Holy cow-- my SATS went up!!!! Now where can I get $$?

Parents Forum
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<p>Female, Age 17, Buffalo, NY, White
Estimated Class Rank: 7/275ish
GPA: 4.0 unweighted, 96/100
SAT: M: 690 V: 800 W: 740 (1490/2230)<--- WENT UP!!!!!
Total APs by graduation: 6
So far, AP scores: AP European (4), AP US (5) Gov (4)</p>

<p>Classes:
Freshman year:
Biology Honors, 90. Regents Exam, 93
Design Drawing for Production, 100. Exam, 93
Global History I, 94. Exam, 96
English, 95. Exam, 98
Latin, 99. Exam, 99
Math, 90. Exam, 89
Advanced Spanish, 93. Exam, 96</p>

<p>Summer school to get ahead: Global II, 97. Regents Exam, 97</p>

<p>Sophomore year:
English, 100. Exam, 99
Math, 97. Exam, 88 Math A exam: 95
Advanced Spanish, 98. Exam, 99
AP European, 97 Exam, 98, AP: (4)
Advanced Latin, 99. Exam, 95
Earth Science Honors, 93. Exam, 94
Business and Personal Law, 99. Exam, 100</p>

<p>Junior year so far:
AP American, 99
English, 100
AP Government, 97
Advanced Spanish, 96
Advanced Latin, 99
Chemistry Honors, 94
Math, 97</p>

<p>Pretty steady incline in grades...</p>

<p>ECs:</p>

<p>Freshman year:
~ Class President
~ Principal's Advisory Council
~ Pep Club, Ambassadors' Circle, a couple others...can't remember...
~ JV Cheerleading (Most Improved award, lol)
~ Community service program (25ish hours over summer)
~ Latin award: Summa cumma laude - National Latin Exam</p>

<p>Sophomore year:
~ Student Congress representative
~ Principal's Advisory Council
~ Student Recognition Council (secretary)
~ Environmental Club (secretary)
~ SADD (Officer of Publicity)
~ Best Buddies (Officer of Publicity)
~ JV Cheerleading (MVP award)
~ Town of **** Supervisor's Youth Council
~ Community service program (50-ish hours)
~ Youth Consortium (promoting leadership and wise choices in younger teens)
~ Awards:
~ NY State winner of Essay Contest
~ Published in Parade Magazine: fresh voices
~ Featured: "Someone You Should Know": town newspaper
~ National Latin Exam: Silver Medal
~ Kodak Young Leaders Award
~ HOBY Youth Conference (summer)
~ National Young Leaders Conference (summer) (Assistant Majority Leader of Model Congress)</p>

<p>Junior year:
~ Co-President of Environmental Club
~ Vice-President of SADD Club
~ Student Congress Executive Board
~ Principal's Advisory Council
~ Student Recognition Council
~ Youth voting member of Town Board
~ Youth Consortium
~ Community service program: from summer 2004-present: 100+ hours
~ National Honor Society (maybe President -- running next week)
~ Varsity Cheerleading
~ Keynote Speaker: Junior National Young Leaders Conference
~ Girls State Nominee
~ 2006 NY State winner Lewis and Clark essay contest</p>

<p>~ WORK: Busser at restaraunt (May 2005-present, 12 hours a week)
Only member of family employed at moment due to father's cancer
Hostess at another restaraunt (Jan. 2006-present, 7-8 hours a week)</p>

<p>applying to:
-- UVA
-- UNC, chapel hill
-- U south carolina
(all 3 OOS)
-- Vanderbilt
-- University of Dayton
-- University of Scranton
-- UPENN
-- Cornell
-- Brown?
-- Emory?
-- St. Louis University ($$??)</p>

<p>How am I looking for admission/merit aid at some of these schools? Where else can I look for good $$? I'm so excited about my scores...this gives me such a better shot at getting some good merit aid!!</p>

