Shooting below your weight

[Anonymous]

There are many, many very bright kids at large universities and SLACs in the 25-75 range that offer merit scholarships. Lots of people can't spend $85,000-$90,000 a year. Your kid will not be alone.

[Anonymous]

This is definitely the path to maximum merit.

We applied to a range. My kid got offers of approximately half tuition at all.

Her favorite was also the least competitive of her 7 admits (a CTCL). That had me nervous, but she really loved the vibe and values. As it turns out, she DID thrive there (i.e., was recognized with additional merit awards by faculty, won prestigious internship slots). So I think she made the right choice. And came away with no student debt.

[Anonymous]

I love the 50-100 merit aid schools. They weed out the prestige-or-bust crowd, which lowers the intensity on campus. The merit aid eases the urgency for instant ROI, which creates a little space for kids to explore interests for the sake of curiosity alone. It’s a little easier for kids to access opportunities. The professors are still great, but the vibe is more relaxed. There’s less of a socioeconomic barbell effect.

If my kid were gunning for McKinsey I might think twice about eschewing the top schools, but otherwise merit aid seems the way to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's punching below your weight, OP.

What matters most is fit. Where your student feels most at home, comfortable. This is where I want to be. Single most important factor.

+1000

Where will your DC thrive socially and emotionally as well as academically? That’s the key question that is often missing in the process.

Please. Telling my friends and neighbors “my DC is so socially and emotionally happy their school” pales in comparison to “my DC goes to Yale.”

C’mon. You know this.

DP: I totally disagree with you on that.

+1 Yes it’s wunnerful that your kid got in Yale. But this isn’t 1980.

These days a Yale acceptance comes attached to a whole file cabinet full of suspicions that kid was cutting corners on phony charities, had family connections pulling strings, had daddy donate a new wing of the Chemistry building, had thousands of $ in SAT prep, had uncle provide documentation for bogus extra test time learning disability, and so on.

Everybody knows a dozen brilliant kids who didn’t even get waitlisted at a T10 because they weren’t related to f’ing Susan “Down with the capitalist patriarchy—but please wait til my kid graduates from Brown before starting the revolution” Sarandon.

First, wow, you need to deal with your anger, and …

Second, what are you talking about? 1980s Yale was predominantly white, rich and male, with all the elite private schools over represented. Is it perfect today, no! But at least it’s not just a majority of rich white legacy boys walking around campus.

[Anonymous]

Yet again another thread of people arguing someone else -not THEIR kid- should chase merit and go to a less selective (acc to whatever bs ranking they are consulting) college b/c "fit is what is most important."

Until people stop buying into Brand Name = Better, this sort of elitist sh-- will continue to spread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is definitely the path to maximum merit.

We applied to a range. My kid got offers of approximately half tuition at all.

Her favorite was also the least competitive of her 7 admits (a CTCL). That had me nervous, but she really loved the vibe and values. As it turns out, she DID thrive there (i.e., was recognized with additional merit awards by faculty, won prestigious internship slots). So I think she made the right choice. And came away with no student debt.

Thank you for sharing your perspective! Half tuition merit is significant!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous[b wrote:]I love the 50-100 merit aid schools. [/b]They weed out the prestige-or-bust crowd, which lowers the intensity on campus. The merit aid eases the urgency for instant ROI, which creates a little space for kids to explore interests for the sake of curiosity alone. It’s a little easier for kids to access opportunities. The professors are still great, but the vibe is more relaxed. There’s less of a socioeconomic barbell effect.

If my kid were gunning for McKinsey I might think twice about eschewing the top schools, but otherwise merit aid seems the way to go.

Which schools are these?

[Anonymous]

Yep, this is a good way to get $. Make sure your kid keeps an open mind and a healthy awareness of how much college costs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous[b wrote:]I love the 50-100 merit aid schools. [/b]They weed out the prestige-or-bust crowd, which lowers the intensity on campus. The merit aid eases the urgency for instant ROI, which creates a little space for kids to explore interests for the sake of curiosity alone. It’s a little easier for kids to access opportunities. The professors are still great, but the vibe is more relaxed. There’s less of a socioeconomic barbell effect.

If my kid were gunning for McKinsey I might think twice about eschewing the top schools, but otherwise merit aid seems the way to go.

Which schools are these?

Wake?

[Anonymous]

Both of my kids are in college at private schools each paying below 60 K per year.

Both extremely happy - one at a national private university, one at a SLAC - both at schools that are not the highest ranked schools at which they were accepted.

You have to give more details but there are plenty of options and plenty of good ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous[b wrote:]I love the 50-100 merit aid schools. [/b]They weed out the prestige-or-bust crowd, which lowers the intensity on campus. The merit aid eases the urgency for instant ROI, which creates a little space for kids to explore interests for the sake of curiosity alone. It’s a little easier for kids to access opportunities. The professors are still great, but the vibe is more relaxed. There’s less of a socioeconomic barbell effect.

If my kid were gunning for McKinsey I might think twice about eschewing the top schools, but otherwise merit aid seems the way to go.

Which schools are these?

I like this perspective. This list might be helpful in determining the 50-100 merit aid schools. You can sort by % receiving merit: https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/merit-aid

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is definitely the path to maximum merit.

We applied to a range. My kid got offers of approximately half tuition at all.

Her favorite was also the least competitive of her 7 admits (a CTCL). That had me nervous, but she really loved the vibe and values. As it turns out, she DID thrive there (i.e., was recognized with additional merit awards by faculty, won prestigious internship slots). So I think she made the right choice. And came away with no student debt.

Would you be willing to say what school? This is the position we are in and my DC is considering the CTCL school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous[b wrote:]I love the 50-100 merit aid schools. [/b]They weed out the prestige-or-bust crowd, which lowers the intensity on campus. The merit aid eases the urgency for instant ROI, which creates a little space for kids to explore interests for the sake of curiosity alone. It’s a little easier for kids to access opportunities. The professors are still great, but the vibe is more relaxed. There’s less of a socioeconomic barbell effect.

If my kid were gunning for McKinsey I might think twice about eschewing the top schools, but otherwise merit aid seems the way to go.

Which schools are these?

I like this perspective. This list might be helpful in determining the 50-100 merit aid schools. You can sort by % receiving merit: https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/merit-aid

Interesting list!
FWIW, my kid received more than the average noted for the schools where they were 75%+ on ACT/SAT scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous[b wrote:]I love the 50-100 merit aid schools. [/b]They weed out the prestige-or-bust crowd, which lowers the intensity on campus. The merit aid eases the urgency for instant ROI, which creates a little space for kids to explore interests for the sake of curiosity alone. It’s a little easier for kids to access opportunities. The professors are still great, but the vibe is more relaxed. There’s less of a socioeconomic barbell effect.

If my kid were gunning for McKinsey I might think twice about eschewing the top schools, but otherwise merit aid seems the way to go.

Which schools are these?

Case
SMU
TCU
Santa Clara
Tulane
Pepperdine
Elon
U-Miami
Wake

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you need to send to community college and onto flagship if only willing 60,000. You have basically only 2 years flagship - and quite frankly your doesn’t sound that different from anyone else’s kid by your description, except maybe he drew unfortunate parental pair.

What the actual F....