I know that UM highly values NM.
As someone who sweated out the NM cutoff announcements to see his DS miss (217 in IL, needed 219), I was wondering if anyone had a feeling for whether well-performing students who didn’t receive NM had a shot at some of the better scholarships.
My son has a 35 ACT (36E-35R-35M-35S), 1540 SAT (780R-760M), 3.9+ UW GPA (top 10% for sure, maybe top 5%), decent ECs (Marching Band, Eagle Scout, several subject Honor Societies [not NHS, application was too long], Math Team), scored 5 on four APs, taking four more this year.
The largest listed scholarship for OOS (Gold Scholar) says “Preference is given to National Merit Finalists.” Does this mean that non-NMFs can earn this award?
Other scholarships for OOS include Gold National and National Excellence, both listed as “Amounts vary.” Does anyone have an idea what the range of these scholarships might be?
Thanks
SL
@StarboardLeeward your son should be able to snag one of the better scholarships that cover some (all?) of the OOS tuition portion. In the past that was the Gold National but if they are saying ‘amounts vary’ this year then you should probably call and get clarification. Used to be that Gold National covered all of the tuition difference and National Excellence covered 50%. My guess is that now they will give the same dollar amount as in the past but due to the OOS tuition increases it may not cover the same portions of OOS tuition that it used to.
The cut-offs were crazy - MN also came in at 219 which was shocking. sf’s are going to be higher in the queue for the Gold Award but in the event that they have funds left over then those will go to other high-stat kids.
Your son is assured of admission and perhaps even the Honors Program with those stats! What college did he apply to?
Good luck to him!
@JBStillFlying Thanks for the info. I was also wondering what effect the rise in OOS tuition would have. He applied to CES, planning to major in Physics and Math.
You say that NMSFs are higher in the queue. Does UM value NM over possibly higher-performing students?
For example, UM has reciprocity with two states whose NM cutoff is identical to the commended cutoff (209).
Would a NMF with a 209 and a corresponding ACT of about 31 be more attractive to UM than someone like my son?
SL
@StarboardLeeward I’m not sure about the details behind the U of MN’s order of preference. It’s an interesting question. They say preference is for NMF and they do like to collect those. It’s a hook, and like any hook it could well place someone with weaker overall stats higher in the queue for scholarships. However, UMN, like any school, doesn’t want its best applicants to walk so you do have some bargaining power. I remember a couple of applicants to CSE last year from IL who received the Gold National so their tuition was at least brought to in-state levels. They had a similar class rank and a bit lower on the ACT. Your son should get something because they love OOS students - the question is whether that Gold National will cover the tuition differential like it used to. Worth a call to Admissions, IMHO.
Good luck to him! Which college at UMN is he looking to apply to?
@SarboardLeeward - oops sorry forgot you already answered that last question. His stats are right where they need to be for CSE. Good luck to him!
Thanks. Son applied last night. We’ll see what the response is before calling Admissions.
If a student gets a scholarship that brings tuition down to in-state levels, I wonder if it will remain at in-state levels for the full four years or if the tuition will be subject to the OOS raises that are being planned.
@StarLeeward that’s the big question. Given the change in OOS tuition and lack of information on the website, a call is a good idea. Pretty sure your son will be admitted quickly so hopefully you’ll be able to ask and get an answer. Doubt you’ll be the only one calling Admissions on this issue.
BTW I opened up the link posted earlier on the thread that discussed last year’s scholarships and noticed that there was at least one person who was awarded the $10,000 Gold scholarship in November/December (or thereabouts) who had similar stats. Didn’t mention that he/she was NMSF - someone from Wisconsin. Go check it out.
Edit: sorry - it was posted on the UMTC Admissions thread. Here is the link:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-minnesota-twin-cities/1835541-merit-aid-awards.html