<p>DS is a junior. He is interested in applying to schools where his stats would be inline with the top 10% of the admitted class. Colleges publish the top 25%, 50%, etc..for ACT, SAT and GPA. From what I have read is that the generous merit scholarships will generally be awarded to the top 5-10% of the admitted class. When I contacted individual colleges this past week, they state they do not track that number. My DS's GPA is 4.1 UW, 4.7 WT, predicted ACT 33-34 (based on previous standardized testing history and PSAT results). He would definitely be in the top 25% of many schools but we want to target better to increase his chances of a large award. Any suggestions how to find this data? </p>
<p>The data on Collegeboard might give you more insight, although maybe not perfect.</p>
<p>Either way, if you look at the upper quartile, and it’s ACT 31+ and your son actually scores an ACT 34, then he might be in or close to being in the top 10%. </p>
<p>For instance, if you look at Michigan State Univ’s numbers on Collegeboard, it says that 14% of frosh had an ACT 30+. So, it might be safe to guess that someone with an ACT 33 would be within the top 10%</p>
<p>How much merit do you need/want? Do you just want a typical $10 per year merit award that reduces your cost from $60k to $50k per year? or do you want a lot more? What do you want your net cost to be?</p>
<p>Keep in mind that there are top schools that don’t give any merit, or they target mostly “hooked” students (talent students, near-perfect stats students, and students who help them with their regional or ethnic diversity numbers.) </p>
<p>@ mom2collegekids I did check Collegeboard and to give you an example looked up Tulane Univ since it was suggested earlier. 60% scored 30-36 on ACT so in that case difficult to see just where DS would fall. I just don’t know why the school won’t share that info with us. </p>
<p>As to the merit, that all depends on the school, location, majors offered. We would have to weight it all out but I would like him to have choices so I want to put our efforts in the right direction. He already has a couple of safeties that he likes that will award full tuition at a minimum. </p>
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<p>@collegemom2son With those numbers, it would be hard to estimate if your son would fall within the top 5-10%. If he got an ACT 33, I would think not. If he got an ACT 34, he could be. </p>
<p>The higher up the ladder you go in ranking, if you’re seeking very large awards, like full tuition, then even if the school does award within the top 5-10%, the school may just pick from that pool, but not give huge awards to all. </p>
<p>Someone with an ACT 33-34, who got accepted to Tulane could likely guess that he/she would get at least the $25k award, but it might take a 35-36 to be in the running for Tulane’s full tuition award. </p>
<p>How much merit do you want? How much do you want your net cost to be?</p>
<p><<<
My DS’s GPA is 4.1 UW, 4.7 WT, predicted ACT 33-34 (based on previous standardized testing history and PSAT results)</p>
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<p>What were his PSAT results? When will he actually test? Will he take both the ACT and SAT? </p>
<p>What is important is not the 5th or 10th percentile data, but the scholarship stat itself. It is just an estimate that merit scholarships go to the top 5-10% students but that varies year to year, school to school. So the 5% or 10% data are irrelevant.</p>
<p>Is knowing the bar for the top 5 or 10% really going to change any decisions you make? You know what the top 25% is. Higher than that is better.</p>
<p>^^
I’m guessing that the OP is aiming for large merit awards. If so, being in the top 5% would be important if a school is known to give its big awards to that pool of students.</p>
<p>The OP needs a strategy if the goal is big merit.</p>
<p>1) apply to some schools where it is CERTAIN that her child’s high stats will get the amount of merit they want.
