GPA 4.0 unweighted/4.4 weighted
top 10% out of 375 (school doesn’t give rank)
Applying Test Optional
Currently in 3 AP
4.0 in 6 Dual Enrollment completed
Taking 6 Dual Enrollment this year
Most rigorous program offered at High School
National Honor Society, NHS English, NHS History, NHS Math
Not a lot of EC but they are focused and consistent over entirety of HS
Competitive Cheerleader, Volunteer hours as coach, Worked as instructor
Strong Essay, 2 LOR
Looking to not pay more than $25K at most after aid; prefer closer to $20K
Applied EA
University of South Carolina + Honors College (1st choice) but needs $$
Indiana University (2nd choice)
University of Kentucky (admitted) waiting hear on Honors College
College of Charleston
Ohio State
Florida State University
Seton Hall
Rutgers University
University of Tennessee
University of Tampa
Vanderbilt (reach)
We know she has a great chance at acceptance to most of these with the exception of UT, FSU and OSU (and Vanderbilt obviously)…but what’s the chance of getting the merit aid needed to be able to afford them.
Make just too much to qualify for financial need but not enough to pay sticker price anywhere including our home state - which notoriously gives minimal aid to instate students
Just to clarify- the student is a senior who applied to these schools, she needs merit in order to attend, and you would like to know if any of them will give her enough? The maximum you can pay is $25,000.
Do any of these schools have automatic merit? It looks like she qualifies for merit at Kentucky (have not looked at the others) but I don’t think it is automatic.
Take a look at Alabama and see when the deadline is.
Your D24 has a great stat sheet. Let the posters know her scores. They may put her over the top for some merit aid and or automatic scholarships at some of your schools.
Your daughter has great stats and probably will get accepted to most or all the schools she applied(even Vanderbilt). As for 1st choice, University of South Carolina is very generous with merit aids for high stat students, so she has great chance of getting at least in-state tuition which will bring down the cost dramatically or even “almost full ride” like Stamps or McNair Scholars Awards.
I think the issue you will have is needing to hit close to 20K COA, is the rising costs of room & board, plus all the other incidentals that come along with a college tuition bill.
Many colleges have not published their 2024-25 costs but the ones that have are showing the 24-25 rates are appreciably higher - up to 5K.
If these schools do not have automatic merit then it is hard to say with certainty whether they will come in at the cost that you can pay. We are only guessing, even if she has a good chance.
You are correct. Even if school offers full-tuition scholarship, the COA is still around 25K to 30K (room+ board+ books, other costs).
For OP’s daughter, she should’ve applied to her in-state schools. With her stat, I’m guessing she will get some sort of merit aids in addition to the in-state COA.
This student is going test optional and is in the top 10%. Vanderbilt has a single digit acceptance rate and is a reach for almost everybody (maybe I am missing something, which is very possible).
This may not be true: California only has need based aid (ok: Regents scholarships… but they generally knock something like $2,500 off 35-40k) and Pennsylvania has virtually no merit at its 2 flagships (nor any/much financial aid for middle class students).
@Boymama2four
Indiana+Honors, CoC should come within 25k.
How was the list constructed? What are key criteria and deal breakers?
Why Rutgers and not TCNJ - is it because Rutgers is your instate flagship or because TCNJ is known for being stingy with merit? If OOS, have you visited? The Honors College was revamped a few years ago to keep top students instate and it has become very difficult to get into, with scholarships harder to get.
Why UTampa? Grandparents in town, like the idea of sunshine…? Because it’s not really the type of college where a 4.0 student will be challenged - and merit could be had at Eckerd or perhaps through USF or FIU Honors, all of which would have a more academically challenging curriculum or at least more offerings. (I like UTampa, it’s great for kids who have a B-/B average in regular courses, it’s stimulating for them, especially if they’re preprofessional, larger than Flagler.)
Hendrix is more academic than uTampa and offers a flagship cost match.
for Vanderbilt if the NPC shows it’s affordable. It is, obviously, going to be a reach since it is a reach for everyone.
@Boymama2four Since nursing admissions to flagships is so very competitive, many state universities are less likely to award merit money to students admitted to nursing programs than to less popular majors. Your daughter would need to receive a full (or nearly full) tuition award to keep costs below $20,000 or even $25,000. I think this is unlikely at most of the public universities you named but hopefully I am wrong. If she is accepted and awarded in-state tuition at FSU, I think this would be doable. Unfortunately, FSU nursing is not direct entry. But neither are some of your other schools’ nursing programs.
Just wanted to pop in and add that some schools on the list including FSU require test scores, with no test optional. Also, you would need extreme merit to be able to get the cost of some of these OOS public flagships down to around 20k. Would your child be opposed to looking at some instate NJ schools? She could apply for a flagship and get a good price at most instate options.
for Vanderbilt if the NPC shows it’s affordable. It is, obviously, going to be a reach since it is a reach for everyone.