Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son went from a high 13XX SAT to a low 15XX. He’s a high school senior and we weren’t expecting this increase- just saw it this morning

We live in Maryland and won’t qualify for FA.

What schools should my kid add to the list? We are looking for merit. Prior to the score improvement we were just thinking about state schools like VT UMD and Pitt.

Anyone in the last cycle with similar scores willing to share where their kid received significant merit? Also my kid has mediocre AP scores- he has taken 9 so far and scored mostly 3s and a few 4s. He’s taking 5 APs this year. GPA is good all As with the exception of a semester B.

My DC from 2024 with a similar SAT (one sitting) but much lower GPA got merit at the following places:
- Indiana
- Ohio State
- Stevens Institute of Technology
- RIT
- Elon
- Delaware
- UMBC

He was targeting CS.

Thank you

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Georgetown, BU, Tufts, Villanova, BC, NEU, Emory, Georgia Tech, UMD, UIUC, Michigan, NYU, Hopkins, UVA, UNC, Georgia, Florida

This list is horrible for merit aid.

My words exactly!

Anonymous wrote:My son went from a high 13XX SAT to a low 15XX. He’s a high school senior and we weren’t expecting this increase- just saw it this morning

We live in Maryland and won’t qualify for FA.

What schools should my kid add to the list? We are looking for merit. Prior to the score improvement we were just thinking about state schools like VT UMD and Pitt.

Anyone in the last cycle with similar scores willing to share where their kid received significant merit? Also my kid has mediocre AP scores- he has taken 9 so far and scored mostly 3s and a few 4s. He’s taking 5 APs this year. GPA is good all As with the exception of a semester B.

My DC from 2024 with a similar SAT (one sitting) but much lower GPA got merit at the following places:
- Indiana
- Ohio State
- Stevens Institute of Technology
- RIT
- Elon
- Delaware
- UMBC

He was targeting CS.

Anonymous wrote:Georgetown, BU, Tufts, Villanova, BC, NEU, Emory, Georgia Tech, UMD, UIUC, Michigan, NYU, Hopkins, UVA, UNC, Georgia, Florida

This list is horrible for merit aid.

Anonymous wrote:W and L give a good number of full tuition scholarships that are merit based. It’s a lot different than the other schools on your list tho. Kid has to be ok with small and rural but likely best shot at significant merit at a top school.

For the W and L full ride, candidates are selected from the 10% of accepted applicants then attend (with all other candidates) for a 3-day on campus experience that includes interviews and more where full ride recipients are selected.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was the jump in your kid's scores due to taking the PSAT? Just checking.

Huh?

Some people compare junior year PSAT scores to SAT scores taken later.

Are you sure it was a jump between 2 SATs?

Doesn't matter re: schools.

Matters because PSAT scale is different (not out of 1600) so a jump should always be expected.

Put another way, 1370 on PSAT might be 1430 on SAT.

Anonymous wrote:Georgia
Wake Forest
Clemson
Pitt
Wisconsin
Michigan
Georgetown
Case Western

Georgetown merit? I don’t think this is a reasonable suggestion.

Anonymous wrote:For merit
LMU
Santa Clara
GWU

For a ton of Merit
Maybe
Fairfield University
Pace
Alabama

I’d add Fordham, which has both a Bronx and Manhattan campus depending on major.

Anonymous wrote:Longwood
VA Tech
MIT
UVA
Michigan
Elon
Arizona
UCLA

If you are chasing merit you can forget about UVA, Mich, MIT, UCLA, and VTech.

ChatGPT's response -

Given your son's impressive GPA, strong academic record, and Maryland residency, there are many options for him. Since you're seeking merit scholarships, I'll suggest schools where his high GPA could earn him significant merit aid, even if his SAT score is on the lower side for some top-tier schools.

Here are some types of schools to consider:

### 1. **In-State Public Schools (Lower tuition & potential merit scholarships)**
- **University of Maryland, College Park**: As your flagship state school, UMD offers excellent programs across the board. They also have merit scholarships for high-achieving in-state students, like the Banneker/Key Scholarship.
- **Towson University**: A solid public option with a good chance for merit aid, especially with his GPA.
- **University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)**: Known for its STEM focus and a school that offers merit aid for strong academic performers.

