Anonymous
03/04/2026 00:11
Subject: Which LACs give a lot of "merit aid"?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DD has very high stats and so far has gotten:
$50K from College of Wooster (and in running for full-tuition scholarship, which would be very compelling)
$40K from Franklin & Marshall
$37K from St. Olaf
$36K from Oberlin
$35K from Kenyon and Macalester.
This puts Wooster in the low $30k range, St. Olaf in the low $40k range, and the others in the low to mid $50k range.
DS gets $30K a year from Conn College. He had good but far from perfect stats.
Most LACs outside the top 30 (and a few in the top 30) give substantial merit aid.
Wow, congrats to your DC that's amazing!!
Thanks! She's an amazing kid and works really hard, so I'm glad some of these schools are recognizing it!
Oooh, she just got into Occidental with $40K in merit aid too! I think it's going to be a hard choice once she gets all of her decisions.
Beware. Occidental had an unexpected 15% enrollment decline last year, which administration deciding to offset that by offering a huge “sign on” (“Occidental Commitment” ED) merit scholarships. I’m a grad and would AVOID. https://theoccidentalnews.com/news/2025/11/05/college-adjusts-spending-and-admissions-tactics-in-the-wake-of-enrollment-decline/2916071
+1. Oxy started its $15k “Occidental Commitment” scholarships for ED only after the 15% shortfall for last year’s incoming class was disclosed. That was one way to deal with its serious yield problem. The other way was to cut back on professor spending, hiring, etc. Google it
Anonymous
03/03/2026 23:26
Subject: Which LACs give a lot of "merit aid"?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DD has very high stats and so far has gotten:
$50K from College of Wooster (and in running for full-tuition scholarship, which would be very compelling)
$40K from Franklin & Marshall
$37K from St. Olaf
$36K from Oberlin
$35K from Kenyon and Macalester.
This puts Wooster in the low $30k range, St. Olaf in the low $40k range, and the others in the low to mid $50k range.
DS gets $30K a year from Conn College. He had good but far from perfect stats.
Most LACs outside the top 30 (and a few in the top 30) give substantial merit aid.
Wow, congrats to your DC that's amazing!!
Thanks! She's an amazing kid and works really hard, so I'm glad some of these schools are recognizing it!
Oooh, she just got into Occidental with $40K in merit aid too! I think it's going to be a hard choice once she gets all of her decisions.
Beware. Occidental had an unexpected 15% enrollment decline last year, which administration deciding to offset that by offering a huge “sign on” (“Occidental Commitment” ED) merit scholarships. I’m a grad and would AVOID. https://theoccidentalnews.com/news/2025/11/05/college-adjusts-spending-and-admissions-tactics-in-the-wake-of-enrollment-decline/2916071
Anonymous
03/03/2026 18:44
Subject: Which LACs give a lot of "merit aid"?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DD has very high stats and so far has gotten:
$50K from College of Wooster (and in running for full-tuition scholarship, which would be very compelling)
$40K from Franklin & Marshall
$37K from St. Olaf
$36K from Oberlin
$35K from Kenyon and Macalester.
This puts Wooster in the low $30k range, St. Olaf in the low $40k range, and the others in the low to mid $50k range.
DS gets $30K a year from Conn College. He had good but far from perfect stats.
Most LACs outside the top 30 (and a few in the top 30) give substantial merit aid.
That is amazing, congrats! Would you mind sharing your students stats? I wonder if my junior is in the running for those kinds of numbers.
Also, curious if you visited all of those schools? or if you did virtual visits to learn about them and show demonstrated interest?
Sure. She's at a highly regarded public school in a Northeastern state, not in the DC area. No hooks. 4.0 UW and takes hardest classes in all subjects. All 5s on 6 APs so far (AP World, APUSH, BC Calc, Chem, Macro, Lang). 1550 and 35. Strong XCs that show commitment and leadership, but nothing earth-shattering. Solid essays and I'm assuming good recs.
Kind of the prototypical "average excellent" student. Probably won't get into Amherst/Pomona/Williams because she doesn't meet any institutional priorities and hasn't curated her profile to within an inch of its life. I think she expressed interest in studying chem/biochem and sociology and wants to be pre-med.
We have not visited any of these schools (yet) but she showed demonstrated interest in other ways. Did all the optional essays and tried to tailor each application as much as possible. Did interviews when offered.
Scripps mom from above- Pomona doesn't give merit. Scripps is the only one of the 5Cs that gives merit, which is why dd is there. It brings the cost to $60k for the Claremont experience which was worth it.
