Schools known for good merit aid

[bbl]

optimizerdad: I agree that Sakky's brother is exceptional and that not many students are going to have that type of opportunity. Texas 137 also spoke to these very competitive scholarships in a post on this thread. However, some parents reading this board have kids who will receive these awards... if they apply to the schools which offer them. A science/math kid on the east coast may apply early to MIT and never even be aware that the Caltech award is a possibility. A fairly recent AB Duke graduate told me that he only left in his Duke application after being accepted EA to Harvard because of that scholarship. It paid off. He only knew about the award because he had been a TIP student. Personally, I feel it is worth a few extra application fees to these other schools if you are dealing with a student you feel has a really good shot at MIT, Harvard or Yale. Nothing to lose in my opinion?

[arizonamom]

Actually for Lewis and Clark fans, nearby Puget Sound and Willamette offer even more for scholarships. My D recieved 5,000 at Lewis and Clark, 8,000 at Puget Sound and 11,000 at Willamette. All are good schools.

[BLUMINI]

Earlier, texas137 wrote:

Here's my answer to this question... The Ivy League, Stanford, MIT, and Northwestern do NOT give merit aid. Virtually every other school in the country does if they want you badly enough and think they can lure you there with money. So a student who desires good merit aid needs to start with their own credentials and figure out what sort of schools they would normally get into and attend. Then they need to look at schools a full tier below that, where they would be at the top of the applicant pool. Don't restrict your thinking to schools who give a formula for merit aid or who publicize certain merit scholarships on their website. Some schools are willing to be very generous towards top students they think they can lure, but are not that upfront about it publically.

I appreciate reading everyone's posts on this thread because they're helping me to realize that "nothing ventured - nothing gained" has the possibility of being true - with some thoughtful looks at what programs would be "good fits" for one's offspring and, as texas137 has pointed out, what one's offspring might offer the programs in question.

At times this whole tuition spiral reminds me of the health insurance industry's influence over the cost of medical treatments and expenses... Makes you sort of wish there could be a "universal tution program" rather than exponential tuition stickers which, often unbeknownst to would be students, are not as real as they appear at first blush.

Just my morning brush with a philosophical outlook on the upcoming two years for my family.

[bbl]

BLUMINI wrote "...rather than exponential tuition stickers which, often unbeknownst to would be students, are not as real as they appear at first blush"

This has been the biggest shock to me in the entire college process. And you are absolutely right that nothing ventured is nothing gained. The type of math/science students Texas137 describes will probably receive amazing awards if they apply to the right schools. Will they get much at all if they apply early or to only one or two very selective need based FA only colleges? I think it may be more difficult to judge which humanities students are going to be highly sought after. And as several parents have pointed out on several threads: even schools that are need blind and have only need based awards have an amazing amount of leeway when they really want a student AND think that student has other equally attractive choices. Where I live it is not unusual for the most competitive students to apply early and never enter this pool where colleges compete for the students rather than vice versa. This is not ever going to be a whole lot of students but I bet at least a handful of parents on this board right now have kids deciding between two major merit scholarships and matching ivy/elite FA awards. Merit awards may turn out to be much more money than at first glance since students may be able to keep additional merit scholarships... like Sakky's brother. But of course the money isn't everything, or for many even a very important consideration in choosing a college. But all things being equal...

[tsdad]

'm surprised there was only one mention of USC. Below are some of the merit awards they make:

Trustee
Amount: Full tuition (approximately $30,000 per year)
Number of awards: 100-120

Presidential
Amount: Half tuition (approximately $15,000 per year)
Number of awards: 150

National Merit and National Achievement Finalist Presidential
Amount: Half tuition (approximately $15,000) Students cannot receive this award and a Presidential, Trustee, or Deans; these awards are mutually exclusive.
Number of Awards: Varies

USC Associates
Amount: $7,500
Number of awards: 15

Deans' Scholarship
Amount: One-quarter tuition (approximately $7,500)
Number of awards: 250

Also there are scholarships for Jewish, Hispanic, Asian-Pacific, Mexican-American, and transfer students, as well as legacies and international freshman. There is also a "hidden" program called the Trojan Scholarship, $4,000 per year, which you can't apply for.

See: http://afaweb.esd.usc.edu/dcpage2.cfm?PageBaseID=50223

[WS17]

Others in the northeast: Syracuse, RPI, UConn, Union, Manhattanville.

Also, these schools in the northeast offer merit: Providence, Fairfield, St Mike's, St Joe's, Catholic U. There is a small number of $10,000/yr awards at Holy Cross. St. Joe's mailed a number of postcards to my D listing awards for SAT levels. Also: Susquehanna, Allegheny, Wooster, Wagner offer merit.

[mol10e]

Villanova---about 10-15 full tuition scholarships per year including immediate admission to the Honors Program. Tuition scholarship for a study abroad semester. high powered humanities/philosophy program for freshmen receiving these presidential scholarships.

[sakky]

I would also point out that while elite schools like the Ivy League, MIT, and Stanford don't award formal "merit scholarships" as such, the reality is that they can and will adjust their financial-aid "calculations" for somebody that they really want, often times favorably changing the proportion of loans/workstudy-to-grants. Sure, it may not be 'called' merit aid, but that is what it effectively is.

I know a guy who was basically able to substantially increase the grant portion of his aid package at Stanford basically by threatening to go elsewhere (obviously not in some many words, but you get the idea). So he managed to score for himself what is, in effect, a merit scholarship from Stanford. Stanford may not be calling it a merit scholarship, but at the end of the day, it's less money he has to borrow, and that's all that really matters.


" even Ivy League colleges invite accepted students to submit competing financial offers for review."

http://www.union.edu/N/DS/s.php?s=2836

"Even Ivy League schools might dicker if your child is a star. Last year, they upped their aid formulas, especially those based on merit rather than need. That has opened the aid taps to more kids from upper- and middle-income families. The Ivies made the move after they started losing top students to public schools"

http://www.wordsthatreach.com/BWHaggle.htm

[dogs]

SOMEONE NEEDS TO GET ALL THIS INFO INTO A BOOK OR WEB SITE.....is there any such thing out there yet????

[nopoisonivy]

Minimum of $16,000 if you receive the Lafayette College Marquis Scholarship. A SAT I score of 1400 would put one in the running as well as special talent

[icyfire]

NJ state schools give excellent scholarships. At most of teh schools, 1500-1600 and top 5% rank gets automatic full tuition and room and board. 1400-1500 and top 5% gets tuition.

[sybbie719]

Here is the U.S. news listing of schools that most of the students are recieving merit aid

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/col...erit_brief.php

[jmmom]

Thank you sybbie. For the benefit of parents of future applicants, I believe I do know that Cooper Union is a free ride for all. As to the others, do we have any indication of size of average award?

Just want families to be aware that there are two important measures - how often award is given (to how many students) and how significant the $$ is (some awards can be just $1-2000).

Of course, the only truly important measure is how much they give YOUR kid .

[sybbie719]

Hi jmmom,

Cooper Union is only free in terms of tuition. Room and board I think runs in the neighborhood of $13,000 (stillnot bad if you can get admitted)

[par72]

As mentioned Duke has AB Duke merit awards, Robertson awards with Duke and UNC, and an alum recently gave $30 million for more merit aid. Among LAC's, Bucknell, Holy Cross, and Lafayette are very generous. Holy Cross awards merit aid for Latin/Classics majors, Music, and recently a number of awards funded by its alumni.