<p>Martie:</p>
<p>You are right on the money. I wish I have gone elementary school in America. My kid did not apply ED beacuse we want to compare the aid pacakges. Yes my kid will be applying Wharton RD. </p>
<p>Bookworm there are lot of kids who intellegent. The only problem is that they have no body to guide them. This is why I love CC as it allows me to ask questions without revealing my identity.</p>
<p>Chinaman,</p>
<p>There are some scholar/scholarships which are similar to Penn's Trustee scholar. For example:</p>
<p>Duke's University Scholars
Columbia's C. Prescott Davis Scholars
MIT Scholarship
Yale Scholarship
Stanford's University General Scholarship</p>
<p>Let met clarify that I have no problem whatsoever with so-called "no merit aid, need-blind" (doesn't exist) schools offering merit aid. I just think they should say so, and openly publicize it, make clear that it is competitive, and make clear whether it is ever available to anyone who applies ED (I doubt it, in most cases), and allow folks to understand that it may in some cases very heavily effect their loan portions and expected work contributions. </p>
<p>As for the appeals, I saw a dozen or so work, usually by having the parent fax the award package from the other school to the competitor. Miraculously, the family gets poorer!</p>
<p>Most of what I suggest is just a plea for greater transparency in the process.</p>
<p>I take it back! Apparently there are a few students each year who receive scholarships to Harvard that aren't based on financial need. </p>
<p>Here's a quote and a link: "Current and newly admitted Harvard students may be nominated for scholarships by their Harvard Financial Aid Offices. Students do not apply directly to CGS for these scholarships. With few exceptions, awards from these funds are based upon financial need. Only those students who meet a fund's specific eligibility criteria can be nominated to CGS for a scholarship from that fund."</p>
<p>These scholarships appear to be tied into certain high schools, last names, towns, states, citizenship and ethnicity including some for Asian nationals, Jews and African Americans (interestingly, the scholarship was for graduate work). Here's an example: "BRIGHT Legacy
Restricted to descendants of Henry Bright, Jr. and Anne Goldstone of Watertown, Massachusetts, who bear the surname Bright. " </p>
<p>Link: <a href="http://www.scholarship.harvard.edu/rf/rfunds.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.scholarship.harvard.edu/rf/rfunds.html</a></p>
<p>Unfortunately, there's no info posted, however, that says the scholarship amounts. The students can't apply for the scholarships. Their names are forwarded by the financial aid office, so there seems to be some possible benefit for applying of financial aid even if one is definitely sure one will not qualify for aid.</p>
<p>What's really confusing about all of this is that the Harvard undergraduate financial aid page says: "In addition, all of Harvard's financial aid is awarded on the basis of demonstrated financial need - there are no academic, athletic or merit-based awards." <a href="http://fao.fas.harvard.edu/index.htm%5B/url%5D">http://fao.fas.harvard.edu/index.htm</a></p>
<p>That is interesting, NSM. When I was looking at the list of schools with merit awards in the USNWR Ultimate guide (great book, I do recommend it), I did notice an amount listed for Harvard (relatively small) along with some other ivy league schools that also say they do not give any merit awards. In fact ivy league schools have a signed agreements with each other that they do not give merit or athletic scholarships. I was pretty sure it was a mistake and were merit within need or outside awards that somehow were hooked in with Harvard. Since the description specifies that the recipients have to be current and newly admitted, is it possible that they are additional awards once you are in? I know my D is on scholarship at a small school, and the award is listed no where on the college website or anywhere. It is an award you can get after freshman year since it is dependent on how well you do at the college. She went for it as a sophomore, did not succeed and did get it this for this year on her second try.</p>
<p>I am simply baffled about how Harvard is giving things that seem to be merit scholarships (even though the scholarship amounts is probably very small). Perhaps somehow those scholarships are administered by an outside entitty that receives applications from Harvard's financial aid office, but isn't an officially part of Harvard.</p>
<p>that's exactly what Penn does NSM. For instance, Penn lists the Mayor's Scholarship on their webiste. However, the fin aid applicants are all mailed an ap to the Mayor's scholarship, the selection is done by city representatives (not Penn staff) and the funds come from the city. Yet, on the surface, someone might think this is a Penn scholarship - until you dig a little depper than the website allows.
