<p>When it is thisclose for meeting criteria for certain merit scholarships, what is the correct way to request consideration?</p>
<p>*just let the adcoms tell you what you qualify for?</p>
<p>*make an argument as to why you should be considered?</p>
<p>I'm surprised no one has responded. </p>
<p>At many schools, your application is all they need to consider you for a merit scholarship (ex: Boston University). However, some schools require you to apply by a priority admission deadline, or even early action (Ex: Trustee scholarship at BU, St.Olaf). Furthermore, some other schools require you to file the FAFSA and/or CSS, even if you won't qualify for need-based aid (Ex:Santa Clara). At some schools, they require additional documents for a scholarship application. </p>
<p>To find this, you must go to the school website and look at Undergraduate Admissions:Financial Aid: Scholarships/Merit-Based Aid.</p>
<p>The College Board also sometimes mentions merit-based opportunities in its college search thing, however I've found that it isn't really reliable.</p>
<p>If you qualify for a merit scholarship, that has no additional application, the admissions counselors will know it. You don't have to tell them. Of course, unless it's a guaranteed scholarship ("All NMFs will get $2000"), that doesn't mean you'll get it.</p>
<p>If you believe you qualify for a merit scholarship that does have an additional application, you fill it out, and that's how they'll "know."</p>
<p>What I wonder is if you can get more merit money than an initial offer ?
Is it appropriate to speak to a financial aid officer about it ?</p>
<p>I have read that sometimes offers to students who choose not to attend may become available.
Does anyone have any knowledge about this ?</p>
<p>JCD-what you need is leverage. Schools may reevaluate their offer or lack of offer if you have a merit aid offer from a competitive school. Make sure you apply to a safety where your stats are in the top 25% of applicants. Check US News or College data to get an idea of what percentage of students receive merit based aid. You are poking around the same small LAC's in the Midwest that I have been and most offer decent merit awards.</p>
<p>lje, at any particular college, check to see whether merit awards are administered through the admissions office or the financial aid offices. At many schools, merit aid comes through admissions; FA deals only with need-based aid. It is appropriate to talk to an officer about increasing an award, particularly, as Pete suggests, if you have another offer in hand from a competing school. But don't be surprised if the answer is "Sorry."</p>
<p>Only at a few schools do funds become available to other students if someone turns down the merit scholarship. That's because, just like admissions spaces, they offer scholarships to more students than they believe will attend. So the "yield" already accounts for the students who turn it down; it's not like they then suddenly have extra money lying around.</p>
<p>I have been wondering this myself. With the top kids applying to 10+ colleges these days it seems like there will be a lot of merit aid that was offered and turned down. I was really wondering/hoping that some of this merit aid gets redistributed later in the spring. Has anyone had experience with this?</p>
<p>Thank you Chevda,
She does have another offer from another school. It is about $1000 more per yr, but the tuition is lower there. Boils down to 1/3 of tuition & housing costs to 1/4 at her first choice school.
She still has 4 regular decision apps out. I think she has a good chance at acceptance at two of them.</p>
<p>thanks for the input. The situation is with a mw college where s has a 3.4 and a 27 act, and the scholarship says you need a 3.5 and a 27. The way this college handles scholarship review and adjudication is through an interview at a scholarship w/e <em>by invitation</em>. </p>
<p>My question is: can or should we crash the party ( :) ), point out that s is so close and when you look at the whole picture he is so great etc, or beg/cajole them, asking to come to this party to be considered? Or just <em>let them</em> invite us (which they have not done)?</p>
<p>rmm said --
...merit aid that was offered and turned down. I was really wondering/hoping that some of this merit aid gets redistributed later in the spring.</p>
<p>question: when are offers of merit aid turned down? before the 5/1 Decision Day, or on it? If the latter, isn't that too late to re-offer to someone else?</p>
<p>^^^
my daughter has not responded to either of her EA offers. She wants to, but I say not yet. let's see what else comes to the table.</p>
<p>Most likely her second choice will get a polite no thank you.</p>
<p>joecollegedad, in the case it is likely that if he doesn't meet the cutoff he doesn't meet it. There are probably more students who do meet it than there is money in the merit aid pool.</p>
<p>I have to agree with ebeeeee; don't even think of crashing the scholarship weekend. It will not go well for your son.</p>
<p>on crashing the w/e, I forgot the :) - tongue was in cheek. Altho side note: I know of person who was waitlisted/deferred (I can't recall which) who visited again and again to a mw lac, talked and met w/ the college more than a few times, and was finally admitted. In this case, being admitted is only phase 1; now we are talking money. There is cajoling and then there is talking.</p>
<p>we'll let the institution come to 'us' (s) after giving the best presentation that s could. It at least gives more clear data abou the college, and gives a clearer understanding in deliberating on the choice. This links with the 'too many apps/how many apps are good?' thread. If college A does not come through, then there's always college B (or C, D, E ).</p>