Anonymous
Post 08/24/2025 21:40     Subject: Please recommend small/medium private colleges
Anonymous wrote:For public options, I hope you already have St. Mary’s College of Maryland on your list. It’s strong in biology/environmental sciences and a beautiful campus located on the water. Seems like a great fit with smart and kind students and a chill laid back vibe.


+1
Anonymous
Post 08/24/2025 21:39     Subject: Please recommend small/medium private colleges
For public options, I hope you already have St. Mary’s College of Maryland on your list. It’s strong in biology/environmental sciences and a beautiful campus located on the water. Seems like a great fit with smart and kind students and a chill laid back vibe.
Anonymous
Post 08/24/2025 21:35     Subject: Please recommend small/medium private colleges
I agree about Ithaca College. Very likely to get merit, and it seems like it could otherwise be a good fit.
Anonymous
Post 08/24/2025 21:24     Subject: Please recommend small/medium private colleges
Anonymous wrote:Beloit! My DS did the POWER Application last week, got admitted, and received a $40k/year scholarship with similar stats!


This 💯
Anonymous
Post 08/24/2025 21:17     Subject: Re:Please recommend small/medium private colleges
Clark University ... some good merit aid. Just announced environment science program.
Anonymous
Post 08/24/2025 21:14     Subject: Please recommend small/medium private colleges
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:St. Olaf


lol


To be clear, was not lol at St. Olaf, it's a good school, just thought it was so random for a small school in the rural farm area of Minnesota to pop up on this board. It's known around here, just didn't realize it's making headway in the DMV. That's cool.
Anonymous
Post 08/24/2025 21:10     Subject: Please recommend small/medium private colleges
Anonymous wrote:St. Olaf


lol
Anonymous
Post 08/24/2025 21:08     Subject: Please recommend small/medium private colleges
Anonymous wrote:Beloit! My DS did the POWER Application last week, got admitted, and received a $40k/year scholarship with similar stats!


+1

And Lawrence University
Anonymous
Post 08/24/2025 21:05     Subject: Please recommend small/medium private colleges
Anonymous wrote:Y'all are naming schools that aren't that easy to get into and won't offer lots of merit aid to a student with this profile. I cannot believe how clueless so many posters are. Think!

My recommendation would be to look at Jesuit colleges and universities. Many have excellent biology departments. It doesn't matter if you're not Catholic. And a student with this profile will likely get good merit aid.



+1

OP, the schools that give merit aid tend to be in the Midwest and South. Consider the College of Wooster, Ohio Wesleyan, Allegheny College, Juniata, Ursinus, Loyola of Maryland.
Anonymous
Post 08/24/2025 21:05     Subject: Re:Please recommend small/medium private colleges
These have already been noted, but Susquehanna, Juniata, St. Joe's and Scranton all popped into my head. They're all nice schools that I think would give your kid some good merit aid.
Anonymous
Post 08/24/2025 20:49     Subject: Please recommend small/medium private colleges
Marist
Anonymous
Post 08/24/2025 20:43     Subject: Please recommend small/medium private colleges
greenleaf19 wrote:Ideally it would be 40K or less, but we could stretch to about 50K for something special. Beyond that would be fiscally irresponsible for us, as we don't stand to inherit anything from our families, have few assets, and need to save for retirement. On paper our salary looks great, but we live in a very high-cost area, we're renters, and we have another kid just a few years behind this one who will also need to go to college, not to mention grad school looming in the future.


Is that $40K-$50K including room and board?
Anonymous
Post 08/24/2025 20:42     Subject: Re:Please recommend small/medium private colleges
Loyola MD just announced they are offering a new major- BS in Environmental Science. Around 4,000 undergrads, no Greek life, great merit aid, beautiful campus, pretty chill students.
Anonymous
Post 08/24/2025 20:40     Subject: Please recommend small/medium private colleges
Anonymous wrote:Allegheny


+1
Anonymous
Post 08/24/2025 20:39     Subject: Please recommend small/medium private colleges
Clarkson would likely be a safety. They have ac second campus in the Adirondacks specifically for environmental science. Generous with merit. But cold and in the middle of nowhere.