Chances for scholarships?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Smith College
1

<p>Hello :) </p>

<p>I know chance threads are stupid, but I'm wondering if you guys could let me know if I stand a shot at some merit money, and if so, how much? People on other boards have suggested that I could be a candidate for some, and I thought you guys might know a little better, being specifically interested in Smith and/or current students and all. My parents don't really want me to apply to Smith because they say it is too expensive; but perhaps some kind of scholarship might make it worth it to them. (We wouldn't get fin-aid; they're the type that doesn't /want/ to pay that much, not the type that /can't/). </p>

<p>Currently I'm a junior </p>

<p>GPA: 4.0 as of now, but I'm going to get a B in math (darn...haha). That would make it a 3.9 by the time I apply senior year. </p>

<p>Rank: I go to a very competitive school that sends a lot of kids off to great privates and Ivies so I'm in the top 5% but nothing too impressive, like not top 10 or top 5 people or anything (top 10 will definitely be going to Harvard, Princeton, MIT, Stanford, etc.) </p>

<p>Courseload: I take all honors and I have taken 2 APs (5 on US gov and 5 on AP lang) and this year am taking 3. I'm only behind one sequence in math - I'll graduate with Calc AB AP under my belt, instead of Calc BC AP, but otherwise am taking the most rigorous course load</p>

<p>SAT: 800 verbal, 710 math, 770 writing (I don't plan to take it again, I think I got pretty frickin' lucky considering my strong suit is not math!)</p>

<p>ECs: LOTS of music-related stuff; takes up most of my time. I play trumpet and am in 3 bands through the school. </p>

<p>Also I'm involved in sports outside of school. I've been doing dance since I was a little kid and I also love to surf; this year I just joined track because I failed to make the field hockey team two years in a row so I guess I should divert my attentions elsewhere haha</p>

<p>A bit of volunteering</p>

<p>Essays/Recs: I'm sure they'll be pretty decent, I love writing</p>

<p>What do you all think? Do I have a shot at a scholarship?</p>

2

<p>I think you have a good shot, good luck with everything!</p>

3

<p>My D. got a STRIDE, her stats were not as outstanding as yours but she had taken college level courses at Wash U. and Hopkins, presented her science poster at an international meeting, so I think that added value to her grades/scores. Also, I think her essay was different and quirky.</p>

4

<p>You may have a shot, but honestly, it’s really impossible to tell. The merit aid process is so so murky that even comparing your stats to those of other merit recipients is not a good metric. And Smith iis full of straight A students who never see a dime of merit money. Best is just to apply, don’t count on anything, and if merit aid is a big factor, prepare a list with plenty of other options that you like. You certainly are a high achiever, but again, that could end up meaning nothing in terms of aid ( obviously it will mean everything in terms of acceptance)</p>

5

<p>Apply - you never know what you and your parents will decide once you have all the options in front of you - speculating a year and a half off is tough.</p>

6

<p>As far as I know, there is no application for merit. It seems like the scholarships they do have are given to enrolled students, not applicants. Every applicant is reviewed for merit, but Smith’s financial aid is need-based.</p>

<p>If your question is whether or not to apply to Smith at all, I say go for it! My credentials were nowhere near yours, and I was accepted ED. The application is free on Common App, so when you get around to doing applications, there’s no reason not to!</p>

7

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<p>This is not true. Merit scholarships are awarded to accepted (usually RD) applicants, not matriculated students. If you matriculate without a merit scholarship, you cannot get one later, no matter how good your grades are. I believe there might be one or two short term fellowships for independent research that you can apply to as a junior, but that’s it. Merit scholarships are offered at Smith to entice certain accepted students to attend. </p>

<p>Do not matriculate at Smith expecting to get a merit scholarship if you do really well your first year. You won’t get one.</p>

8

<p>There are in fact a few scholarships that one can earn after matriculation. They’re done by the various academic departments, so it’s only possible if your major just happens to have one. Additionally, it’s certainly not something that one should plan on happening.</p>

9

<p>We have twins and we went through this process a year ago. At the time, we didn’t have the financial savvy some applicants have. Our kids simply applied to a good range of schools they were interested in and the need-based financial aid, within a range, wound up being more conservative than we really could afford with two in college simultaneously all four years. Fortunately, to our surprise, the two most generous gave them substantial scholarships/grants. Our daughter received a Smith STRIDE research scholarship (which she absolutely adores) and our son received a combination grant/need-based aid at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Momwaitingfornew has said on other posts that she figures that the STRIDE scholarships, up to about 50 per year, are given to those students whom Smith really wants but who probably don’t warrant much financial aid. If so, for us the STRIDE accomplished its purpose. Our daughter was really, really fortunate when you consider there are about 670 first-year students this year. So receiving merit aid/financial aid is a combination of the luck of the draw and giving yourself a range of choices, including finding merit-aid schools.</p>

<p>Go ahead and apply. I think you have a very good chance at being accepted but whether you receive any merit aid is up for grabs.</p>

10

<p>I really doubt those are the way STRIDES are awarded. It would eliminate high need candidates who are highly recruited at other school (Ivies, and such) like my d. It would also eliminate low-income students from the STRIDE opportunities themselves, which I think also unlikely (if anything, I would imagine Smith bending the other way).</p>

<p>Anecdotally, my d. was awarded both a STRIDE and a Zollman, and was a high need candidate. The Zollman award replaced need-based aid, and there was no extra money for the STRIDE. But we weren’t complaining!!! (She got a GREAT education.)</p>

11

<p>I’m not sure I said it exactly like that. I believe STRIDEs are offered to those students that Smith really wants (usually top caliber students and leaders) as a means of enticing them to Smith, whether they need aid or not. For those who don’t qualify for much, if any, aid, it acts as a huge incentive since the package is likely to be better at Smith than at other choices. For those who do get substantial aid elsewhere, it levels the playing field.</p>

<p>Smith uses the scholarships to attract top students who might be leaning toward co-ed institutions. After all, not many LACs in their ranking area offer such awards.</p>

12

<p>A very good article in the Sophian should add some clarity.</p>

<p>[url=<a href=“http://media.www.smithsophian.com/media/storage/paper587/news/2009/10/08/News/Stride.Award.Hike.Aims.To.Grab.More.Top.Studens-3795839.shtml]STRIDE”>http://media.www.smithsophian.com/media/storage/paper587/news/2009/10/08/News/Stride.Award.Hike.Aims.To.Grab.More.Top.Studens-3795839.shtml]STRIDE</a> award hike aims to grab more top studens - News<a href=“sic”>/url</a></p>

<p>Smith offers about 225-250 STRIDE’s a year. The 20-25% yield results in 50-60 women accepting.</p>

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13

<p>MWFN, thank you for your clarification. Sorry I was too brief and therefore inaccurate in referencing your thoughts about STRIDEs. You have said it so much better! And thank you, CrewDad, for the whole statistical STRIDE picture in The Sophian. I was only aware of the general end result numbers.</p>

14

<p>I’m a current STRIDE student, and it looks like you have a pretty good shot…stats and ECs are reasonably similar to mine, etc. I think all you can ever really do is apply–STRIDE never even crossed my mind last year, so it was a huge surprise (and very welcome, too…it’s the main reason I’m at Smith!). Come to think of it, it still kind of is a surprise, because I’ve met so many brilliant Smithies that aren’t STRIDE students, so I’m constantly wondering why pretty much everyone on campus doesn’t have a STRIDE scholarship. :slight_smile: </p>

<p>If you like Smith, just apply–you might get a nice surprise. What do you have to lose?</p>