I am having trouble following all of the threads. My son is very interested in UM and wants to apply next year. He has 30 ACT (31 Superscore), UW GPA 3.85 (W GPA 4.55), Varsity soccer, and several ECs. These are my questions:
- What are chances of admission given stats above?
2, What would typical range of merit-based aid be for someone with the stats above (assuming that we don’t qualify for any need-based aid)?
- Are the best chances of admission through EA?
- If students apply for ED are they still considered for merit-based aid?
Thanks for any help!
Well after seeing this year I’m not sure anymore. ED students are considered for merit aid as I was one of them. I had a 1400 SAT and was accepted with a 23k presidential scholarship. This being said, there were many people with better stats that me who either were deferred or received less aid.
Thanks. I am trying to pick up a pattern from all of the posts. Are most kids with good stats being admitted (with just a few anomalies) or is admission almost random now?
I am also wondering whether UM awards any finacial aid to students that apply ED? If you are already commited to atteniding w/o merit aid do they still seriously consider awarding merit aid to ED applicants?
@CollegeDad1972 I have posted on having been deferred on another thread on CC’s UM message board, and my stats (at least in terms of test scores) where much higher than your son’s. However, I’ve been told by others that I was probably deferred b/c I was “over-qualified” and not seen as someone who would actually commit to the school. Having seen who did get in, I would say that your son might have a really good shot.
@CollegeDad1972
My son applied EA. He was accepted, invited into their Foote Fellows Honors Program for business, and awarded $23K/yr.
SAT - 1420
GPA - 97W/94UW
Rank - 23/197
I definitely saw kids with higher stats being deferred, which I though was crazy, but these stats don’t show the whole picture. My guess is Miami takes a more holistic look at the applicants. My son plays varsity football & wrestling, captain on both (wrestling captain all 4 years), multiple athletic awards, summer jobs, volunteer for local youth wrestling program, math team, and interesting essay about cartoons. In this day and age when so many kids have the stats you have to find something to make you stand out.
I don’t know the answer about the best way to apply for admission & merit, but my advice would be keep up the good work academically and continue with the EC’s. But have them be part of his “story”. My son didn’t volunteer a ton, but it made sense for him being with a youth wresting program. It seems like Miami wants a well rounded student; not just high stats. That’s the only explanation I can come up with as to why my son got all he did, and others with higher stats were deferred. Again, I don’t know, I’m just speculating.
Anyone get grants on top of the merit aid?
Thoughts following a LONG admission year.
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EA means nothing in terms of preference for schools that offer ED. Even less for schools that offer Ed 1 & 2. Schools trying to “game” the ranking algorithms encourage massive number of apps via EA (to improve their top line of apps received) but accept mostly Ed and only low single digits of EA (to improve selectivity and yield rankings). If you want to radically up your chances of admit, put your time in up front doing research and then go ED.
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NPC Calculators are your friend. They ask for test scores and gpa and will give an idea of possible merit. I learned this late, and in hindsight many schools on our list were never going to be workable financially. Far too many people ignore finances until acceptances start rolling in.
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“Big” Merit awards seem to be almost random. If you really need merit to make college affordable, go “merit shopping” with schools that advertise it heavily.
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UMiami was the absolute worst at calculating EFC of any school I encountered. Be prepared to have all home equity treated as cash on hand.
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If you have an EFC under COA (like almost all of us), strongly consider schools that meet 100% of need.
Do check out the NPC for Miami. I do not know if it gives merit award info, however.
I think your son is a good match for acceptance to UM, but on the low end for merit money from what I have seen in this area. Several kids with a profile similar to your son ended up at UTampa or other Florida schools instead because they did not get the money needed to go to Miami. The ones I know who were accepted with a nice chunk of change to defray costs were up there in stats and had some “hook”.
Certainly, give it a go. From answers on this thread, it is a possibility. He seems to be within the range. However, getting substantial merit money is difficult. It makes every school a reach. Do make sure your son has some schools that fit his needs and wants that are affordable too. The more name recognition a school has , in general, the harder it is to get merit money. Look at some of the Catholic schools which are seeking make candidates. LACs too.
Check out University of Alabama Huntsville. It has automatic merit awards that would give your son a great deal. This is a school that this Forum has found inviting for those looking for big merit money. The list of such schools with auto awards has gone way down each year.
The College Board’s NPC was very accurate for Miami in my case.
does the NPC include estimates for merit based awards, or only for need-based?
The NPC should only include certain merit aid from the goa and test score info. Not anything that is given out only after examination of the application. I think it is risky to apply for ED because, though it will increase your son’s chances for getting accepted, he may end up accepted with no merit money. He is at the low end of getting substantial merit money.
Most all ED schools will give financial aid packages and work with ED accepted students to make it work because insufficient Financial aid is valid reason to get out of the ED contract. I don’t think lack of merit money is. At many schools, the bulk of merit money is distributed at the end of the year so ED accepted students often get none and take a big risk getting anything at year end. They are the “bird in hand” and merit money is used to attract the ones still in the bush.
I would apply EA to UM And look for a variety of other early apps that are not ED. You may find that acceptances will also consideration for merit money that would be announced later. My son got a number of such notices. Only one school gave him merit money and that was with notice that he was eligible to get more in the spring round. He didn’t get a dime from his ED school.
Looking for substantial merit money makes all schools without guaranteed merit schedules, reach schools. Getting more than a $5k award is tough. I’d look at schools where your son’s stats are in the upper 25% and at schools that give substantial scholarships. The common data set can give you a good idea how many kids, what % get average merit awards of what amount.
According to the UM website, this school includes ED admits in consideration for financial aid. I take these statements at face value. Whether they stack or replace financial aid packages, I do not know
Also, if UMMerit is given out in the spring, one cant count on getting any of it at the ED accept date.