<p>:-D</p>

2

<p>Congratulations on the FANTASTIC increase in your scores!</p>

<p>There certainly are places that would give you merit aid.
However, don't expect merit aid from U Va or U NC, which are very hard to get into from out of state, and from what I've seen reserve their merit aid for people who are likely to get into places like Harvard and Princeton. You might get lucky with them, but they are still longshots.</p>

3

<p>I have a feeling you'll do well at Vanderbilt.</p>

4

<p>Throw in the Pitt app. You are likely to get a Chancellor's Scholarship which can really make a difference in the college budget. Congrats on the increase.</p>

5

<p>Woo hoo to u!
Possible Merit:
WUSTL
Tulane
UMiami in Florida
Smith</p>

6

<p>You may get very good aid at Boston University and The George Washington University. Check out Brandeis and the University of Rochester too. Visit all of their web sites to see what kind of scholarships they offer. Keep in mind that some have very early deadlines for applications. As said above, UMiami in Florida is also a good bet.
There is no merit aid at any of the Ivies.
And congrats on your scores! :)</p>

7

<p>Also, if you apply VERY EARLY to Michigan - you may get very good aid.</p>

8

<p>Your stats and ECs are better than many whose merit aid is listed here:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=245773%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=245773&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

9

<p>I'll bet you could get a full ride at American U.</p>

10

<p>There are many places where you'd have a good shot at merit aid:</p>

<p>Rhodes, Wofford, Brandeis, Fordham.</p>

<p>You need to figure out what kind of colleges you'd enjoy and what region you'd likely enjoy, too.</p>

<p>Although you want out of Buffalo, do consider applying to some NY State schools because you also can use your Regents there. Check out places like St. Lawrence and U Rochester in addition to Fordham.</p>

11

<p>You can call Vanderbilt and request an application for the Ingram scholarship. It is based on academics, SAT scores and service. For Emory you would have had to be nominated by your school to be considered for an Emory Scholar. Emory and Vanderbilt however do offer merit money to some they accept. The ivy league such as Brown do not have merit scholarships.</p>

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<p>For about the zillionth time, let me remind you that what you need is "aid," not "merit aid." If you are really the only member of your family working, you would probably do better financially at a school that meets 100% of need than at a school whose merit program is geared towards giving basically affluent students a discount to attract them.</p>

13

<p>Thanks for the great suggestions guys. Will look at Pitt, American, and Miami. I'm looking for about 5k+ students in the midatlantic or south. </p>

<p>Do you really think I could get $$ at Vandy? I love Vandy!!! :-)</p>

<p>This score increase is just life changing for me. I can definitely afford to go to college now!! :-D It's sad how the SATs have that much weight though...</p>

14

<p>Agree with JHS, partially. It does seem to me that the apps to Brown/Cornell/UPenn provide opportunities to see if she can get a strong need-based package. Several of the other schools hold potential for merit aid or merit/need combos. Am I missing something, JHS?</p>

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<p>First, congrats to the OP!</p>

<p>What I take JHS to mean is that for schools that provide merit aid you need very high stats (GPA, scores, etc...) to make yourself more attractive than other students or to make the school wish to lure you away from other schools you might be applying to; for schools that provide need-based aid, that may not be the case.</p>

<p>Let's take the example of Evil Robot who got into Yale EA but got a more attractive package from Vandy. Vandy needed to provide that extra financial aid in order to attract Evil Robot away from Yale. But in this case, the OP's financial situation is such that, if she were accepted at Yale, a full-ride would be provided. So she might as well consider colleges that are need-blind and offer need-based aid rather than merit aid. In fact, she should consider both types.</p>

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<p>With your scores and EC's you have a good shot at getting a full ride at many, many schools. </p>

<p>First and foremost, it looks as if you are looking for need-based $ and have the numbers for merit also. That is the best scenario for getting good money at top schools. If this is the case, apply to all of your match, safety and reach schools. Apply to schools you think are the best fit for you. Get your need-based aid paperwork in ASAP. </p>

