My kid was offered the most merit of any school there two years ago with $43k per year. Test optional.

It’s now free tuition for families who make less than $125k/year

https://www.dickinson.edu/news/article/6317/dickinson_college_announces_tuition-free_education_for_families_earning_up_to_125000

This thread is 3 years old!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were full pay at Dickinson. Didn't fill out a FAFSA or apply for any aid anywhere. DC was offered some merit aid at a couple of schools anyway but not at Dickinson.

What a bizarre school to go to for full pay.

Agreed.

Why? What would you suggest instead?

Don’t say, “go to a better school.” That means different things to different people, and not everyone can get into HYPS.

State flagship doesn’t sound like a good fit for a kid who likes a small school like Dickinson, so that’s not a fit.

Be helpful. Suggest a few better ideas.

New Poster.

Would depend upon several factors one of which is intended major.

I was asking the PP, who seemed confident they had all the info needed to opine on the topic ….

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were full pay at Dickinson. Didn't fill out a FAFSA or apply for any aid anywhere. DC was offered some merit aid at a couple of schools anyway but not at Dickinson.

What a bizarre school to go to for full pay.

Agreed.

Kills me how people feel so comfortable opining on how families spend their money and where they send their kids to school. You know what, sending my kid to JMU, VCU, or Mary Washington seems like a total failure (even in state), but you don’t see me sharing that opinion. Same with the rise of the SEC schools. I don’t even like Dickinson but I would happily send a child there before Tennessee, South Carolina, or Alabama. If you have insights to share, great. Nobody gives a shit about your personal preferences (nor mine).

This thread was started in 2022. Is Dickinson better with merit these days? My only example would be from when my DD applied there 2 years ago and they dave her nice merit. I assumed they gave everyone merit.

Back in 2022, didn’t F&M not give any merit but that changed in the preceding years? Again, DD got merit from F&M too.

Both are nice schools. Apply and see what happens.

I think Dickinson is a SLAC that can get away with charging full price. Probably because of its location. Gettysburg is probably the same.

Kenyon gets away with it too. No idea why.

Other schools ranked similarly give merit aid.

I was just having this conversation with a friend. My kid got 25 off of a SLAC ranked top 50 and his kid got 0 from a school ranked 30.

I thought Dickinson was out of our price range, but DD applied anyway just to see what they offered. She got a huge merit award bringing in line with her other schools. We did not qualify for need based aid. She is there now and loves it - small classes, wonderful professors, and she met a great group of friends. So why not apply and see what happens? I believe there is no application fee. You may be pleasantly surprised. We were.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were full pay at Dickinson. Didn't fill out a FAFSA or apply for any aid anywhere. DC was offered some merit aid at a couple of schools anyway but not at Dickinson.

What a bizarre school to go to for full pay.

Agreed.

Why? What would you suggest instead?

Don’t say, “go to a better school.” That means different things to different people, and not everyone can get into HYPS.

State flagship doesn’t sound like a good fit for a kid who likes a small school like Dickinson, so that’s not a fit.

Be helpful. Suggest a few better ideas.

New Poster.

Would depend upon several factors one of which is intended major.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were full pay at Dickinson. Didn't fill out a FAFSA or apply for any aid anywhere. DC was offered some merit aid at a couple of schools anyway but not at Dickinson.

What a bizarre school to go to for full pay.

Agreed.

Why? What would you suggest instead?

Don’t say, “go to a better school.” That means different things to different people, and not everyone can get into HYPS.

State flagship doesn’t sound like a good fit for a kid who likes a small school like Dickinson, so that’s not a fit.

Be helpful. Suggest a few better ideas.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were full pay at Dickinson. Didn't fill out a FAFSA or apply for any aid anywhere. DC was offered some merit aid at a couple of schools anyway but not at Dickinson.

What a bizarre school to go to for full pay.

Agreed.