Why would a student turn down Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Yale for an offer from Washington University in St. Louis, Emory University or the University of Chicago?  Many students this year did exactly that.  Competition for the best and the brightest has never been keener, and in this time of economic uncertainty more and more families are choosing half-tuition, full-tuition or full-ride offers from non-Ivy league schools.

But what if your child is not “the best and the brightest?”  Is there something for them?  The answer is yes.  The key is to find schools where the student would be extremely well qualified as compared with other applicants or where they can capitalize on a talent.  Schools such as the University of Rochester, Elizabethtown College, Tulane University, the University of Pittsburgh, and St. Lawrence University offer full-tuition merit scholarships to their most qualified applicants.  Other colleges offer significant musical, athletic, or service awards.  Some lure students with incentives such as free parking, an Honors curriculum, laptops, study abroad grants, or research stipends.

An educational consultant can help the family identify schools that are likely to offer merit aid packages.  But, ultimately the final decision is up to you.