Reply to schools w/ no merit aid

Forum Index » College and University Discussion

Reply to "schools w/ no merit aid"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Long story short: we will not get any financial aid. We make too much for help but don't make enough to go full pay at a private in a way that leaves any wiggle room.

We are just starting this process, and child is an athlete that is in the midst of recruiting (only D3 at this point b/c of NCAA limits- and FTR I don't care if DC plays a sport or not but she does). I'm looking at the finances of the various schools and was shocked to learn that some of the schools she's been talking to give NO MERIT aid. DC has excellent grades, community service, ECs, and athletics.

I get she's one of many like man others . . . and I know at DC there are no athletic scholarships. But, how are people affording places like Wellesley? Their website and what I'm finding says they give ZERO aid on the basis that, essentially, "everyone there is special."

Yes, she can look elsewhere. And she is. But it is so sad to have to shut down a possibility [b]that would, honestly, be such a perfect fit for her in every way[/b]. With room and board, etc. the cost per year is nearly $80K!!!! Two years would eat up more than our 529 has in it. Super bummed to have to limit her.
[/quote]

It is good that you are realizing how the pricing works now rather than a year from now. Yes, if you aren't hugely wealthy, most people have to deal with financial limits when it comes to college selection. Like everything else in life -- are you super bummed to have limited her to riding in a particular type of car or living in a particular house/neighborhood or going on certain types of vacations because of cost? College is no different.

My kids only applied to reaches that were in-state publics (UVA, W&M) for this reason. One is now at VT and the other (while waiting on an answer from W&M) has acceptances from multiple LACs with large merit awards and is very happy with her choices, even if she doesn't get in to W&M. Possibly, in part, because we never even toured schools we knew we could never afford. Shopping for reaches you can't afford is such a waste of time and mental/emotional energy. Again, no different than shopping for a house or car I can't afford.

Wellesley is NOT a "perfect fit for her in every way" because it is not also a financial fit. So, she needs to think what were the specific aspects of Wellesley that she liked (and ranking doesn't count) and do the research to figure out what schools offer that and are generous with merit aid. There definitely are other schools out there and she won't be alone in being a strong student at a college a tier or two down. Plenty of people with great students have to make the same choices based on finances.

Here's one place to start -- this data visualization tool from the Chronicle of Higher Education can show you which colleges listed Wellesley as a "peer". Some of these are less selective and offer merit aid.
https://www.chronicle.com/article/who-does-your-college-think-its-peers-are[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics