I agree @homerdog In any of these marquis type scholarships schools also try to diversify within the group…so representatives from different races, religions, SES levels, countries, gender/identity, etc. It also seems there is relatively greater appreciation for students who have achieved significant accomplishments while coming from impoverished, relatively lower SES circumstances or other challenging situations (e.g., dangerous/discriminatory home countries, foster care, etc.)
This is just my two cents, and it comes from my experience as the parent of a Davidson student. The school values community and integrity above all else. Academic prowess is a given - everyone there is smart and the classes are tough. If you get an A you really earned it. The honor code is a very important part of student life. And the students don’t know who the Belks are - they don’t talk or brag about it, which says a lot about the atmosphere at the school. So my guess is that they look for very smart kids who have demonstrated that they can thrive in a community like Davidson’s and make a meaningful contribution during their four years. I will say that it’s magical place and I am beyond thrilled that my daughter chose it.
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@homerdog - Its an interesting subject to ponder. My daughter has the exact same SAT score as your son. She had 1000+ community service hours with most of them being environmental cleanup efforts for our natural springs here in Florida. She’s a two season athlete, is involved in multiple extracurricular activities at school, and is generally an all-around pretty awesome teenager.
My daughter sounds like she is “average excellent.” In fact, all of the comments on the Belk Scholarship thread show that ALL of these kids are pretty damn exceptional. I can’t imagine how hard it would be to get 1000 applicants who are “average excellent” and have to pare that down to 60 semifinalists.
She is disappointed, and so am I. But I’m a firm believer that it is a myth that every student has just one dream school. In fact, there are several schools that seem like they would be a good fit for my daughter. Really great kids will find a way to bloom where ever they are planted. ???
Agree with everything above and, honestly, we weren’t surprised at the no. It doesn’t change the fact that he likes Davidson. We are full pay, though, if he gets any merit there then I think it moves up to first choice. Almost all of his other options will be $72k per year!
The disappointment is hard on everyone. Hopefully they see worth in all they have done in HS, and realize this “no” is not a personal one, but a statistical one. I have faith our “average excellent” kids will continue to do the good in this world, no matter where they go.
“Who knows, but my theory is these big full rides really value some sort of exceptional community engagement /service / leadership role.”
I think “exceptional” is right, but I think “unusual” is also a big component. My twins didn’t apply to Davidson, but looking at their outcomes last year, my son, with fairly classic ECs (senior class president, sports captainships, political internship, 1000+ hours of community service, etc.) had good success in getting merit awards, but not named scholarships. Conversely my daughter, with similar academics, but very little of those leadership/community service ECs, had greater success with more limited/named scholarships because she was applying for audition-based BFAs, and her academics stood out much more amongst that group. So when the scholarship committee was looking to select students from a variety of majors and backgrounds, she was well positioned, because they had never awarded the scholarship to a ballet dancer before.
There was a kid from my D’s school last year who got one of the big full ride scholarships at an elite college (not at Davidson). No question my D was the better student (she was Valedictorian and NMF and he was neither) and more well-rounded (4-year athlete, newspaper editor, blah, blah etc.) but she didn’t progress for that scholarship. He was a very ‘pointy’ kid (in admissions speak) who had national engagement and recognition on political issues.
Great kid, don’t get me wrong, and I accept that’s what they’re looking for whereas my D was more ‘average excellent.’ My hubby, on other hand, was kinda miffed bc he considered our D to be the ‘better student’ (and by objective terms she was!) while this other kid was being rewarded for being a political hack, lol.
@AlmostThere2018 - I would be kind of miffed too if my daughter were passed over for a political hack. I DO understand that merit committees need to have something stand out on an application, especially if all the applicants are amazing. But it’s irksome that those kids who have some kind of national award are the ones that stand out. But I honestly can’t see another way for an “average excellent” kid to get noticed out of 1000+ applicants who are also average excellent. It’s a conundrum.
The “pointy” bit is what makes admissions committees think that students will have an impact on campus and beyond graduation, though. What I see at my Ds school are parents who applied to college back in the day who were rewarded for being a well-rounded student, and today it is about getting a well rounded college class. We had a lot of good, well-rounded students this year not get into super competitive schools that 10 years ago they would have. The students in her class who got the full-ride named scholarships were very well rounded overall AND VERY pointy.
@katespeare agree. But you canid really make akid pointy. They either are or they are not.
@homerdog – I agree completely. And if a kid feels badly about these scholarships just remind them life is a marathon not a sprint and all the things he/she explores (well-rounded things, lol) now leads to who they become. Being a successful and pointy kid in high school and getting a full ride is great, but it’s no guarantee of anything in the long run. Those kids still have to find their way just like everyone else.
Fort., my kid last year was pretty chill about not progressing on any of the full-rides. Honestly, for the ones that required extra applications she knew she didn’t really devote enough time to them so it wasn’t a big surprise.
@homerdog I mostly agree! It’s just that I know parents who helped package their student to be their “pointiest” selves on the advice of a college consultant while the student was still in middle school. Not that there is anything wrong with getting help or advice, just that I have seen behind the curtain a little bit, both as a teacher and a mom.
@katespeare I’ve seen it too. I just wasn’t willing to force our kids to choose one of their interests and forgo others. If that’s what wins scholarships, oh well!
@apmaster10 … My apologies for being out of town - we have not been in town and I don’t do much on my phone as far as internet …my son (who was admitted to Harvard) is a semi-finalist for the Belk. People are probably not checking this feed any longer but I wanted to respond.
I mean my apologies for being out of touch…we have been out of town…
@BPart1030 - Congratulations!
Thank you! We are excited for this merit-based opportunity. Best of luck to everyone with their college searches and decisions.
I would like to think no on the Belk means there will be some amazing peers surrounding my D next year. I also thought she had a great chance, a recruited athlete (multi-sport state champion in the non-collegiate sport ) , also NMF, 36 ACT, 5 on all APs AND first generation. She was the Bryan and Belk nominee for her school and got a no for both. We are little disappointed but this re-affirms that Davidson is the right place for her! (accepted ED1 already have our deposit)
Wow! @jfirr2011 Congratulations on ED1! Our no to Belk is just the first in the waiting game for Davidson decisions.
@jfirr2011 your D sounds amazing. I can only imagine who these Belk kids are. I’m guessing they are more pointy than your D and my S19. He loved Davidson and I just hope he’s accepted.