When looking at LACs and national universities in the top 30-50 range(think BU, Northeastern, Mount Holyoke, Bryn Mawr, Lafayette, Tulane, etc), how high above their typical stats do you need to be to strong contender for a decent amount of merit aid($20k and up)? For example, if a school has an ACT score range of 28-31 and 3.8 GPA, how high above that would you typically need to be to be considered for scholarships?
What are your (your child’s?) stats?
I have a 33 ACT, UW: 3.917, W: 4.36, 4/232 weighted class rank, decently strong ECs, plus nearly 1000 hours of work experience related to my ECs(I’ve had a part time job working at a barn since sophomore year, this summer I’m working full time) and 120ish volunteer hours.
Depending on the school…scholarship recipients are near the tippy top of the applicant pool…especially the more generous full tuition awards, for example.
Your stats would probably need to be in the top 5% of applicants, and maybe even the top 1% for some awards at some schools.
How do I know what the top 5% is though? How many points on the ACT should you be above the 75th percentile and how much higher should your GPA be? I can’t seem to find this information anywhere.
^ You won’t find this information anywhere; it is going to vary from school to school, and, depending on the school, on how early or late you apply (some pots of merit aid may be limited, so first-come first-served).
It is going tomvarynfrom year to year depending on the applicant pool. You have no way of knowing who is going to apply with what stats from tar to year.
Some of the schools on you list have very limited and competitive merit aid (BU, Northeaster, Bryn Mawr).
Northeastern, for example, gives its top scholarship to the top 15 applicants, I believe (or some similar small number). If I were betting, I would bet their ACT is higher than 33.
BU’s top award is the trustee scholarship…which requires a special application. Make sure you get that done…on time.
I would think Mt. Holyoke would be a good bet.
Do you qualify for need based aid? I’m guessing not.
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if a school has an ACT score range of 28-31 and 3.8 GPA, how high above that would you typically need to be to be considered for scholarships?
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I have a 33 ACT, UW: 3.917, W: 4.36, 4/232 weighted
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Merit is mostly based on stats, unless the school is targeting certain students to improve ethnic and/or regional diversity. Your ECs don’t usually matter much.
It’s going to vary. Each school has its own philosophy about merit.
Some give few awards, mostly only to get certain students that they want (maybe more URMs, or maybe more kids from across the country).
Some give varying awards to most/all of those in the top quartile, as long as GPA is strong, too.
Some just consider the top 2-5% and use some “down-select” factors to determine which 5-10+ students are getting the awards.
Do you NEED merit to afford college?
Do you know how much your parents will pay? If so, how much? If you don’t know, ask them.
If you need/want a large amount of merit, then do this:
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Apply to 2-3 schools that you know FOR SURE will give you large merit for your stats. (assured merit).
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Apply to 2-3 schools where you possibly will be awarded large merit.
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Apply to 2-3 schools where, if you’re lucky, you will be awarded large merit.
Keep in mind that merit gets applied to NEED first. You won’t get FA and then be able to apply merit to the EFC.
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income about ~225,000
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Ok, and you say that your parents will only pay up to $35k per year and that’s pushing it. And, you know that you won’t qualify for aid.
Does that $35k include any student loans for you?
Well, since college costs RISE each year, and “fixed dollar amount” merit awards" do NOT increase, you should probably try to target schools that will give you a net cost of about $23k per year, so that each year’s increase will not put you into the “danger zone”.
For instance, if you get a merit award for $20k and that happens to be 50% of the current tuition, then that $20k amount will stay the same even when tuition increases to frosh year $44k, soph year 47k, jr year 50k, etc. Suddenly, that merit is only covering 40% by junior year…and your parents are paying more each year.
Keep in mind that the prices that you’re seeing now, are likely going to increase TWICE…once this summer when schools finalize their budgets, and once next summer, and so forth. So, you’re currently not seeing what you’d be paying frosh year.
So, if you now target schools with a net cost of about $23k, then you’re going to need about a 3/4 tuition award, so that your parents money and maybe a small student loan will cover the remaining tuition, plus room, board, fees, books, and misc.
You would be able to pay for the SUNY schools with a $35,000 a year budget.
You could probably get merit aid at some schools to make up the difference, but maybe not at all the schools you currently have on your list.
@mom2collegekids That 35k is what my parents are paying out of pocket, no loans, and they have said that they would not consider borrowing money to pay for college. This is because University of Michigan is in state, which will make it only 28k, so they don’t see the point of paying much more than that.
Right now I’m looking at Alabama because of their guaranteed scholarships(I am visiting next month to see if I like it), Purdue, because both of my parents and my brother go/went there so legacy status should help with scholarships, and University of Michigan. Mount Holyoke, Tulane, and Rhodes are also pretty high on my list because of how it seems like they tend to give good aid to students with my stats. Past there is where I get lost, since it’s hard to find decently competitive schools that I don’t have to be in the top 1% to have a chance at some aid.
University of Michigan is a terrific bargain for you…a top research university at instate costs.
