<p>Well an interesting point for sure. I will let u know how that works for us, we will not be applying for any financial aid so if he gets in that will be telling ( much as I would rather think he wowed them with his writing skills etc). My son wants mountains (or water) too so Kalamazoo most likely wont interest him but I appreciate the suggestion.</p>
<p>bb… Colorado College is a " need aware" school. They don’t make a secret out of saying if you have no need you have a much better chance at admission. There are a few " need blind" schools, where you need is never considered in admissions, but they are usually the most selective schools in the country.</p>
<p>thanks 5b very helpful information for stratifying schools on our list</p>
<p>I just booked a trip for the accepted students open house at U Miami on 4/7, anyone else planning to attend? D2 and I (and hubby) are SO excited!</p>
<p>Seeya there, Mum!</p>
<p>@bbccpp</p>
<p>When creating the list, understand the difference between NEED BLIND and meets 100% of NEED. </p>
<p>When we started the process, I mistakenly thought if a school meets 100% of need then it was need blind. These are two separate things.</p>
<p>Lurker here, popping in. Also, understand that meets 100% of need, doesn’t mean with grants and scholarships only. Even when the Ad com announces it in the “info” session. Buyer beware!</p>
<p>Here’s a link to a list of “need blind” schools from USNews: </p>
<p>[Chart:</a> Generous Colleges That Claim to Admit Only on Merit - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/education/articles/2010/03/22/chart-generous-colleges-that-claim-to-admit-only-on-merit]Chart:”>http://www.usnews.com/education/articles/2010/03/22/chart-generous-colleges-that-claim-to-admit-only-on-merit)</p>
<p>Here’s their “full need” list:</p>
<p>[Universities</a> That Claim to Meet Full Financial Need - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2013/02/11/universities-that-claim-to-meet-full-financial-need]Universities”>http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2013/02/11/universities-that-claim-to-meet-full-financial-need)</p>
<p>I wonder how current that “need blind” list is since it is from the 2007-08 year and much has changed financially since then, both in the world of university resources and family finances.</p>
<p>Proud to report that S2 is officially a ZBT brother - they had their ceremony Thursday night. Since it is a new fraternity on campus, he is considered a Founding Father, even though he is a freshman. It is a historically Jewish fraternity, but not everyone who joins is Jewish - just like our thread - it is a welcoming group.</p>
<p>The new Hillel House is being dedicated tomorow. Looks like a beautiful facility, can’t wait to see it next time we are there.</p>
<p>The first list was published in 2010. The % receiving Pell grants was derived from 2007/08 information. The second list was published in the past 3 weeks.</p>
<p>Advance warning: This is long. I’ve tried not to whine though! Not sure why, but I’m unraveling and REALLY could use some support and guidance. Between this college “journey” and facing furlough and uncertainty with the Federal government, and husband preparing for heart surgery, I feel like I want to run away and hide.</p>
<p>As I’ve said in previous posts, daughter is junior at Montgomery County HS in MD. Plan “A” has always been UMD. It just makes sense. She wants a (1) large school, (2) proximity to urban area, (3) close to east coast, (4) sports, especially football, preferably D1, (5) greek system, (6) lots of activity, (7) significant Jewish population, with respect to culture as opposed to religion. Getting nervous though, while many classmates got Freshman Connection at UMD, so many others didn’t get in at all. </p>
<p>Daughter has 3.69 uw-GPA and 4.33 w-GPA. She’s only taken practice and mock tests so far and no test prep yet. Mock ACT at school last month, 25 on math and only 22 overall. Starting test prep next week for April 13 ACT and then following with test prep for June SAT, still not sure which test is right for her. </p>
<p>Here are the issues causing my sleepless nights: (1) WHEN TO TAKE ACT AND/OR SAT: Daughter’s had severe mono since end of January, still not 100 percent and still very much in catch-up mode academically. A few teachers have been great and have excused things, others not so supportive. I feel like catching up on schoolwork and maintaining (or improving?) GPA is SOOO important and feeling like throwing a test prep class at her 2 nights a week for 3-4 hours when she’s still not 100 percent recovered and also not caught up, is asking for disaster. But if we wait, she’ll be taking her first official test(s) in June and then only other option to improve is September/October right before early action apps are due.</p>
