I’m an international student living in Wisconsin (In-state). Here are some basic stats:
34 on ACT
Impressive/Unique Extracurriculars
3.7 Unweighted GPA (3.94 Weighted)
Great Essays
I’m from a poor family (~$53k) and would struggle to pay even in-state tuition. I went on UW Madison’s website and all the scholarships were for current students, not incoming freshman. Are there any good scholarships available that I can qualify for? A full-ride, or half a full ride would be great. My entire package is solid except maybe my GPA. Are you considered for scholarships automatically while applying?
Any input would be appreciated.
Sometimes there are smaller scholarships for students; they tend to be offered more as you progress in your studies. I believe there is a general application that makes you eligible for most of the incoming scholarship offers – they tend to be on the smaller side, and one-time offers.
There are very few half- or full-ride scholarships at a public flagship like Wisconsin (and Wisconsin isn’t the only one like this; Michigan also doesn’t offer many half- / full scholarships, either, for example). I’m afraid with your test scores and grades – while commendable – you shouldn’t be looking for a full-ride.
Still, I’d wager with your accomplishments and intelligence, UW is likely the best offer you will have for an excellent education, unless you have some good financial aid offers from respectable private institutions on the table. I’d see what you can do to make UW as manageable as possible. In your case, a little bit of student loan debt might be reasonable to work off after college. Best of luck-
The application for scholarships for L&S is open from Dec 1 to Feb 1 each year. Most are one-time in the range of $500-$1500. For incoming freshman usually about 1500 people apply and there are only about 50 scholarships and almost all are specifically for Wisconsin redidents.
Are there any big scholarships that could substantially reduce cost of attendance?
Need based financial aid. I presume by now you are not a NMS. Do not count on any merit aid. Do not be too proud to take a Res Halls food service job or dorm janitorial job if needed to afford UW. Student workers do plenty of menial jobs before going on to grad or professional school. However- avoid working as a freshman if you can. Your gpa is not stellar (reminds me of my son, whose other stats were better) so you may not be competitive with those who have the 4.0 from WI HS’s.
UW-Madison is known for NOT offering a substantiate amount of scholarships to their incoming freshmen. If I were you, I would aim for any academic scholarship you can receive during your freshmen year.
Note: Don’t be so discouraged by NMS. NMS only offers $9K, which isn’t a substantiate amount to reduce your cost of attendance.