How is this right?

<p>A friend applied and was accepted to a college and got $8,000 scholarship money. His class rank is 14/350 with a 99.96 GPA, his SATs are 1820, and he is involved in two sports, NHS, and the church.</p>

<p>Another friend applied to the same school and was accepted for $13,000 merit scholarship aid. We all go to the same high school. This friend takes a less rigorous (less honors and APs) courseload. His GPA is a 93 and he is 45/350. His SATs are a 1750. He is involved in no sports, is not in NHS, or any other notable mistakes.</p>

<p>I found this shocking that a less qualified candidate from the same school could get $5,000 more in scholarships. That adds up to $20,000-25,000 more in money for college. I think it's ridiculous and feel like high school is less important than I originally thought. What's the point if things like this can happen?</p>

<p>You never know. It's difficult to judge people by their statistics. Perhaps the second person wrote an incredible essay, and had great recs, etc. Those aren't shown in the numbers. And are you sure you know both people's exact extracurriculars?</p>

<p>I kind of agree though. It's a pity that some may deserve money more than others, but it's just up to the applicant to make the best case he/she can, and see what happens. It's always worth trying - at least you can get SOME money.</p>

<p>yea i know for a fact both person's ec's. I don't want to go into detail to offend either person. And no essay or recs were required or submitted by either applicant. It was a VIP application for both. I am 100% sure about the situation. This was strictly merit scholarship based on high school performance, not need-based aid. Thanks</p>

<p>maybe beause one was a minority?</p>

<p>what's your point bluewatermelon??</p>

<p>I think what bluewatermelon is trying to say is that colleges are looking to put together a balanced " class" they are not looking for cookie cutter students ( or even well rounded students)
While stats may appear identical for a handful of students, we are more than our numbers thank goodness & individuals bring more than their grades and GPA to a campus.
One student may be more attractive because of their experiences, background and interests, even if their high school grades aren't as amazing.</p>

<p>No, both students are caucasian. The only thing I can think of is that they have different majors. The IT major got $8,000, the business major got $13,000. Would this be a reason for the difference?</p>

<p>could be- some depts have additional funding- sometimes from outside, sometimes internally, which may vary with #'s of applicants- or strength of dept.</p>

<p>I also was referencing Bluewaters comment- with my understanding of how colleges build a class.
For example- while my daughter is also Caucasian, she added diversity in other ways- and she received a finaid package with large grants and minimal loans.</p>

<p>Are you certain both are scholarships? Could one or both have been based on need?</p>

<p>Long shot, but maybe the 8k is per year and the 13k is over 4 years? Are you certain both said per year?</p>

<p>The difference is majors could absolutely account for it. The school has enrollment guidelines by major, I'm sure.</p>

<p>Scholarships also have restrictions on them. Some scholarsips are only available to students who major in certain fields, and this is based on how the institution received the funding. For example, one institution has a scholarship that is only available to Master's students enrolled in the Business Admin. It is not available to any other student, regardless of anything else. This may very well be the reason one friend received more non-need based scholarships than the other.</p>