Could I still be considered for the Morrill Scholars program?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Ohio State University
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<p>I’m applying to OSU mainly as a financial safety (my father is retiring and still has to put three kids through college). So despite being from quite a high income bracket (350,000+) cost of attendance is still a factor. So my question is whether the Morrill Scholars Program is given mainly based on academics but diversity is a factor (so a white male with good stats like me could get a scholarship) or whether diversity is the number one factor and good academics are not as necessary.</p>

<p>Boiled down, do I have a significant chance at the scholarship based on information below? Additionally, is it possible that I would receive merit aid from OSU not from Morrills that would equal or come close to an amount I would get from Morrills? </p>

<p>Stats:
Out of state
White male
High income bracket
Not much diversity, I could probably write about being born in New Zealand or how my involvement in my church makes me diverse
35 ACT
3.93 UW GPA
5.00/5.31 W GPA
No rank
Have taken all honors courses since freshman year, mix of A’s and A- freshman year and 1st sem sophomore. Straight A’s there on out
800 Math II, 800 Physics SAT II
No AP’s taken, taking Physics C, Calc BC, Spanish
EC’s:
two mission trips to Costa Rica (also maybe a subject for an essay)
Football freshman and sophomore yr
Track and field, 10th-12th grade
large amount of volunteer hours at my church (300-400) teaching sunday school and leading church retreats
life guarding over the summer</p>

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<p>All of the white people I know who received a Morrill scholarship were “inner-city” or Appalachian, and had financial need taken into account. Your academics would certainly be enough, but I’m not sure you would be a good candidate for a diversity scholarship if you don’t really have the background the office of diversity affairs is looking for.</p>

<p>You would be an excellent candidate for the scholarships awarded through the honors and scholars program, which are more competitive, but I believe they award something like 50 full-tuition scholarships and maybe 7-10 full rides through the honors and scholars special application. I received a full-tuition scholarship through the honors program four years ago, and my stats were a little lower than yours, and I never filed a FAFSA, so need wasn’t taken into account. </p>

<p>There are also out-of-state scholarships that bring costs down to in-state levels, but I don’t know a lot about those, since I’m from Ohio.</p>