Cut and paste from Emory’s website. It does say LIMITED. couldn’t find any info about percent
If I am not selected as a finalist for the Emory University Scholars Programs can I still be considered for merit-based aid?
Yes. While there are limited merit-based scholarships beyond those affiliated with the Emory University Scholars Programs, the Admission Committee reviews all applicants for additional merit-based aid. Applicants do not need to submit any additional materials for consideration.
Yes, we found the same to be true. I am glad we didn’t think too much about merit based awards. M was not thinking about university offered merit scholarships at all, except for maybe Oberlin who courted her heavily. The notification was a completely unexpected surprise as she had accepted that we simply could not afford Emory. I believe her ED application and her essays (she wrote the optional essays for Oxford) helped.
We will approach the application process in a slightly different manner with our second daughter. My husband feels that we may have given up some FA leverage with ED. I am not sure. She had her heart set on it. It was a bit of a gamble and a nail biter, but in this case, it worked in our favor.
Since we live close enough, I will be searching Emory job postings. Surely, a reasonably intelligent, degreed 18+ year stay-at-home mom could find something. After two years of full-time employment, spouses, domestic partners and dependent children receive full tuition as an employment benefit.
I will send good vibes your way, @momof2eagles !
@teenagecrime agree with @edmanf . Hoping things go your way but if not hang in there. Sometimes the best things come to those that wait. My older son on ivy day had one neg. response after another on his portal but because of the time difference with California/Berkeley his last response -3 hrs later after all the NO’s Was positive and he is extremely happy there. Hoping you have a great birthday on ivy day but please don’t determine your self worth by college admissions. There are so many factors that play into getting in like Hooks(URM, legacies, athletes, geographic diversity) way beyond things in your control like how good of a student you are or how good your standardized testing is. College admission process doesn’t always seem fair but know things will work out. even if its not your first choice school you can succeed.
@edmanf OMG I know your daughter M from NDLS! Tell her congrats and that the pennyloafers miss her!! 
What?! It is a small, small world.
Does anyone know if they consider first semester grades in the merit aid - our grades are just being sent at the beginning of next week so I think they will be too late for consideration.
@Lt2020 Nah, doubt it, they should already be finalizing results about now and for some schools, first semester grades won’t be due until next month. It would be unfair for both the school and the applicants if Emory only evaluate certain applicants with midyear report as part of their files.
Guidance sent my mid-year grades in yesterday so I emailed and asked and the answer was they would be considered in any “further evaluation” - so I’m guessing no. Will hopefully help as I applied RD and that was my best semester ever, but not counting on them including for these scholarships.
def.they will consider first quarter senior grades for scholarship[/merit aid. @WaitinginCT congrats on great semester senior grades which I am sure will help in any RD application including Emory.
Is February 4th the notification date for smaller merit awards as well as for Emory Scholars (or do they let you know that with your acceptance decision)? Do you think they give many merit scholarships to ED2 candidates - or more for RD to get them to attend?
@Lt2020 I think so according to the admission blog I posted earlier on the thread. Have no idea about how many they give to ed2 versus RD. I don’t think they post that stat.
Today is the day. Though statistics are against most of us, best of fortunes to all!
yes with 2.5 percent chance of getting invited to be a finalist(based on last yrs number) this would be very difficult to get. S understands that odds not in his favor especially since he only checked the box for emory and not oxford(probably a mistake on his part). Congrats ahead of time to all that hear positive news, and to those who don’t hear good news today remember that it doesn’t mean you are not into emory if you applied RD.
^ My D also only checked the box for Emory but not for Oxford. I also thought it was a mistake but when I asked her about it she was honest and said that she really had no interest in going to Oxford. We actually did visit and I thought it was nice. But the move into another campus was something she thought would be too hard on her. So no chance for anything from Oxford but I don’t think it impacts the Emory chances though. Good luck to all!
@momof2eagles @goingnutsmom did your kids get an e-mail asking them to fill out a form through the portal a few weeks ago? I originally only applied to Emory but they sent me an e-mail on January 20 telling me to fill out a 1-minute form to send my app to Oxford and I thought, heck, why not? Haha.
@goingnutsmom can you perhaps tell me a bit about what the campus environment/sense of community was like when you visited? I’ve never gotten a chance to visit Emory and would like to know a bit more about it
@blourring I don’t think so but have to ask my son who manages his portal/email communication from the colleges. I think you were smart. Not easy to get into either oxford or emory, but I do think a little easier to get into oxford and have a chance for the scholarship finalist /or get merit aid .
My DD just got the email a few minutes ago. We are so pleased she is a scholars semifinalist!!
Good luck to all the other applicants!
My D attended summer college classes in a southern state so we swung by to visit both Emory and Oxford. We couldn’t get a sense of the community because it was the summer.
Oxford- staff and tour guides were very nice and friendly; campus is very small and lots of construction going on during the summer (construction is always a good sign of economic health at a school); info session was very informative and they really stressed the relationships between students and staff; lots of on campus activities offered; I really liked how the student group doing the tour were so diverse- different races/ethnicities and foreign students
Emory- huge info session; staff and admissions appeared impersonal and more aloof; there was definitely an air of “we are a top school” that was a little off putting; students in info session appeared to be real go getters; the tour guide we had was awesome- she was articulate, funny, smart and represented Emory well; the campus was just gorgeous- you felt like you were in a bubble with everything meticulously manicured and the buildings were beautiful; again, the students we saw on campus were very racially/ethnically diverse but the students doing the tour appeared heavily represented by whites; tons of activities offered on campus- even a farmer’s market.