<p>Actually, Xiggi, I read your post very carefully. You now want to say that your post was merely misleading and not wrong? Sorry, you’ll have to try that on someone else, who hasn’t been reading your posts for years. You don’t like to admit when you are wrong but your knowledge of these three scholarship programs is lacking. That’s fine-- you don’t have to know about everything. Thanks for copying your post so it clarifies what we’re talking about. Again, the Posse does not demonstrate low income. If we really want to go into it, the other two show middle to low income since the cut-offs are not that low. And the Gates screening-- like that of the other two-- is extensive.</p>
<p>I really have a hard time following this discussion. I already explained that you are reading my post incorrectly. And this to make a point that I never made. This is not an issue about being wrong or right. You are conflating different elements in one by inferring more than I wrote.</p>
<p>I hate to tell you this but, as far as lacking knowledge, you might want to brush up your own, especially since you persist in calling QB a … scholarship. Questbridge does not offer a tuition scholarship but a link to the financial aid offered by its partners. The GMSP does indeed offer the “last” dollars and the cutoff is the minimum qualification for a Pell grant. </p>
<p>I do not have to know about everything, but I seriously doubt that you know more than I do about the inner workings and policies of the GMSP and Questbridge programs. I am happy to concede that I am know a lot less about Posse as I never had any direct interaction with it. Nor analyzed it with the same length than the other two I mentioned. </p>
<p>But that does not change a letter of my original post.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Actually, Posse does not require you to attend public school in order to be nominated. You can be nominated through a community based organization.</p>
<p>"Why does the student need to show his income level in his application? "</p>
<p>Because it helps with admission.</p>
<p>Above- it does? It should NOT. No student should displace another because they have a lesser income but equivalent credentials. Plus- there may not be that much income difference between students, some could fall just on either side of a line. Academics, not income, should matter. There can be ways for students to show rising above adversity and for guidance counselors to do the same. This not the same as just showing income level.</p>
<p>Where does income level help with admission? </p>
<p>I got xiggi’s point- it is what you do, despite your situation, that matters. There is no admit category for sympathy. Yes, SES can give context, but you still must have the goods and be competitive, in the pool.</p>
<p>I actually agree with most of what you said-- and definitely that low income doesn’t help much unless there’s a lot of adversity that has been overcome. But, of the programs you mentioned, only Questbridge serves as any sort of signal. Gates winners are notified in the Spring of senior year.</p>
<p>I have read that top schools might favor low-income kids or at least kids from low-performing schools because kids from private schools, for instance, will do well no matter where they go, so the opportunity means more for the less privileged student.</p>
<p>Also certain accomplishments on the part of a student from a more deprived background show initiative and character, since, presumably, they are harder to achieve without the benefits of a top quality education.</p>
<p>However, we all know that colleges need a certain number of full pay students to subsidize those on aid.</p>
<p>[Changing</a> Universities: The Real Cost of Undergraduate Education](<a href=“http://changinguniversities.blogspot.com/2009/09/real-cost-of-undergraduate-education_21.html]Changing”>Changing Universities: The Real Cost of Undergraduate Education)</p>
<p>Subsidies take plenty of forms in education.</p>
<p>So when my kids applied, based on our income, they were eligible for various fee waivers that were included with the paper applications or in the case of online ones the fee waivers were also mailed in. Mailed and received by the admissions office. </p>
<p>And the fee waivers, depending on the year were a bright NEON color. Cannot miss them. NACAC forms were also big and obtrusive. Fee waivers from the school themselves also hard-to-miss. And not sent to financial aid but to the admissions office.</p>
<p>So yes they know. They are need-blind, not need-stupid. They know if they need $60,000+ in funds for 1 student vs. $5,000. They know, its their job to know. So the number of pell grant recipients does not vary greatly from year to year and the number of eligible “full pells” isn’t significantly different either.</p>
<p>They know if the ECs require a great deal of discretionary family funds and if so where did it come from. Having a kiddo in US swimming and dive is expensive. Having that kiddo work/coach to pay fees, membership explains alot. Working within the community school that is high in free/reduced lunch, 80%+ makes a difference. Makes a difference to the academies. Granted we are just one family, but with 5 kiddos, and 100+ acceptances between them plus financial aid packages, its lots of data.</p>
<p>Son was also gates scholie winner but since the school he chose provided a package that covered 100% it was not used. He also had 5 other outside scholie’s and turned down 3 ROTC scholies as well. His undergrad schools knew.</p>
<p>His med school process also revealed the same thing. They all knew. Told him to his face at interviews. They know. Does it make a difference? It’s part of the bigger picture, provides context. And reveals motivation, character and determination beyond what an application on its own can. Coaches also recruiting at the D1 level also know. </p>
<p>Kat</p>
<p>They are need-blind, not need-stupid. </p>
<p>I love this! Of course, they know. I don’t know how they could not know after FAFSA or CSS or fee waivers. Do they care? Yes, some do but it can help or hurt you so it’s certainly not a hook. It’s not random with the exception of some publics that admit only by numbers. Admit/deny s also a real thing that happens. They admit you but know perfectly well that you cannot afford to attend. I don’t know that I would write a essay about it unless there is something unusually challenging going on, though.</p>
<p>[Underprivileged</a> Students: Show Your Grit! | Essay Hell](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/2013/08/got-grit-then-show-it.html]Underprivileged”>http://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/2013/08/got-grit-then-show-it.html)
This is an excellent post that your young friend should read.</p>
<p>Thanks MYOS1634 that’s helpful. Although it just talks about students who have to explain lower stats. The students I’m talking to don’t have to because they have good stats. But still I think it is important to explain context. I’, going to disagree with those who posted here who don’t think it is important, although I appreciate the opinions. One girl I’m giving feedback to is a foster child and the Calif foster system college materials advises talking about your situation in your essays. She didn’t really make it all about that, but it is in there and she wrote a more biographical essay. I’m not worried about the boy writing about something else now that I know he has QB essays that already address bio info.</p>