<p>Re endowments for FA: My son was accepted with nearly full costs covered at two schools with endowments under 75m. The key is (with anything related to admissions) fit. He would have been great at those two schools. The other two schools that offered him aid had much higher endowments. The one school that I was told that the reason he wasn’t selected is known for generous FA. At the other schools that WLed him, I don’t know because I didn’t ask. But they all had larger than average endowments.</p>
<p>Find the schools that you think you would love to attend. Chances are, if you love them for the right reasons, you’ll “fit” there and your chances increase dramatically, though it’s still not a sure thing.</p>
<p>I wish it was as simple as finding applicable criteria and that is, of course, a great way to begin compiling a list. The rule I gave my son was, “If you don’t love it, don’t apply. You don’t have to have a reason.”</p>
<p>But my son didn’t have a list of “must haves.” His criteria was pretty simple: Will I be supported in my intellectual pursuits and do I like the feel of the place? I had my own set of criteria and we didn’t visit any schools that I didn’t feel good about. (What’s the point of visiting a school that I wouldn’t send him to?) After the initial winnowing, the ball was in his court, so to speak.</p>