So… my daughter is a solid all-around student (#5 of 260, GPA 98% UW, most classes AP/dual enrollment/honors, except regular stream for Math, applied test optional after 5 test dates were canceled, practice tests she took were in the 1470 range). She is a unusually talented artist and a gifted writer, and a hard enough worker to succeed in subjects where she has to try hard. She is aware that there are few careers in Art, so she is going to college as Undecided and hoping to get a wide exposure to potential majors (neuroscience or political science top choices right now), and perhaps Minor in Art. She is a funny, artsy, quirky kid who comes across as outgoing and confident, although she is actually quite insecure.
We are a full-pay family but are not willing to pay full-freight for an undergraduate degree (we have another disabled daughter who will need care all her life). She wants to be in a major city – New York or Boston were her top choices. So her strategy was to look for that all-elusive merit aid in schools in urban areas.
Here are her results:
Accepted
Binghamton Harpur: in-state cost: $26,000 – she knows the campus quite well and really does not want to go there. This was her safety
Rhodes: $32K Presidential Scholarship, COA $30,726. Great offer. Unfortunately with COVID, has not visted so can’t get a good idea if a good fit. Worried about small college and finding her people, impact of Greek life, how easy it is to explore Memphis (hear you need a car). Too much of a risk
McGill College of Arts; Arts and Science still pending-- brother goes there. Great city, but no Fine Art program, large and impersonal, Montreal a miserable place to be during curfew and lockdown and no signs of easing up. COA around $30K
Temple Undecided – $10K merit and Honors – COA $34,600-$43,000 depending upon school. Tyler school of Art is highly regarded, but she was not impressed on visiting. Didn’t like area around school and Philadelphia seemed dead (probably due to COVID)
Pitt Dietrich: $5k merit and Honors COA $39,900. Liked Pittsburg a lit. Top choice? Great for neuroscience, not too bad for Art.
Fordham Rose Hill: $12,500 merit, Tuition Award $14,000. COA: $48,700 – hard to justify cost, although in NY where she’d love to be. Likes the idea of the core curriculum. Still an option – maybe?
UMich LSA/Stamps dual degree (the only place where she applied to an Art school). $63,196. She would have gone there probably if she had got merit, but can’t justify cost
GW Columbian: $20,000 merit scholarship COA: $55,650 – will decline, too expensive
Macalester: 18K scholarship COA $56,060 – declined, too expensive
Deferred at Tulane, WashU, BU (this was her dream school). We assume these are no-goes because even if she got off the waitlist, they probably would not be affordable.
She is leaning towards Pitt, but not sure that she wants to let go of her New York dream. Any thoughts, advice, suggestions most gratefully accepted.