Bryn Mawr does offer merit scholarships (12 to 30K.)
I am not sure if BC still does it but they used to have on-line the bios of the very few (10?) students that receive the full tuition scholarship. You should spend some time reading and see what they are looking for. Stats is only a part.
In general when you are looking for full tuition and/or full ride the game is played in a completely different level.
While some of these schools do offer a small number of merit awards…SMALL NUMBER…they are highly competitive. In addition, check to see if there is a need component to these merit awards…sometimes there is.
I thought this parent was looking for net cost in the $35,000 a year range…not a full ride or full tuition at a $65,000 plus school.
But getting even a large merit award from a college that maybe gives 10 a year…well…that’s not a guarantee, and as noted, it’s not all about the stats.
We were looking for good merit aid this year, and from all our research University of Miami seemed like a good bet. From our research, a kid with 1530 SAT, 14 APs, and excellent ec’s would at least qualify for a $27K scholarship. In the end he was awarded $20K, which makes Miami still expensive. So those stats are no guarantee there. Good luck!
OP mentioned BC and Villanova. BC offers no in between merit. It is full tuition or nothing. Villanova offers 15K merit (St. Augustine) or full ride. Again, nothing in between. So for those two schools the competition IS for full tuition/full ride.
A few points:
Your daughter will not be applying to colleges for another 18 months- scholarships can change. Your daughter can change.
Your daughter is a sophomore without any testing. Is she the type to really push herself? Does she get stressed easily? Does she need balance? Does she enjoy being busy 12+ hours a day?
Tulane- this school is funny. I know kids who graduated top 1% with high scores who were flat out denied, let alone merit. If your D has a high gpa and test scores at the end of junior year… showing a lot of interest may be beneficial.
U of Miami- my friend’s son was top 2% and had a 33 ACT. He is a Stamps Scholar.
Lafayette- my D’s friend received $25,000 a year with a 35 ACT ( she disclosed this) and top 2%.
Lehigh- my D received half tuition and a smaller science award. She was top 1% with high scores. You need to show tremendous interest… and this interest should come out in the form of campus visits, local functions, essays etc.
Case Western might be another one to consider. Maybe the U of Rochester depending on scores.
Right now this is all hypothetical… your D needs to maintain a high gpa and still take the standardized tests. She should also remember to see her friends and get involved in activities that she enjoys doing. There should be a balance …( my opinion) …even if it means also trying for merit at schools that are a little lower down the food chain.
@WalknOnEggShells How is D1 doing? Has she made a decision, or still waiting to hear from more schools?
Pitt offers excellent merit aid. For OOS, apply early in their rolling cycle to get the best possible merit aid. My DS applied in September and by October was accepted with an offer of full tuition (GPA 4.0 UW, I think 4.25 or so weighted, 1580 SAT superscored). Other kids who applied early were offered good amounts of aid.
@thumper1 - RE #14 - while Wellesley gives primarily need based aid, they are able to give a LOT of aid. OP does not give any indication of family income nor assets, but Wellesley does make college affordable for many middle class families.
As for OP’s question on working with a tutor, many kids have been helped for testing prep, but many others are fine doing the prep work on their own. I am in favor of the student handling this on their own, but I certainly don’t begrudge the families that choose to spend their money this way. You know your own kid and her study habits , and you know your own finances. If she needs an outside person to nag her to study/prep, some families find this money well spent, just so they don’t have to deal with the hassle of nagging a teenager.
@WalknOnEggShells , my son had similar stats (1540/35/top 5%). He received $23,000 in academic merit from Miami-Fla and was invited to interview for full tuition scholarships. He received $30,000 from SMU, another school you may want to look into.
My daughter had similar stats and got offered merit award at Bryn Mawr. Was accepted to Haverford also but no merit aid. Attending Bryn Mawr and very happy with decision. The colleges are intermixed and she is happy she choose the merit award because she has the best of both.
IMO there are plenty of free effective ways to prep for the ACT or SAT, so I don’t see spending money on a tutor as necessary unless you have a kid that absolutely can’t do it on their own. If they simply don’t want to do it on their own then maybe they don’t really care as much about working for the higher score and getting in a more prestigious school.
DD was offered $32k merit at Tulane and Fordham, so either of those would have been in the $35kish range with no other aid. She had 34 ACT, 4.2 weighted and lots of leadership extracurriculars. USC (Cali) and George Washington also offered merit but not enough to reduce it to that level. It’s so competitive but also possible. Good luck.
IMO there are plenty of free effective ways to prep for the ACT or SAT
Would you care to elaborate? I am genuinely interested. As someone who never attended college, this whole process is a bit of a mine field at times.
We just check out the test prep books from library for my daughters and they did the practice tests in the books and online. Both ended up within the top 1% score range in junior.
@WalknOnEggShells How is D1 doing? Has she made a decision, or still waiting to hear from more schools?
I am a current senior, top 5% of class with 1550 SAT, unique extracurriculars. You need to seriously consider honors colleges; they are great programs that are well respected and give out HEFTY scholarships. Here is what I received:
University of South Carolina Honors College (#1 HC in the country, #1 International Business Program): Top Scholar award, which includes free laptop, advisors, priority housing and parking, and almost unlimited funding. Tuition, room and board, meals, and travel costs will be approximately $9,000 a year.
Miami University in Oxford, Ohio Honors Program and Scholars Program: $24,000 a year, based purely on SAT and GPA. COA is approximately $20,000.
Rutgers University Honors College: $13,000 a year (didn’t try very hard on my application as I’m instate and knew I was getting in). Tutition about $20,000 too.
McGill University in Montreal: $10,000 a year (maximum for international students), making COA under $16,000 a year.
University of Toronto: $7,500 a year (maximum for international students), making COA aproximately $32,000.
All of these schools have tremendous resources and are reputable, unlike a lot of schools that give out huge merit packages to a lot of students. The two Canadian colleges are globally ranked. I would recommend checking out other Honors Colleges, as well as the University of Pittsburgh, as I regret not applying because they have tremendous merit aid. If your child has under a 1500 and you want merit packages like the ones above, they will need to retake the SAT. It is completely worth it.
If you have any questions at all, let me know!
College board has free full length practice tests on their website and you can practice with Khanacademy.
The term “COA” or cost of attendance at a specific school is the same for every student in a given year, possibly with minor variations based on estimated travel expenses and a few other things. The term you want to use in describing the remaining cost for a particular student after scholarships and grants have been figured in is “net cost.”
Thank you, but who cares? I obviously meant my personal cost of attendance @BelknapPoint
Your “personal cost of attendance” is pretty much the same as anyone else in your college class. What you really mean by “personal cost of attendance” is actually your net cost.
Who cares about effective communication? Everybody, I hope.
COA has a specific meaning. Using the term incorrectly can be confusing if the reader doesn’t already know the correct usage. In any form of communication, we should strive to be efficient and effective. This is especially good advice for anyone about to start college. So, you’re welcome.
https://fafsa.ed.gov/help/costatt.htm
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cost-of-attendance.asp