<p>D1 is completing her junior year at a top public high school in Maryland with a fairly rigorous curriculum (mostly honors and a few AP classes). Her GPA is around 3.8 weighted and 4.5 unweighted. She did not make NMF and although we hope she can score at least a 2000 on her SAT retake in June, nothing is guaranteed at this point. Although we <em>probably</em> would pay for her college if she attends the state flagship, I think I'd breathe easier if we didn't have to worry so much about covering anything more than $15K per year. So I thought I should start looking at outside scholarships she <em>might</em> qualify for. </p>
<p>I'm interested in hearing stories where students with less than tippy-top SAT scores were able to apply for, and were awarded scholarships not affiliated with a college they applied to. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>How were you able to narrow down which scholarships to apply for?</p></li>
<li><p>How can one determine how selective the level of competition for the scholarship is? Sometimes I hear stories about how many outside scholarships go "unclaimed". I don't know how true that is. </p></li>
<li><p>Are most outside scholarships a one-time award and not renewable for subsequent years?</p></li>
<li><p>Does anyone know of scholarship programs for students who are considering a STEM major? </p></li>
</ol>
<p>What do you mean by “probably” would pay for college…?</p>
<p>One thing to keep in mind–some colleges, if not most, will count outside scholarships against financial aid they have already offered. For example, my d has received a small local scholarship. We have to declare it to her college and it will be subtracted first from either the federal loan they gave her or work study. If the scholarship were large enough to replace more than the loan and w/s, it would then eat into her grant. </p>
<p>So while I am not saying don’t pursue outside scholarships, be forewarned. It seems to me that they work best for students who are not eligible for fin aid through their college. The outside money can then be used to reduce the family’s costs.</p>
<p>Many scholarships that are often for just a year and/or for very small amounts per year.</p>
<p>This year I helped a young man apply to many small scholarships – most had essays and without fail, each essay was different or different enough that effort had to be expended for a small shot at a small award.</p>
<p>Most of the applications looked for leadership and service.</p>
<p>Bad choice of words - we <em>will</em> , not probably- pay for her college. We have some savings for college, but not enough to cover more than two years of college at the flagship if she did not receive any merit aid. </p>
<p>Does anyone know where we can find a list of all colleges that allows students to stack scholarships?</p>
<p>Have you had a discussion of finances with your child yet? This is very important. Make sure you explain what the family can afford without outside scholarships.</p>
<p>Has she taken the ACT? Some students do better on one test over the other.</p>
<p>Most outside scholarships are 1000 here, 500 there. The really big ones are beyond competitive and/or limited to specific populations. </p>
<p>Our high school, each year, shares what scholarships that students win. Many do this. You might want to check to see what you can learn from that.</p>
<p>While I think there may be a few scholarships that go unclaimed each year, most of them are very niche and the internet has really changed the whole searching thing.</p>
<p>Have you calculated your EFC yet? (Expected Family Contribution)</p>
<p>Buy “Paying for College Without Going Broke” by Kalman Chany, Princeton Review. </p>
<p>Try to get both the 2011 and 2010 Edition. The 2010 Edition shows how the IM (Institutional Methodology) is calculated for private schools, the 2011 Edition does not. </p>
<p>Take your 2010 Tax Returns and go through worksheets in back of the book to calculate your EFC for both FM (Federal Methodology) and the IM. Know what you are going to be up against, become an educated consumer! </p>
<p>We have sent 4 children to college, this book is worth the money, it has saved us probably thousands of dollars over the years.</p>