Best way to find schools with high merit aid?
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Anonymous
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I viewed the CDS for a school, and it said that their average award for "non-need" aid is $19,000. Their tuition is $74,000.
That's still a lot. I wish we could be full pay, but we can't. What's the best way to find schools that award more? I don't think we'll qualify for need-based aid. I'm already looking for schools where kid's grade and scores would be the top 25% of admitted students. |
Anonymous
Keep looking at the CDS. Wash & Lee has an average award over $40k according to their CDS. |
Anonymous
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OP, there are very, very few schools that are going to provide near full merit aid, even half. Start looking at the less selective LACs in Midwest, maybe UMass Amherst/UVM. There are a also a range of schools, especially the most competitive ones, that provide no merit aid, only need based.
Alas, there's no real magic way to do it. If there way, then no one would be on here trying to figure it out. |
Anonymous
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It's actually very simple. There's a book by Selingo that you should buy right away.
https://jeffselingo.com/which-colleges-are-really-buyers-and-which-are-sellers/ |
Anonymous
| For Lawrence University (Wisconsin), it looks like tuition and fees (including room and board) is $63,585, while average non-need-based aid for freshmen last year was $31,503. |
Anonymous
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Depends on what kinds of schools you're looking for. Miami University in Ohio gives pretty generous aid based on GPA/scores that bring tuition well within in-state range and possibly even cheaper than your own in-state schools.
Wooster Denison Kalamazoo Dickinson Washington & Jefferson (it seems like they straight up guarantee at least some merit aid) Chatham University Gettysburg Juniata Oberlin Grinnell Macalester Occidental Smith Bryn Mawr Mount Holyoke Connecticut College Case Western Allegheny College W&L Lawrence University St Lawrence Beloit Sarah Lawrence Kenyon OOS schools like UKY, ASU, Alabama |
Anonymous
Also Wheaton (MA) gave DC a lot of merit aid |
Anonymous
| New Mexico |
Anonymous
| U of Soith Carolina gives a lot |
Anonymous
Then that's not the right school for you. Do not apply to schools that you know you will not be able to pay. |
Anonymous
How do you know whether you can afford it before you apply and get your aid package? You can’t really go by rack rates. |
Anonymous
| For an NMSF look at UT Dallas, Florida State schools, Arizona State, U of South Carolina, Northeastern and Fordham. |
Anonymous
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CDS provides useful info on all kinds of things, but be careful around interpreting the info. Just because a school gives a lot of merit doesn't mean your kid will get a lot of merit.
Most of the schools with more competitive admissions don't give merit aid. And in our (limited) experience, your DC is more likely to get merit aid at a school where their stats are way above average. That makes sense - schools use merit to attract high performers. Also be prepared to apply early - either EA or very early in a rolling admissions process. College Confidential forums have a lot of advice about hunting for merit. There are a number of schools that are transparent about merit aid. They publish on their website how much merit they award based on an applicant's stats. Again, it's a way of attracting top students. They often have honors colleges or other selective programs. |
Anonymous
OP is asking about merit, not FA. Most schools will give "non-need" based aid (token merit) of 15-20k. If you can't afford after factoring in 15-20, that's not the school. |
Anonymous
Great list. Some overlaps with my dc’s experience. |