<p>So I've been looking around at threads and hearing about recent high school grads in my area...and I've heard two stories about kids getting full rides to Columbia and UChicago. I'm confused because from my research I've gathered that ivys and pretty much all top 10 universities don't offer any merit-based scholarships. Were these kids wrong or are their actually merit scholarships of that value at these schools?</p>
<p>Columbia does not give merit-based scholarships: any full rides there are need-based. Chicago does give some merit-based scholarships, including some full rides I believe; they are very difficult to get, though.</p>
<p>thanks silverturtle…do you know where I can find more info about UChicago’s full-ride scholarships (just out of curiosity)?</p>
<p>Here is Chicago’s page about it: <a href=“https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/costs/scholarships.shtml[/url]”>https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/costs/scholarships.shtml</a>. But there isn’t much information there.</p>
<p>Many people getting need based aid will refer to it as a free ride.</p>
<p>Chicago doesn’t have full-ride scholarships. Chicago used to give around 100 $10k/year scholarships and 30 full-tuition (note: NOT full-ride, full-tuition) scholarships.</p>
<p>This policy was changed last year. Now, there are a bunch of $5k scholarships and a bunch of $10k scholarships. I think there are a few $20k scholarships too. Have not heard anyone get a free ride, and I don’t think they exist anymore.</p>
<p>Lots of people claim that they got free rides from University of Chicago. If we base the definition of free-ride on not having to pay any tuition, then I and a lot of my friends got full rides (even though I didn’t get a merit scholarship, nor did hardly any of the people I know). But no one I’ve met - even those with partial/full tuition scholarships - has had a real, true full ride. They had to pay room and board or at the very least, books and personal expenses.</p>
<p>^ So Chicago doesn’t mean it when they say this?</p>
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<p>I’d assume they mean full tuition and partial tuition scholarships, rather than full cost of attendance–but you could always call and verify which they mean.</p>
<p>*Many people getting need based aid will refer to it as a free ride. *</p>
<p>Very true…</p>
<p>At my nephew’s graduation this year, it was announced that the Val (with perfect SAT and GPA) got admitted to Harvard. Then it was announced that another (lower stats) student was also going to Harvard on a full-ride scholarship. Of course, those of us who know better know that just means that the second student is low-income, but it sure didn’t make the Val’s family very happy.</p>
<p>Chicago gives 30 full tuition merit scholarship per freshmen class. I am wondering if those scholarship winners can also receive need based FA as well, if their EFC is low enough? If so, they can really claim a full ride, with some pocket change leftover.</p>
<p>If you’re getting financial aid, then it’s a little misleading to say that you got a “full ride” in a way that implies you got it for stats.</p>
<p>For schools that offer that much FA, the student merits the FA based on stats. Even if it’s solely based on getting in, those schools are very competitive.</p>
<p>ok so if I do not qualify for FA but have competitive enough stats for their Merit scholarships, how much would I get off?</p>
<p>I know that I would not get a full ride or full tuition, but does anyone have any idea how substantial UChicago’s merit scholarships actually are?</p>
<p>You can browse through them here: <a href=“https://frogs.uchicago.edu/fellowships/faq.cfm[/url]”>https://frogs.uchicago.edu/fellowships/faq.cfm</a> Are you familiar with internet search engines?</p>
<p>ok so if I do not qualify for FA but have competitive enough stats for their Merit scholarships, how much would I get off?</p>
<p>That is an IMPOSSIBLE question to answer since the school doesn’t have any assured scholarships for stats. That means that there will be students with stats that are equal to better than yours who will get NOTHING.</p>
<p>Are you from a state that rarely sends anyone to UChicago?</p>
<p>What are your stats?</p>
<p>Are you a URM?</p>
<p>If you NEED merit money in order to attend college, then you NEED to apply to a couple of schools that will give you assured big merit for your stats…otherwise you may end up with no affordable schools. </p>
<p>If you need merit, then you NEED financial safety schools.</p>
<p>Edited to add…I see that you don’t need any $$; your parents will pay for whatever school you get into.</p>
<p>Your stats are…</p>
<p>SATI:cr.m.w: 710.770.800 </p>
<p>With a 1480 M+CR SAT, I don’t know if Chicago heavily considers the Writing score for scholarships…many schools do not.</p>
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<p>Getting into the school is hard enough, with a predicted 14-15% acceptance rate next year. Maybe 2-3% of total applicants get merit scholarships, and the majority of these are $5k off the sticker price. Maybe the top 0.5% of applicants get $10k off the sticker price, with just a handful of students getting $20-30k off.</p>
<p>ok thanks phuriku…I figured that for such a competitive school the merit scholarships would likely not be substantial for someone with my stats. </p>
<p>And yes I am familiar with internet search engines, and I HAVE searched the scholarships for UChicago. But I wanted to see if someone who may have applied for a merit scholarship at UChicago may be able to give me more insight. </p>
<p>@mom2collegekids…sorry I realize that is an impossible question…when I said how much would I get off, I was just wondering what the typical merit reward would be for a student. But this is entirely dependent on stats and other circumstances, I understand. </p>
<p>Thanks for the responses</p>