Chance me for Dingledine

Colleges and Universities A-Z James Madison University
1

Hi! I’m currently a junior who is beginning her college search. I visited JMU a few months ago and absolutely loved it! I’ve been looking at the scholarships that the school offers. I would love to hear from any past recipients, applicants, alumni, or parents about my chances of receiving the Dingledine Scholarship or a Madison Excellence Scholarship. I am from OOS, Maryland, and a white female who is not anticipating any financial aid. In order to make the cost manageable I am trying to get the total cost from $38,000 to under $30,000 a year. My stats include…
GPA : 3.83 UW/4.55 W
PSAT : 1320
SAT : not yet taken but estimated about 1400
Extracurriculars :
Varsity Cross Country
Varsity Indoor Track - State qualifier in he high jump for 2 years
Varsity Outdoor Track
(Captain of jumps team for track)
President of Debate Team
Lawyer for Mock Trial
Championship level Irish Step Dancer (since age 5)
Other :
Over 100 hours of community service
Head Counselor at a Safety and Leadership Training Camp for local youth; run by my county’s police department
Accepted into an observership program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

Do I stand a chance at receiving a scholarship? And what can I do to increase my chances of receiving merit aid? Thank you for any replies!

2

almost impossible to predict

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  • Note : the majority of my classes have been Honors. I am currently enrolled in 3 AP Classes 4 honors courses. I received a 3 on AP Gov last year as well as receiving college credit for 2 engineering classes taken through Project Lead the Way.
4

My daughter was one of the 50 finalists this year. She was not one of the final 5 selected for Dingledine, but still received the Madison award for Excellence which grants her 75% towards her tuition and fees. Her stats were similar to yours. I’d say you have a good chance at at least being a finalist. My daughter had amazing letters of recommendation and a great academic resume. Make sure your letters of recommendation stand out about what makes you special. Talk about about your community service hours and what you did and how they helped others and yourself. This award is just as much , if not more, about leadership and service to others as it is academic. Good luck!

5

Thank you so much! That is very helpful and encouraging to hear. Congrats to your daughter and thank you for the advice!