<p>Just my experience in a few arenas: Collegeboard is not always as accurate as the school’s own detailed info. Eg, I’ve seen issues with the college prep requirements. So, best bet is to go to the college’s finaid pages- or google “Net Price Calculator” with the college name. Where a school calls it an estimator, I found google makes that translation. By the end of October, all colleges are supposed to have an NPC.</p>
<p>^For the school I did, the CB NPC and the school’s website were one in the same, you get to the same calculator whether you enter on the CB site or the college’s FA website.</p>
<p>To OP: Do not lose hope. Your family situation is very similar to our own. While it is definately true that MOST schools will reduce your aid package by an outside scholarship (because you now NEED less) THERE ARE SCHOOLS THAT ALLOW OUTSIDE SCHOLARSHIPS TO REDUCE EFC!! Some very good schools. You need to check with each aid office and walk through in detail how it would impact you. DS1 receives a $10,000/yr NMS (Corporate scholarship through husband’s employer). It reduces our EFC by $10,000.</p>
<p>For DS2 Some schools will meet 100% of aid, no loans, they take the scholarship. no help to our EFC. Some schools will reduce work study, then loans, then grants. His first choice will eliminate work study, loans then EFC but then also allow him to do work study if he chooses and apply for UN-subsidized loans. So it amounts to an EFC reduction</p>
<p>CHECK ALL SCHOOLS INDIVIDUALLY. OUTSIDE SCHOLARSHIPS CAN BE HUGE AT THE RIGHT SCHOOL</p>
<p>10/18/11</p>
<p>Does EVERYONE that wins the Bausch & Lomb Science Award in High School actually receive a scholarship -or- just the chance to compete for one?</p>
<p>This is unclear to me.</p>
<p>I won the B&L Award, received a Medallion and a medal - nothing else.
No letters or anything else was given to me.</p>
<p>What did i miss?
Is this a case of being stupid?</p>
<p>Any help is appreciated.</p>
<p>OK, the UR rep just explained this to me.</p>
<p>Being a high school B&L winner gets your application fee waived at UR.</p>
<p>Because some schools (about 10-15%) nominate ineligible students, not all B&L winners will be considered for the B&L Scholarship. IF you meet eligibility requirements AND were a high school B&L award winner, then you will get a guaranteed $7500 B&L merit award AND be entered into competition against all the other eligible B&L award winners for the maximum B&L scholarship worth $15K.</p>
<p>Only a few $15K B&L Scholarships are awarded each year.</p>
<p>10/28/11</p>
<p>"… Because some schools (about 10-15%) nominate ineligible students, not all B&L winners will be considered for the B&L Scholarship. IF you meet eligibility requirements AND were a high school B&L award winner, then you will get a guaranteed $7500 B&L merit award AND be entered into competition against all the other eligible B&L award winners for the maximum B&L scholarship worth $15K…"</p>
<p>Please excuse the tone of my reply.</p>
<p>I completed FOUR exams: Physics, Chemistry, Biology and General Science (to the best
of my recollection). My cumulative score was the HIGHEST of all students taking these exams.</p>
<p>I was not “nominated”.
The Award was given to me due to my achievement on these examinations.</p>
<p>My anger is due to the FACT that I was the “wrong” person to win the B&L Award.
The Honors Group in my High School was made up of Students destined to attend
MIT, Stanford, Harvard and other Ivy League Universities.</p>
<p>Took ALOT of crap after winning this award.</p>
<p>A Science-Geek that did not belong to the inner circle won the B&L Award.
I clearly recall the SILENCE at Graduation when my name was called to pick up the Award.
Could not hear the clapping of my parents.</p>
<p>It appears that I was CHEATED out of a Scholarship.</p>
<p>Repeated emails to my High School about this go UNANSWERED.