Anonymous
03/03/2026 18:40
Subject: Which LACs give a lot of "merit aid"?
Anonymous wrote:DD has very high stats and so far has gotten:
$50K from College of Wooster (and in running for full-tuition scholarship, which would be very compelling)
$40K from Franklin & Marshall
$37K from St. Olaf
$36K from Oberlin
$35K from Kenyon and Macalester.
This puts Wooster in the low $30k range, St. Olaf in the low $40k range, and the others in the low to mid $50k range.
DS gets $30K a year from Conn College. He had good but far from perfect stats.
Most LACs outside the top 30 (and a few in the top 30) give substantial merit aid.
My dd had a 3.9 UW GPA full IB Diploma but test optional and also got $30k from Macalester, $25k from Scripps, $25k from Fordham and $25k from GW. She's very happy at Scripps (don't listen to the Scripps hating mom- it's amazing!)
Anonymous
03/03/2026 18:35
Subject: Which LACs give a lot of "merit aid"?
Might look at Holy Cross they offer some merit aid.
Anonymous
03/03/2026 15:50
Subject: Which LACs give a lot of "merit aid"?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DD has very high stats and so far has gotten:
$50K from College of Wooster (and in running for full-tuition scholarship, which would be very compelling)
$40K from Franklin & Marshall
$37K from St. Olaf
$36K from Oberlin
$35K from Kenyon and Macalester.
This puts Wooster in the low $30k range, St. Olaf in the low $40k range, and the others in the low to mid $50k range.
DS gets $30K a year from Conn College. He had good but far from perfect stats.
Most LACs outside the top 30 (and a few in the top 30) give substantial merit aid.
That is amazing, congrats! Would you mind sharing your students stats? I wonder if my junior is in the running for those kinds of numbers.
Also, curious if you visited all of those schools? or if you did virtual visits to learn about them and show demonstrated interest?
Sure. She's at a highly regarded public school in a Northeastern state, not in the DC area. No hooks. 4.0 UW and takes hardest classes in all subjects. All 5s on 6 APs so far (AP World, APUSH, BC Calc, Chem, Macro, Lang). 1550 and 35. Strong XCs that show commitment and leadership, but nothing earth-shattering. Solid essays and I'm assuming good recs.
Kind of the prototypical "average excellent" student. Probably won't get into Amherst/Pomona/Williams because she doesn't meet any institutional priorities and hasn't curated her profile to within an inch of its life. I think she expressed interest in studying chem/biochem and sociology and wants to be pre-med.
We have not visited any of these schools (yet) but she showed demonstrated interest in other ways. Did all the optional essays and tried to tailor each application as much as possible. Did interviews when offered.
My DS had similar profile, except 1480 and 35. Best private school merit (and COA) was from Rhodes and Trinity U. Approx. 30K from each. Tulane close.
Anonymous
03/03/2026 15:37
Subject: Which LACs give a lot of "merit aid"?
thank you! She sounds great. Good luck!Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DD has very high stats and so far has gotten:
$50K from College of Wooster (and in running for full-tuition scholarship, which would be very compelling)
$40K from Franklin & Marshall
$37K from St. Olaf
$36K from Oberlin
$35K from Kenyon and Macalester.
This puts Wooster in the low $30k range, St. Olaf in the low $40k range, and the others in the low to mid $50k range.
DS gets $30K a year from Conn College. He had good but far from perfect stats.
Most LACs outside the top 30 (and a few in the top 30) give substantial merit aid.
That is amazing, congrats! Would you mind sharing your students stats? I wonder if my junior is in the running for those kinds of numbers.
Also, curious if you visited all of those schools? or if you did virtual visits to learn about them and show demonstrated interest?
Sure. She's at a highly regarded public school in a Northeastern state, not in the DC area. No hooks. 4.0 UW and takes hardest classes in all subjects. All 5s on 6 APs so far (AP World, APUSH, BC Calc, Chem, Macro, Lang). 1550 and 35. Strong XCs that show commitment and leadership, but nothing earth-shattering. Solid essays and I'm assuming good recs.
Kind of the prototypical "average excellent" student. Probably won't get into Amherst/Pomona/Williams because she doesn't meet any institutional priorities and hasn't curated her profile to within an inch of its life. I think she expressed interest in studying chem/biochem and sociology and wants to be pre-med.
We have not visited any of these schools (yet) but she showed demonstrated interest in other ways. Did all the optional essays and tried to tailor each application as much as possible. Did interviews when offered.
