<p>You might try the University of Nebraska. I know it is not an exotic location but it is a solid school with great support from the state and alums. I used a 27 ACT and 3.3 GPA in their scholarship estimator and it came up with this…</p>
<p>Updating with Sons five acceptances. (No rejections!) </p>
<p>Agnes Scott
Albright
Adelphi x 2
American (WMP)
Anderson University (with merit)
Arcadia x 3
Baldwin Wallace
Beloit x 3
Bellarmine
Bryant
Cal Lutheran ($11K) X 2
CSU Fullerton
CSU Monterey Bay
CSU Sacramento
Catholic University (DC)
Champlain
Chapman
Christopher Newport
Clark
Coastal Carolina
College of Wooster
Colorado State (5K Dean’s/OOS)
Cornell College
DeSales
DePaul
Drew
Earlham x3
Eckerd x 3 (13.5K)
Elon (fall admit)
Elon (admitted Spring, waitlisted Fall) x 2
Fairfield
Fordham
Fort Lewis College
George Mason
Gonzaga (3K)
Goucher x 6
Guilford x 3
Hampshire
Hofstra x 3
Humboldt State
Indiana University
Indiana Wesleyan
Ithaca x 4
James Madison
Kenyon
Knox x 2
Lake Forest
Lawrence (WI)
Loyola Maryland
Loyola New Orleans
Lycoming
Mt St Mary’s U (MD)
Marlboro
Marquette
Methodist University
Miami OH x 3
Mills
Monmouth University (NJ) x2
Montana State (with 5k merit)
Muhlenberg
New College of Florida
Northern Arizona U
Ohio Wesleyan x 5 (23K) ($25.5K)
Oregon State (2K/OOS)
Penn State - Behrend
Reed
Rider x 2
RIT x2 (but admitted to 3rd choice major)
Roanoke X 3
Roger Williams U (11k merit)
San Diego State (in region)
St Anselm
St Edward’s
St Marys (CA) x 2
St Marys (MD)
Salisbury (MD)
Siena x 2
Simmons
Seattle U
Sonoma State
Southern Oregon x 2
SUNY Albany
SUNY Binghamton (deferred EA, still waiting to hear) x 3
SUNY Fredonia
SUNY Geneseo
SUNY Potsdam
SUNY Purchase
Suffolk
Susquehanna x 4
Syracuse
Taylor University (with small merit)
Towson
Tulane
U Arizona (6K and iPad)
U of Arkansas
UC Merced
UC Santa Cruz
U Connecticut x 2
U Delaware (waitlist)
U Denver X 4 Zip merit
U Hartford
UMBC x2
UMCP
U Maine - Orono
UMass Amherst (accepted Undeclared. Waiting to hear about getting into Engineering)
UMass Lowell (1/2 tuition and fees, about $5900 in-state)
U New Hampshire
U New Haven
UNC Ashville
UNC Wilmington (Spring admission)
U Oregon
U of the Pacific
U Pittsburgh
U Puget Sound x 3 (23K)
U Redlands x 2 (13K)
U Rhode Island
U San Francisco x 2
U of South Florida (Summer admission)
U of West Florida
Ursinus x 2
Wagner
Warren Wilson College x 4
Western New England Univ (13K merit)
Western Washington U x 2 (4K/OOS)
Willamette x 3 (13K) (20K)
Winthrope University
Washington College x 2
Washington College (waitlist)</p>
<p>I’ve been away for a few days and am just catching up. Congrats on all the new acceptances and for those getting unwelcome news, don’t let it get you down! I’ve been through this process twice before, including ups and downs, and it does really all turn out to be okay in the end!</p>
<p>I noticed a discussion up thread about grants vs. merit aid. We filed a FAFSA for our D even though we knew (from previous experience) that our salaries and college savings accounts would make her ineligible for need-based aid. H and I have told our kids that we expect them to help pay for their education by taking out modest Stafford loans. (Skin in the game and all that.) D has received merit $$ ranging from $18k/yr to $2.5k/yr from most of her schools. Now that the FA packages are in, we notice that some of the colleges that offered less/no merit money have included “need-based” grants. I’m wary of this practice; it feels like they’re sweetening the pot in order to lure a full-pay student, and that these “grants” will not be offered in subsequent years. But when I called one school to ask about it, I was told that if our finances didn’t change, the grant would indeed be offered again. Nevertheless, I’m inclined to only consider the merit $$ to be dependable for four years. What do others think? Am I being too cynical?</p>
<p>I think that you’re being too cynical. In fact the Jason Lee (a need based award) grant at Willamette remains in force for four years, with no need to file a FAFSA. A friend who is a college counselor said many colleges will put together the grants they think it will take to get you to choose them over another school and that the balance of merit and need is pretty meaningless.</p>
<p>Yes, great idea! I know a student who appied at SCAD for screen-writing a few years back! She got off U Southern California’s (that USC’s) waitlist that year and went there instead but she was impressed by SCAD.</p>
<p>You should also consider that many merit awards have GPA and Credit Hour enrollment requirements that need to be maintained or you will then lose the merit aid award. Depending on the rigor of the program, the GPA may be difficult to maintain. One particularly difficult semester and the award is gone and once lost I doubt that one would be able to get it reinstated.</p>
<p>It is one of the reasons that we are declinining admission to UMass-Amherst College of Engineering despite a 10K Chancellor’s Scholarship. The scholarship is renewable each year as long as the student maintains a 3.2 GPA each semester. Not an easy task in such a rigourous program.</p>
<p>Excerpt from UMass-Amherst webpage</p>
<p>“Merit aid is aid awarded on the basis of academic merit rather than financial need. Students must maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) designated for their particular merit aid program. For example, the required cumulative GPA for the Adams Tuition Waiver is 3.0 and for the Chancellor’s, Director’s and Dean’s Scholarship it is a 3.2.”</p>
<p>Redirected means not accepted, redirected to another college.</p>
