Family member (21 grad) who has narrowly applied to schools that are very competitive or very pricey. I’m trying to help him expand his options as I’m afraid he will end up frustrated at the end with few options or only very $$ options. Ideally:
School size no smaller than 5000, large size is fine.
Urban or near large city
Progressive/LGBTQ friendly
Good academics
Mens swimming a plus, might qualify depending on competition level.
Gives decent merit, max out of pocket $30K
Schools already applied: Case Western, Boston College, NC State, William & Mary, UCLA, Fordham, NYU
Unless they are a CA resident, UCLA will not be affordable. OOS, UCLA is around $65K/year to attend. If in-state, they should have added more UC’s and some Cal states to the list. The Cal state deadline is December 15.
Just a comment on a couple of schools on your list: NYU doesn’t give much merit, so unless need based aid gets you there it will be difficult to get it down to $30k. Fordham is a good option.
For similar types of schools, have you looked at BU as well? (I don’t know about their swimming, I do know that they are more generous than NYU with merit.) Is Arizona an option?
@Mwfan1921 part of why I asked what the intended major was, for some I think both American and GWU might be good options…albeit with some reservations about the merit on offer at both…
Assuming that you are the parent, have you and he run the net price calculator on each college, and have you told him that admission but too expensive = rejection?
What do the NPCs say? Does he need financial aid or merit only?
Run the NPC on Kenyon: competition with Denison makes swimming a bigger sport there than at most colleges and they offer merit. (I know it’s small but it may be worth trying).
What’s instate for him?
UCLA will be 65K, no merit and no financial aid to be expected. COnsider that the application doesn’t exist.
Seconding Temple, UVermont, but many listed above might not be both easier to get into than the colleges already listed or not offer sufficient merit (and merit/Honors deadlines may be past, often they’re Dec 1).
This is not my child but close family member. He isn’t being realistic, won’t listen to parents well but might listen to me. Home state is a southern state. Will not qualify for financial aid so it needs to be merit. Parents have given a $30k budget because he has scores & grades if he applies to schools that aren’t so expensive/competitive. He has been recruited to swim some places…again often smaller size. He likes BC but not BU. Didn’t like Brandeis. We know UCLA isn’t realistic on many levels. Likely will be a business major. Trying to give him some suggestions before the Jan 1 deadlines. Thanks for all the feedback.
Tell him to make his own account on these forums and ask.
Of course, if he gets shut out (including not being able to afford any of the colleges admitted to), then he can go to his default safety of starting at a local community college.
What are his scores? In order to go OOS my kids know they must get the highest merit award besides full ride (because they’re not getting that). Two of my daughters have similar stats to each other, 4.2 gpa, 34 act, 8 AP’s, lots of EC’s, multiple sport varsity athlete/captain. They got costs down to under $35,000 at UD, UCONN, URI, Temple, UMASS Amherst with merit, all decent schools, but they were safety/match schools. They could’ve been accepted at some reach schools, but had no way to pay for them. I think many do not realize how competitive college admissions are, and how little merit there is.
One option not mentioned above is Utah. Though the early action deadline was Dec 1, this year merit scholarship consideration is open until Feb 1. And anyone can get instate rates after the first year to bring the COA down to ~$25K.
If he wants to stay in the South, took the SAT/ACT, and wants business, I suggest FSU, FIU, or FAU. Florida schools have some of the lowest OOS tuition plans in the country. Plus the Covid restrictions aren’t crazy down here and the kids are actually having somewhat of a normal college experience. FSU will have the lowest living expenses and it is a college town. They have invested a lot into their business school. Check out the entrepreneur program. FAU is in Boca, with the stadium it is beginning to get a college vibe. Boca has the most tech start ups on the east coast, a lot of intern ops. FIU is in downtown Miami, I don’t know much about it. There is also UCF and USF, I am not a fan of either business school. USF is great for medical field majors. UCF is great if you want hospitality. By the way none of the Florida schools have early action. FSU had somewhat of a deadline for the honors program, but with apps down, i wouldn’t worry.