Luke's College Planning

Planned and synthesized by Claude Fable 5; web research by five Claude Haiku agents. Every dollar figure is a 2026–27 published value where one was found, otherwise a close estimate. Anything marked verify should be confirmed on the linked page before you rely on it.

Read this first: how the money works for us

The thirty-four

Tap a school to open the full details. “Full tuition” never includes room and board (~$12k–$22k/yr). “Guaranteed” is what we'd pay if he wins nothing competitive: only automatic merit and published need-based policies count. “Long shot” is the top award he could win, with how many are given and how many compete. Odds labels: Likely (over 25%), Realistic (5–25%), Long shot (1–5%), Very long shot (under 1%). All figures are Dad's estimates for our family. Full prices are the out-of-state rate (in-state for UIUC). The setting tag describes what's around campus — every school here is safe inside its own footprint: College town / Suburban, Urban — campus-contained, Urban — mind the edges (specific blocks to avoid at night; details inside each card).

What to do, in order

He is a senior now. The first items are due within weeks; the earliest full-ride deadlines are October 15. Sorted by date; the tag says how much it matters: Must do gates guaranteed money or a Stamps pool, High value is a long shot worth the effort, Optional is fine to skip.

1. This week (Sept 1–7, 2026) Must do

   Ask his school whether he made National Merit SEMIFINALIST (announcements reach schools ~Sept 9–10). This one fact decides whether Texas A&M (and Alabama's bigger NMF package, UTD's NMF package) become guaranteed.

   Applies to: Texas A&M, Alabama, UT Dallas · If Semifinalist: the NMSC Finalist application (essay, school endorsement) is due through the school in early–mid Oct.
2. This week Must do

   Meet the counselor: (1) ask about NOMINATIONS for Morehead-Cain (UNC), Jefferson Scholars (UVA) and Wells Scholars (Indiana: two per school, and he can self-nominate if the school won't); (2) tell them the Early Action plan so the school report and transcript are ready by late October; (3) confirm the community-college Linear Algebra will appear on the transcript or as a separate CC transcript.

   Applies to: UNC, Indiana, all EA schools · Nomination programs have internal school deadlines that come before the published ones.
3. By Sept 15 High value

   Run the net price calculators at MIT, Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Penn, JHU, Emory and Caltech with the 2025 tax return (AGI, non-retirement savings, 529 balances, household size). This turns the schools' published policies into a real number for our family and tells us which single restrictive early application is worth the slot.

   Applies to: Tier C + Emory · Aid for fall 2027 uses 2025 income. Dad runs these; the results feed the Guaranteed line.
4. By Sept 30 Optional

   Coca-Cola Scholars application ($20k, merit-only, short form).

   Applies to: External · 150 winners nationally; low effort, low odds.
5. By Oct 1 Must do

   Register for the AMC 12 (contests ~Nov 5 and Nov 12) through his school or a nearby host site. This is the single strongest thing he can add to the file before the Stamps / Forty Acres / Park committees read it.

   Applies to: Every competitive program; Tier C · An AIME qualification (announced Dec) lands before most finalist rounds.
6. By Oct 1 Must do

   Ask the recommenders now — the math teacher who watched him run out of courses, and the community-college Linear Algebra instructor if that person knows him. Give them the deadline of Oct 25 and a one-page brag sheet (competitions, the CC story, what he wants to do with applied math).

   Applies to: All applications · A missing recommendation on Nov 2 means no Stamps consideration at Georgia Tech or UIUC.
7. By Oct 1 Must do

   Open the FAFSA (opens Oct 1) and the CSS Profile. Every private on the list needs the CSS Profile; UIUC's AIM HIGH needs a FAFSA on file; several merit schools want it even for merit awards.

