Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 08:24     Subject: What colleges give merit aid to good (but not top) (artsy and STEM oriented) student from elite private?
I don't understand the strategy of spending on an elite high school education but then choosing a second-rate college to save a buck
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 08:22     Subject: What colleges give merit aid to good (but not top) (artsy and STEM oriented) student from elite private?
What happened that you could afford high school but it college?

After such a premium education, why can't your child afford a loan?
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 03:03     Subject: What colleges give merit aid to good (but not top) (artsy and STEM oriented) student from elite private?
Scripps
Occidental
Whitman
Willamette
Lewis and Clark
Connecticut College
Bryn Mawr
Mount Holyoke
Smith
Dickinson
Ithaca
Macalester
St Olaf
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 01:29     Subject: What colleges give merit aid to good (but not top) (artsy and STEM oriented) student from elite private?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Rhodes
Denison
Sewanee
Grinnell
W&L
Richmond
Davidson


Davidson would give merit to A-/1510? Too good to be true.

PP is spreading alternative facts. Davidson gives very little merit aid and it goes to kids with Ivy-level stats. On the other hand, Davidson gives amazing financial aid and is need blind for domestic applicants.
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 01:08     Subject: What colleges give merit aid to good (but not top) (artsy and STEM oriented) student from elite private?
The high sat score over 1500 will also serve to demonstrate that not only are grades at your DD's private not inflated, they may be deflated.

I'm sure she'll do very well, garnering merit and admission and many great schools!
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 00:20     Subject: What colleges give merit aid to good (but not top) (artsy and STEM oriented) student from elite private?
Anonymous wrote:Denison
Furman
Dickinson
Lafayette
Sewanee
Pitzer
Occidental
Kenyon
Conn
Oberlin


Pitzer does not give any merit aid.

OP said she's only interested in blue states for her daughter.
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 00:15     Subject: What colleges give merit aid to good (but not top) (artsy and STEM oriented) student from elite private?
CU Boulder in CO
Denver U in CO
Macalester in MN
St. Olaf in MN
Bryn Mawr in PA
Scripps in CA
Occidental in CA
Whitman in WA

Anonymous
Post 10/01/2025 23:34     Subject: What colleges give merit aid to good (but not top) (artsy and STEM oriented) student from elite private?
Anonymous wrote:My stem kid with a 1510 was offered a half tuition merit scholarship at Smith and $33k/year merit at Oberlin.


Anonymous
Post 10/01/2025 23:33     Subject: What colleges give merit aid to good (but not top) (artsy and STEM oriented) student from elite private?
Lafayette does merit, good STEM for a LAC, and they seem to go after interested 1500+ kids
Anonymous
Post 10/01/2025 22:02     Subject: What colleges give merit aid to good (but not top) (artsy and STEM oriented) student from elite private?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Rhodes
Denison
Sewanee
Grinnell
W&L
Richmond
Davidson

Davidson is NOT in a blue state.
And the tiny amount of merit it offers goes to kids who could otherwise go Ivy.


This.
Anonymous
Post 10/01/2025 17:14     Subject: What colleges give merit aid to good (but not top) (artsy and STEM oriented) student from elite private?
Holy Cross
Anonymous
Post 10/01/2025 17:10     Subject: What colleges give merit aid to good (but not top) (artsy and STEM oriented) student from elite private?
Denison
Furman
Dickinson
Lafayette
Sewanee
Pitzer
Occidental
Kenyon
Conn
Oberlin
Anonymous
Post 10/01/2025 16:55     Subject: What colleges give merit aid to good (but not top) (artsy and STEM oriented) student from elite private?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DD attends an elite private in the South. She gets good, but not great grades (A- minus average), has a 1510 and does good activities (a few school clubs). She's a STEM oriented kid with artsy hobbies (she likes to sketch and do art projects with friends). She wants to major in a science, possibly pre-med, and we are looking for a school that's not too geographically remote so that she doesn't have take multiple forms of lengthy transportation. Also looking for a school where there's residential life, club structure of advising/clubs since she is pretty quiet and needs some help with socializing in a larger group. We likely can't afford the $90K/year price tag for elite private colleges, but she would like to leave the state we live in and attend college in a blue state. Which schools give substantial merit aid to such a student?


UVM will give merit…nearly all the 2nd tier LACs (go to USNews LAC rankings and look at anything ranked like 15+) will probably give something so just look at ones in NY, NJ, New England.

Macalster in MN will give something.


If willing to look lower, say 30 to 60, there is significant merit money to be had. There are solid options in that range. Oberlin, for example, sounds like it could be a fit. In a purple state maybe, but it is well known for its pre-med/stem results. Gets a bad rap from some for being too progressive, so YMMV.
Anonymous
Post 10/01/2025 16:22     Subject: What colleges give merit aid to good (but not top) (artsy and STEM oriented) student from elite private?
Anonymous wrote:Davidson doesn't give money to this level kid. They'll probably admit her but at full pay.

ED probably, and full pay. RD is a high reach for OP.
Anonymous
Post 10/01/2025 16:15     Subject: What colleges give merit aid to good (but not top) (artsy and STEM oriented) student from elite private?
Davidson doesn't give money to this level kid. They'll probably admit her but at full pay.