<p>Coral, have you looked at Columbia College in Chicago? It has rolling admissions, I believe is well regarded. DS has a friend there who is doing very well.</p>
<p>Is Hampshire still taking applications? Another strong film program.</p>
<p>But I second the advice re not needing a film program per se.</p>
<p>nyer: “Redirected” is a more positive way of expressing a denied admission.</p>
<p>About SCAD: Not that Savannah isn’t a <em>great</em> town, but there’s also a campus in Atlanta, if that makes it easier from the west coast (check to see if film is offered there though).</p>
<p>USN: I forgot to mention that many of the merit scholarships my D has received don’t require a minimum GPA of more than 2.0, and a few only ask that she stay in “good academic standing” (i.e. not flunking out), for which I’m very grateful since she <em>is</em> capable of roller-coaster grades!</p>
<p>Ahhhhh! I recently read a CC post with “redirected” in it and I thought the poster had meant to type “rejection” but their computer or phone had autocorrected the word. </p>
<p>I had no idea this was a new euphemism for a denial (did we really need another way to say “No”?) I’ve learned so much here.</p>
<p>coralbrook: I know several students who attend APU. They all love their school and are all having a great experience. I know they are religious, but none of them ultra conservative by any measure. I can’t speak for the whole school, though. You can probably find some good info regarding the school environment if you search the internet.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for the suggestions. We’ve ruled out SCAD but I’ll definitely review the others with D. Trying to do a lot of visits next week during Spring Break.
D is talking about Gap Year, but her version of Gap Year is not the same as mine! Her version seems to involve various convoluted schemes that involve her boyfriend. It’s very difficult to explain to a 17 yr old that critical decisions about college, etc. should not be based on a boyfriend who may not even be in the picture 4 months from now.</p>
<p>Decision made, check written, and acceptance mailed. Son just put the UMaine sticker on his Jeep and is picking out a university vanity plate. Go Black Bears!</p>
<p>Son with 3.38 GPA (unweighted) and 2010 SAT superscored (720 CR / 680 M / 610 W). Class rank in upper 25%. 14 Honors and AP courses. Excellent Music EC (Multiple Honors), Sports (Track), Key Club President, Community Service, 3 years of part-time employment. Will pursue Mechanical Engineering degree.</p>
<p>Northeastern University - rejected waitlist offer
Purdue University - denied
University of Connecticut - accepted
University of Maine / Honors - accepted and attending
University of Maryland College Park - accepted
University of Massachusetts - Amherst - accepted
University of New Haven - accepted
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) - rejected waitlist offer</p>
<p>UConn merit - 0, financial aid - 6600, net - 39900
UMaine (IS) merit - 9500, financial aid - 0, net - 13400
UMass-Amherst merit - 10000, financial aid - 0, net - 30300
UMaryland-College Park merit - 0, financial aid - 0, net - 42500
UNew Haven merit - 19000, financial aid - 500, net - 30800</p>
<p>net cost = total estimated costs (tuition, room & board, books, transportation, misc) less merit aid and financial aid.</p>
<p>So happy that he picked the in-state school. It is a gem of a smaller state university. Closer to family and he will be able to graduate with very little student debt. Things work out.</p>
<p>coralbrook- I don’t recommend Hampshire (even if they are still admitting which I doubt). First years don’t actually get admitted into the film concentration. You have to petition and get advisers to sign on- one of D’s friends came to Hampshire to do film but was “redirected” in house and could only get anthro with a film minor.</p>
<p>Coralbrook, best of luck with the spring visits. Visiting as an accepted student is a very different experience. She will see possibilities she didn’t see before, and may hone in on what’s really important to her (besides the BF). Hopefully you and DD can talk with folks on the campuses who will excite her and suggest a clear(er) path for her for next year. </p>
<p>Don’t lose heart, you’ve done such a good job navigating this crazy college search with her. But I’m guessing this next phase will require extra patience, too. </p>
<p>(Is the BF going to college next year? Can’t remember. )</p>
<p>Coralbrook- have you looked into spending one or two yrs at the Community college and transferring to USC or Chapman. I have heard both are transfer friendly and I know Chapman gives transfer merit aid.</p>
<p>I actually mentioned Univ of Nebraska to D and she didn’t have a fit - so we are researching admin deadlines for that one. Looks like there was a Feb 1 deadline to apply into the college that has the film/communications major.</p>
<p>BF is college sophomore waiting for transfer decision to UCLA film. Really wish BF wasn’t mucking up her decision-making process. I don’t believe he is trying to influence her but she is making pie in the sky alternatives emotionally at this point.</p>
<p>I’m going to do everything I can to get her to fall in love with SDSU next week!! Including pointing out all the cute boys And bribing her with extra money for study abroad and a car in the future since the overall cost is lower than her other choices.</p>
And bribing her with extra money for study abroad and a car in the future since the overall cost is lower than her other choices.</p>