Merit vs. Need-blind marketing

pattykk
Sun, 17 Apr 2005 09:34:03 +0000

interesteddad: Thanks for the encouraging words. You are right about my D being in a good position. I thank my stars that I found CC and learned about merit aid and the selective schools before she made her list. If I had not persuaded her to add Chicago, Grinnell, and Kenyon to the mix, she would have been staring at acceptances to six fabulous schools and no money. I question the wisdom of the agreement the elite schools signed regarding need-based aid. I still think that there is room in their system for both need and merit based aid. The fact that they abused it and collaborated too much in the past in unfortunate, but I think they threw the baby out with the bath when they made the new agreement.
Right now, D is planning to visit Grinnell this week. The decision then will be among Swarthmore and heavy debt, Chicago with some debt, and Grinnell with no debt. I think Kenyon has fallen out of the equation because the academics are stronger at the other schools.
frazzled1: Hear! Hear!