Anonymous wrote:Does Hopkins still give merit scholarships? They did seven years ago.

Anonymous wrote:Hard to get but: Davidson, UVA, W&L, Emory, USC

Anonymous wrote:Her friends aren't wealthier - the OP's niece's parents can afford the cost of tuition but choose not to pay. That's their right and as many of the PPs say, it's not unusual or new. I saw this play out 35 years ago when I was applying to college - it was a real eye-opener in many respects.

I don't agree with the PPs that this is the wiser route, but every family has to make their own decisions. If the OP's niece is so extraordinary and determined, she will have a lot of options. There is a surprising amount of merit aid to be had but for most kids it will require broadening their horizons and considering schools that are less selective than their own stats. That doesn't make those school bad options!

Look at the long thread posted here recently with parents citing the schools where their kids got merit offers. Maybe there are some possibilities that would appeal to your niece there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Her friends aren't wealthier - the OP's niece's parents can afford the cost of tuition but choose not to pay. That's their right and as many of the PPs say, it's not unusual or new. I saw this play out 35 years ago when I was applying to college - it was a real eye-opener in many respects.

I don't agree with the PPs that this is the wiser route, but every family has to make their own decisions. If the OP's niece is so extraordinary and determined, she will have a lot of options. There is a surprising amount of merit aid to be had but for most kids it will require broadening their horizons and considering schools that are less selective than their own stats. That doesn't make those school bad options!

Look at the long thread posted here recently with parents citing the schools where their kids got merit offers. Maybe there are some possibilities that would appeal to your niece there.

I’m confused. Are you the Op?
Don’t count other people’s money.

Anonymous wrote:Her friends aren't wealthier - the OP's niece's parents can afford the cost of tuition but choose not to pay. That's their right and as many of the PPs say, it's not unusual or new. I saw this play out 35 years ago when I was applying to college - it was a real eye-opener in many respects.

I don't agree with the PPs that this is the wiser route, but every family has to make their own decisions. If the OP's niece is so extraordinary and determined, she will have a lot of options. There is a surprising amount of merit aid to be had but for most kids it will require broadening their horizons and considering schools that are less selective than their own stats. That doesn't make those school bad options!

Look at the long thread posted here recently with parents citing the schools where their kids got merit offers. Maybe there are some possibilities that would appeal to your niece there.

Anonymous wrote:My niece is a high achiever who wants to attend a hard to get in college like most other applicants. She won’t qualify for need based scholarships and her parents won’t pay because she can get free ride at state school as a national merit finalist. They want to be able to pay for education of her younger sisters and their own retirement. They’ve agreed to pay as much as they would’ve at state school if she wasn’t getting a free ride but that only covers half at private colleges. Which top schools offer scholarships to cover full or half cost of attendance. This is causing severe stress for her and rift in family.

Anonymous wrote:MYOB.

Anonymous wrote:Op, do you have kids? If yes, are you willing to pay $80,000 a year for them to go to school? Also, you realize that as wonderful as your niece is, there are many many students just like her and being a National Merit Finalist doesn’t guarantee admission into a top twenty school. You are being awfully judgmental of your sister and bil or brother and sil (whatever the relationship is). We can afford to pay anything but of the schools she could get into, not one was worth $80,000. She ended up with a large merit award at a small lac that is not highly ranked but she liked and the cost was the same as public. My brother runs in a circle with very wealthy people and he says that they all feel that they’d rather spend 50,000 for an out of state flagship (or less if their kids get merit at a place like Alabama) than pay $80,000 at some schools. Obviously, there are plenty of people paying the tuition but just as many questioning the value when you can get a good education other places. Now, I’m not talking about turning down Harvard for Indiana. But when you get further down the “list”, you need to do a cost benefit analysis. It seems like your niece’s parents have done that. You aren’t helping the situation as you seem really out of touch with both college costs and how competitive admissions are now.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They don't. Except for some schools that have 1-2 extremely competitive merit awards for really extraordinary kids.

If she's open to LACs, I think the highest ranked one that does give significant merit aid is Grinnell.

But, really, I'd encourage her to find things to love about the school giving her a full ride.

Which schools offer the 1-2 extremely competitive merit awards?