<p>I've been looking for scholarships to apply to and haven't found a single one which pertains to me. Can anybody give me some help? I want to win money towards my college tuition (going to CMU next year), but I'm excluded from ALL of the hundreds of scholarships I've found.</p>
<p>Gender: Male
Income: Middle-Class (around 140k)
Race: Asian-American
Intended Career: Finance
Intended Major: Business or Mathematics
Community Service: Not much. Did slightly more than most students, but less than 200 hrs total throughout high school.
Other info: I won't apply for any scholarship that commits me to working at a certain company in any way (unless that company is a financial firm, obviously). Also, I'm currently taking a gap year so the scholarship can't be restricted to high school students. </p>
<p>So far, I've only been able to apply to "no-essay" scholarship, which are essentially lotteries since winners are chosen at random. Please help!</p>
<p>If you’re looking for scholarships to help with FOUR years of tuition, you’re likely going to be out of luck since you’re not low income. many have a “need” component.</p>
<p>You might find some small local scholarships to apply to, but those will likely be for only FRESHMAN year.</p>
<p>The bigger multi-year scholarships are often for low income students. </p>
<p>What are your parents saying? Will they pay for college? If not, then you need to apply to SCHOOLS that will give you merit for your stats.</p>
<p>What companies will give an 18-19 year old any guaranteed job for any period of time anyways, other than the military? I’d like a list of those.</p>
<p>As an Asian, you are considered an over-represented minority at colleges/unis all over the US. There aren’t any scholarships I know of for you. Also, plenty of people say that getting accepted is also a lot more difficult for Asian males, high test scores/gpa or not. If you are on a gap year, I suggest you find something remarkable to do so that you can have a great hook on your applications that will really set you apart. What have you done with your year off that may make colleges think you will be a very successful addition to the freshman class they are putting together? THAT may be what also leads the schools to also offer merit scholarships to you.</p>
<p>Wondering how you could miss this, it’s the most well known outside scholarship for Asian/PI students, it is the first hit when you google ‘Asian scholarship’:</p>
<p>@teachandmom, I don’t think you read my original post. I said that I am ** going to be attending Carnegie Mellon (CMU) in the fall**; in other words, I am done with the admissions process (thank god). Carnegie Mellon doesn’t award any merit scholarship and my EFC is somewhat higher that I’d like.</p>
<p>@entomom, I applied for APIASF last year and didn’t win. I didn’t want to waste time applying for it again given that I wasn’t good enough last year.</p>
<p>Also, I just want to mention that I won a 4k scholarship last year. I can only use the award during my freshman year, however, and I’m not allowed to apply for it again. That’s why I’m in desperate need of a good scholarship right now.</p>
<p>FateGoneAwry16, since you applied ED, did you get an estimate for what CMU might offer in financial aid? Did you qualify for anything in financial need? CMU says ED’ers will be able to qualify for the most in terms of financial need. Your parents income is in the higher range but maybe talking to CMU about any special circumstances etc may be helpful. ED is best used by students who don’t need any financial aid, have need or those who need a lot of financial aid/most need. Have a talk with parents about the feasibility of the CMU cost.
CMU is a very expensive university- high tuition cost. What about a summer job? Work study? I truly wish you the best in your endeavor to find a way to attend CMU.</p>
<p>How could I possibly be a transfer student? I was accepted ED and CMU only offers ED for freshman (much like any other private college). </p>
<p>To those who still haven’t read my original post, I graduated from high school in June 2012 and will be starting college in August 2013. I’m not sure why you think I’m a transfer student, but I’m not. </p>
<p>@goingnutsmom, I didn’t like the results of my financial estimate. I got minimal grant money and around 8k in loans. The main reason I’m applying for scholarships is that my EFC won’t qualify me for substantial aid. </p>
<p>@4kidsdad Its glaringly obvious that I’m not applying for the APIASF scholarship. Could you please refrain from mentioning it on this thread? :)</p>
<p>OP- what a bummer that CMU didn’t come through for you with the financial estimate. Last year when my son applied we got nothing from CMU. It seemed to me then and now that CMU is known for not really giving out much in the scholarship department. They will I have heard be generous with needy, talented students. Basically if they really, really want you they’ll show you the money. It didn’t happen for my son so we really had to sit down and figure out the feasibility of him going to CMU.
What major are you? I have heard that CMU is worth the price for some majors but maybe not for others. Think about it and discuss with your parents.
IMHP, it’s the higher middle class that’s being squeezed out by universities like CMU. We make enough but are not wealthy enough to make out a check for $60,000 without sacrifices. Wish you the best.</p>
<p>Most scholarships for most students come from the university they attend. If you pick a college with no merit aid… or your stats are not high enough to quality, then you have made your own choices on this.</p>
<p>Certainly there are other general scholarships that do not restrict in any way by ethnicity or gender. Although many deadlines are passed… here are a few my kid applied for that are not related to her schools:</p>
<ul>
<li>Scholastic Art & Writing Awards</li>
<li>A couple related to her FIRST Robotics EC</li>
<li>Steven Brady STOP Hunger Scholarship (because she has done a lot of volunteer work in this area)</li>
<li>Just Poetry! scholarship</li>
</ul>
<p>But realistically, pretty much nobody funds an expensive undergrad experience like CMU through outside scholarships. But use the scholarship engines, make a spreadsheet of every opportunity you find that fits, and keep plugging away at applications.</p>
<p>Also… why skip the essay contests? They get fewer entrants because they require actual work… but then you avoid the “lottery” issue you complained about.</p>
<p>I never said that I didn’t want essay-based scholarships. I actually prefer scholarships which have essay components because they have far less competition.</p>
<p>Enough with the 'tude. The reason people don’t understand that you are a current fr admit and think you might be a transfer is because you have said things like you applied to APIASF last year, when it is only open to entering fr, not HS seniors.</p>
<p>How are you spending your gap year? Can you find a job or two, live with your parents and save as much as possible?
Waiting tables at a nice restaurant can bring in some decent money, plus you’d then have a transferable skill to help you land part-time work in Pittsburgh next Fall.</p>