I was thinking about Fordham (if Jesuit schools are ok), however, it looks like they only have admission notifications by mid December. Aid is until February 1st.
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American and George Washington are interesting ones. I would run the Net Price Calculator at both. If a NPC comes back affordable, I would then start considering if she would be willing to ED 2. They are likely to highly likely in the ED rounds but unpredictable in RD.
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With respect to this, you might benefit from clarification. Does your daughter indicate a greater interest in humanities, as suggested by the topic title, or in social sciences, as suggested by her interest in government and political science?
Checking for clarity…you plan to take $15,000 a year in loans plus you have $10,000 a year somehow…for a total of $25,000 a year from parents?
Case Western has EA and will get back with financial aid by mid December. If she gets the main app in by 11/1, you have until 11/15 for the supporting documents. CWRU is reachy in EA, but I think it is worth the effort to have potentially something in the bag by RD deadline.
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Oh, you’re right, I guess I should have said social sciences to be more specific. I wrote humanities mainly to indicate “not math/science/engineering”.
Thank you for thinking about this. I was including student loans in that total. But I really need to look through some of these great calculators people have sent to be more accurate.
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In general you don’t want to take on loans. It’s why the feds limit the student to $27k and $5500 the first year. The rest is on you.
Getting a degree in a social science - in general you don’t want to spend.
Maybe a Towson or Salisbury or frostburg or St Mary’s isn’t what your student wants but it crushes debt. So you might have to give up, say access to a city etc or something else.
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There are some smaller schools - not under-2K-tiny but under 3K - that could be well worth considering. Keep in mind that a college of 2000-something undergrads who are all highly qualified is not the same feeling as a high school of 2000-ish, of whom only a minority are highly academic.
Denison U seems to fit your parameters well. Suburban, just outside Columbus OH (which is a state capital). Particularly strong in social sciences, with a very strong DC semester/internship program Lugar Program | Denison University (not just the availability of a DC semester hosted by another entity, as you’ll find at most schools). Strong both in the social sciences themselves, and in crossover areas like Data Analytics which can add significant strength to a social sciences resume. Definitely a fun and friendly campus, and more diverse than most peer schools. Greek life is present but not overwhelming. Full-need-met financial aid.
Clark U, in Worcester MA, could be worth a look as well. Like Denison, it’s on the smaller side but not tiny (over 2K undergrads). In a small city, with access to a larger one (45 minutes on commuter rail to Boston). Cross-registration with other Worcester schools, including Holy Cross and WPI. Good internship placement, and a range of accelerated BA/MA programs with full or partial tuition scholarships available for the 5th year. Clark doesn’t guarantee full-need-met aid, but is likely to fill any gap with merit.
Dickinson in PA meets full need, is strong in social sciences, and seems to fit the vibe you’re looking for. It’s also on the smaller side and suburban, half an hour from the PA state capital of Harrisburg.
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I’m sure he means “the feds”.
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Dang phone. Edited. Thx. Yes feds.
Edited to debt too. Terrible.
Thx for catching.
I edited the topic title to better comport with your daughter’s interests.
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Another thing to keep in mind. City living is expensive. Going out with friends in cities is expensive. Not being able to go out with your friends because you cant afford it is hard.
I think GWU has finally opened a dining hall on campus this year, but you should check on that. Many students had serious problems with affording meals in DC
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Thanks so much for these suggestions. One question: What does BC stand for?
Boston College is my guess.
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I’d like to second @tsbna44’s recommendation for University of Rochester for several reasons:
- It’s a great school which will meet your academic needs very well.
- It’s an academic bargain, much easier to get admitted than a school of this caliber should be.
- They believe passionately in test optional and your gpa is right in their sweet spot.
- Also important to them is the rigor of high school courses and it sounds like you have that.
- They are very good with financial aid and have the financial resources to meet the needs of their incoming students.
- It’s the size that you say you’re looking forward.
As far as I’m concerned, Rochester is one of the best kept secrets around and is truly the kind of school which could offer the solution to your challenge.
Demonstrated interest is not super important to them, but it is important. If you are interested, I’d suggest that you make the trip up there for a campus tour. They also recommend an interview, so either schedule one while you’re visiting if it’s available or schedule one with an alum in your area. Finally, get the best faculty recommendations you can. They matter here.
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Lots to like about Rochester, but financial aid can be less generous than similar schools initially, and again in following years (one CC poster’s aid decreased a lot soph year with no change in family financials, was that you @taverngirl?).
OP says her D is looking for a school that’s not overly competitive, fun, and friendly, but not a party school. IMO Rochester is not a party school, but students tend to be on the nerdy side, and academics can be intense, so not sure that will meet the fun and friendly vibe she is looking for.
OP should run the NPC and see if it’s affordable, and how it compares with similar schools: Net Price Calculator
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Good advice. I second your advice to run the Net Price Calculator.
My experience with Rochester is that there is a wide range of types of students. Yes, there are the science nerds there because it’s well known for the strength of its science programs, but there are also the creative types at the Eastman School of Music. Undergraduate schools in addition to Science and Music include Liberal Arts, Social Science, Business, Engineering, Education, and Nursing. I think that the best information about the student experience at UR would be via a campus visit, making it a point to talk with a variety of students while she’s there.
I have not had the experience of students having financial aid pulled back on them, but I only know a handful of friends whose kids have gone there and they were very pleased with their financial aid package there. I suggest checking the university’s common data set for more information. Again, I suggest a campus visit with a scheduled appointment with the financial aid office to confront this concern directly.
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