<p>crazymomster,</p>
<p>I understand what mom2ck is saying about scholarships and EFC’s (and she’s right, of course), but we don’t tend to think of it that way. We just go into the process looking for colleges that (a) have what that kid is looking for in terms of academics and ECs, (b) “fit” in terms of personality and desires, and (c) have the potential for large scholarships and/or affordability in other ways.</p>
<p>We basically ignore our EFC during the application phase (after getting a good estimate of what it is)! :)</p>
<p>You see, it can be kind of irrelevant. Particularly for kids who have the stats that your son has. He has potential for great scholarships SOMEWHERE. AND he has access to schools that will guarantee admission AND huge scholarships for those stats. So, if he can find just one of those that he likes, he can take a gamble on all the others that he really likes and realistically apply, regardless of EFC.</p>
<p>The catch is: he has to like every school to which he applies! He MAY end up having to go there! So that’s the catch. It HAS to be a realistic choice for attendance. If not, the plan falls apart.</p>
<p>If your child is awarded merit scholarships ANYWHERE, those scholarships will always reduce your out-of-pocket costs, period. They may or may not reduce your out-of-pocket costs enough to afford attendance, but they WILL reduce what it costs YOUR child to attend, otherwise known as your cost of attendance (COA).</p>
<p>We adjust for the mysterious EFC-factor by strategically selecting a group of schools comprised of these factors (AND the factors listed above – academics and ECs, “fit,” & potential affordability):</p>
<p>(a) some will be affordable IF the kid gets that school’s big scholarships; </p>
<p>(b) some will have guaranteed large scholarships for their stats – this year it was Alabama and Baylor;</p>
<p>(c) my kids ALWAYS apply to the equivalent of an in-state school or two (because they tend to be cheaper; thus their stackable scholarships can more readily translate into a free-ride or full-tuition) – this year it was Alabama and Texas A&M
(The state schools are an important addition for this reason… At the end of their senior year, the kids will always have a choice of schools, no matter what happens with all the other schools’ offers. My kids will have the guaranteed scholarship schools, or they’ll very likely have the “equivalent in-state” schools. In the very beginning, this son LOVED Baylor – it was actually his first choice out of ALL schools! By Christmas, Alabama was his first choice of his safeties, and one of the top 3 overall. By the time May 1 rolled around, he ultimately chose Texas A&M. All 3 schools were free to nearly free. He had a choice! We think this is very important. Desires change. And choices give one a sense of control. 
);</p>
<p>(d) if they desire, my kids can add one “dream school” (this year, it was MIT – he was accepted; he got very generous need-based aid; we ultimately decided he could not afford to attend).</p>
<p>The “dream school” is not out of the realm of “possible” for kids with your son’s profile because an NMF kid (or any high-stats kid) COULD win some kind of monster scholarship (like NMF’s corporate scholarships) during their senior year, while awaiting college acceptances, which might ultimately make that school a financial possibility.</p>
<p>So, for kids like mine (and it sounds like yours), if you use this strategy, EFC really is kind of irrelevant. You can worry about your EFC later, after all financial aid offers roll in, as you compare your own personal “Costs of Attendance.” If costs truly are an overriding factor for your family, as they have been for mine, your son will ultimately be choosing one of the “cheapest COA” schools anyway!</p>
<p>You and I are very fortunate, as are LOTS of people on CC, in that our kids have the luxury of choosing schools that guarantee large merit awards. If they can find one of those schools that they WILL happily attend, should all else fail (or even if that’s ultimately the school they WANT to attend regardless of the fact that it’s cheapest – that happens too!), then the EFC really is irrelevant.</p>