If you want a good chance at merit aid, you should first identify colleges that offer merit aid and then focus on those schools at which your child's test scores are above the 75th percentile. This information is reported on every college's Common Data Set. Google the name of the college with "common data set" to find that info. Here is Villanova's for 2012-2013:

http://www1.villanova.edu/content/villanova/enroll/statreports/_jcr_content/pagecontent/download_5/file.res/CDS_2012-2013_v4.pdf

There's lots of interesting info on these forms, but on page 7 the SAT scores of the freshman class are shown. (GPA info is also shown, but because colleges often recalculate GPAs, it is sometimes difficult to judge a student's GPA against those reported by the college.) So sticking with SAT scores, to have a shot at merit aid, you will want your child to have scores (and GPA) above the 75th percentile scores to have a good chance of merit aid.

Whether or not Villanova offers merit aid, and how much, is found on page 18. Line n--Number of students in line a who had no financial need and who were awarded institutional non-need-based scholarship or grant aid (exclude those who were awarded athletic awards and tuition benefits). Here you can see that 91 freshman (out of 1642--from line a) were awarded non-need-based (that is, merit) aid. That's 5.5% of the freshman class. And on the next line you can see the average merit-based award--$13,622.

Fordham doesn't have the 2012-2013 common data set on the website yet, but the one for 2011-2012 is here:

http://www.fordham.edu/images/academics/institutional_research/cds_pdfs/cds_2011-2012_(5apr2013).pdf

The freshman class's SAT scores are on page 13--they look very similar to Villanova's. Merit aid is on page 24. In 2011-2012, 470 of 1943 freshmen got merit aid, or 24%, with the average award being $11,737. However, don't forget to look at what share of all undergrads (including freshmen) get merit aid. At Fordham, it's only about 18% (1448 out of 7804). That means that a lot of freshmen get merit aid but then don't get any their sophomore year--the old bait and switch.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any intel on Villanova?

Villanova gives some merit aid. Nowhere near as much as Fordham, but way better than BC.

Thanks. Can you give any comparisons between Fordham and Villanova? These two were identified by DDs counselor as good target schools for her.

Anonymous wrote:Any intel on Villanova?

Villanova gives some merit aid. Nowhere near as much as Fordham, but way better than BC.

Any intel on Villanova?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was just going to post about ND being liberal. Perhaps because I am a Catholic from Chicago I don't find ND and especially great school for undergrad. If you want to go the cheapest Cathokic route there are a ton of smaller Catholic schools which will give great discounts to good students.

Not the OP, but can you mention some of the smaller C schools that may give merit aid. My DD is a sophomore now and the cost of college is scaring me..lol. Thanks!

Lots of D.C. Catholic kids go to Fordham and Loyola in New Orleans. I hear both are very generous with merit aid.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was just going to post about ND being liberal. Perhaps because I am a Catholic from Chicago I don't find ND and especially great school for undergrad. If you want to go the cheapest Cathokic route there are a ton of smaller Catholic schools which will give great discounts to good students.

Not the OP, but can you mention some of the smaller C schools that may give merit aid. My DD is a sophomore now and the cost of college is scaring me..lol. Thanks!

Check out Fairfield. Strong business and nursing schools. Most graduates stay in the NYC area though.

There are so many to choose from, but this is a starting point:

http://collegeapps.about.com/od/collegerankings/tp/top-catholic-colleges.htm

Anonymous wrote:I was just going to post about ND being liberal. Perhaps because I am a Catholic from Chicago I don't find ND and especially great school for undergrad. If you want to go the cheapest Cathokic route there are a ton of smaller Catholic schools which will give great discounts to good students.

Not the OP, but can you mention some of the smaller C schools that may give merit aid. My DD is a sophomore now and the cost of college is scaring me..lol. Thanks!

I hope you allow your daughter to apply to the schools she wants. She should not have to go to a Catholic school because of her father's beliefs.

Anonymous wrote:Notre Dame suffers the way a lot of top-flight Midwestern and Southern schools suffer - they get looked down on because of their location when in fact they are excellent.

OP I know you are looking for Jesuit/Catholic environments, but there are some amazing secular universities in the Midwest where you DD will not only get a quality education but also get a higher chance of $$$. Schools like Wash U. in St Louis have not only the best faculty and facilities, but also massive endowments and are using them to attract bright kids who otherwise would not want to spend 4 years in St Louis.

I went to Purdue University and did really well out of it - Notre Dame and IU were our rivals and I can say that Notre Dame kids are as smart as any of the Ivy grads I've met in DC.

St. Louis is actually a pretty nice city, esp. the area around Wash U. But they don't give merit-based scholarships either... SLU might, though it is much lower ranked.

For OP, I think both Boston College and Notre Dame are great (though again, I'm not sure they would offer merit-based aid either). I would have DD apply to both and then take a visit - I think it's likely she'll get in to both places.