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I would be out of state, if its a public school.

My SAt is 1300
GPA is 3.9

if you need those to figure aid out..

my parents have 3 dependents, including me, and i am the last to go to college, so my parents cant really afford to shell out 30k a year for a good education at some private school, or out of state public....and the schools in idaho are really horrible..

there is no way i am staying in idaho.

so which schools give very good financial aid based on need based and merit based (i probably wont get any merit based)

oh, i also want to go to a decent school, not some college that nobody has ever heard of.

By Arizonamom (Arizonamom) on Thursday, September 30, 2004 - 10:31 pm: Edit

Last spring there was a great post about students and where they gat merit and finaid and how much, those that were inclined posted stats. I would do a search to pull it up. If you were interested in a tier 2 school you could get good merit but many schools would give you finaid as well with that many in college. Give more info such as major, what size school you are looking for, university vs LAC, near a city or suburb etc. More folks can offer input that way.

By Anicerdad (Anicerdad) on Friday, October 01, 2004 - 09:37 am: Edit

First $$ is average GRANT aid given. Second % is what ends up as a discount from total costs.
Concentrate on the first # or amount. These are top LAC schools, but they are usually the ones that have the most $$$$.

Amherst College (MA) 46% $15,001
2. Williams College (MA) 41% $14,899
3. Swarthmore College (PA) 49% $17,070
4. Washington and Lee University (VA) 21% $13,523 54%
5. Macalester College (MN) 69% $15,803 51%
6. Pomona College (CA) 51% $17,340 54%
7. Grinnell College (IA) 58% $16,285 48%
8. Middlebury College (VT) 36% $16,406 56%
9. Wellesley College (MA) 53% $18,051 52%
10. Occidental College (CA) 70% $15,372 58%
11. Claremont McKenna College (CA) 55% $17,198 53%
12. Carleton College (MN) 54% $18,066 47%
13. Bryn Mawr College (PA) 56% $16,977 54%
14. Haverford College (PA) 41% $17,256 55%
15. Wabash College (IN) 67% $13,975 50%
16. Centre College (KY) 67% $14,738 46%
17. Smith College (MA) 64% $18,685 51%
18. Bowdoin College (ME) 40% $17,550 54%
19. Trinity College (CT) 45% $16,737 56%
20. Mount Holyoke College (MA) 64% $17,908 52%
21. Colgate University (NY) 42% $16,876 54%
22. DePauw University (IN) 44% $14,471 53%
23. Agnes Scott College (GA) 66% $15,084 48%
24. Wesleyan University (CT) 45% $18,654 51%
25. Hamilton College (NY) 52% $18,261 51%
26. Vassar College (NY) 52% $18,874 49%
27. Hillsdale College (MI) 92% $14,015 42%
28. Wells College (NY) 79% $12,712 43%
29. Colby College (ME) 35% $17,219 54%
30. University of the South (TN) 40% $15,281 50%
31. Lafayette College (PA) 50% $16,839 53%
32. Austin College (TX) 60% $13,184 47%
33. Bates College (ME) 39% $17,126 55%
34. Hanover College (IN) 56% $11,740 45%
35. Colorado College 40% $16,406 53%
36. Knox College (IL) 75% $15,259 50%
37. Lake Forest College (IL) 70% $13,620 55%
38. Albion College (MI) 61% $13,483 52%
39. Beloit College (WI) 70% $16,251 46%

By Neelesh (Neelesh) on Friday, October 01, 2004 - 05:51 pm: Edit

thank you!

By Pattykk (Pattykk) on Friday, October 01, 2004 - 06:34 pm: Edit

Go to the 2004 archives of the parents forum. Look for "Best Merit Awards from Where?" It is a good long list of schools that gave merit aid last year.

By Pattykk (Pattykk) on Friday, October 01, 2004 - 06:56 pm: Edit

i went to the old list. Lewis and Clark and Willamette gave merit aid last year, and they are in your neck of the woods. Do you want to stay in the Northwest? Also, do you want a college or university? What are you going to study? Do you want a conservative or liberal campus? Is fraternity life a factor?

By Par72 (Par72) on Friday, October 01, 2004 - 09:04 pm: Edit

Duke is need-blind. Also Holy Cross is need-blind and offers several merit-aid scholarships.

By Pattykk (Pattykk) on Saturday, October 02, 2004 - 11:11 pm: Edit

I am thinking that some schools in other parts of the country like to have geographic diversity and would smile on an application from Idaho. You might want to venture east or south if you don't mind being far from home.

By Celebrian23 (Celebrian23) on Saturday, October 02, 2004 - 11:21 pm: Edit

need-blind is a tricky statement, remember need-blind can include loans, check out the parents forum:the needblind lie

By Bettina (Bettina) on Sunday, October 03, 2004 - 07:04 am: Edit

I'm a little confused by your requirements, and we don't know what schools "nobody heard of" in your family, school, neck of woods.

Some of the very best schools in the country, 20 or 50 if not up to 100 more, "nobody ever heard of" unless a) they are the unusual bracket of being the top 10- or 20 percent of US students--GPA, SAT, EC and courseload wise or, b) they are in the other top academic schools as students, faculty, or grad school, law school and medical school admissions, or c) industry and professions.

So, clarify what you mean. Do you require a marquee name or a great school? Does it have to have national recognition like a larger state school, or can it be a better school that none of your friends will know of?