My middle of the pack TJ kid (non-premed science major with musical background/ l
Kept up with music in college) got some merit and honors college from Pitt (rolling decision meant a yes by mid September. It was the only large school the considered and we were surprisingly impressed. Solid merit (at least 1/3 total cost) from:

Macalaster
St. Olaf (more like 50% of total cost)
CWRU
Kenyon (kid liked the school fine, but it was the weakest in science. Its more humanities focused)
Oberlin
Wooster (again, aid topped 50% of cull cost)
Grinnell

Also admitted W&M in state.

Vassar also got an application, but they dont do merit.

Except Kenyon, they all had great music plus science. St. Olaf and Oberlin were probably the strongest in the music + lab science combo. Drama kids I know were also impressed with programs at most of the above schools.

Kid had great options. It helps that TJ kids rarely apply to LACs.

Anonymous wrote:To all of the posters who are saying “why did you go to an elite HS if you can’t afford full pay”- many competitive private high schools give very generous scholarships and financial aid. My kids are at a school that’s close to $30k per year. Their classmates play polo, go skiing in Switzerland and some of the families have private jets. We are on financial aid, and we’re solidly middle class. Don’t make assumptions. To the OP- sounds like Macalester, Oberlin, Brandeis would all be good schools to check out.

But your kid is on financial aid and you are "solidly middle class," in which case your kid would be eligible for financial aid.

When someone says they are looking for "merit aid," that's code for "we know we're not going to get need-based financial aid." If they had "financial aid" in the title instead of "merit aid," then the responses would be totally different.

College of Charleston isn't expensive
Elon

Anonymous wrote:Oberlin and Brandeis are extremely liberal schools that have fallen off greatly. Brandeis has has large economic propblems and leadership issues. Its 2026 US News ranking is 69 awful.

I don’t know anything about Brandeis, but wonder when someone calls a 69th ranking awful when there are several thousand colleges out there.

Oberlin and Brandeis are extremely liberal schools that have fallen off greatly. Brandeis has has large economic propblems and leadership issues. Its 2026 US News ranking is 69 awful.

Look at case western. They give strong merit awards. My kid didn't even apply for financial aid and was awarded merit aid of 35k/year. Private school kid, 34 act and a-/a average with impressive EC. Case has strong stem and also humanities and arts, dance, etc.

Vassar has a great art program and lot of smart kids who like to do art as a major or minor.

I don't think there is merit aid but financial aid is generous I hear.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD attends an elite private in the South. She gets good, but not great grades (A- minus average), has a 1510 and does good activities (a few school clubs). She's a STEM oriented kid with artsy hobbies (she likes to sketch and do art projects with friends). She wants to major in a science, possibly pre-med, and we are looking for a school that's not too geographically remote so that she doesn't have take multiple forms of lengthy transportation. Also looking for a school where there's residential life, club structure of advising/clubs since she is pretty quiet and needs some help with socializing in a larger group. We likely can't afford the $90K/year price tag for elite private colleges, but she would like to leave the state we live in and attend college in a blue state. Which schools give substantial merit aid to such a student?

UVM will give merit…nearly all the 2nd tier LACs (go to USNews LAC rankings and look at anything ranked like 15+) will probably give something so just look at ones in NY, NJ, New England.

Macalster in MN will give something.

+1 on Macalester. We thought it was a generous offer.

Anonymous wrote:To all of the posters who are saying “why did you go to an elite HS if you can’t afford full pay”- many competitive private high schools give very generous scholarships and financial aid. My kids are at a school that’s close to $30k per year. Their classmates play polo, go skiing in Switzerland and some of the families have private jets. We are on financial aid, and we’re solidly middle class. Don’t make assumptions. To the OP- sounds like Macalester, Oberlin, Brandeis would all be good schools to check out.

Is Brandeis generous in merit? Didn't know that.

Big merit schools I know of are Case Western and Rochester.

To all of the posters who are saying “why did you go to an elite HS if you can’t afford full pay”- many competitive private high schools give very generous scholarships and financial aid. My kids are at a school that’s close to $30k per year. Their classmates play polo, go skiing in Switzerland and some of the families have private jets. We are on financial aid, and we’re solidly middle class. Don’t make assumptions. To the OP- sounds like Macalester, Oberlin, Brandeis would all be good schools to check out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Davidson doesn't give money to this level kid. They'll probably admit her but at full pay.

ED probably, and full pay. RD is a high reach for OP.

+1 This kid will get in ED, waitlisted in RD

sewanee

OO, don't confuse generosity with affordability. It's not generous to offer a discount on a deliberately overpriced product.

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the strategy of spending on an elite high school education but then choosing a second-rate college to save a buck

Agree with this. You chose an elite high school but you don't want to pay for an elite college? Why don't you see if the grandparents will pick up the tab.

Anonymous wrote:https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/merit-aid

Look at schools who give more than 20% of students significant merit aid.

+1. Look in the undergrads w/out need column.