<p>When is it that these are typically sent out, and are they all done at once? Also, can anyone tell me what the general qualifications are for them and how much they are usually for? thanks</p>
<p>Dedman has sent out its letters and requires the submission of an additional essay. Scholarships are up to an additional $10,000.</p>
<p>S hasn’t heard a word on a departmental scholarship and we are surprised.</p>
<p>My son received a departmental scholarship from the Lyle School of Engineering in December. I can’t remember if it came with his admissions packet or after his admissions packet. He applied Early Action. The Lyle School departmental scholarships go up to $10,000, just like Dedman. (Maybe they all do?)</p>
<p>Congratulations. It is so nice to find someone else who is also entering the engineering program. My son has submitted his acceptance/deposit at SMU already. Has your son decided if he wants to attend SMU? Were you able go to the engineering acceptance reception last month? Were weren’t able to go. If you did, can you tell me what it was about? Also, if your son is going to SMU, what dorm did he pick? My son picked the engineering dorm. Thanks! By the way, you can send me a private message if that is easier.</p>
<p>I was told by the director of Meadows Recruitment that Meadows scholarships committees are in the process of meeting. Will probably not find out until March! (meadows related only!)</p>
<p>SimpleLife - I have another question. Do you happen to know when the students have to pick their engineering major by? Thanks again for your help.</p>
<p>^^Hi newjersey17! Congratulations to you and your son as well!</p>
<p>My son is still pretty much entirely in the “undecided” phase of the college application process. We knew from the very start that, in his case, scholarships and ultimate “Cost of Attendance” would strongly steer his decision. Therefore, from the start, he’s known that all financial aid packages have to come in before he can start choosing.</p>
<p>He does love SMU. He would love to attend. Much of time since he first started looking at colleges, he has told people that SMU is at (or towards) the very top of his list. However, he has received phenomenal scholarship offers from a handful of other schools … which does alter things a little bit. We’ll see what happens with the second round of President’s (we’re fully NOT expecting one … seems to us they would have picked him in the first round if they wanted him for that) and Hunt’s. Otherwise, it might be off his list. Sadly.</p>
<p>We did go to the engineering reception. It was very nice. It was held in the lobby of one of the beautiful engineering buildings. Dean Orsak spoke for about 15-20 minutes. There was a huge, gorgeous spread of hors d’oeuvres, and iced tea, water, and lemonade. It was kind of classy and very understated at the same time. There was jazz music playing in the background, and nobody knew where it was coming from. Dean Orsak was HILARIOUS in his spontaneous comments about the music that was playing as he spoke. A lot of admissions counselors were there, and current students, and some faculty. And the place was PACKED. A huge turnout. And then, after the dean spoke, we were all free to just roam around the building, chatting with other people, and checking things out. Nothing formal seemed to be planned. No meetings or seminars or anything. Big bonus: Awesome free SMU sweatshirts!! They’re a really nice quality! My son says it’s his favorite sweatshirt ever. We very much enjoyed our time there.</p>
<p>Dorms. My son wants the engineering dorm, too. He has not signed up for housing yet. Hope he doesn’t lose out!</p>
<p>I was just about to post when I saw your other question. 
I do NOT know with any certainty when they have to pick their majors … I am guessing by the end of their sophomore years? But of course, with engineering tracks the way they are, the delay in choosing can lead to a longer stay and more expense. I’m sorry; I really don’t know.</p>
<p>Good luck to you, newjersey! I think SMU is a really great school. I hope your son loves it there! (Is he definitely going to attend?)</p>
<p>Yes, my son is definitely going to attend SMU. He has been receiving phone calls the past two days from other schools now too asking if he will be attending their school. I’m surprised by the phone calls. My son has received several $60K scholarships from other schools and he is turning them down because he really wants to go to SMU. Out of all the schools he has visited he said SMU was a perfect fit and I totally agree.</p>
<p>If your son does end up going to SMU, I think he will be able to get into the engineering dorm. I read that SMU places the students by academic community first (i.e. engineering dorm) over the students who pick just a dorm. That is really nice. The academic community gets priority. I love that they have an engineering dorm. That is really neat!</p>
<p>Thank you so much for telling me what happened at the reception.</p>
<p>What other schools does your son like?</p>
<p>Simple - What do stats do you have to have to get this scholarship at SMU? Also, how many schools did your son apply to? Mine applied to eight. He has heard back from 7 out of 8 so far. Thanks.</p>
<p>I have another question I forgot to put in earlier. Do you recommend taking a SAT course? Did your children take a SAT course? My son did not but I am trying to decide what my daughter should do. My daughter was just going to study/practice on her own. I was just curious what your kids did. Thanks again for your help!</p>
<p>^hi again, newjersey. Are you asking about stats for the departmental scholarships? My son doesn’t really want his stats posted, but they are extremely high. Really, really high.</p>
<p>He applied to ten schools. A lot, I know. The main reason: long story, but I can sum it up with “finances.” Four of his schools have yet to release their decisions.</p>
<p>I don’t know that I am at all qualified to make a recommendation to anybody else regarding test preparation, lol! I have no specific wisdom about that, but I can tell you about what my kids did.</p>
<p>None of them ever took an SAT or ACT course. You know those College Board “questions of the day” or whatever they’re called that they send you via email? One of my sons kept all those emails and then reviewed several a night for about 3 weeks before he took his SAT. My other kids didn’t do that. All my kids got an SAT study guide and did the SAT practice tests, using a kitchen timer and conducting them as though they were the real thing. I don’t know how many tests are in the study guide, but they each did all of them – maybe 3 or 4? They each started on a Sunday, about 3-4 weeks before their real test. They gave themselves a timed practice test, scored themselves, found their weak areas, and studied those weak areas from the study guide. Then, a week later, they took another timed practice test, scored, found weak areas, and studied their weak areas from the study guide. They repeated the whole process until all the tests in the book were done, timing the first of the tests so that they could do them weekly and the last practice test would occur the weekend before the real SAT.</p>
<p>All of my kids also took the ACT. They each took just one practice test to prepare for it, just so they could become familiar with the format of the test. They figured that they’d know what they know at that point, seeing as they each already had the SAT under their belt. </p>
<p>None of my kids took any test more than once. One SAT. One ACT. One PSAT.</p>
<p>They each had very good results with this method. But I would credit a lot of their test success to their excellent public school education (it was truly excellent – we’re lucky) and the fact that they’re big readers. In other words, their daily lives were kind of their test prep.</p>
<p>I think I answered all your questions, newjersey. Good luck to your son and your daughter!! Sounds like you’re doing a great job with them! :)</p>
<p>Thank you so much for your help and good luck!</p>
<p>^Gosh. I don’t feel like I was much help at all, newjersey. Especially since we are so private about stats. But I’m glad to share our experience at any time!</p>