Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP's son has 2330 SATs - I think he can aim higher than a lot of the colleges mentioned on here. OP, I think your son needs to (and stat!) decide if he wants to focus on applying to the colleges where he originally intended, or to a bunch of SLACs, because if he really wants to focus on SLACs, he should devote most of his applications to those colleges so he can apply to some reaches, some targets, some safeties and then see how financial aid works out at each place. St Mary's is a great in-state public choice and based on naviance at my child's high school, that should be a safety to target with your son's profile so be can really devote the rest of his app's to a range of SLACs.

The whole reason why people were recommending SLACs a notch lower than a "match" was because OP said that their family cannot pay in full. Although OP's DS could probably get admitted to places like, say, Haverford, it is unlikely that he would get merit aid at those places.

Exactly. I wish people would educate themselves before spouting off on these threads. Yes, OP's DS might be able to get into a top 20 school. But with one child in college, one at home, and a HHI of $200k+, this family will get NO financial aid. If they feel they can't afford to be full pay, there is simply NO POINT in applying to, say, Haverford or Williams, which offer only financial aid. The goal is to find schools that offer merit aid to a student of this caliber. It turns out there are a lot of them, but almost none of them are top 20 schools. Which is fine, because a fine education can still be had at many of them.

For families like this, a "reach" is not a school where admission is hit or miss for a student like this boy. Rather, a reach is a school that might offer merit aid to a student like this. That almost certainly means a school where admission for the student is pretty likely. Schools offer merit aid only to the students they are trying to lure to campus.

I would not assume no financial aid. I know many people with HH incomes around 170K who qualified for aid.

OMG PEOPLE.

OP has said clearly that (a) her HHI is $230k (which is $50k more than $170k, or, guess what, almost the cost of a year at a private college; what do you think colleges think that additional income should be spent on?) and (b) that her family's EFC is $59k--or about the cost of a year at private.

THIS FAMILY IS NOT GETTING FINANCIAL AID. What part of that do you people not understand?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP's son has 2330 SATs - I think he can aim higher than a lot of the colleges mentioned on here. OP, I think your son needs to (and stat!) decide if he wants to focus on applying to the colleges where he originally intended, or to a bunch of SLACs, because if he really wants to focus on SLACs, he should devote most of his applications to those colleges so he can apply to some reaches, some targets, some safeties and then see how financial aid works out at each place. St Mary's is a great in-state public choice and based on naviance at my child's high school, that should be a safety to target with your son's profile so be can really devote the rest of his app's to a range of SLACs.

The whole reason why people were recommending SLACs a notch lower than a "match" was because OP said that their family cannot pay in full. Although OP's DS could probably get admitted to places like, say, Haverford, it is unlikely that he would get merit aid at those places.

Exactly. I wish people would educate themselves before spouting off on these threads. Yes, OP's DS might be able to get into a top 20 school. But with one child in college, one at home, and a HHI of $200k+, this family will get NO financial aid. If they feel they can't afford to be full pay, there is simply NO POINT in applying to, say, Haverford or Williams, which offer only financial aid. The goal is to find schools that offer merit aid to a student of this caliber. It turns out there are a lot of them, but almost none of them are top 20 schools. Which is fine, because a fine education can still be had at many of them.

For families like this, a "reach" is not a school where admission is hit or miss for a student like this boy. Rather, a reach is a school that might offer merit aid to a student like this. That almost certainly means a school where admission for the student is pretty likely. Schools offer merit aid only to the students they are trying to lure to campus.

I would not assume no financial aid. I know many people with HH incomes around 170K who qualified for aid.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP's son has 2330 SATs - I think he can aim higher than a lot of the colleges mentioned on here. OP, I think your son needs to (and stat!) decide if he wants to focus on applying to the colleges where he originally intended, or to a bunch of SLACs, because if he really wants to focus on SLACs, he should devote most of his applications to those colleges so he can apply to some reaches, some targets, some safeties and then see how financial aid works out at each place. St Mary's is a great in-state public choice and based on naviance at my child's high school, that should be a safety to target with your son's profile so be can really devote the rest of his app's to a range of SLACs.

The whole reason why people were recommending SLACs a notch lower than a "match" was because OP said that their family cannot pay in full. Although OP's DS could probably get admitted to places like, say, Haverford, it is unlikely that he would get merit aid at those places.

Exactly. I wish people would educate themselves before spouting off on these threads. Yes, OP's DS might be able to get into a top 20 school. But with one child in college, one at home, and a HHI of $200k+, this family will get NO financial aid. If they feel they can't afford to be full pay, there is simply NO POINT in applying to, say, Haverford or Williams, which offer only financial aid. The goal is to find schools that offer merit aid to a student of this caliber. It turns out there are a lot of them, but almost none of them are top 20 schools. Which is fine, because a fine education can still be had at many of them.

For families like this, a "reach" is not a school where admission is hit or miss for a student like this boy. Rather, a reach is a school that might offer merit aid to a student like this. That almost certainly means a school where admission for the student is pretty likely. Schools offer merit aid only to the students they are trying to lure to campus.

Anonymous wrote:

OP's son has 2330 SATs - I think he can aim higher than a lot of the colleges mentioned on here. OP, I think your son needs to (and stat!) decide if he wants to focus on applying to the colleges where he originally intended, or to a bunch of SLACs, because if he really wants to focus on SLACs, he should devote most of his applications to those colleges so he can apply to some reaches, some targets, some safeties and then see how financial aid works out at each place. St Mary's is a great in-state public choice and based on naviance at my child's high school, that should be a safety to target with your son's profile so be can really devote the rest of his app's to a range of SLACs.

The whole reason why people were recommending SLACs a notch lower than a "match" was because OP said that their family cannot pay in full. Although OP's DS could probably get admitted to places like, say, Haverford, it is unlikely that he would get merit aid at those places.

OP's son has 2330 SATs - I think he can aim higher than a lot of the colleges mentioned on here. OP, I think your son needs to (and stat!) decide if he wants to focus on applying to the colleges where he originally intended, or to a bunch of SLACs, because if he really wants to focus on SLACs, he should devote most of his applications to those colleges so he can apply to some reaches, some targets, some safeties and then see how financial aid works out at each place. St Mary's is a great in-state public choice and based on naviance at my child's high school, that should be a safety to target with your son's profile so be can really devote the rest of his app's to a range of SLACs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would not "apply down" just for the sake of attending a LAC.

So you would "apply down" to attend a large university?

Anonymous wrote:I would not "apply down" just for the sake of attending a LAC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I suggest Dickinson, Dennison, Kenyon, Oberlin, The College of Wooster, St. Olaf's, Knox College, Kalamazoo College, Earlham, Antioch, Ursinus, Eckerd, Hampshire, Goucher, Clark, Allegheny, Tulane, Roanoke, Goucher, Drew, Hollins, Washington (MD), Muhlenberg, Bennington, Gettysburg, Davidson, University of Richmond, among others.

These are good suggestions given that kid has a 3.38 and requires merit aid.

Would add Washington & Jefferson College (Pittsburgh) to this list. I know you don't want to say the sport, but if it is something unique (squash, water polo etc.) that could be an advantage and you might want to approach the coach at schools you are interested in.

I don't think being on JV sports is recruitable. Most varsity athletes aren't recruitable. And obscure sports aren't JV/varsity sports in MCPS.

I agree with Dickinson, Denison, etc. You won't find merit aid (or possibly even admission) at the top 10 SLACs.

It's not about being "recruitable" in the traditional sense, it's about trying to make a connection with the institution and "prove" that you will be a good addition to the student body for whatever reason, athletics is just one. This is critical for merit aid.