<p>Our D won the state championships for cheer. Also, the squad got the highest GPA...Do you think that will help her for getting a scholarship? Or does winning state championships only good if you win for football, basketball, or say volleyball?
Thank you in advance for your advice:)</p>
<p>Sure, it helps. It shows dedication, teamwork and excellence in what she participates in. All good qualities for a college student. Does she want to cheer in college?
There are schools that actually recruit for cheering.</p>
<p>BTW - Congratulations to her and her team!!</p>
<p>Actually I don’t know if she wants to cheer in college at this point. She is a junior…She does pole vault too and may want to do track in college…thank you for your good wishes:)</p>
<p>Admissions and scholarships are like playing poker. You play the hand you are dealt as shrewdly as possible. For instance, a cheer champion will be more cherished at a college that has cheerleaders (not all do – or, at some schools, like Texas A&M, the cheer leaders are male). Evergreen College here in Washington does not have any cheer squads. It does have girls and guys basketball and soccer. </p>
<p>Don’t load her down with statements like “For sure you’ll get a scholarship!” Because that may not be true at all. Make sure you learn as much as you can about the weird world of college financial aid (Paying for college without going broke by Khany is good). It doesn’t matter whether she gets financial aid or merit award or a Pell grant (three different things)-- it matters that she gets an education without acquiring a huge debt load.</p>
<p>Tell her you are proud of her hard work and her team work. That will serve her well no matter where she goes next. Congrats!</p>
<p>It will help, but I do not know if it is on par as a state championship that was individual. Was your daughter the captain? Because if so then that shows quality leadership and would help your application more than if she was only a member.</p>
<p>I don’t think winning a championship is going to help her get a scholarship over someone else who did not win a championship. It may help her in regards to being recruited to cheer.</p>
<p>Most merit scholarships are based on a combination of SAT/ACT score and GPA.</p>
<p>My D received approximately $10K/year in unsolicited merit awards from each of 7 of the 10 schools to which she applied. Certainly nowhere near COA but nice to have. We are not eligible for need-based aid. She was on a state championship team and had 2 other well- developed ECs. She had a great GPA but horrendous scores. Ya never know…</p>
<p>Thank you olymom…will get that book from the library tomorrow…i cherish everyone’s advice here…you all seem to be “in the know”
I found a neat site where students rate their schools that I wanted to share with everyone…It’s called **************s.com…It gives a slant on what the students feel about their college…I find it very helpful…However,still have no clue where she wants to go…haha
DH and I always thought of WA to retire…I adore the rain, he however, he likes the sun to shine…How do you like WA olymom?
thanks:)</p>
<p>I guess submitting other sites is a no no…it bleeped it out…sorry if I offended…just trying to help everyone too:)</p>
<p>Isn’t Washington half rainy and half very dry? If you two could only position yourselves right on the dividing line… :)</p>
<p>I think that being on a state champion team of any sort is helpful, especially if the applicant obviously contributed to the win, but not anywhere near a hook unless the applicant is actually recruitable as an individual. There are schools that recruit for cheer, as noted above.</p>
<p>I agree that it most likely isn’t a “hook” , but it is a good EC and she should certainly mention the state championship.</p>
<p>Congrats to your D and the rest of the squad. I am the mom of a former dance team member and I have a lot of respect for the time and dedication spent in perfecting a routine. It takes a lot of teamwork as well as the courage to get up in front of others to perform and be judged. These qualities will benefit your D in whatever she pursues.</p>