Schools that meet 100% of demonstrated need typically include personal expenses and a travel allowance - best to confirm with the school’s FA office.
@homerdog One of the Midwest LACs, is one I personally would consider a safe bet (not the one that has been putting time limits on the FA package. The school is Drake, they are trying to work,on closing the Gap some more. Her AO is from my neighborhood, attended another school in my district. He is going to be here the last week of Jan and wants to sit down and talk to her. It’s a good school with a solid reputation. She’s got a very silly reason for not wanting to consider it, a very immature, inexplicable reason. And here is the paradox of my D, she says she wants to be closer, but a few of these are just a 2-4 drive, and she isn’t interested. I don’t even know what to do with that? I don’t understand.
It could be that she’s back in the same place with StO that she was with Grinnell. Hence, my frantic feelings and desperation to find another FA package that works at a school that fits. Earlham…it fits. She needs to visit and they will fly her in. If Knox came back with a good FA package that was similar to what the unnamed school I’m referring to did, they would still be on the table for her because she is very very drawn.
But at this point I really believe Earlham is it if the package is right (we find out today).again, if she doesn’t get into StO, and I’m unreasonably worried she won’t.
There are other apps pending but I haven’t even let myself think about them too much because the are probably reaches, if she gets in, we’ll talk about and I’ll encourage her to visit, but they aren’t even part of the equation right now.
But as mentioned she doesn’t have to commit to any of them until May. Who knows what kind of growth or change in thought process I’ll see in her by then? I really am so perplexed by the I don’t want to be that far away but dismissing of Drake…and a few others. She gave me a rather foolish explanation for Drake but not the others.
She’s comfortable with the distance of StO and Earlham.
Maybe Drake feels local to her and that’s a turn off. She probably has an adventurous streak hiding in there somewhere. We looked at a school 45 minutes away and our state flagship which is phenomenal and mine would not consider either. In fact on the tour when asked where she was from she said NYC where she was born and lived as an infant. I was astounded.
Our DD’s wanted us close enough for an occasional visit, but not so close that we could drop in unannounced - I don’t blame them…
When it came down to it I think my son preferred the 4 hour drive as opposed to 8 hr drive (or more likely plane flight. We were also able to visit the “closer” school more often and also attend sports events at neighboring colleges over the past 6 months. Which increased his comfort factor. He announced his decision to go ED on the way back from a game at a local college. I think his parents ability to drive to all of his games played a part in his decision as well.
Realistically, you can’t run to your daughter’s side even if she somewhat local due to your business. My kid had stuff happen at school. She broke her arm once, and another time got a cut that got infected and needed antibiotics. There are doctors and hospitals near colleges. The adults in her orbit at school helped take care of her – her research prof drove her to the urgent care clinic when she needed an xray for her arm. There are RAs and student life deans who can check on your kid if you are worried. I think that is a benefit of a LAC – they are small enough that someone is generally paying attention if you kid misses class or has a problem.
Unless someone (you or her) has a health issue that makes it clear that there will be an urgent need to come home, I think this is just letting fear get the better of you (and her). Your reality is that schools farther away are more likely to admit and meet her need because they like geographic diversity. It is potentially one of the prices to pay for a full ride.
Her daughter has some challenges most kids don’t have. As a parent if you haven’t experienced it you then it’s hard to understand. Even psychologically having parents somewhat close can make a huge difference. I’m all about positioning mine for best merit out come as we are in a good locale for diversity (for D1). D2 will stay closer to home for similar reasons. again my Mom instinct for the description of OP hardworking kiddo.
Have I missed something about those challenges? (Might have) But don’t let your “mom instinct” get in the way of having your kids spread their wings, especially for a good school offering a quarter of a million dollars in education. Which may or may not happen for the OP’s kid. If your mom instinct is just, “I’m going to miss her like crazy, and don’t really want an empty nest” – that isn’t really a reason to keep them close.
It’s just a cautionary statement. Yes she did mention them. My life’s research has revolved around these things so I have seen a lot and can read between the lines better than most. Some of it is a mom thing but some not. It is also why I have been cautioning about Ed and fit. Same concerns. Though as a parent on visiting St Olaf I did get the sense it was a very caring supportive community which has been reinforced by other parents with kids there.
Please remind me – we are 968 posts in and I don’t want to re-read.
@intparent the $100-200 a month for prescriptions is for some kind of OCD/ADD med.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/21109044/#Comment_21109044
There is no such thing as a silly reason…if your daughter doesn’t want to consider this college…that is reason enough. She has other options…this school doesn’t need to be one of them
There is a whole thread in the Parent Cafe about sully reasons kids don’t choose colleges.
My kid hated the pink begonias at one school. End of discussion. She didn’t want to go there. Period.
@thumper1 She “thinks” there is a possibility her boyfriend’s ex girlfriend might be going there…There’s not even a shred of proof for confirmation of that.
My daughter does not like colleges that are on hills.
@Veryapparent lol Just catching up with some of my messages and some of the posts on this thread…hills, pink begonias, somebody’s ex girlfriend might go there. I need to find this thread so I can find some comedy in all of it.
@thumper1 Every school on her list would come off except for two or three based on some reasons that she’s not even sure of. 17-year-olds are interesting creatures. But if she doesn’t like a school she doesn’t like it, I agree she should not be forced to go somewhere she doesn’t want to go. But she shouldn’t dismiss them without researching as much as possible.
I think we have to take her number three off the list. There was some discussion about financial aid today, it wasn’t quite what her AO thought it would be. Honestly this probably would have initially been her number one or two. But it’s coming off today which moved another one up…
I was surprised by how well she took it. I’m pretty sure Earlham being on the table helps. Still waiting on their FA, they said today at 5…Which was 24 minutes ago for them. Hopefully it will be soon
Fingers crossed for a great package!
I forced my kids to VISIT schools that seemed like a good fit that they hadn’t seen. And one of my kids ended up at one of those schools. Your kid is hating on websites – that is ridiculous. She doesn’t even have “real reasons” if she already applied, but hasn’t been there yet. Money is a real reason. Not offering your major, or clearly being very weak in your major are real reasons. “I can’t articulate it” isn’t a real reason. Visiting is not committing.
@intparent I don’t think she’s actually hated on the website of any school. She’s actually become interested in schools based on websites. And yes I know how important it is for her to visit. All of this may be moot because she may get in to her ED school. But I still want her to have some solid back ups
Like @intparent , I had to force (in a nice way!) my kids to visit a few schools I thought might be a good fit for them. My son ended up at Beloit College, a school he’d had zero interest in visiting. It was love at first sight.
@rienrah My D was accepted to Beloit. We haven’t heard yet if they will fly her in or not. But I definitely want her to visit because I’ve heard nothing but good things. I don’t know what their financial aid package will look like, although we should be getting it in the week or so. She said there’s not a lot of activity in the admitted student group on FB. I’m relying heavily on those groups to help her feel engaged and connect with some of the students.