<p>Parents, What do you think?
My parents have promised to pay 10,000 a year for my undergrad and we do not qualify for any need-based financial aid so I need to come up with the rest on my own.
I am a rising senior in high school from Florida and have been contacted by several swimming recruiters for various colleges. Northwestern University has contacted me and has offered me a spot on their division 1 team with a 50% scholarship but I must apply ED. Duke University has contacted me and would love for me to be on their division 1 team but they do not offer athletic scholarships. The University does have merit scholarships (which provide a free education as well as a free study abroad) that I feel I am a competitive candidate for. Also UNC Chapel Hill has offered me to be on their division 3 team and they also do not have athletic scholarships but do have a merit scholarship (that provides a free education as well as a free study abroad) that I feel I am competitive candidate for.</p>
<p>Should I apply ED to Northwestern or should I decline the offer and apply to Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, and several other school regular decision?</p>
<p>Regarding the 50% scholarship, 50% of what? Just tuition? Or tuition, room, and board? Also, can you provide more information on your stats (grades, test scores)? Those merit scholarships (particularly at Duke) are extremely competitive; you really can’t count on them almost no matter what your stats are, IMHO.</p>
<p>Do you have other schools you are still talking to about swimming? Any other D1 or D2 schools (since they are more likely to offer athletic scholarships)?</p>
<p>The scholarship is only on tuition. I have a 4.0 non weighted and a 4.39 weighted. I have started my own non-profit and have won accolades at the international level for science research. I have 30 on the ACT and 31 superscored. These are the three schools that are recruiting heavily in my year. So these are pretty much my three choices.</p>
<p>50% of tuition, room, board? NU costs $57K! How will you pay the other half? If your parents can contribute $10K, you are left with over $18K at the bare minimum to come up with. The swim team will take up a massive amount of your time, so you really won’t be able to work and keep up with your studies.</p>
<p>You need to expand your list of schools. Look at lesser D1 and D2 schools, they can offer athletic money. Depending on your stats, you may get some significant merit money for a D3 with a good swim program. Kenyon, Denison, Emory?</p>
<p>Agree with Dentmom4 completely; and the picture is actually worse than she painted it at Northwestern, since your scholarship would only cover 50% of tuition (not room & board). Cast a wider net, and her suggestions are good ones.</p>
<p>The OP needs to remember that loans are available. Finances are only one criterion for selection. He also needs to take into account where he would like to be for four years, issues regarding the swimming team (about which I have no idea), and what he wants to major in.</p>
<p>I think those things should be part of the equation as well, remembering that loans are always a possibility!</p>
<p>Yes loans are a possibiliity but his parent’s would be on the hook for most of those loans. He’s looking at taking out in excess of $30,000 in loans per year for undergrad. His family would need to cosign those loans. In my opinion, if he has other options that are more affordable than NU, he should look at those too. Don’t apply ED and be stuck with a financial aid package that might not be the best he could get.</p>
<p>Many athletes stop playing when they get to college for various reasons. You need to make sure if those scholarships are tied to swimming. Agreed with VeryHappy that you need to make sure you would like the school without swimming. My husband was a recruited swimmer, he quit after 2 years. My good friend’s son was a recruited swimmer at a top 15 school, he also quit after his freshman year. This was a kid who said he didn’t want to go to any school without swimming.</p>
<p>While you appear to be a strong candidate based on the little information you’ve told us…the Robertson and other merit scholarships at UNC and Duke are EXTREMELY competitive…and your impressive activities and grades may not outweigh the 30-31 on the ACT (a really good score…but not likely as high as most of the other Robertson candidates.)</p>
<p>Are you, by any chance, first generation in your family to go to college? That could help with scholarships…</p>
<p>Do your “accolades” for science research include any nationally/internationally recognized prizes or authored journal publications in that field of research?</p>
<p>Is your family’s income super-high? If just very high…in the $100 - $150,000 range…you could qualify for financial aid at Harvard, Princeton, Stanford and some others. Your swimming and other activities could make a difference at these schools, too (even if you’re not on their team…your participation at a high level will be an admissions plus.)</p>
<p>Lastly…at the next tier of schools that have merit aid, you would be a very attractive candidate. </p>
<p>What do you want to study? Is there a particular area in the country you’d like to go to school?</p>
<p>What about Kenyon? Swimming is a very serious pursuit there, and with your academics, you might get a very nice package there. Your geographic diversity might also be a plus.</p>
<p>Also, what about schools like Arizona or Arizona State? Or some of the Big 10? Swimming plus academic merit at those schools could put you in a good position.</p>
<p>If you are, it might be a good choice – whether or not you continue in swimming. The cost of attendance for in-staters is about $22,000 a year, which would mean taking out loans. But the amount of the loans would not be appallingly excessive, and you could probably decrease the amount significantly by working in the summers as a swim team coach or lifeguard.</p>
<p>Also, UNC Chapel Hill is one of the best state universities in the country. It’s a worthy school for someone with your credentials. </p>
<p>If you’re out of state, though, that changes the picture greatly. UNC Chapel Hill wouldn’t make sense unless they give you a lot of financial aid or merit money.</p>