<p>Then evaluate the offers. </p>

<p>If you are thinking you will qualify for merit aid only and don't think your family situation qualifies you for need-based aid (though it sounds like you have need based numbers too) don't waste time with schools that offer need based only. The top schools that don't offer merit aid are pretty up front about it and you can find out before bothering to apply. </p>

<p>Congratulations on your accomplishments. Write a great essay and you have a good shot at getting in and getting $.</p>

17

<p>Vanderbilt is certainly possible for you; Emory too. Sewanee, Davidson, Wake Forest are also some good southern schools with merit opportunities. Keep in mind, however, that you will be competing with the cream of the crop when you are talking merit aid. Your numbers give you a shot at the awards, but no one has guarantees. I know kids who were accepted to HPY who did not get merit money at some of these schools. and there are kids who turn down HPY for these schools because of the awards. So, keep a few financial safeties in there so that you can weight your choices, what is worth paying what for, when the acceptances and packages are in.</p>

18

<p>


IMO that's overstating it a bit if we are talking about selective schools. (Not just Uber-selective, just selective. If OTOH we are talking about all schools, then I might agree.:)) There just aren't that many full-rides out there to get. The numbers competing for them are incredible. Many kids do everything right and still fall short of a full-ride scholarship. </p>

<p>I am more familiar with LAC's and although I haven't done this in a year, I feel quite safe in saying there are less than 100 generally available full-rides at Top 100 LAC's. Makes Ivy admissions percentages look like community college, doesn't it? LOL . While the gross numbers change because of the relative size of the schools, the percentages are daunting at the Top 100 Research Level U category also.</p>

<p>GOofB has great stats. She will be a good candidate for merit at the schools listed. I would concentrate on the Southern schools and let geographic diversity work in her favor. I would also be looking for scholarship opportunities that were less than full-rides. In fact, I can't think of anyone for whom I'd suggest zeroing in on full-ride scholarships. </p>

<p>(Off the top of my head I'm thinking there are 50,000 new freshman a year at TOP 100 LAC's. 500x100. Of those 100 schools 15 or 20 give zero merit aid. There are another 30 maybe 50 or more that give zero generally available full rides. That only leaves about 30-55 schools at best with most having 1,3, or 5 scholarships that meet the standard. I'm sticking with 100 full rides or less at Top 100 LAC's.)</p>

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<p>There are hundreds of colleges in the US. We tend to be myopic and only consider the "well known." But I see University of Dayton and Scranton on her list, so if she is willing to think outside the box, there are lots of schools that would grab at a chance to get a student with scores and EC's like these. And when you combine need and merit, your options are more numerous.</p>

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<p>Sorry, but I have to run to a ballgame. You might find some more but in the couple minutes I had, this is as good as I could find at the schools you mentioned. </p>

<p><a href="http://admission.udayton.edu/finaid/scholarcalc.asp%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://admission.udayton.edu/finaid/scholarcalc.asp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>The academic scholarship program at the University of Dayton is designed to recognize the academic excellence of high school seniors. Use our online calculator to see what scholarship for which you may be eligible, based on your grade point average and test scores. </p>

<p>(I input a 36 ACT, 2400 SAT, and a perfect 4.0UW.) </p>

<p>Based on the grade point average and test score you entered, you may be eligible for an academic scholarship in the amount of $12,500.</p>

<p><a href="http://matrix.scranton.edu/admissions/fa_fa_programs.asp%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://matrix.scranton.edu/admissions/fa_fa_programs.asp&lt;/a>
Presidential Scholarship
These merit-based, full tuition scholarships are awarded for exemplary academic achievement. Presidential scholars are typically valedictorians and salutatorians of their high school class, have a minimum SAT score of 1400, and have demonstrated leadership and community service. National Merit Semifinalists are given special consideration for this prestigious award. Eight Presidential scholars are enrolled as freshmen for the 2005 fall semester.</p>