Advice please? What are my chances like to receive merit??

Hi, I’m a rising senior from a competitive high school. It would be a dream to attend MHC but I would need merit to attend and would not qualify for much need based aid. I am the captain of my school’s XC team and will hopefully receive my fourth varsity letter, a community basketball league referee for three years, a junior coach on a community track team, a recipient of a prestigious research internship at the local Children’s Hospital’s neurology department, a very regular volunteer at my family’s non profit organization benefitting children with white matter diseases in honor of my sister, and the writer of a children’s book explaining epilepsy. My GPA is 4.16 weighted and I achieved a 30 on the ACT.
It’s pretty weird putting it all out there like that but that’s me!
Repeated thank yous to anyone who replies!

Hi -

You never know, TBH. My twins applied with stats and ECs like yours and got different amounts of merit, perhaps because one applied ED and one RD. The ED one received less despite having the slightly higher GPA and scores.

Have you run any net price calculators? They’re really really helpful. And a lot of people think they won’t qualify for aid and get a pleasant surprise at schools like MHC that meet 100% of need.

You should still apply for FA; it might very well help even if the aid is small. Every dollar counts.

The thing about merit is, it’s very hard to predict. MHC places a fair amount of weight on interest - it’s just logical that they commit funds to people they think have a chance of actually coming. So, do an interview (in person or via Skype). Be in contact with your admissions counselor. Make sure MHC knows that it is your dream school and why. You have a lot of interesting things to talk about in your essay; use that to give MHC an impression of what you can bring to the campus. I think it’s very possible you would get merit (though it is by no means a certainty).

Whether or not ED decreases merit awards is a topic of hot debate. (The argument goes that a school doesn’t have to use merit as a carrot in ED, since people are already very committed). You DO have the ability to pull out of an ED commitment if the school is financially unfeasible, but obviously you would prefer not to do that.

I second Pheebers’ comments above. Run the Net Price calculator. Have an honest conversation with your parents about how much they can pay a year. Once you’ve figured out how much you’ll likely get in FA (even if that truly is nothing) and how much you’ll get from your family, you can make an informed decision about how to handle your application process, depending on how large the difference is that you need to make up.

I would not advise you to apply ED if you need merit. Your stats and ECs make it look like you have a good chance to be admitted without the ED bump. Keep in mind that you can also request a review of your FA after you have been admitted. My D did so and was awarded a significant increase in her merit award. Definitely communicate with Admissions and show them some love. Good luck!

If I were you, I’d just go for it and apply early decision. If it is the place for you as you seem to be confident, the decision can only be yes with enough financial aid or yes but the College needs to tweak the award. In any event, you can make it work for you and you will have a fantastic four years to look forward to (not to mention a lifetime as an alumna). As we alums know well, this is not just a four year gig. You will love this College.

Wait, it is a well established maxim here on CC that if you need merit, you don’t apply ED. The ED application is a contract. What you can do is complete the Net Price Calculator. If the number you get will work for your family then you can consider applying ED. If the actual award is less generous than what the NPC gave you (document that), you can back out and try other schools (of course you will have to have those applications lined up to send, just in case.) Your stats look pretty good to me for MHC (but if your school does Naviance or whatever, that would be a better source.) It’s not clear to me you would need an ED bump. Especially if you show MHC some love.

Gotta say, I take exception to @dc20016 saying “…you will have a fantastic four years to look forward to (not to mention a lifetime as an alumna). As we alums know well, this is not just a four year gig. You will love this College.”

MHC is a great school for many students, but there is absolutely NO GUARANTEE that it will work out for you.