For large merit aid, you will need to be at the top of the applicant pool almost everywhere.
How much do they pay each year for your brother to go to Purdue and where does the rest of the money come from?
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good question!
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Right now I'm looking at Alabama because of their guaranteed scholarships(I am visiting next month to see if I like it), <<<<<<<
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Yes, you’ll get at least free tuition.
Have you set up your campus visit? If not, do so ASAP. Set up your tour here: http://tour.ua.edu/
Don’t delay setting up your campus tour! The tour is a mix of walking and riding in a small bus, so each tour is strictly limited to the number of seats on that small bus. Sometimes people delay and then they’re disappointed to find that there aren’t any tour spots available.
If you have set up your campus tour, then also send an email to the Honors College recruiters see the
In the email to the below listed HC people, include:
Student’s name and contact info
Date and time of the Campus tour that you’ve reserved.
GPA and test scores (include likely NMSF if applicable)
Likely majors
Interest in Computer-Based Honors and/or UFE
Career interests (including med, law, etc)
Anything particular that you want to see. If you have an interest in seeing the new Science and Engineering Complex, the TV or radio stations, the B-school or what-have-you, let them know.
Honors Recruitment
Susan Alley
270 Nott Hall
205-348-5599
susan.alley@ua.edu
Kayla Fields
kdfields1@ua.edu
They will arrange the rest of the day…meeting with faculty, honors people, touring honors dorms, etc.
Sometimes mail goes to their SPAM folders, so call them if you haven’t heard back within a few business days. They do an excellent job and work very hard.
Will you carry your Equestrian interests in college?
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Purdue, because both of my parents and my brother go/went there so legacy status should help with scholarships,
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while I do think you’ll get a $9k-10k per year award, I’m not sure that being a legacy helps with scholarships. anyone know?
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and University of Michigan. Mount Holyoke, Tulane, and Rhodes are also pretty high on my list because of how it seems like they tend to give good aid to students with my stats. P
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You may not get any merit from UMich, but you should be about $25k from Tulane. Rhodes should give you about half tuition, at least. Mt Holyoke does give merit, but I don’t know what they’re currently doing for various stats.
You’re right…with UMich as your instate school with a cost of about $30k, it will be hard to find higher ranked schools that will give you enough merit to get costs down to UMich cost.
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Probably either physics, statistics, math, or comp sci for my major. Size and how urban the location is doesn't matter.
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What is your career goal? Did I miss reading that?
We were seeking merit when my daughter applied to schools. Her stats were at or above the high end of the reported admitted student stats for each of the six schools where she was admitted and she got merit offers at all six. She was denied admission to the one need based school she applied to and not admitted to one other that had merit possibilities. Each offer got slightly better, and her last offer was full tuition to a private school. Your parents baseline of $35,000 per year gives you a great foundation to work from. Ours was $25,000 and it has worked out great for our daughter and us as we will be paying much less than that for four year. Best of luck!
I think your stats would get merit aid at ASU/Barrett if you are OK w/ going west. If I recall correctly, they almost have a chart so that you can get a good idea of what you may get there. My son and I looked at ASU/Barrett and really liked it. We were impressed w/ the students we met there and you can’t beat the weather! Barrett is the honor college at ASU and is literally gated off so from ASU (though you still take ASU classes) - it is a college w/in a college and very nice.
Look at local and other scholarships too. I know several kids with stats similar to yours who got some nice private scholarships (not linked to a particular school). Good luck!
@Madison85 They pay about 30k a year, as he got a 10k merit scholarship. They just pay the tuition bill out of pocket when it comes.
@mom2collegekids Thank you so much! I had already set up my tour and had hotel rooms set up, but didn’t know about emailing the honors college, so I’ll definitely do that! Also, sorry for the confusion with U of M, as I definitely don’t expect to get a scholarship there, but with them being in state, I don’t need one to attend. For Mount Holyoke, they posted the average test scores/class rank/GPA for the recipients of their 25k a year scholarship on their webpage, and I matched them pretty much exactly, so I hope I would at least be a candidate for a scholarship.
Also, I’m not sure about how legacy status affects scholarships at Purdue, but I figured that it might, as my brother got the presidential scholarship with a 28 ACT and 3.8 GPA, which I wouldn’t think would normally merit a scholarship, based on their class profile. I may be wrong though.
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Also, I’m not sure about how legacy status affects scholarships at Purdue, but I figured that it might, as my brother got the presidential scholarship with a 28 ACT and 3.8 GPA, which I wouldn’t think would normally merit a scholarship, based on their class profile. I may be wrong though.
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Wow…that’s amazing! I wouldn’t have thought he’d get that award either. Maybe there is some sort of alumni influence.
I don’t think legacy would help merit scholarship. The threshold for presidential scholarship at Purdue last year was ACT 35 as some get it and some don’t with that score. Did he submit better SAT score? More important, was it from recent years?
@billcsho He did not submit SAT score and he just finished his freshman year, so yes, it is recent. It’s definitely strange.