   Applies to: All privates; UIUC · Do it once; it goes to every school.
8. By Oct 1 High value

   Two emails: (1) Alabama admissions — does the Presidential Elite '4.0 GPA' use weighted or unweighted GPA? (decides whether the floor there is ~$12k or ~$22k); (2) UIUC admissions — confirm Stamps/Provost need nothing beyond the EA application and whether Mathematics in LAS is the right college to apply to.

   Applies to: Alabama, UIUC · Get both answers in writing.
9. Sept–Oct Must do

   Essays: write the main Common App essay around the math story — running out of math at his high school and going to find Linear Algebra at a community college, and what applied math he wants to do with it. Draft the Georgia Tech, UIUC, and Tier C supplements from the same core. Decide by mid-October between ONE restrictive early application (Princeton SCEA / Harvard REA / Yale SCEA / Caltech REA) and the non-binding private EAs (MIT and UChicago); the restrictive plans rule those out. Binding Early Decision (Rice, UChicago, BU on Nov 1–2; Williams or Swarthmore on Nov 15) is a separate call, and any binding ED makes him ineligible for Indiana's Wells Scholars.

   Applies to: All · Public non-binding EAs (Clemson, UGA, Purdue, Virginia Tech, UIUC and the rest) can sit alongside any of these.
10. By Oct 10 High value

    Run the net price calculators for the schools added Sept 25 (UChicago, Rice, Williams, Swarthmore, BU) plus Vanderbilt and Caltech, whose lines changed. Watch the asset tests: Rice counts home equity; Vanderbilt requires parent net worth under $250k, not counting the home or retirement accounts.

    Applies to: Tier C + Vanderbilt · If a calculator comes back well above ~$30k, drop that school.
11. Oct 15 High value

    UNC Early Action (+ Morehead-Cain nomination/direct application); UT Austin Early Action (Forty Acres consideration is now automatic; optional interest form by Jan 15); Clemson Early Action (required for National Scholars); UGA Early Action (the Foundation Fellowship application follows by Nov 1).

    Applies to: UNC, UT Austin, Clemson, UGA · All four are full-ride lotteries; UNC, Clemson and UGA need an extra nomination or application.
12. Oct 22 High value

    Clemson Honors College priority application: two essays up to 650 words and two recommendations (materials by Nov 1). It is the only route to National Scholars.

    Applies to: Clemson · The finalist weekend, Feb 19–20, 2027, is mandatory.
13. Oct 25 Must do

    Checkpoint: every recommendation, school report and transcript submitted; check each application portal shows them received. Anything missing has one week to fix before the Nov 1 wall.

    Applies to: All EA schools
14. Nov 1–2 Must do

    The applications that gate guaranteed or near-guaranteed money: UIUC Early Action (Nov 1; materials by Nov 7) → Illinois Stamps + Provost; Georgia Tech EA2 (~Nov 2) → Stamps President's; Maryland EA (Nov 1) → Banneker/Key; NC State EA + separate Park application (Nov 1); Michigan State (Nov 1) → Alumni Distinguished invitation; Purdue EA + Honors College portion (Nov 1) → Stamps/Beering; Virginia Tech EA with the Honors box checked (Nov 1) → Stamps; Indiana EA + Wells nomination (Nov 1); UGA Foundation Fellowship application (Nov 1); USC Early Action or Early Decision (Nov 1), now required for USC merit consideration.

    Applies to: UIUC, Georgia Tech, Maryland, NC State, Michigan State, Purdue, Virginia Tech, Indiana, UGA, USC · No separate scholarship form at UIUC, GT, UMD, MSU or Virginia Tech — the admission application IS the entry. Park, Wells, UGA's Fellowship and Purdue's Honors portion need their own pieces.
15. Nov 1–2 High value

    The reaches: EITHER MIT and UChicago EA (non-binding) OR the one restrictive early app chosen in October (Princeton / Harvard / Yale / Caltech), not both; Ohio State EA either way. Binding ED only for a clear first choice he'd commit to sight-unseen: JHU ED I, Duke ED (Nov 2), Penn ED, Rice ED I (Nov 1), UChicago ED I (Nov 1), BU ED I (Nov 2).

