<p>I’m looking for some low-match/safety private schools with good merit and/or need-based aid. Any combination is fine, but I’m aiming for no debt.</p>
<p>SAT: 2080 (740M, 670W, 670CR)
GPA: 3.6/4.1
Income: ~$20,000 / year
First-generation college student, single-parent household</p>
<p>Right now, I’m thinking maybe George Washington University Boston University, or University of Miami, but I’m open to any suggestions. Thanks!</p>
<p>I’m not sure you can have any school as a safety who grants a near full-scholarship. From my limited experience, that only happens for students who are in the top percentiles of a student body at a school, so you’ll have to lower your expectations quite substantially.</p>
<p>That being said, with your income, I’d say going for a school that meets all demonstrated need would be your best shot. Unfortunately, most of them are better private schools (I guess the ones with smaller endowments cannot afford it), and so it’s unlikely any of them would be a safety, either.</p>
<p>I think the best safeties for most people financially are state schools where they’re pretty much guaranteed honors acceptance and scholarships…</p>
<p>Anyway, as far as the need-based schools go, here’s a list to get your started:
[CSLF</a> : IF : Colleges That Meet Financial Aid Need](<a href=“http://www.cslf.com/investinyourfuture/payingforcollege/collegesthatmeetneed.htm]CSLF”>http://www.cslf.com/investinyourfuture/payingforcollege/collegesthatmeetneed.htm)</p>
<p>Be sure to look for schools that are need-blind and look for schools that meet need without loans.</p>
<p>The best-case situation would be to improve your SAT/take the ACT and get into a full-need school. Apply to a bunch of them regardless of whether your scores improve.</p>
<p>For merit aid look at some of the stickies at the top of this forum.</p>
<p>. . . of schools we’re examining that offer merit aid.</p>
<p>First # is % of students receiving merit aid</p>
<p>Second # is average amount of merit aid provided.</p>
<p>e.g., at Oberlin 17% of the students received merit aid; average award was $10,000. </p>
<p>Data is from the USNWR 2009 Big Book </p>
<h2>Good luck</h2>
<p>U Rochester 33 9
Grinnell 32 10
Muhlenberg 30 11
U Michigan 29 6
Beloit 25 12
Franklin M’shall 24 13
Brandeis 22 20
UVM 19 2
Oberlin 17 10
U Wisconsin 17 2
Hampshire 16 5
Wash U 14 5
U Chicago 11 11
Skidmore 10 0
Dickinson 9 10
Carleton 8 3
Colorado 6 10
Macalester 6 5
SUNY - Bingamton 4 3
Bard 3 11
Hamilton 3 11
Trinity 2 28
Bucknell 2 12</p>
<p>So a search for Momfromtexas. She found great financial aid for her kids.</p>
<p>Skidmore 10 0</p>
<p>Average package was 0?</p>
<p>something else I want to avoid are loans… “generous” need-based aid is useless to me if it’s mostly loan money.</p>
<p>So I’m really just looking for a match/safety school that gives great need aid, but not through loans… and I don’t think I’ll find one haha.</p>
<p>Depending on what major your want, Cooper Union is a great school with all tuition paid. Its in NYC and ranked very high in engineering - but unfortunately thats about it.</p>
<p>I think Cooper Union has a good art program, too? A kid from my high school went there on like a full art scholarship if I remember correctly.</p>
<p>flyingllama,</p>
<p>check out Richmond. The have need-blind admission, meet 100% of need (they really do), and limit loans and work-study to $4000/yr total. Your stats make it a no worse than a match. It’s smaller than the other schools you mentioned with about 3000 undergrad and another 500 grads.</p>