Unweighted GPA: 3.8
ACT: 33
ACT Writing: 19
AP Classes: 4 (I took AP Spanish Lang, AP Spanish Lit, and this year I will take AP calculus and AP chemistry)
As far as extracurriculars… I’m in a social justice program at my school and I have the President’s Award for community service, but that’s it.
The schools I will be applying to are:
Boston University, Drake University, Fordham University, Loyola Marymount University, North Carolina State University, Ohio State University, Texas Christian University, University at Buffalo, University of Georgia, University of Texas at Austin, and WashU in St. Louis. (I don’t know if this helps at all)
So… am I good enough for a full tuition merit scholarship? Do I have a good chance or am I pretty average?? Should I not even bother applying?
UT Austin will likely not give you a dime. They are not known for merit aid. Heck, some of their recruited D1 athletes only get $$ for books each semester :)) There are a super limited number of “40 Acres Scholars” but that is about 20-30 kids out of thousands and thousands. You cannot count on that at all.
TCU actually does give some decent merit, but since it is private you might be left with still lots left over to pay. It is not guaranteed merit either so while your chances are better there, it isn’t guaranteed.
Are you IN Texas? If so, what is your class rank?
Is your goal a full-tuition scholarship or do your parents say they can pay full price?
Thank you to all of you for your responses! I’ve researched all these schools and they all award full tuition scholarships on their websites.
My home state is CA–how does that affect my chances?
My situation is a little complicated… My parents don’t want me to go anywhere but a community college because of financial reasons. They won’t tell me anything about our financial situation, but all I know is that we don’t qualify for need-based aid. I’d really prefer not to go to community college, but they are so persistent that I go that I feel like the only way I can convince them otherwise is if I get a scholarship.
In response to your last question (@mom2collegekids), I have no idea which schools would for certain give me a scholarship for my stats. I found these schools from a bigger list of schools that offered full tuition scholarships, and then narrowed them down based on the majors I’d like to pursue.
NMF is national merit finalist based on the PSAT. Did you take the PSAT?
Sounds like your parents don’t want to talk about finances because they have a good income, but maybe because of house payment, car payments or other debt, they can’t pay much or anything for college.
You need a NEW LIST>. Your list is a disaster. Likely you’d get little or nothing from those schools.
And really, you don’t just need a full tuition scholarship…you need MORE than a full tuition scholarship because room board books fees travel and personal expenses will cost about $15k per year.
What is your major and career goal?
Ask your parents how much they CAN pay each year. $5k per year? More? Less?
Even a CC in Calif will cost a couple of thousand.
It’s a MISTAKE to start at a CC because transfer students rarely get big scholarships. If your parents can’t pay $30k per year for a UC, then they won’t be able to pay that when you transfer. Then what???
You need to apply as an incoming frosh to the schools that will give you HUGE merit as an incoming frosh.
You need to have a serious conversation with your parents. It is fine if they won’t give you money for college but not fine for them to interfere with your opportunity to be independent.
Based on your comments, you should prepare to disappoint them. Consider applying to schools based on the possibility for merit aid such as Alabama. Some of the small Ohio schools have good merit aid. There are many posts here about schools that offer od merit aid. The general cutooffs are 3.8, 32.
UT Austin might say they have merit scholarships but they are few and far between and crazy crazy competitive. I’m not trying to dash any dreams… Keep them on the list. BUT… Add to the list and try for schools where you will get automatic merit based on your stats.
UT athletic teams are fully funded, so they give what they can as allowed by the NCAA. And yes that means some students get nothing at all.
Agree that just because a website says there are full scholarships doesn’t mean everyone applying has even a slight chance at one. Please consider the California schools. It’s a big state and you can be independent somewhere 5 or 6 hours from your home. It’s hard to get parents to talk finances, but maybe you can get them to do a sample FAFSA and get an idea of where you stand.
You can also show them how much a comm college will cost.
