<p>I’m a high school junior who’s just starting the college scouting process. I plan on starting applications this summer, but I’m not sure where I should apply. I’m going to have to get a full ride at the school I attend (parents’ orders, at least full tuition. I don’t qualify for financial aid). I’d really like to attend a good school and be able to study abroad in several places, but I don’t know how I’m going to manage this when I absolutely must get a full tuition scholarship. Could you all please help me out if you know of any schools that have good programs in math and foreign languages (German, Spanish, and either Japanese or Chinese), offer study abroad, and offer full tuition scholarships to a fair amount of their applicants?</p>
<p>BTW I’ve already done the Princeton Review’s Counselor-o-matic. It’s not helpful… at all…</p>
<p>Do your parents think you can order a full tuition scholarship the way they order a pizza? Think again…</p>
<p>Do a search on this site for “merit aid” and you’ll start to get an idea of the necessary strategy. You need to apply to a lot of schools, schools that offer generous merit aid, and aim for schools where your test scores and grades are in the top 25% of applicants. It also helps to be an unusual applicant for the school; if you are a member of a minority, look for schools that are trying to increase diversity. If you’re a girl, think about trying the tech school route. </p>
<p>As far as specific schools go, take a look at Beloit College in Wisconsin. A member of my family attended as a language major, and did two semesters abroad, in different countries. The school was extremely helpful with accommodations in schedule, arrangements, etc.</p>
<p>Your parents have put you in an untenable position. You will have to apply to schools where your stats and background are way above the average, convince them that you really will go and even then it is not assured.</p>
<p>I think one of my major problems is going to be convincing the college that I really will go. I don’t see any college visits in order to the possible places I’ve got right now. My mother has talked about visiting colleges and stated that it would only be possible to visit in-state schools or schools in states bordering Tennessee. The schools I’ve looked at so far have been primarily up in the North and in the Midwest. How would I show interest in a school I’m unable to visit?</p>
<p>Hopefully you can make your mather understand that to fulfill her wishes, you will need to make an investment in visiting colleges that give considerable merit aid.</p>
<p>If you really can’t go without a full tuition scholarship, I would focus on schools where you would be in the top 5-10%, not top 25%.</p>
<p>What’s up with your parents? Are they ignorant or just unreasonable. What is the agenda here? Did they pick a school for you already?</p>
<p>What possible places do you have? Why do you think you have a chance at a full ride merit? Instead, perhaps you should concentrate on being the Intel winner, you will be assured of the money that way–best to put your effort there.</p>
<p>My parents don’t know the value of college, I think. My father, who didn’t attend college, is convinced that one doesn’t need to go to college in order to be successful. However, he’s a siding salesman. He’s right that no one needs to go to college to be a siding salesman, but what about a mathematician? </p>
<p>I know I can get a full ride at my state school, and my parents would send me there if I didn’t get a full ride anywhere else. My state school doesn’t offer what I’m interested in.</p>
<p>Schools on my list: Lawrence University, Tufts (Definitely a super reach in my case - All I know is they offer some merit aid, and there’s always the infamous Tuft’s Syndrome), University of Rochester, UTK, Vanderbilt, Washington Univeristy in St. Louis (ditto Tufts), and the University of the Pacific</p>
<p>Since you have Lawrence on your list, check out Beloit which is also in Wisconsin. They have an awesome foreign language department , great study abroad options (one of the top schools in terms of percentage of kids studying abroad), and are very generous with merit money. I’d also look into St. Olaf in Minn. — excellent for math, good foreign languages, some of the most amazing study abroad programs I’ve seen anywhere. Finally, Hendrix in Arkansas is a great liberal arts school that has been known to give near-full-rides to top students, especially from out of state. Don’t let the Arkansas address fool you - Hendrix has a very liberal student body and a similiar feel to Grinnell. Finally, if no one has mentioned it yet, go to the Parents board here on CC. At the top of the page you will see an ongoing thread about great schools for merit money that will give you many more ideas.</p>
<p>By the way, it is very possible to demonstrate interest without actually visiting the campus. One of the best ways is to email the admissions counselor for your state, lemail him/her, and open a dialogue asking questions about the school. Be sure to mention that you absolutely can’t visit (some schools have a small budget to fly in their top candidates so you never know) Don’t be obnoxious but do keep in regular contact. Ask the admissions rep to give you some names/contacts of professors who might answer your questions about specific departments via email. Also ask the admissions rep if there is a way that you could talk, via email, with a current student - perhaps someone who gives tours. When you contact these contacts, CC the admissions rep on all correspondance. And, don’t under-estimate the value of requesting information from the school and then sending back those business reply cards requesting more information. Most schools do keep track of those sorts of things.</p>
<p>One last thought (I promise): If Northwestern and Tufts are reaches for you, don’t expect copious merit aid from them. Neither is particularly great with merit aid to begin with. However, I would suggest you look at Vanderbilt. Strong math and decent language programs AND they offer offer some special merit aid programs just for Tennessee high school students. Should be on your list, in my opinion.</p>
<p>I’m not calling them reaches strictly in the admissions sense; I’m judging it based on how likely I would be to receive merit money. A lot of people seem to have crazy super reaches on their lists, so I figured I’d add two to mine. </p>
<p>check out the thread on the parents’ forum about good colleges for merit aid. I agree with the post that you should concentrate on schools where you are in the top 5% of the applicant pool. I also agree that your parents are being totally unreasonable and unrealistic. If you expect to receive <em>no</em> need-based aid, presumably your parents could afford to pay for college and are merely unwilling to. Is there anyone who can talk to them?</p>
<p>Definitely take your mom’s offer to visit colleges nearby - it’s what any junior should do to get a feel for what suits you. How much input will your mom’s decision have in your final choice? Can you work your dad into at least one of the visits? Try to get him interested in your career plans, a little at a time. </p>
<p>Once they see you in a college setting, be prepared for another set of objections - they are going to feel a sense of impending loss (normal parent feelings). The selection process is a long one; at this point, try to expand everyone’s knowledge, and keep in mind that you will have to make some accommodations for your parents’ wishes.</p>
<p>Ok. I’m officially putting myself up for adoption. Any parents on here want me? I’m sorry. I’m just extremely frustrated.</p>
<p>Anybody know about how Washington University in St. Louis doles out merit aid? It offers everything I’m interested in… droolllllssss… seems like a wonderful school…</p>