<p>My D already has scholarship offers from the highest ranked public university she applied to that total just short of a full ride including tuition, room and board. She has two other universities inviting her to travel to their campus for scholarship interviews. It will cost about $800 for each trip, including airfare, hotel, meals and transportation from the airport to the campus, plus she will have to miss a day of school. She already turned down a similar invite to another university to travel and compete for their top scholarship. The reality is that we just don't have travel money lying around, and that is why she is after scholarships in the first place. Should she just relax and enjoy the fact that she has an offer in hand that will take care of her next year, and not even try to get more offers? Or should she somehow travel to these other universities for their scholarship interviews so she can have as many offers as possible to choose from? These are all Big 10 universities.</p>
<p>If she’s happy with the offer she has, then I’d save the money. If she prefers the other schools, then it might be worth $800 to get a big scholarship. </p>
<p>Last year I decided not to send my daughter to audition for a department scholarship. It would have cost about $1000, it was in Feb to a winter climate, she had other commitments at her high school, would have missed school and inconvenience family members who would have had to drive her two hours. The max she could have received was $3000, so I didn’t think it was worth $1000 for a possible $3000. She auditioned by submitting a CD and got $2200, so a good ROI for the $4 CD.</p>
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<p>Assuming school X is the one she already has an almost-full ride to, and the other schools are Y and Z. Would her decision between school X versus either school Y or school Z change if she got the scholarships that she would need to go on trips for?</p>
<p>If she would choose school Y or school Z over school X even without the scholarship at school Y or school Z, then it may still be worth the trip if the scholarship amount multiplied by the chance of getting the scholarship (expected value of the trip) is greater than $800 (cost of the trip).</p>
<p>You wrote: Should she just relax and enjoy the fact that she has an offer in hand that will take care of her NEXT YEAR and not even try to get more offers?" (emphasis mine).</p>
<p>Is the offer in hand for freshman year only, or are the scholarships renewable? If they are truly only for one year, then you may need to look at those other offers. If they are renewable, and she would be happy to attend that school, then commit to that school and turn down the other opportunities.</p>
<p>How much money will these other scholarships amount to, and what will be the NET cost of going to those schools if she does win the scholarship? Can u afford that net cost? If not, then don’t bother. </p>
<p>Why not simply call the admissions office and be honest that u cannot afford to make the trip. Many schools do pay the cost of low income kids or highly sought after kids to visit. The squeaky wheel gets the grease …</p>
<p>@twoninanddone that’s a great story! That was a good compromise to send the audition by CD. I will see if these universities would be willing to interview by Skype if they won’t pay for my daughter to visit. She actually is very happy with the offer she has, but the way she has changed her mind about things over time…just don’t want any regrets later. </p>
<p>@KKmama great question about scholarship renewal. That’s a key piece I forgot to mention. Yes, the scholarships she has been offered from the high ranked university are renewable four years with very favorable terms – mostly they renew with a 2.0 GPA, but a small portion would require a 3.0 GPA. She plans to major in the sciences, so the GPA requirement for renewal is a big factor to consider. I haven’t seen anything better than a 2.0 to renew scholarships! Her net cost will be about $3,000 a year. The other universities are considering her for full rides, but with less favorable renewal terms, and they are in places that would cost more for flights home on holidays and summers, so that $3,000 saved would be used up in other ways. Perhaps the risk of having difficult renewal terms (up to 3.5 GPA for part of the potential scholarship package at one of the other universities) is not worth the reward of $3,000 less COA. </p>
<p>@ucbalumnus I don’t know for sure which university she would choose if all things were equal. One of the universities that invited her for a scholarship interview has long been her dream college, but ever since she got the scholarships from the competing university she has not seemed that interested in her original dream college. The other university with the invite for a scholarship interview has a unique program in a major that she long considered, but as of this past year has not been interested in anymore. I guess these options were out there in case she wanted to pursue her original dream college or original dream major, and that would be the main reason to secure the scholarship offers – to have these choices up until May 1. However, she acts like she has already made her decision and embraced the new university where she already has the scholarship offers. I’m happy about her attitude and wisdom in that regard, but was nervous to let these other opportunities go by in case she changes her mind and has regrets later.</p>
