Oops! I forgot to add Clark!
Clark University: Accepted with merit and aid. Aid was a bit low, submitted an appeal and they came back with more! It’s still not the most affordable, but it is close enough to Union, Pitt, and Muhlenberg that they are still in the running. I like Clark a lot. Trying to plan a March or April visit.
Always better to take the offer with a merit scholarship than with financial aid as long as the merit scholarship is good for 4 years. Financial aid is reviewed and reevaluated every year, so it is subject to change. In addition, the effect of cuts to education funding from Washington are still an unknown. They may not affect the first year’s financial aid offer, but they could have an effect on succeeding years.
The neighborhood around Clark is a little dicey. Overall Worcester is on an upswing, so check out the immediate neighborhood when you visit and see what you think.
Thanks so much for the update, @catthekid07, and congratulations on the great affordable options that you have in-hand!
Looking forward to seeing how you end up choosing your college!
But pay attention to the renewal requirements. If the college GPA requirement to renew is high, that increases the risk of losing the scholarship.
I’ve probably anecdotally seen more students lose merit scholarships than financial aid. One of my kids got enough merit at an oos school that would make it possible, but I could not feel comfortable with him maintaining a high enough gpa each semester. His sisters could,
And the devil is in the details.
A semester of a 2.8- that automatically means the award is lost if it requires a 3.0? Or is there a “grace semester” to bring it up? How are W’s counted/handled? How are incompletes handled? If a student has to wait out a semester to retake a course (only offered in the Spring, for example) is there a probationary period where the merit aid is still granted until the final grade is logged?
From what I’ve seen, there is a grace period of one semester, I think a W usually saves gpa.
I think different schools go differently. Alabama was very generous - a few semesters if I recall. Others may be one and out.
OP should get comfortable with a school’s policy b4 accepting.
Clark has a long book but it appears to be a 2.0 and satisfactory progress - so you can ask but likely 12 credits a semester.
Muhlenberg a 2.5 after one year and 3.0 after the second.
Please focus on the schools this OP is considering. Thank you for your understanding.
I made another post asking for help with making selections. I have added Trinity College (CT) with merit, Bard, and Connecticut College with merit to the mix! I feel so fortunate to have great choices, but having not visited most, I’m struggling. I will try to visit a couple of schools during spring break in April, but I need to narrow it down to two. Maybe three.
Closing this thread, then