<p>This has nothing to do with how they weight the scores. This is because they are concerned that “GPA” and course rigor are more difficult to verify for home schools students, so (like most colleges ranked fairly highly in the US), they require more testing for those students to prove their academic chops in comparison to other students. It has zero to do with how they consider the scores otherwise.</p>
<p>You don’t seem very familiar with the business of college admissions. I have been through this a couple of times with excellent results for both kids (2nd kid was accepted everyplace she applied, older was also accepted at MHC along with several other schools). One of my kids now also works in higher education consulting. There IS a standard way that colleges address many of these areas. You may think it is ‘guessing’, but it isn’t. </p>
<p>Regarding SAT I scores, it is the ONE way a prospective student or parent can quantitatively compare student bodies across colleges. You may not like it, but it is a huge factor in “marketing” any college today. While MHC practices holistic admissions, and plays up their strengths in their marketing materials, they are not fools. College admissions is a business, and SAT scores are big currency in that business. And they request the scores from students upon admission so they can fill out the Common Data Set and report them to sources like USNW. All the more reason why a high scoring kid is important to them, and worth offering merit money.</p>
<p>I am not saying high scorers are the only students getting merit money offers. But you don’t understand college admissions if you think it is not relevant, and probably the biggest pool of students getting those scholarships. Go back over the “accepted student” threads for a few years and see what you find on the stats of kids getting the big scholarship offers. I would be surprised if you found any that did not report scores.</p>
<p>Oh, and I can’t think of a top college that doesn’t give more out in need based aid than they do in merit aid. Not sure why that is relevant to the discussion of how they decide to dole out merit money.</p>
<p>I have no beef with MHC. Both of my kids were accepted there, and I think it is a great school. I recommend it all the time on CC, I think it is one of those “hidden gems” that more young women would love and thrive at if they would give it a chance. But it is a college playing the modern games of college admissions.</p>
<p>Moomneeds, something else to consider is that very few of the students MHC is losing to Smith and vice versa is because one college offered a better merit award than the other. Large merit awards are significantly more advantageous for full-pay students.</p>
<p>Intparent, MHC might request scores for internal use from the matriculating students who didn’t submit their scores during the admission process, but as far as I can ascertain, the scores are not included on the Common Data Set that USNWR relies on for their data. Only 54% and 20% of enrolled students submitted the SAT and ACT respectively. Some students took both tests. so in reality less than 74% of the students are represented. Smith does the same with the their Common Data Set. The middle 50 percent is inflated at both colleges. </p>
<p>Yo crew dad, you do make me laugh. We can only hope that hockey highlights show up on youtube.<br>
Very interesting that a MHC senior admission person told you that test sores were required for merit consideration at MHC…</p>
<p>Inparent, Although I don’t have 13,555 post on CC I am pretty darn familiar with college admissions. So no need to be condescending. Bravo to your daughter. </p>
<p>To the OP, call MHC with your questions. As none of these folks are qualified to assess your unique situation. Nor, do any of them seem to understand the concept of holistic review and need aware admissions. </p>
<p>Not sure why you would suggest the OP call admissions. What is she going to ask? For her chances? They aren’t (obviously) going to tell her that. For information on how they decide who to give merit scholarships to? They certainly aren’t going to give our that information, they want to reserve the right to use that money to tempt the students they want the most and wouldn’t divulge their method for that to a student who called and asked. I think you are quite naive about this. MHC is a lovely, fairly genteel place. But they are a college, and not a little island that is immune from the various pressures that buffet all colleges these days. They behave pretty much like most other colleges near their level of ranking.</p>
<p>Hi everyone- wow, this post blew up today while I was gone… 16 notifications all for just this, wow.</p>
<ol>
<li>MHC DOES NOT NEED SAT SCORES FOR MERIT AID CONSIDERATION. I asked this question specifically in my interview with the ADMISSIONS OFFICER and she looked me in the eyes (in person) and said “no, you do not need to submit SAT scores to be considered for merit aid”. </li>
<li>I am not going in as a transfer, if you read the OP you would understand this.</li>
<li>While I appreciate the suggestion, I am not calling admissions to ask them to “chance me”, basically. I have all the answers to the questions I need and was just posting the “chance me” thing here for kicks/to see what responses id get. I think calling them and asking vague, “chance me” type questions would be a bad idea.</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li>While it is possible that they could give merit aid to a student who doesn’t submit her SAT scores, possible and likely are two different things. I think that most of the merit aid scholars submit SAT scores, but maybe not all.</li>
<li>Remember that admissions policies can change from year to year, maybe some of you have information from different years, so maybe that is some of where the misunderstanding comes between people on this thread.</li>
</ol>
<p>Again, thank you all for commenting, but please be kind to eachother </p>
<p>stitch, sorry, I din’t mean for you phone a MHC for chances. (did you see MHC link about chances in post #13?)
Rather, call to ask what materials are required for merit consideration, and how to submit evidence of accomplishments. (in your case equestrian accomplishment) I believe MHC has a method for uploading athletic awards (and films too) that’s not part of the common app. THIS IS A LEGIT QUESTION. MHC’s web site gives an idea of what they are looking for, try to “check all the boxes” with your app. </p>
<p>Don’t loose faith. I think that more applicants submitting scores are awarded merit awards (if that’s even true) simply because more applicants submit test scores. Although MHC considers TO applications, I’d guese that most apps include scores. </p>
<p>If anything is going to “hurt your chances” it’s the math Cs. Are you currently enrolled in a math class. Can you show improvement in math? If so, I’d highlight that too. </p>
<p>Oh please, even you should be able comprehend what MHC plainly states on their website.