Same with emails to the University of Rochester.</p>
<p>I plan on packing the Bronze B&L Medallion along with the Medal and sending them
back to Bausch and Lomb by Fedex with a signed letter of apology that i took the opportunity of a Scholarship from someone that SHOULD have won it. I will send a copy of this letter to my High School and U of R.</p>
<p>This “Award” is a JOKE.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Actually, you had to be nominated by your high school guidance counselor to be considered for the award. So perhaps you did ‘earn’ the award, but the process of receiving it requires a nomination and paperwork submitted on your behalf.</p>
<p>I do not know what the eligibility requirements for the awards are. (Neither of my Ds’ school participate in the program. probably because Rochester is far, far away from our hometown.) I suspect you are not fully cognizant of the eligibility requirements either.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Um, depends…</p>
<p>Do you currently attend UR?</p>
<p>The B&L scholarship is only available to students who matriculate at UR.</p>
<p>Did you receive any merit scholarship or award at UR?</p>
<p>It’s UR’s stated financial aid policy to award only ONE merit award per student. If you received a different award, you would not receive the B&L Scholarship (in any amount) in addition to your other award. </p>
<p>The information about the $7500 minimum awards is for 2012 incoming freshmen only. Previously, the B&L minimum award was $2000.</p>
<p>"Actually, you had to be nominated by your high school guidance counselor to be considered for the award. So perhaps you did ‘earn’ the award, but the process of receiving it requires a nomination and paperwork submitted on your behalf.</p>
<p>I do not know what the eligibility requirements for the awards are. (Neither of my Ds’ school participate in the program. probably because Rochester is far, far away from our hometown.) I suspect you are not fully cognizant of the eligibility requirements either."</p>
<p>You are missing the point completely (and possibly deliberately).</p>
<p>My High School conducted TESTING in four areas of Science in order to determine
<em>objectively</em> who would “QUALIFY” for the B&L Award based on PERFORMANCE.
This has nothing to do with “nomination” or eligibility.
I EARNED the award by virtue of my performance.</p>
<p>The sole purpose of the testing was the Award - nothing else.</p>
<p>I am packaging the Bronze Medallion and Medal received at graduation for shipment
to the Bausch & Lomb Corporation once i determine the appropriate person there at B&L.
The letter included with the Medallion and Medal will tell them to DISPOSE OF IT since
it has NO value to me at all.</p>
<p>In fact, i knew something was very wrong when all the verbal abuse started after my EARNING it was announced at school. The silence during the award ceremony at graduation
made it clear to my parents and me that this was a mistake.</p>
<p>Excuse me, but you are working quite hard to minimize the FACT that i EARNED this award and was not NOMINATED. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE.</p>
<p>The lack of responses from U of R and my High School are proof they do not have the courtesy to explain the matter to me or even acknowledge that something was mishandled.</p>
<p>Maybe it has now turned into a “POPULARITY TEST” where the biggest boot lickers and children of affluent parents are 'NOMINATED".</p>
<p>The B&L Award is a JOKE.</p>
<p>eptfnj, go back and read post #27. You were nominated by your school. If they chose to use a test to select the nominee, fine. Did you apply to UR? That’s where the scholarship could be used. If you did not that was your choice. Your anger is doing you no good.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It sounds like a horrible experience for you and I’m sorry for that. I’m sure it wasn’t what your HS, B&L, or UofR intended when they gave you this recognition. Please step back from your anger and consider that just because it was socially awkward for you doesn’t mean that you were cheated out of anything - you still had the honor of being recognized for your achievement. If you had applied to UofR then you would have been entitled to the application fee waiver and to have scholarship consideration. The B&L Award is not a guaranteed scholarship.</p>
<p>eptfn, did you only find out at graduation that you were receiving the B&L award? Decades ago when I won that award (presented at graduation), I had been informed the previous fall that I would be the recipient and at that time was given an application to U of R so that I could apply to the school and be considered for scholarships. If you did not know about this award until graduation, I can understand your frustration.</p>
<p>Any way the B and L discussion could be moved to a separate thread? This one was created for folks inquiring if scholarships could be used to offset EFC…not as a place to discuss the pros and cons of the B and L award.</p>
<p>I received a few emails regarding my activity on this forum and will promptly cease.</p>
<p>PLEASE excuse me but my questions regarding this matter have gone unanswered by
all the organizations connected with the B&L Award. I am packaging my Medallion and Medal for shipment to the Bausch & Lomb Company once i determine the appropriate person to ship it to.</p>
<p>It is clear that there was an error in giving the B&L Award to me.</p>
<p>I am sorry for upsetting anyone on this forum.
I will cancel my access to College Confidential promptly.</p>
<p>Once a loser, always a loser…</p>
<p>^ why don’t you start a new thread- & get more relevant advice, eptfnj?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Based on a meeting I had with a financial aid officer, I know that Washington University in St. Louis will use outside scholarships to reduce EFC.</p>