Anonymous
03/03/2026 11:28
Subject: Which LACs give a lot of "merit aid"?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DD has very high stats and so far has gotten:
$50K from College of Wooster (and in running for full-tuition scholarship, which would be very compelling)
$40K from Franklin & Marshall
$37K from St. Olaf
$36K from Oberlin
$35K from Kenyon and Macalester.
This puts Wooster in the low $30k range, St. Olaf in the low $40k range, and the others in the low to mid $50k range.
DS gets $30K a year from Conn College. He had good but far from perfect stats.
Most LACs outside the top 30 (and a few in the top 30) give substantial merit aid.
That is amazing, congrats! Would you mind sharing your students stats? I wonder if my junior is in the running for those kinds of numbers.
Also, curious if you visited all of those schools? or if you did virtual visits to learn about them and show demonstrated interest?
Sure. She's at a highly regarded public school in a Northeastern state, not in the DC area. No hooks. 4.0 UW and takes hardest classes in all subjects. All 5s on 6 APs so far (AP World, APUSH, BC Calc, Chem, Macro, Lang). 1550 and 35. Strong XCs that show commitment and leadership, but nothing earth-shattering. Solid essays and I'm assuming good recs.
Kind of the prototypical "average excellent" student. Probably won't get into Amherst/Pomona/Williams because she doesn't meet any institutional priorities and hasn't curated her profile to within an inch of its life. I think she expressed interest in studying chem/biochem and sociology and wants to be pre-med.
We have not visited any of these schools (yet) but she showed demonstrated interest in other ways. Did all the optional essays and tried to tailor each application as much as possible. Did interviews when offered.
Anonymous
03/03/2026 10:41
Subject: Which LACs give a lot of "merit aid"?
Anonymous wrote:DD has very high stats and so far has gotten:
$50K from College of Wooster (and in running for full-tuition scholarship, which would be very compelling)
$40K from Franklin & Marshall
$37K from St. Olaf
$36K from Oberlin
$35K from Kenyon and Macalester.
This puts Wooster in the low $30k range, St. Olaf in the low $40k range, and the others in the low to mid $50k range.
DS gets $30K a year from Conn College. He had good but far from perfect stats.
Most LACs outside the top 30 (and a few in the top 30) give substantial merit aid.
That is amazing, congrats! Would you mind sharing your students stats? I wonder if my junior is in the running for those kinds of numbers.
Also, curious if you visited all of those schools? or if you did virtual visits to learn about them and show demonstrated interest?
Anonymous
03/03/2026 10:30
Subject: Which LACs give a lot of "merit aid"?
Anonymous wrote:Here's a few more I haven't seen mentioned yet:
Furman
Gettysburg
Sewanee
Wofford
Early on in the process I ran the net price calculator for these schools. He isn't a top stats kid. Only Furman indicated reasonable merit was likely. He applied and got merit and financial aid (only school to give financial aid but we do have another son in college). Overall, it was/is a great offer.
Anonymous
03/03/2026 10:24
Subject: Which LACs give a lot of "merit aid"?
Denison
Anonymous
03/03/2026 10:10
Subject: Which LACs give a lot of "merit aid"?
Here's a few more I haven't seen mentioned yet:
Furman
Gettysburg
Sewanee
Wofford
Furman
Gettysburg
Sewanee
Wofford
Anonymous
03/03/2026 09:49
Subject: Which LACs give a lot of "merit aid"?
Most ranked 40 to 100.
Anonymous
03/03/2026 09:41
Subject: Which LACs give a lot of "merit aid"?
This is the best resource for Merit Aid info that I have found.
https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/merit-aid
The following table indicates the percentage of incoming freshmen receiving merit aid at more than 300 of America’s selective colleges, as well as the average merit award received. We also included the average Cost of Attendance (COA), a figure that includes tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies, and personal expenses."
https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/merit-aid
The following table indicates the percentage of incoming freshmen receiving merit aid at more than 300 of America’s selective colleges, as well as the average merit award received. We also included the average Cost of Attendance (COA), a figure that includes tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies, and personal expenses."
Anonymous
03/02/2026 20:56
Subject: Re:Which LACs give a lot of "merit aid"?
For starters, Macalester, Oberlin, Kenyon, Grinnell, and Connecticut College. If your DC is a DD, Bryn Mawr and Smith. The common data set for every school has the aid they give a/k/a "institutional" aid, broken down by need-based and non-need-based.