The student says they would not qualify for need based aid…so how would,this student qualify for the blue and gold promise?
Boston University- full tuition scholarships are competitive and by special application. Trustee and MLK. Highly competitive.
Drake University, I do t see any reference to full tuition awards.
Fordham University,- maybe. They give a few.
Loyola Marymount University,- maybe…they give a few
Texas Christian- not likely
North Carolina State University, Ohio State University, , University at Buffalo, University of Georgia, University of Texas at Austin- what state do you live in? These are all public universities. The ones that are OOS are long shots for full tuition awards.
WashU in St. Louis.- gives almost exclusively need based aid.
Does that mean they will not fill out the FAFSA? Some schools require FAFSA for consideration for merit scholarships even if you are not requesting need-based FA. I think WUSTL is (was?) one of those schools.
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should try for some instate help through blue and gold scholarships.
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Just to clarify… blue and gold promise is only for incomes that are modest enough to qualify for aid. They aren’t “scholarships” meaning that they’re awarded for stats. The promise is for more modest income families who ALSO qualify for aid.
This student doesn’t qualify for aid.
I don’t think the student is saying that the parents won’t submit FAFSA. I think he’s saying that the parents don’t want to talk about their income because it’s high enough that if their son knew it, he’d expect them to pay…and they can’t.
A lot to absorb about getting a new college list, but need to get busy if HS senior. As another said, please show parents this thread. There is a list of schools where you would get tuition merit based on your stats, but that still will leave expenses as @mom2collegekids has said. And going to CC route in CA still means major $$ to complete UG degree. If parents will help maybe $5K, then many schools could be do-able with the student loans/working that a student can do. Perhaps your parents are scared of what they are hearing college will cost.
If scored for National Merit, a few more schools and $$ will open up.
There is a healthy list of OOS scholarship opportunities. For example I know you would qualify for full tuition scholarship at Univ of Alabama where my daughter attends. They have some great honors programs, and you could definitely shine as a student if you apply yourself and get into every opportunity that will help your academic and career path. National Merit awards more. And they do have a monthly payment plan which is helpful to families (as most schools have set up). However you would have to make the rest of the costs work out. They do have a range of student housing, so going in the dorm where it is the traditional (versus the suite style) will save about $2K a year.
Check out the automatic merit situation from the lists available on CC, or maybe someone will post the link. Your GPA (weighted or unweighted) and ACT/SAT score are the two key things schools look at quickly (plus those that are National Merit).
My two nephews went to Drake - but they lived in Iowa. They did the FAFSA every year. Parents had to pay about half of costs (which took about all of my sister’s take home pay, but education was extremely important to them) - the 2nd got the highest school merit award and the oldest got the 2nd highest school merit award. Oldest was the better student but he tipped his hand with Drake to say it was his first choice. 2nd son played the field with other schools. Both were Val of their small HS class, but older brother really shined with advanced degrees and being a Rhodes finalist among other things. Both were able to triple major at Drake and had highest academic awards. They both worked very hard at school and at work. Had internships etc.
IDK if you have time to research and find a LAC that may be a fit for your financial situation - that will give the merit to have low family contribution.
Don’t know if your HS counselor has some ready information. If you have attended any college fairs.
Honestly you need to apply to the schools that will be a financial fit, because your original list doesn’t fit your budget.
Seems like you are interested in spreading your wings. Hope things work out but you have to get busy.
Ohio State gives out 300-350 Morrill Scholarships each year. These are 4 year, full-tuition scholarships. Last year’s prompt was “based on your own knowledge, awareness, and experience, in what ways is diversity important to your personal, academic, or career goals and how have you successfully leveraged, enhanced, and promoted diversity and other cross-cultural relationships among your peers and non-peers.” If your experiences/leadership/community service could be a fit, apply with a passionate, thougtful essay. There are several posts on the College Confidential Ohio State page about the Morrill Scholarship - you can search to learn more.
