<p>Congrats, applicantmum77, the merit money was a nice gift to us too. Do you live nearby or in the northeast?
My son luckily didn’t have trouble getting into any colleges, but it’s almost like you didn’t get accepted when they don’t give you any reasonable money. If we saved enough (and we couldn’t by far) 8,000 from one college might seem like a nice amount, but that barely covered room and board, at lets say Connecticut College. So, as I tell my daughters, finding a good college that has merit or other scholarships is as important or more so than just a “fit” alone.
Good luck!</p>