Any hope for merit $$ for those going to an Ivy or otherwise top school?

Parents Forum
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<p>All,</p>

<p>I loved your replies, especially the humor in them - old minivans and such. Always great to find company. I am sorry I wasn't clear: we went into ED knowing what we were doing. I did try to dissuade my daughter from doing it, but she was determined. Again, I had heard conflicting information -- people trying to tell me it is not unusual to get a sweetened package, so that was what I was trying to clarify. Thanks!</p>

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<p>whoa! try checking out fastweb.com - there are a lot of scholarships out there. Yes, it's hard to win many of them (especially the big ones) but someone has to. And you definitely can't win if you don't apply!</p>

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<p>I suggest also checking out CC's Financial Aid forum - you can pick up info on those few big outside scholarship programs (though the deadlines for some may be looming or already have come and gone).</p>

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<p>Welcome to CC, Nowayout. It is understandable that you would hope for some money for your talented daughter. I know so, so many families who have academically talented children who have been so successful and just wonderful through their highschool years belying the often negative press about young people. Such students seem to not only be a shoo in for highly selective colleges, heck, they should get their pick, but for a merit scholarship as well. Everyone gets money, it seems. No reason for anyone not to go to college for financial reason. The scholarships are for the picking for those who are good students. Not quite true. Most of the elite colleges do NOT give merit aid. Only need based aid, and to qualify for substancial amounts of it requires quite a low income level. The colleges' definition of need and a familys' may not mesh. And all the aid may not come in grant form, but in self help channels such as loans and work study.
About half the kids in the highly selective schools qualify for financial aid, but that does not address how much money they are getting from the school. I would guess that quite a bit more are taking out loans outside of the university. There are also many kids at these schools that do have outside merit awards that range from local scholarships to national awards like the ones given by Coca Cola and Milk.<br>
But even outside of the merit aid, is the selectivity issue. Top students are not necessarily going to get into the most selective schools. It is important for those kids to pick some safety schools, when their "match" schools are accepting so few kids--gotta remembers that most of the kids applying are matches for the school.<br>
For kids like your daughter, who are matches for top schools, though it is still stressfull in awaiting word of admissions, since it is no sure thing, it is very likely she will get into a fine school. Though it does take work, and consideration of going to a less selective school than her stats would indicate, it is also possible for her to get a nice merit package. The chances of both happening though are very, very small simply because of so many talented kids going for so few opportunities. But if she is eligible for those scholarships, she should go for them. Someone is going to get them. Good luck in the process.</p>

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<p>Lots of people pay the sticker price at top schools. There are external scholarships that might help some students a little, such as corporation-sponsored scholarships for NMS finalists or even in some cases commended students, but there are lots of people who don't get those and simply pay. I agree with the posters who mention some really "top" schools that do give merit aid--it isn't always in large amount and the awards are very competitive. The largest scholarships generally go to students who are being wooed away from even more prestigious schools. Someone can choose to attend a school that is slightly lower ranked and get some merit aid, but for every student who does that there is also one at that school too who is paying full freight. (I know this from personal experience as a parent whose children received partial merit offers money from a few schools and acceptances without money from the ones they ended up attending.) </p>

<p>In many cases the more widely awarded merit money at the top scholls that do give it is in the $5,000 range, so while it helps a little it is not a huge amount per year compared to the overall cost of tuition/room/board. I am sure there are students who are able to get their offers sweetened if they have something in the way of talent, achievement, and/or diversity that the school really needs/wants. but there are many students that the schools are happy to accept but who are not quite wanted/needed enough to get "sweeteners." So, all in all, it is not accurate to say no one pays sticker price at top schools.</p>

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<p>


This has also been our experience. DS had two full tuition offers, but he attends a different school.</p>

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<p>At the Ivies, your package can only become "sweetened" if you qualify for one in the first place. If you don't you are left with lemons.</p>

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<p>One parent who pays sticker price at two top schools. Could Ss have gotten merit aid somewhere else? Probably.</p>

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<p>I may have missed it, but I hope the OP intends to file for financial aid, even if she doesn't think they'll qualify. Sometimes merit money goes to those who file for aid and don't receive it under a need based system (but only at those schools that have merit money). By applying ED, the student has already set things in action but it's not too late to file a FAFSA for any other schools she might be applying to if the ED school doesn't come through. I really don't know whether ED candidates have to declare their intent to apply for aid with the original application, or if they're allowed to apply for aid later.</p>

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<p>You can get half tuition merit awards at Boston University and American University. I'm not certain, but I think the same is true for Northeastern in Boston.
Ntl Merit Scholar Finalists get good $ from New College (public liberal arts college of Florida), also Arizona State and University of Oklahoma (free ride).</p>

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<p>Years ago the New York Times ran an article about a kid who managed to put together $19,000 in outside scholarships using sources like FastWeb. It required a lot of essay writing as I recall - he recycled parts of the same essay for many of them. It sounded like a lot of work to do on top of applications!</p>

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<p>A couple of other schools Top 50 that offer merit aid and participate in NM are Oberlin, U of Rochester, and Case Western</p>

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<p>My D and I scoured Fastweb. While there are those rare kids who strike a chord with substantial scholarships , for the majority of students they would be better served by mowing lawns.</p>

<p>IMO the best advice is : Apply for your school scholarships, local scholarships, national or regional scholarships that are limited by group or specific achievement. Other than that read the merit aid threads on CC and select colleges where you stats make you competitive. Your time will be much better spent.</p>

<p>It was the best part-time job my kid could ever have. ;)</p>

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<p>The fact is though that if you don't qualify for need-based aid you're locked out of a significant number of scholarships as well - basically any that ask for family income. There are still some that don't request family income though so it's worth pursuing. My D definitely made more $$ by applying to scholarships than she could have made mowing lawns or at a part time job for the hours spent. When it comes to scholarships, nothing ventured - nothing gained.</p>

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<p>Thankfully, except for the very big national scholarships, most of the scholarship season comes after the new year. </p>

<p>$19,000 doesn't sound like much when you are talking about a school where COA is in the $40K area, but we've had kids who plan to go to the nearest Cal State and live at home during their college time--$19K covered 3 years of tuition!</p>

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<p>
[quote]
I am sorry I wasn't clear: we went into ED knowing what we were doing. I did try to dissuade my daughter from doing it, but she was determined.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Sorry, I'm having trouble picturing that...$200,000, but she was "determined?" How can that be?</p>

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<p>We found this to be true also. Many of the local scholarships had a need-based component or went to kids who had a compelling story to tell (often one and the same kid). Not complaining--just a fact...our senior awards night (where scholarship awards are the highlight) often spotlight 1 or 2 kids.</p>

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<p>Just curious....which Ivy allows ED applicants to apply EA to other schools? I thought most specifically forbade that double up.</p>

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<p>I know that Columbia allows it. ED there and EA at Chicago is an exremely common combination.</p>

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<p>cheers, One is able to apply to an ED school along with EA or rolling admission schools in most cases. S did just that with an ED application to an Ivy(Penn) at the same time as two rolling admission apps to state schools, one in state and one out of state. If you are offered admission at the ED school that is a binding commitment and one must withdraw the other applications. You may be thinking of single choice early actions schools(SCEA)which do not allow the student to apply to more than one, although the acceptance is not binding. It's confusing, I know.</p>

<p>nowayout, (Loved that movie BTW), Another full freight customer here. I'm sure you have this covered, but hope your daughter has some safeties on her list as well.</p>