<p>Do I have a chance at receiving hopefully a full ride or any type of scholarship to Miami? Currently a white male junior from MN.</p>
<p>Academics:
-3.99 UW GPA
-Ranked 3/606
- First ever practice ACT was a 29, really shooting for a 33/34
-Will have had 9 AP classes through high school, rest are honors</p>
<p>ECs:
-Varsity CC, all conference, captain
-Varisty Basketball, captain
-Varsity Track, all conference, captain
-FCA Leader for 3rd largest FCA in the state
-Co president of NHS
-President and Founder of a community service club at my school
-2 Years in top band at my school, 2 year member of top jazz band
-Attended Boys State
-Teach Sunday school every weekend</p>
<p>My recs should be good.. I'm leaving out some minor ECs but this is the bulk of what I have to offer! Please give me some input on chances/chances at merit money/how I can improve! Thanks!</p>
<p>Well, I am pretty sure that they require a 1350 SAT (equal to maybe a 30/31+) to start considering you for merit aid, so I would retake that. Right now from what I’ve been told you’re not eligible.</p>
<p>I wasn’t planning on taking the SAT, just the ACT. Do they require an ACT? Im from Minnesota and I already know if I took both the ACT and SAT I would do much better on the ACT. I have not taken a real ACT, taking my first one in February. When Miami considers you for merit aid are test scores and GPA most important? Do extracurriculars matter?</p>
<p>No, I meant when 1350 is converted into ACT stats it comes out to about a 30/31. I’m pretty sure you can take either one also, you don’t have to take both (I know I’m not :D). To me, SAT scores just appear most important because they wont even consider you with lower than the required score (1350 SAT/30 or 31 ACT as I said before)</p>
<p>I think if you can pull off a 33/34 on the ACT, keep your class rank in the top 3 and take the most difficult schedule you can stand in senior year, then you have a very good chance of being offered a shot at the Singer/Stamps. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t write off the SAT just because you think you will do worse. Let’s say you take it and you score 750/750 - along with your 33 on the ACT - if nothing else, you submit both scores and prove that you’re solid regardless of which standardized questions are thrown at you!</p>
<p>You have a lot going for you already - great ECs, from an under-represented area of the country, high rank, lots of APs and potentially good standardized test scores. If there is any way you could swing a campus visit, that would be icing on the cake.</p>
<p>Keep in mind, that the true full rides (Stamps) are very rare and even Singer’s are more difficult to obtain given the quality of the students who have applied over the last 2 years.</p>
<p>Keep up the great work and you will succeed!
~Zinc</p>
<p>Thank you so much for that response!! Two quick questions… does a school visit really help with admissions/scholarship? Is that a considered a display of interest or how does that work? My second question is kind of dumb but I’m not very familiar with the SAT… what are the two sections that compose the 1600 you’re talking about? I have heard both 2400 and 1600, what is the third section that is sometimes omitted? Thanks again for your encouraging reply!</p>
<p>If you look at the CDS and read many posts here on CC, you’ll find that (empirically) UM admissions doesn’t seem to count visits very high. But in our experience, the visit we made when my D was a junior accomplished a lot. It cemented UM as her 1st choice. We made valuable contacts in both admissions as well as in the school of her choice. We met with 4 people that day who would prove to have a big impact on us over the next 18 months leading up to application date. They knew how serious she was about attending UM and that could have done nothing but help her throughout the acceptance and the scholarship process. The trip also served to convince her parents that moving 1600 miles from home was actually a GOOD thing!</p>
<p>Regarding the SAT - the 3 sections are Math, Critical Reading (CR) and Writing. UM only looks at the Math and CR scores. Each section carries a maximum score of 800. So, while your over all score will be a combination of all 3, UM only cares about the first 2 and therefore 1600 would be a perfect score in their eyes. Like getting a 36 on the ACT.</p>
<p>Thank you very much. I will try to visit ASAP and think about the SAT. On my PSAT writing was my lowest score from last year so maybe I will try it for the math and reading. What schools did you son consider besides Miami?</p>
<p>Daugher was (and still is) very much into marine biology, so RSMAS at the U was really her only choice. I convinced her to apply to 2 other schools (NOVA Southeastern and UNC Wilmington), but she didn’t want to go anywhere but the U. In fact, she withdrew her applications from them once U accepted her in February. </p>
<p>Seems like many (most) students apply to 6 or more schools - our daughter had a different approach - luckily it worked out for us.</p>
<p>I have applied EA to Miami with a 1980 SAT (1340 M/CR), and a 4.1 weighted gpa (3.8 uw). I am the leader of my choir and the varsity wrestling team.
I was wondering whether I will be likely to get any merit scholarship money?</p>
<ol>
<li>No ACT</li>
<li>No Class Rank</li>
<li>Senior schedule has 2 APs and 1 Honors</li>
<li>I got a 4 on the Spanish 4 AP exam and a 3 on the Environmental Science AP exam</li>
<li>I did an internship with a solar energy company, and have started my own non-profit energy education organization
6.California</li>
</ol>
<p>My guess is you’ll be offered the 11k “Trustee” merit scholarship, with a chance at the 16k “Deans” merit scholarship depending on the strength of the EA applicant pool.</p>
<p>ZincWhiskers, I have a question for you (since you seem to be the most knowledgeable one about UM). I have read in a couple of places that you need a 1350 SAT to be considered for merit $$ at UM. Is this a hard and fast rule, or do they look at other factors? DS has a 1330 SAT (so close and yet so far!). Also got a 700 CW. His GPA is 4.25 W (not sure what the unweighted would be 3.7ish?). Rank 37/450. Strong ECs and a visit to UM this past April where we met with our admissions counselor and later exchanged a bunch of emails with her. You mentioned to dukeafficionado that he might get the 11K trustee or the 16K Deans and duke has a 1340 (also just below 1350). So, does DS have a shot at some $$ with the 1330? Thanks…</p>
<p>Hmmmm, please don’t flatter me like that…I am definitely NOT the most knowledgeable about UM - perhaps I’ve just been the most verbose lately…but I’m only a UM parent who makes **guesses ** about admission decisions). </p>
<p>Anyway, based on my observerations I would say the “1350 rule” is not always adhered to, as UM admissions folks try to approach the applications holistically. Often a student who may not be the best standardized test taker still has great potential to excel in college and that will be evidenced by other areas of the application. I cannot imagine how daunting their task is with tens of thousands of applications coming in each year. That’s one of the reasons I always recommend to apply EA - the number of other candidates is smaller, so there is a greater chance your application will stand out. </p>
<p>Given what you’ve said about your son’s stats (1330, top ~8%, GPA, ECs and connection to UM Adm), I’d make the same prognostication for you that I made for duke - that is (assuming he applied EA) he’d be likely to be offered either the 11k or 16k merit scholarship.</p>
<p>Note: my guesses come as just that…I have no insider knowledge or connections.<br>
Wish you the best!
~Zinc</p>
<p>Thanks Zinc…I like your guess! Miami and Tulane have been his top 2 choices for a while now, with Miami moving to #1 after we went back for a second look in August (we were down in FLA visiting my parents in Boca). But last week, we received his acceptance letter to Tulane with a merit scholarship of $20,000! So excited! Assuming he is accepted to Miami, if no merit $$ is offered, the choice is going to be very difficult (how do you turn down $80,000?). If Miami offers some $$, even if it’s not $20k, he would probably choose Miami (I think). I guess that we will have to wait until January.</p>
<p>Dang 20k a year to Tulane?! That’s awesome… Tulane is on my list because I think New Orleans sounds so cool and I hear they give out a lot of merit money. Definitely going to applying!</p>