    Applies to: MIT, Caltech, UChicago, Princeton/Harvard/Yale, OSU, JHU, Duke, Penn, Rice, BU · Everything not applied to early goes Regular Decision in January at no penalty.
16. Nov 9–15 High value

    Ohio State Stamps Eminence application (Nov 9); Robertson Scholars application for Duke/UNC (Nov 15); Emory application by Nov 15 with 'Yes' checked for Scholar Programs (Woodruff consideration).

    Applies to: Ohio State, Duke/UNC, Emory · Emory is affordable for us even without Woodruff (Advantage Plus), so it's a reach worth keeping.
17. Nov 15 Optional

    Williams ED or Swarthmore ED I, only if one is his clear first choice. Both are binding and both rule out Wells; Swarthmore also has ED II on Jan 4 as a fallback.

    Applies to: Williams, Swarthmore · Both are tuition-free for us, so ED doesn't risk a bad aid offer.
18. Nov 5–12 Optional

    Regeneron STS (Nov 5) only if he has an actual research project to submit; Elks MVS (Nov 12) — small, quick.

    Applies to: External · Skip Jack Kent Cooke — need-based, we don't qualify.
19. Dec 1–4 Must do

    The guaranteed-money applications: UT Dallas by Dec 1 (AES; add the separate McDermott application); Alabama by Dec 4 (Presidential Elite is automatic once the application and score report are in).

    Applies to: UT Dallas, Alabama · These are the floor of the whole list — do not let them slip.
20. Dec 1 High value

    Vanderbilt scholarship application (MyAppVU); Texas A&M scholarship priority (if he's a National Merit Semifinalist); Pitt complete file (rolling admission) → Rees-Chancellor's + automatic scholarship; BU application for Presidential merit consideration.

    Applies to: Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, Pitt, BU
21. Dec 16 High value

    WashU signature scholar programs (Danforth / Ervin / Rodriguez) priority deadline; final deadline Jan 4.

    Applies to: WashU · Verify the date on WashU's page; admission RD is Jan 2.
22. Jan 1–5, 2027 High value

    Regular Decision for every elite school not applied to early: Princeton & Harvard Jan 1; Yale, JHU, WashU Jan 2; Caltech, MIT, Duke, Rice, Williams, Swarthmore Jan 4; Penn, BU Jan 5; UChicago early Jan (confirm).

    Applies to: Tier C + Duke/WashU
23. Jan–Mar 2027 Must do

    Finalist rounds — block the weekends now: Michigan State competition exam (late Jan/early Feb); Stamps (GT, UIUC), Forty Acres, Park, Banneker/Key, Eminence, Emory, USC finalist visits (Feb–Mar); Wells interviews Feb 13–14; Clemson National Scholars weekend Feb 19–20; UGA Foundation Fellowship weekend late Feb; Pitt, Virginia Tech and Purdue interviews in Feb. National Merit Finalists announced in Feb; AIME in Feb.

    Applies to: Tier B · Overlapping finalist weekends are common; prioritize by the Long-shot line.
24. By Mar 15, 2027 High value

    Confirm the FAFSA is on file with UIUC — AIM HIGH ($5k/yr) gives preference to students who filed by Mar 15.

    Applies to: UIUC · Already done if the FAFSA went in on Oct 1; just check.
25. April 2027 High value

    Before choosing, email each finalist school's math department: (1) does community-college Linear Algebra transfer, (2) can he place into upper-division / graduate courses as a freshman, (3) honors sequence, Putnam and REU culture. Get answers in writing.

    Applies to: All admits · Elite schools often want their own sequence; big publics are flexible.
26. May 1, 2027 Must do

    National decision day. Compare offers using the Guaranteed and Long-shot lines; remember most schools give only the single largest institutional award, but outside scholarships stack.

    Applies to: All

Outside scholarships worth the hour

Things that would still change this list

Considered and left off