<p>No one said getting merit money was <em>easy</em>, Shrinkrap</p>
<p>ha, Curmudgeon, soooo true.</p>
<p>However, paying full tuition if you have a big fat EFC is also NO PICNIC.<br>
“Hubby, would you like chopped pickles in your tuna casserole tonight…let’s live it up!”</p>
<p>The goal for merit seaches when you turn down a very expensive elite name college for a great college that wants your S or D a whole lot…is to find that “critical mass” of good peers in the classroom and that extra access to full professors, research and service opportunities…and never forget about a semester or year abroad. Our son is overseas and it costs LESS than his usual private school tuition to be there, and I am pretty sure he is learning a TON more than he would have back on campus. All schools have access to great foreign study and service semesters abroad.</p>
<p>calmom - Merit aid is available at the top schools. There is a strategy involved and obviously you need the qualifications. As I told Cur, when he began his search, it is part of the game. It is a lot easier to play the game if you know and understand the rules. Once we understood that, it was a lot easier. Ended up with multiple offers at top unis - on a full ride at one of them now. Merit aid is available you just have to know where to look and how to present the candidate. It was certainly an interesting ride and fortunately I have been able to pass along some of what we learned to people along the way.</p>
<p>How’s she looking ST2? Still blowing and going? To my knowledge your D still holds the unofficial “highest average scholarship” title around here. </p>
<p>I’d check out ST2’s posts folks. There are less of them than mine, but his are more succinct and efficient.</p>
<p>I want to step in as a fan of Cur, Carolyn and many many other CC’ers. My S last year received great merit aid packages from 5 schools, at the minimum meeting all need with gift $$ and at the max full tuition+. Why? Because CC’ers taught me well and helped our family have the info to make a great app list that would meet both S’s academic needs and our family’s financial needs. He’s thrilled with his choice, loving his school, and no one is taking out any loans. Thanks to all! And to the OP - if the threads seem like too much trouble to read - just think about the $100K in gift $$ that might be out there :)</p>
<p>Cur - D still playing ball - having a great time - don’t know where the time goes, seems like yesterday that it was application time. Still wish they could have ended up on the same court - but I guess it was not meant to be. You are right - not easy but it is amazing what is available when you put your mind to it- almost 900k in offers - a shame you can only use one. I think I might have a couple of scholarship candidates that are taking advice and look like good potentials to make it this year. Hope you and yours have a happy holiday.</p>
<p>I second orjr–my son also got great merit aid from 5 schools–ended up with a full ride–thanks mainly to my lurking and following advice from cur and carolyn. No way we could have figured it out without their help. A long overdue thank you to both of them.</p>
<p>To all the folks who haven’t been through it yet who think maybe the “900K” in ST2’s post is a typo - it isn’t. My S - and I think quite a few others who have followed advice learned here - racked up similar #'s. Like ST2 says - you can only accept one, but one is all you need and seeing all of those offers meant alot to my son in terms of his feelings about the hard work he had put in, and having a variety of good choices. It happens! Keep up the faith! (and the reading)</p>
<p>Thank y’all. It’s nice to hear that folks are getting some value. They taught me. I passed on what I knew. Y’all pass it on to the next set. We’ll just keep that top spinning. ;)</p>
<p>My S is also making his way through college (a jr) with the wonderful benefit of 100% merit aid. I started reading CC early in his senior yr. We’re those middle class people who did not qualify for financial aid. We scoured the college webpages and applied for all the scholarships that he appeared to be a good candidate for. He (and we) will be debt free upon graduation in 2009. We never dreamed it would work out this way. Thanks CC.</p>
<p>thanks for the link dadofsam. If our son had had that available for him during his admissions process it would have saved him a ton of time because searching out potential merit aid possibilites takes time. Most of the colleges he applied to were in one or more of the posts.</p>
<p>Calmom, you are correct. If a student is looking for a major merit award they will usually have to look further down on the college prestige food chain. Therefore before accepting a merit award at a less selective college the student needs to be confident that it is a college where he will be happy attending. The upside is that because these merit award students are in the top eschelon of the incoming freshman class, they can separate themselves from the pack and have extraordinary academic opportunities and honors come their way. I know that this is what our DS has experienced and it has not only greatly enhanced his college experience but has greatly bolstered his grad school applications. I am sure that Mudgette’s med school applications will be similarly impressive given the undergrad research she is involved in. I think the first one involved battling crustaceons??? Is that right cur?</p>
<p>I think the first one involved battling crustaceons??? Is that right cur?</p>
<p>LOL. No. But I do remember that research by somebody and it could have been at Rhodes, but D works with genetics and yeast cells. No battling crustaceans except at the Crab Shack. </p>
<p>Your points are a good ones and I included them on a list at one time (on that huge thread). You have to be a kid who can run from the front and still set your best time. If not you are selling yourself short.</p>
<p>This is such a good point. Sports analogies don’t come naturally to me, but I think this is a great way to summarize a really important factor in the decision. The student should already have a track record of doing far more than was necessary, of making opportunities for her/himself. If a student’s great high school record consists only of excelling at doing what was expected, or required, she should be aware that that may not be enough to make the most of a scholarship opportunity.</p>
<p>been down this road twice already,albeit slightly different circumstances.If anyone wants to know about good/great merit aid opportunities at flagship state U’s with honors colleges where you’ve preresearched that your kids intended major is a specialty…let me know!</p>
<p>Gee. O’loog is right, much to my embarrassment. I must be having an extended bout of oldtimers disease or CRS. It appears my D did do crustacean research about aggressiveness and body weights. Huh. I really need to get a physical. Or maybe a mental. The cheese seems to be slipping off of my cracker. I don’t remember ever knowing this, although as I said earlier I had heard of the crustacean research. </p>
<p>there there cur, it’s all right [ pat on shoulders] . it happens to the best of us at some point. no need to look for an old folks home just yet.</p>