Smith and MHC employ exactly the same need-sensitive policy.
<p>Momneed, if you’re still confused, I implore you to attempt to use a modicum of objective reasoning. Do you honestly believe that the admission officers have the time to coordinate with the financial aid officers and sort out the minutia and calculate and verify the aid requirements for almost four thousand applications? Of course they don’t. The vast majorly of the students are admitted need-blind. After the admission office reaches ~90+percent of the targeted number of admits, <em>then</em> the financial aid office calculates how much aid has been awarded. That number minus the total amount of aid that has been budgeted is then the number the admissions officers have to work with when determining how many of the marginal students will receive the fat envelope. It’s during this last process that MHC becomes need-aware. After admitting the vast majority of class and it’s determined that the aid budget has been almost exhausted, the students who require little or no aid will be the first admitted during this last round. Some years there are sufficient funds remaining and need-awareness isn’t as critical for the marginal applicants.</p>
<p>MHC, as well as other colleges that were no longer need-blind, wrestled with and decided a number of years ago that if aid is a determining factor for even one student, the college’s aid policy has to be stated as need-aware. Unfortunately, the colleges assumed that its intended audience had more intelligence and reading comprehension than apparently they do.</p>
<p>inparent, I did not suggest that OP call the call for “chances”. In fact the entire spirit of my post on this thread is to discourge the OP (and others) from the notion of “chancing”. My suggestion is that she call to confirm the needed materials for merit consideration. </p>
<p>"…wouldn’t divulge their method (for merit awards) to a student who called and asked…" Baloney. Asking a school about their critrea for merit awards (required materials, special apps, deadlines) is hardly taboo. Most schools are very up-front about what they value in prospective students. </p>
<p>Plant both feet firmly on the ground and ask “What do I need to do to qualify for merit consideration?”
Boom. </p>
<p>Crewdad, So Smith changed form need blind to need aware. Sometime between 2012 and now. Big deal. I don’t care why. Smith need policy is irrelevant.
MHC is need aware. Period. Need is part of the admissions decision process at MHC. OK. There you go. Some folks don’t check the F/A box on the common app. So no “need” for them.<br>
For the second string need is considered. Does it matter if need plays a part of 740 decision or 53 decisions? Point is need is considered as part of the application process, Bro. End of story. </p>
<p>Unless you want to accuse a senior administrator at MHC of lying to me today, MHC is need-blind except for a small group of students who are reviewed at the end of the admission process. I.e., the marginal admits.</p>
<p>Your comment doesn’t really make sense. Asking what materials they need isn’t asking for criteria. Criteria is what they use behind the scenes to make a decision. Admissions officers are professionals at fending off questions on the true criteria they use for merit aid awards at most schools. They want EVERYONE to apply, it is in their best interest to boost the number of applicants. So hinting that someone might not be competitive for merit for some reason is the last thing they will do. They will assure EVERY student that they will be considered. But you are very naive to think that they give merit to students who don’t boost their reputation in some way. There are a few exceptional ECs that they might see as something to boost their reputation. But significant merit isn’t going to student who don’t have something extra special to offer.</p>
<p>OP, on a completely different topic, have you discussed HOW your credits would be applied if they transfer? (I do feel a moment of deja vu, maybe we discussed this on a previous thread?). MHC has a pretty robust set of general graduation requirements (don’t recall what they are named there). You need to confirm what transfer credits can be applied to those and to your major. And make sure you don’t violate any rules about how many credits in your major have to be taken on campus, etc. There is a section on the MHC website you may have already seen:</p>
<p>That tells you about will and won’t be accepted. But it doesn’t tell you how they can be applied to your actual graduation requirements, so I would look into that.</p>
<p>@momneedstono, I have always thought of the MHC forum as pretty genteel, kind of like the school. You don’t know as much as you think you do about admissions, and are quick to proclaim yourself an expert because your kid has been at MHC for more than 60 days. Plenty of people whose kids are graduating are still not very knowledgeable about how admissions, merit aid, etc. really work. You keep digging yourself deeper and deeper with your comments that aren’t based in any reality in the college admissions world. You are sure that because you don’t know how it works, no one knows. Which isn’t true.</p>
<p>Hi all- as an update, I finally sat down with my dad and did the NPC calculator. It didn’t go well. </p>
<p>The problem is, my family is not exactly wealthy, but we’re good with money and aren’t in any debt. We also have some good assets. So MHC is only giving us 3k in aid… which is nothing compared to the overall ticket price. </p>
<p>I’m sorry stitchpony but its better to have some idea of affordability before you get your hopes up. Maybe there’lll be some merit aid for you? Keep your options open and wide…make sure you have a few financially safe schools that you would be happy to attend. I think there’s probably a whole bunch of disappointed kids when packages roll out each year, better to know where you stand beforehand. How are your negotiation skills with Mom and Dad? LOL</p>
<p>The net price calc only provides an estimation of aid based on the input. Since your application Will be reviewed wholistically there is a chance that you actual net price may vary. M Ds package differed from the NPC at pretty much every school . </p>
<p>The only way to learn you actual price is to apply.</p>
<p>Yeah, I have a lot of state schools picked out, which is much more affordable. I guess I am hoping on merit aid now- I already applied, so now its just a waiting game. </p>
<p>Make sure you parents complete the CSS profile ASAP. MHC makes decisions about fin aid based on CSS profile data. The CSS is more comprehensive than the net price calc.</p>
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