<p>Hi. This is my first post here, so I'm sorry if I do anything wrong.
So I am going to be applying for the Dean's Honors Scholarship. I have a 3.9ish gpa (depending on first quarter this year) and 2230 SATS.
This is driving me crazy! Tulane is one of my top choices, but I can't really afford to go to a private school unless I get a crazy amount of aid (my parents have said they can afford around 15,000 a year), so I really want to get this scholarship.
What do people generally do for the box part of the scholarship? What have been some past winning examples!? </p>
<p>Also, will trying to get this scholarship hurt my chances at all at just getting into the school? Like I already applied, so will they give me a decision on my app., then on the scholarship?
Finally, I like just applied (literally 20 minutes ago) for RD, does anybody know how long it will take to get an answer? (My school for some reason wouldn't let me apply EA, so I applied RD.)</p>
<p>It is true the other thread will answer most of your questions, but one you ask is not there, I don’t think. Applying for the DHS absolutely, positively WILL NOT hurt your chances of getting in. Tulane is need blind, #1. #2, Tulane is totally looking for students with your stats. My D had stats that were even stronger, and she got in EA, won the DHS, Honors Program, the whole bit. The decision for the DHS is totally separate from the admission decision, other than of course you have to get accepted to get the DHS, LOL. But I cannot imagine someone applying for the DHS that couldn’t get in, unless they had a felony on their record or something.</p>
<p>With your stats, and assuming everything else is strong such as AP’s, recs, and EC’s you will get in and get an initial offer of $25K and into the Honors Program, I would think. JMHO, of course, but you certainly seem to meet the criteria, assuming the other things. The DHS is very competitve, as you might imagine.</p>
<p>So let’s say you get everything I mention except the DHS. That leaves you with about $26K of costs to cover. If your parents absorb $15K of that, you have to come up with $11K + misc. expenses. Now if you are National Merit finalist, that is another $2K a year, so down to $9K. At that point you would have to decide if about $40K in debt (since prices will go up) is worth it to you. Of course there are other options such as work-study and there is another scholarship called the Community Service Scholarship. Look into it.</p>
<p>Good Luck!</p>
<p>P.S. If Tulane is really your first choice, I would definitely make an appointment to have a 20 minute or so phone conversation with your admissions counselor and tell him/her that, also explaining your high school doesn’t allow early action/decision applications (which I think is nuts, but oh well). They can be extremely helpful, and also guide you to people that can help you work out the money aspect if you don’t get the DHS.</p>
<p>Wow thanks a lot both of you for your answers. Fallenchemist, I wasn’t expecting such a nice, long answer.
I think, even if I just get the 25K scholarship, I will still end up going. I’m not going to let 11K a year stand in my way really. Also I have some money saved up from the past few years (certainly not 11K, but a bit).
I just have one more question - do you have to be accepted and offered the honors/25K scholarship before you can submit the DHS application? Or if I am just accepted and let’s say I get accepted to honors but not offered any money, can I still submit the DHS application?</p>
<p>Jimmybobs - YW. I have talked to enough people on here and in “real life” that it doesn’t take me too long to answer most questions, plus having just gone through all the research and thought processes last year with my D, I have my ideas pretty well formulated. If others find them useful, then I am glad. The process is hard enough already, if anything I know or say helps make it easier, then great.</p>
<p>I would have to say that you should, or even have to, submit the DHS whether or not you know if/what kind of offer Tulane will make/has made. The DHS is due December 15 unless they have changed the deadline, and Tulane might not have informed all students by then. So go for it, and best of luck. Just remember very few get offered the DHS. Not trying to be a downer, you might have a great shot, but obviously there is a lot I don’t know like EC’s, AP’s, etc. So as Ben Franklin said (highly paraphrased), don’t expect too much and you can only be pleasantly surprised.</p>