<p>@GMTplus7 I like the idea of being honest with admissions about the cost of the trip. Other colleges have offered to pay her way for visits, so it seems odd that these with the potential scholarships have not volunteered to do so. But you are right – they might if we ask. I will discuss the other issues above with my daughter, including scholarship renewal concerns, and if she really does want to pursue these other options then we will contact them about the trip costs. </p>
<p>Thanks so much everyone!! Your questions and input really helped me think through everything.</p>
<p>Hope you’ll report back and let us know what the school says when u ask.</p>
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<p>I hate it when schools do this. On YOUR dime they want your high stats kid on their campus so that they’ll have a special day to put out the Dog and Pony Show to win her over…even if she doesn’t get the award. Ugh! </p>
<p>How likely is she to actually get more scholarship money at these other universities? The Alumni Distinguished Scholarship Competition at Michigan State, for example, is more of a marketing weekend than anything. People who have taken the exam that is part of the competition have told me that the test is full of esoteric questions that are impossible to study for and are out of the general knowledge base of a HS senior. My son is going to participate mostly because it’s only a two-hour drive for us and MSU is comping him the hotel room and registration fees. My cousin also works for the university and lives 5 minutes from campus, so I will stay with him (the students overnight at the on-campus hotel together). I suspect that many of these competitions are similar in scope, and the level of “talent” that participates would make actually winning one very unlikely. The best in-state students will probably participate because they have a lower barrier to entry and the payoff is likely higher (in-state merit scholarships seem to be harder to come by at some schools).</p>
<p>@greeninohio Good luck to your son!! </p>
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is more of a marketing weekend than anything</p>
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<p>YES! That is why I dislike these unfunded requests to attend a “competition scholarship weekend” (or whatever).</p>
<p>Think about it…A school can give away 5 big awards by getting 100-200 high stats students on campus. During that visit, there is a hard sell as to why the student should pick that school. The school knows that most won’t get the money, but they’re hoping that the non-winners will still attend after falling in love with the school. The school may sweeten the pot by giving little awards to the attendees, but the whole thing is just a marketing ploy paid for mostly by parents sending their hopeful kids. </p>
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<p>Since a 2.0 GPA is typically needed just to stay enrolled in the school, it is unlikely that scholarship renewal thresholds will be any lower.</p>
<p>However, there can be quite a difference between a 3.0 GPA and 3.5 GPA for scholarship renewal, in terms of how difficult it will be to renew the scholarship. A 3.0 GPA threshold means that the student just has to be above average (typical average GPAs at colleges range from 2.7 to 3.2). A 3.5 GPA threshold means that the student has more pressure to be a grade grubber and GPA manager like a pre-med.</p>
<p>I agree most of these are a marketing weekend. DS went to several of them last year. All but one school contributed to the trip, mostly free stay and some with $200-$250 contribution to airline tickets. We drove to the one school that did not contribute. </p>
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However, there can be quite a difference between a 3.0 GPA and 3.5 GPA for scholarship renewal, in terms of how difficult it will be to renew the scholarship</p>
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<p>This is an excellent point. We frequently see kids who don’t do well with a 5 credit science class and end up with a B or C. Getting that B or C can make it more difficult to end up with a cum 3.5.</p>
<p>Also, check as to when the school reviews the GPA. every semester? or just at the end of the year. </p>
<p>@GMTplus7 Just following up…my daughter asked for travel money for one of the scholarship competitions, and the admissions director offered a rebate of about 1/3 of the travel costs, to be provided after the trip. She doesn’t seem excited enough about the opportunity for me to bother sending her there, so we’ll see what scholarship (if any) that university offers without the visit. She did not ask the other university for travel money because it seems she has lost interest. This was an excellent learning experience though, in terms of ask and you shall receive. It was a very nice gesture for the one university to at least offer to pay part of the travel costs, even if after the fact.</p>
<p>Thx for the update! It was helpful to learn what schools are willing to do.</p>
@GMTplus7 I have another update. My daughter contacted the other university after all, and they gave her the option of a Skype interview or visiting with free room and board for the weekend and some $ back for travel expenses. They were so nice that we’ve decided to visit there to check out the university in person. Yes, ask and you shall receive. 
What a great resolution to this story! I’m really glad that your daughter will have the chance to weigh offers… and congratulations on these offers…she sounds like a superstar!