<p>(2) HOW DO I PUT TOGETHER PLAN “B” LIST OF SCHOOLS IF I DON’T HAVE TEST SCORES TO GUIDE ME: I don’t know which schools are realistic, or which schools rely more on GPA and less on ACT/SAT. I just have a feeling that even with test prep she’s not gonna get exceptional scores. I don’t know if we should be looking at Boston University or Towson. I feel like I’m running around in circles.</p>
<p>(3) I DESPERATELY NEED TO KNOW WHICH SCHOOLS “GIVE MONEY.” We’ve saved enough money to cover every expense for 4 years at UMD (or its equivalent). This is the last kid. I’m 57 and dad is 59. There’s not much that I value more than education but REALLY hoping to not go into debt! And with the iffy job market, really not encouraging daughter to take on debt. I’ve read that she’s more likely to get money from private schools with sizable endowments as opposed to OOS public schools. Is that generally true? Hoping for a targeted Plan B list so that we don’t visit an expensive school where she falls in love but she gets no money. UGH…HELP!</p>
<p>To sum up, our universe of Plan B schools right is: UMD, UDelaware, UPitt, Penn State, UMiami, Towson, Miami of Ohio, Hofstra, Syracuse, UMass/Amherst, and possibly College of Charleston as our “wild card.” What am I missing?</p>
<p>(4) General questions: How do we maximize her chances of getting money? Much better chance if we visit? ANY AND ALL ADVICE APPRECIATED.</p>
<p>And BIG CONGRATS to all of you out there getting acceptances! East or west, north or south, we all want the same thing for our kids: a college experience that will help them grow and thrive and develop into the best adult version of themselves! And remaining financially solvent would be a wonderful bonus. :)</p>
<p>UMD is PLAN A…NOT PLAN B LOL! Don’t want to give myself a kina hora!</p>
<p>Cheermom- so sorry you are dealing with so much stress. It would help to post what your D is interested in studying, as sometimes different schools are stronger in some areas than others. Hopefully we’ll be able to suggest some schools.</p>
<p>Cheermom - have you considered any of the SUNY schools? Buffalo and Binghamton come to mind. SUNY schools are quite reasonable for OOS, coming in under 30,000. They also fit the description of what you are looking for, with a lot of majors to choose from.</p>
<p>I wanted to add that SUNY Binghamton seems easier to get into for OOS students- in state is very competitive.</p>
<p>On your Plan B list - keep in mind you won’t hear from UMD until late January, so you will certainly want to put in a few other apps. I like Towson as both an admissions safety and a financial safety. I like Pitt because of their rolling admissions, you could hear in early fall. Penn state is very expensive for OOS, I might eliminate that one. Univ. of Miami seems to be geting more and more competitive - kids I know with great stats are getting in, but with less money than expected or none at all. Maybe add West Virginia or Indiana to the list?</p>
<p>Have you tried running a net price calculator for each school? I really recommend doing that to give you more rough ideas about potential aid at each school.</p>
<p>Pennylane: She really has no firm idea…a blessing and a curse lol! Strength is math and science but says she might want marketing or something in a business school, or something related to government/politics, possibly journalism. I’ve explored the possibility of kinesiology or something related to pharmaceutical development…health fields will certainly be a hotbed of high demand jobs in the coming decades. And with our proximity to DC and Capitol Hill, her brother encourages her to become a subject matter expert in SOMETHING and then consider lobbying/advocacy. OY! </p>
<p>TWOGIRLS: We have NOT considered any of the SUNY schools! Not sure why…I quickly looked at Binghamton, no football, the likely reason that she won’t go for Hofstra or C of C. Her HS is a football powerhouse and she’s a cheerleader. For better or for worse, to her, it’s an important component of her college “experience.” Do any of the SUNY schools have FB?</p>
<p>Suny Buffalo has football and everything else that was on your list. I forgot about football…lol</p>
<p>Suny Cortland also has football. My daughter goes there and loves it- but not as big as University of Buffalo.</p>