### 2. **Out-of-State Public Schools (With merit scholarships)**
- **University of Delaware**: A regional school that offers competitive merit scholarships for out-of-state students.
- **University of South Carolina**: Known for its generous merit scholarships to out-of-state students.
- **University of Alabama**: This school is famous for offering great merit aid packages to out-of-state students, and a 1500 SAT is likely to qualify him for strong merit scholarships.
- **University of Arizona**: They have a strong merit scholarship program based on GPA, so he may qualify for substantial aid.

### 3. **Private Colleges (With strong merit aid)**
- **Northeastern University** (Boston, MA): Northeastern offers significant merit aid and is a well-regarded school, especially with his high GPA.
- **Case Western Reserve University** (Cleveland, OH): Case Western offers strong merit scholarships and is well known for its engineering and pre-health programs.
- **Tulane University** (New Orleans, LA): Tulane offers significant merit scholarships, including full-tuition awards, based on academic performance and extracurricular involvement.
- **Boston University**: BU has merit aid programs, though it's more competitive. His high GPA can make him a strong candidate.
- **University of Miami**: Offers significant merit scholarships, particularly for students with high GPAs.
- **Santa Clara University** (California): A smaller private university with a strong academic reputation, it offers generous merit-based scholarships.

### 4. **Mid-Tier Private Schools Known for Merit Aid**
- **Elon University** (North Carolina): A smaller liberal arts college that offers strong merit scholarships.
- **St. Lawrence University** (New York): Another smaller liberal arts college that focuses on academics and offers merit aid.
- **Loyola University Maryland**: A strong regional private school close to home with good merit aid options.

Since your son is undecided on a major, schools with a broad range of programs would give him flexibility as he explores different fields of study. A combination of in-state options for affordability and out-of-state schools for merit aid would balance cost and opportunities.

Would you like more specific information on any of these schools?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son went from a high 13XX SAT to a low 15XX. He’s a high school senior and we weren’t expecting this increase- just saw it this morning

We live in Maryland and won’t qualify for FA.

What schools should my kid add to the list? We are looking for merit. Prior to the score improvement we were just thinking about state schools like VT UMD and Pitt.

Anyone in the last cycle with similar scores willing to share where their kid received significant merit? Also my kid has mediocre AP scores- he has taken 9 so far and scored mostly 3s and a few 4s. He’s taking 5 APs this year. GPA is good all As with the exception of a semester B.

Do you regret overextending into too many APs instead of focusing on doing well in fewer of them?

No. I’m happy my kid had the rigor though we are considering with the latest SAT of not reporting AP scores and just reporting that he’s an AP Scholar with Honors.

Definitely do this, I think it’s pretty well established that 3 s are not helpful to include on application,

Georgia
Wake Forest
Clemson
Pitt
Wisconsin
Michigan
Georgetown
Case Western

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son went from a high 13XX SAT to a low 15XX. He’s a high school senior and we weren’t expecting this increase- just saw it this morning

We live in Maryland and won’t qualify for FA.

What schools should my kid add to the list? We are looking for merit. Prior to the score improvement we were just thinking about state schools like VT UMD and Pitt.

Anyone in the last cycle with similar scores willing to share where their kid received significant merit? Also my kid has mediocre AP scores- he has taken 9 so far and scored mostly 3s and a few 4s. He’s taking 5 APs this year. GPA is good all As with the exception of a semester B.

Do you regret overextending into too many APs instead of focusing on doing well in fewer of them?

No. I’m happy my kid had the rigor though we are considering with the latest SAT of not reporting AP scores and just reporting that he’s an AP Scholar with Honors.

W and L give a good number of full tuition scholarships that are merit based. It’s a lot different than the other schools on your list tho. Kid has to be ok with small and rural but likely best shot at significant merit at a top school.

Georgetown, BU, Tufts, Villanova, BC, NEU, Emory, Georgia Tech, UMD, UIUC, Michigan, NYU, Hopkins, UVA, UNC, Georgia, Florida