone know of a good review of public honors colleges, especially those in the midwest/south central region?" Unfortunately, no, but there's is another checklist for evaluating honors colleges/programs. Go to the website for the National Collegiate Honors Council (nchchonors.org) and then click on the tab on the top toolbar for "Basic Characteristics" of a fully developed honors program. Use this as a nice checklist for the various public honors programs you and your son may be considering.

Plug - Texas Tech Honors College. My son is a senior and has had a wonderful time there. Tech Honors students have early admissions programs to Tech's Medical School, Law School, and lots of other stuff. Among his friends who are seniors in the Honors College - one just got a Fulbright scholarship to study in Mexico and another was admitted to a PhD program at Cornell in plant related biology. All of the schools mentioned are excellent prospects - both private and public.

Be sure to also check out honors offerings at the University of Oklahoma (OU), Norman is a great college town and - if you haven't been there - OU has a beautiful campus with a mixture of traditional ivy covered type buildings and new modern construction. OU rolls out the red carpet for honors students.