Okay, so basically I got a 205 on the PSAT and received an honorable mention for the Merit Scholarship program. This was unexpected. I didn’t really study for the test at all and got four hours of sleep the night before because we had a Cross Country meet in a town two and a half hours away and et cetera et cetera et cetera. Fast forward to now. I scored a 2300 on the SAT with adequate preparation and just found out that I also got a 35 on the ACT. Do either of these scores mean anything in regards to merit scholarships? If not, what other financial aid options are available to high-scorers? I’m really looking for any insight here, as I am entirely new to this. Gracias!
I think you have to be a finalist for it to be really significant and there are colleges that offer merit awards for Finalists. Right now you just have an award to mention on your application if you like.
What is more important is your SAT and ACT. You can get some automatic awards at certain colleges for those scores and you are eligible for competitive awards but you have to apply to see. Are you grades high too? Rigorous program of study? Then you may be in a great position.
If you look in the threads pinned at the top of the forum you will see lists of automatic and competitive scholarships. If you want more help just ask.
Actually you kind of touched on another question I have. I have a 4.00 GPA (unweighted), but I go to a small high school in the midwest, so I’m not sure exactly how “rigorous” my classes have been. This is my senior year, and the way classes at my school work is that APs are almost exclusively for Seniors (with one or two exceptions, but my schedule was too busy for them), meaning that I haven’t taken any before now, even though I am currently enrolled in four. Do you think that is a big deal? Or would your average admissions officer/aid provider/what-have-you just look at the GPA and test score correlation and draw a line?
Colleges generally care about rigor of curriculum taken compared to what is offered. If higher level classes were not available they usually don’t want to punish the student for that.
Forget about National Merit, your SAT and ACT score would get you many merit scholarship opportunities. My D was NMF, but she is attending a school without and NMF related merit aid but much bigger scholarship from the school with ACT 35. Most schools do not offer scholarship simply for NMF anyway.
You’re targeting schools like Northwestern and Columbia which aren’t schools that give merit scholarships.
You’re also targeting NYU-Tisch for film studies…also not likely going to get much from them. (does Tisch require some sort of portfolio or “evidence of talent” for merit?
I think Tisch’s version of a merit scholarship is that they let you into Tisch, if you know what I mean…
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think Tisch’s version of a merit scholarship is that they let you into Tisch, if you know what I mean…
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…and then the student merits Tisch with tuition. $-)
NU does offer limited merit scholarships. One merit related scholarship from NU is the $2k/year for NMF that OP is not.
NM SEMIFINALIST depends on state cut offs, so your 205 depends on your state. However, your test scores and 4.0 uw will put you in the running for many merit scholarship opportunities if you seek them out and apply to those schools.