<p>Short and sweet.....does a student with a 4.0, 2050 SAT and a 33 ACT have any hope for merit aid at Oberlin?</p>
<p>Short and sweet... yes.</p>
<p>though I didn't take the ACTs, my stats were similar to yours and i didn't get merit aid.</p>
<p>Yes. I was awarded a $12,000/year merit scholarship from Oberlin in addition to my need-based aid. For kicks, some basic statistics:</p>
<p>SAT: 800 verbal, 760 math, 750 writing
GPA: 4.1 weighted, 8th out of 230 students
Zany zany miscellany: National AP Scholar, National Merit Commended, various writing awards.</p>
<p>I've heard several other people say they were given scholarships, and I've heard of amounts larger than mine. So yes, they give aid fairly generously, and though you gave little details there, it's reasonable to hope for merit aid.</p>
<p>Yeah, you do.</p>
<p>Given your screen name, there is also the possibility of a music scholarship if you are applying to the conservatory. Those are based on the audition and the relative need for what you play. Music scholarships tend to be $8K to $12K per year, but they also go higher and lower.</p>
<p>What is the difference between financial aid grant and merit scholarships? Can internationals get the merit scholarships?.. Thanks</p>
<p>Merit scholarships are offered on the basis of academic or musical ability. Grants (as well as loans and work-study) are offered on the basis of demonstrated financial need. All international students are eligible for need-based aid. International applicants to the conservatory are considered for merit aid when they audition. There are specific academic merit awards for students from Africa and Japan, but I do not know whether the college offers merit aid to students from other areas. Check out <a href="http://www.oberlin.edu/admissions/college/finances/international.shtml%5B/url%5D">http://www.oberlin.edu/admissions/college/finances/international.shtml</a> for the details.</p>
<p>Note: edit time expired on the previous message. Upon reading that page more carefully, it appears that there are merit scholarships available for international students in addition to the specific ones listed for African and Japanese students. Contact the Oberlin financial aid office for specifics.</p>
<p>So if i'm accepted (international here) i'll first get the grant, work study and loan.. If awarded the merit scholarship, my work study and loan would be reduced?</p>
<p>Oberlin tends to structure their aid to keep grants and work study to reasonable amounts. However, their funds are not unlimited. If you get a merit scholarship from Oberlin, that amount will be taken into consideration when determining the mix of need-based grant, loan and work-study aid. It is possible that all three need-based forms of aid could be reduced as a result of receiving merit aid from Oberlin. As long as something comes off the loans and work-study, you are still ahead of the game.</p>
<p>If you receive aid from outside Oberlin that is partially or completely merit-based, they will reduce the loan and work-study amounts only. They will not reduce grants and scholarships unless the grants and scholarships total more than the charges billed by Oberlin for for tuition, room, activities fees and meals.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot..</p>
<p>I just wanted to say I'm from India, and I did get merit aid.</p>
<p>I read your stats profile.. But do you mind telling more about yourself so that i know what it takes to get merit aid..</p>
<p>I have emailed back twice, but apparently you are not getting them. Have you checked your spam inbox? Perhaps they went there.</p>
<p>I will try a PM.</p>
<p>Without getting into specifics about mom4's son's situation, I will point out the following about the Early Review process and merit aid at Oberlin Conservatory for any others who may be thinking along the same lines:</p>
<p>1) The possible Early Review decisions are accept, defer or reject. An acceptance is non-binding, the applicant is free to pursue other opportunities and has until May 1 to decide among acceptances. A deferral simply brings up the applicant's case again when regular decisions are made. A rejection is a final decision.</p>
<p>2) Because the applicant is not committed to attend Oberlin if accepted, there is no clear relationship between Oberlin being a first choice and auditioning during the Early Review period in December rather than the Regular Decision period in February or March. There are valid reasons for auditioning in December both for those who consider Oberlin a first choice and for those who are considering it lower in their spread of schools.</p>
<p>3) It is possible and even likely that Oberlin College takes the applicant's preference for Oberlin as a first choice school far more seriously than does the Conservatory. The "Why Oberlin?" essay is pretty important in the College admission process, but there is no such essay required of Con applicants. The College has a binding Early Decision policy, while the Conservatory Early Review is not binding. The yield at the Con is a good bit higher than at the College, so they do not have as much incentive to raise yield by giving preference to those who they know will matriculate.</p>
<p>4) The Conservatory does, however, use merit scholarship money to try to attract students who are very good and/or who fill a current need. I do not know the inner workings of how the scholarship money is allocated but, if I were one of the better applicants, I would sooner give the scholarship committee the impression that I was undecided than give them the impression that I would certainly matriculate at full price.</p>
<p>5) Auditioning during Early Review has positives and negatives. On the negative side, you have two or three months less preparation time. On the positive side, if you are accepted it takes a huge amount of pressure off some of the later auditions and may let you cancel some of them entirely to concentrate on the others. Those who are auditioning at lots of schools may get burnt out by the time the last couple of them roll around and may find their playing or singing was a lot fresher in December than it is in March. </p>
<p>6) Trying to assess whether it would be better to audition in December or March is a very personal choice that is probably best made by the student and their private music teacher.</p>
<p>@ jhl, what do you want to know?</p>
<p>@TheOneCurlyFry, your ecs, grades.. Stuffs like that..</p>
<p>Everything's on there.</p>
<p>Thanks......</p>