2) apply to some schools where the awards are competitive (like Tulane’s).</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids He took first ACT test last week. His goal is 35 knowing that is what he will need to be most competitive for large merit packages so will probably need to take a second time. His PSAT was 221 without prep, he really could have gotten higher. CR and Math were 157. Will miss cutoff in our state for NMF. I think it would be good for him to take SAT too after some prep on the writing section. I have not set what I want our net costs to be yet. We do have some money saved for his college but he has two younger siblings so I really want to be smart about really seeing what he might qualify for. </p>
<p>@billcsho I agree that some of the data is irrelevant. Being that there are so many colleges to apply to we really want to narrow down those he has the best chance at.</p>
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<p>Schools do NOT care about the W section, and they don’t use it for merit. Merit is based on M+CR score.</p>
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<p>I totally understand that strategy. It’s an unknown how the younger ones will test and more money may be needed for their college costs.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids I did not know that about the writing section. I think it would be good to take SAT since he did do well on M+CR on PSAT and that was with no prep. </p>
<p>@GMTplus7 In my case, I think it would be extremely helpful. When you look up the data he is in the top 25% at a very large number of schools.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids Yes that is right I’m trying to put together a strategy and this site is so very helpful and I am so glad I found it and have time to research. He did pick out a few safety schools that he would be happy at that offer full tuition merit at a minimum so just want to build his list with more options.</p>
<p>Collegedata.com breaks down what percent of students have specific pieces of the test scores. Here is a snap shott of part of the breakdowns for Kenyon College from there</p>
<p>Grade Point Average of Enrolled Freshmen (4.0 scale) Average GPA 3.9
3.75 and Above 64%
3.50 - 3.74 17%
3.25 - 3.49 11%
3.00 - 3.24 6%
2.50 - 2.99 2%
2.00 - 2.49<br>
SAT Scores of Enrolled Freshmen SAT Math 648 average
600-690 range of middle 50%
Score of 700 - 800
22%
Score of 600 - 700
56%
Score of 500 - 600
22%
Score of 400 - 500
1%
Score of 300 - 400
0%
Score of 200 - 300
0%
SAT Critical Reading 671 average
630-720 range of middle 50%
Score of 700 - 800
42%
Score of 600 - 700
43%
Score of 500 - 600
15%
Score of 400 - 500
1%
Score of 300 - 400
0%
Score of 200 - 300
0%
SAT Writing 669 average
630-730 range of middle 50%
Score of 700 - 800
37%
Score of 600 - 700
49%
Score of 500 - 600
13%
Score of 400 - 500
1%
Score of 300 - 400
0%
Score of 200 - 300
0%
ACT Scores of Enrolled Freshmen ACT Composite 30 average
28-32 range of middle 50%
Score of 30 - 36
61%
Score of 24 - 29
37%
Score of 18 - 23
2%
Score of 12 - 17
0%
Score of 6 - 11
0%
Score of 5 or Below
0%
Other Qualifications of Enrolled Freshmen High School Class Rank Top tenth: 52%
Top quarter: 86%
Top half: 98%</p>
<p>Still, the pieces do not necessarily add up the whole. But gives you some idea. </p>
<p>The school’s Common Data Set may provide more granularity in terms of test scores. In Tulane’s case, their CDS does break out SAT by 700 - 800 showing that this is the top 25% of admitted students. Your daughter’s stats are so strong that there are many schools in addition to Tulane that would have generous merit offers. Also, Parchment.Com will give you a graphical view of GPA and ACT or SAT. My D is targeting Ivy’s at the top end where we will pay the full amount and also fishing for Merit Aid. The best way to find Merit Aid is exactly what you are doing, looking at the profile of admitted students but also look at what % of students are awarded non need or merit aid and what dollar value on average of this aid is. Many of the good State schools will have honor colleges most of which often come with good merit packages. Examples include UVA Echols Scholar, Arizona State Barrett Honors. She might need to apply early though for some of these programs</p>
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<p>Some schools DO care about the writing section, and specifically note in their Common Data Set responses that the writing component will be used for admission purposes.</p>
<p>@MiddKid86 Thanks I believe it would be important to some schools so if he takes the SAT he will prep for the writing section. He didn’t realize the importance of the PSAT and said he made some careless mistakes on the writing section. We were at a college visit for a top 20 school and they did say specifically that they don’t look at the ACT writing score at all. Nevertheless, it couldn’t hurt to have a great composite score on SAT.</p>
<p>@middkid86 The number of good schools that care about the W score for admission are too low to worry about unless the student’s W score is in the toilet. </p>
<p>And the number who consider the W score for merit is nearly zero. I did see one school consider the W score but only if the student’s M+CR was not high enough…then the school would allow the CR score to be added to the W score and then divided in half and then added to the M score. </p>
<p>The reason schools do not use the W score the way that they do the M+CR is that they don’t want the W score to hide the weakness of a M score. </p>
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<p>I was simply responding to your comment that schools do not care about the writing score. This is not true, and I felt that making the correction might help some who read these posts from being misled. As far as what number of schools that use the writing score is “too low to worry about,” that is subjective. Being most familiar with NESCAC schools (arguably, these are all “good schools”), I started looking at the schools in this group that are not test optional, and found two schools in the first four Common Data Sets I viewed that claim to use the writing section for admission purposes.</p>
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<p>I’m not sure I understand this logic, as the scores are broken out individually when reported by the testing agencies, which makes a low score in any one area difficult to hide.</p>
<p>You can google “common data set” “name of school” 2014 … put each in quotes as I did. This will give you an idea of the admitted class for the fall 2014.</p>
<p>I would also strongly suggest your son take both the ACT and SAT at least twice - preferably by June. Some schools will super score and you can combine scores to come up with a higher total score. Some will super score for admission only, some scholarship - some only SAT, or ACT, etc. But good to know as he puts his list together.</p>
<p>For top merit scholarships - meaning highly competitive full rides - your son needs at least a 34 on the ACT. SAT I would think 2290 or higher. And again - that is a personal opinion and based on experience with my kids.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>@MaterMia Thank you for the info. He just got his Dec ACT test back and got a 33, will take again in Feb and he believes he can increase it as he missed a 34 by one question.</p>