A student with a 4.0, a 1400, and over 30 dual enrollment credits. Needs to be somewhat socially liberal, VA to Maine. Looking to study business, but possibly economics if LAC with no business school. Thanks so much
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Can you give some context? What do you consider “big” merit?
Is the 4.0 weighted? Unweighted? What level of rigor?
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This is key, because northeast schools aren’t known for big merit.
What is your budget? And which state do you live in?
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Sorry, I meant to be more specific. Need to be around $35000 total including cost of living and dining. I know that’s a LOT.
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Trying to be below $35k a year total, possibly closer to $40 but that’s pushing it since we have another kid that will overlap in college. And I’m in NJ.
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Sounds very similar to this thread.
There are some smaller schools listed.
One question will be - do you qualify for need aid ?
With your stats you can easily make budget but where the gain is at schools that aren’t quite as prestigious. But your stats bring you a deal !! And it’s why many high stat kids attend lower ranked schools - which btw should not be conflated with they aren’t excellent schools.
Even in NJ you have options.
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Gettysburg isn’t quite Northeast but large award brought COA down to $45k.
Union College seemed big on merit. Merrimack, (UMass, UNH, Univ. Maine may be too big but have merit.
NESCAC schools are terrible for merit.
This may help the best and includes Clarkson, Washington and Jefferson.
(https://www.road2colleg.com/top-30-colleges-largests-merit-based-scholarships/)
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Sorry link broken. Fixed
And similar to this thread, which has info from the last time OP asked.
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If we get needs it will only be at very top schools that tend to give more needs and most I have seen wouldn’t be schools that cost over $80k and can get us to $50-something.
So between the thread I posted and @skieurope posted you’ll have many ideas. But that cost on pure merit - you have smaller in state publics like Ramapo and Montclair and maybe TCNJ. Some PA regionals like Millersville and W Chester. Connecticut regionals too like CCSU give a tuition break to NJ residents. Some SUNYs which run in various sizes. Maine and URI should be looked at two. York College of PA plus some LACs like Ursinus, Susquehanna,Juniata and more may be worth a look. A Salisbury and Christopher Newport are two publics worth a look. Maybe St Mary’s, Marylands public Honors college too.
I’m sure there are more others will share or have in the other lists.
There will be options and maybe out of your comfort zone but W Carolina is $20kish full pay. It may not be liberal - I don’t know but nearby Asheville is over the top liberal. A bit out of your geography but UNC Asheville is another to check out. .
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So we were in a similar boat, NJ seeking Merit with slightly lower stats 1380 SAT, 3.7 UW GPA. We looked for merit-forward schools and were successful in every attempt to ask for more(** below). The safety schools plus UDel and Clark came down to $30-$45k after merit (no need aid) not including loans or work study.
I would also suggest you go on Road2College and look at the actual merit awards people have posted (you have to put in your schools to see others). That way you can see many at once.
The other thing that can help is study abroad (which can be cheaper than many privates and OKS public’s) and using the xtra credits to graduate in 7 semesters or go part time senior year and save money that way.
SAFETY
Manhattan ACCEPTED $39,000 merit
Loyola Md ACCEPTED $34,000 merit
St Joe PHL. ACCEPTED $31,000 merit
SetonHall ACCEPTED $30,000 merit**
Marist Coll ACCEPTED $27,000 merit**
Geo.Mason ACCEPTED $18,000 merit
TARGET
Clark Univ. ACCEPTED $30,500 merit
American. ACCEPTED. $17,000 merit**
Delaware. ACCEPTED $12,000 merit
Rutgers ACCEPTED Zero aid
REACHES
Fordham ACCEPTED $28,000 merit**
Maryland. ENROLLED $2,000 merit
Coll W&M. REJECTED
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My daughter got merit aid for Muhlenberg and Sarah Lawrence which brought the total cost down to about 40K.
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Conn College tops out merit at 35k and Holy Cross at 20k
In my opinion, your net cost is far more important than the dollar amount of your merit aid.
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Really hoping you see this. Is the merit you listed the dollar amount of merit that you were offered? It’s not the cost it came down to, right? This was so helpful. And she wants to study abroad at least one semester, possibly two.
And did you submit SAT for all?
The writer clearly listed it as merit.
So you need to take the costs and reduce by that amount.
For example, Clark is $71,367 direct costs - so tuition, room, board, etc - not transport, books, pizza at midnight etc.
If merit was $30,500, that would leave direct costs of $40,867.
George Mason is $37976 tuition + $15151 room and board. So $53157 direct billed. $18k off puts it just over $35k.
Don’t forget kids move off campus. At some schools you can find lower costs. At others, like where my kid goes (College of Charleston), it’s higher.
So check into that at each school.
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It looks like those are merit awards. My daughter received $17,000 from UDel and that brought costs down to $35,000 a year, 3.95 uwgpa 34 act. They are the first university with a travel abroad program and it’s very good, they even have a longer winter break because many students choose to go abroad for it.
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Yes merit awards.