As the title says, I’m a student of African descent who holds US citizenship (although I grew up in China and went to HS in Germany). I really hope anyone here will be able to direct me to scholarships that provide full-tuition coverage.
My SAT score is 2360, and my GPA is quite high. I’m also the captain of my school’s volleyball team.
I would prefer small Christian colleges, but any advice or pointers related to some other kind of college will also be highly welcomed.
Others may give you a full tuition award but you have to apply to see. Small Christian colleges may give few, so called ‘bible colleges’ rarely. You are going to have to do your homework on this.
Some colleges will only award based on ‘need’. Do you know your EFC?
Thank you for the reply and the link!
I have no idea what my EFC is, I will need to look into that, but right now I really don’t think I have much of a chance for need-based aid because my family is pretty well-off, and we have some real estate assets… but naturally, my parents don’t want to pay $280,000+ for my college education. I really want to save money because I know I will go to grad school, and I don’t want to have to pay loans for the next 20-30 years of my life.
So I REALLY need someplace that gives aid on the basis of merit.
Also, will I be able to list myself as an African-American? I am African, and I am an American by citizenship, but I was not born or raised there, and I don’t really have much to do (culturally) with American Blacks… would it be ethical for to apply for scholarships reserved for AA students?
Were your parents descendents of African Americans historically brought here from subsaharan africa then don’t have any qualms about it. You don’t have to fit any stereotype to be Black. It sounds like you could say you don’t have much in common with Americans, but you can still call yourself American?
OK I was just trying to determine if you qualify for need aid. From what you describe, yes I agree you should be merit seeking. I don’t know that you will get full tuition but I’d take a look at Ohio Wesleyan, a very good school with Christian roots. They gave 25% of student who did not qualify for need merit aid averaging $20 and by all accounts it is an excellent college.
My parents are not descendants of American Blacks. We were all born in Africa, and moved to China when I was a baby. I don’t really think of myself of an American. I am African by ethnicity, Chinese/African by culture and language.
So, I don’t know what to write… everybody tells me that writing “Black” or “African-American”, I will have an easier time getting into colleges and getting scholarships, but frankly, I don’t know if I’d do that if it says African-Americans.
Thank you for recommending Ohio Wesleyan! I will definitely look into it, its website looks promising. If you have any other recommendations, I will be happy to hear it. Thank you again!
Based on what you wrote, you are not black/african american so you should not list your self as being african american as that would be fraudulent and unethical
Keep in mind your experiences as a student born in Africa , moved to China and educated in Germany will also bring a unique perspective to your essay and application. No need to try to game the system
I think you will be plenty interesting enough to not have to worry about an extra edge.
Also that figure for Ohio Wesleyan is 20,000 average for non need merit. If they give large awards for merit I’m not sure, but if they do you will be in line for it. I know they do for need aid, one of the prominent young computer science professors at my daughter’s school, Brown University, got his start there as an overseas student in need of aid. But mostly they come up as having an excellent atmosphere and education with Methodist origins.
Yes, look through the lists in reply #1. You can start with an automatic large scholarship safety from the list at http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/ (of course, your GPA as well as test scores are relevant) and then build the rest of your application list from other lists of competitive scholarships.
“Based on what you wrote, you are not black/african american so you should not list your self as being african american as that would be fraudulent and unethical”
???
When colleges ask for an applicant’s race, they’re asking about their genes/DNA. So if the OP has natural chocolate-colored skin, he/she can mark “black” on the app.
Ethnicity and culture are entirely different matters.
And u somehow think that the ancestors of American Blacks didn’t come from Africa, too?
“African American” is a RACIAL designation, not a cultural one. Every so many years, as per the flavor of the day, the name changes from black, to negro, to african american, but it all refers to the same thing.
If u are racially black, then tick the African American/Black box.
“My parents are not descendants of American Blacks. We were all born in Africa, and moved to China when I was a baby. I don’t really think of myself of an American.”
I think the OP was speaking about the ethnic description. Many blacks from around the world refuse to identify with African American ethnicity/culture, for whatever reasons.
@GMTplus7 ““African American” is a RACIAL designation, not a cultural one. Every so many years, as per the flavor of the day, the name changes from black, to negro, to african american, but it all refers to the same thing.”
Not really. Even though Americans commonly use it as a synonym for race, it’s still an ethnic category. In the USA, it’s used as a “politically correct” term for black people, but it doesn’t mean that blacks from around the world have to identify with the wording. This may sound like semantics, but the rest of the world doesn’t have to conform to American labels.
But yes, if the OP is scientifically speaking of the negroid race, he/she should select “black” (or “african american” since it’s what American colleges will have on their apps)
@collegemom3717 Let’s allow the OP to answer the questions since as you and he/she may not know, people with modest income and real estate can qualify for Pell and Gates, and Questbridge. Some people with $200k income believe themselves to be middle class and deserving of need-based aid. Conversely, others with $50k income believe they are well off and wouldn’t qualify for need-based aid. The OP has not provided enough information to rule out need-based aid. In addition, I am asking OP to confirm where he/she was born since it is not clear how he/she obtained U.S. citizenship if he/she has never lived here and his/her parents were born in Africa.