The same holds true for several other Penn scholarships listed.</p>
<p>Plenty of colleges, including Harvard, give book awards. These are simply books, donated to high schools by local alumni organizations of colleges. The books go to the top students who embody certain qualities.</p>
<p>Getting a book award is no guarantee at all that a student will be accepted to the college. It's simply a way that the college alumni organization promotes its college and encourages promising students to apply.</p>
<p>Not all high schools give book awards. Whether they do depends solely on the local alumni association. For instance, my local Harvard chapter is virtually nonexistant except for the work we do interviewing students. We don't give any book awards.</p>
<p>Need-blind schools have been known to award different amounts to students based on exactly the same financial information. For one student, the difference came to $28k over one year. In other cases, students have received more aid from a need-blind school after faxing copies of competing offers. I suspect that the additional aid came from the pot reserved for merit aid. In other words, students who do not show need will not get aid; but should they show need and be highly desirable, the college may top up the need-based aid with some extra funds to attract them.
That's the best way I can interpret the information I have come across.</p>
<p>Chinaman - I was really surprised to see that UPenn was interviewing RD applicants already, especially when ED applications aren't due for a couple of weeks yet and those interviews are scheduled first. How was your kid able to get an interview so early? Were they in some special program?</p>
<p>Hundreds of HYP students with financial need get "merit scholarships" every year. These are not tied to location, or to last name, or to anything else. A determination is made as to the kind of package each student will get. Two students with the same EFC often do NOT get the same package, even from the same school, depending on how high a priority HYP decides they are to attract. In fact, the lawsuit that was launched successfully against the Ivies, charging collusion in financial aid practices pretty much assures the continuation of this merit aid system, as each one tries to attract students away from the others. It's not called "merit aid" - it's called "yield management", and the admissions office at virtually every school hires very high-priced consultants to ensure they are are able to manage their "merit aid" well.</p>
<p>Candad:</p>
<p>Thanks for the list and yes we are in touch with the fin aid office about these awards, we have been told by certain school that they are closely looking our file. I am keeping my fingers crossed.</p>
<p>Lurkermom:</p>
<p>My kid did not apply to UPenn in ED/EA. He had his interveiwer from Yale as he was deciding between applying to H and Y. He decided to apply to Yale as he loves theater. My kid has been involved in theater from last 8-9 years. But let me tell you his decision is not final as there are other factors such as fin aid, other EC opportunities which will allow him to grow as he will choose a college for undergrad degree.</p>
<p>Whatever choice my kid will make (provided it is reasobale and with in society norms), it will make me happy afterall I am his dad and his happiness is more important to me than any other thing.</p>
<p>Dumb question - I'm assuming that the Ben Franklin Scholars get special lectures, registration, maybe, but not money? Are kids who are not applying for financial aid eligible for this designation (like Echols Scholars at UVa?). DD isn't applying to Penn, but a friend is, who might be in the running - don't know about FA for this family, but doubt it.</p>
<p>Yes, there are certain "honors" classes that BFS students can register for. In fact, they must take a certain number to remain in the program. A certain number more to get some special distinction on the diploma. My S#1 opted for the lower level -- said the classes offered were not what interested him the most, and he wanted to take advantage of college to learn things that interested him, not to get a certain seal on his diploma. (Penn has a "core curriculum" that all students must satisfy. In addition, he has a major and two minors to satisfy. It took a bit of juggling to even fit in the minimum BFS courses.)</p>
<p>Non BFS students can also take these courses, "with permission." I think that's a formality; don't think it's hard to get the permission, unless the class is overcrowded.</p>
<p>The BFS students also have a separate counselor. But in the long run, it hasn't made a huge difference in his college experience, I don't think.</p>
<p>He also has the Trustee's scholarship, which was a deciding factor in us letting him attend Penn. It is confusing about the merit vs. financial aid bit. Even the letter "congratulating" him on his "need"...? The amount is based on parents' expected contribution. And Penn's figures came up with us paying a bit more than any other school's figures. And he still has a work-study, and we've taken plenty of loans. But S#1's Scholarship was extremely helpful this year when S#2 entered (different) college and our expected contribution for S#1 was cut in half, thereby effectively doubling his award.</p>
<p>I like that! "Congratulations on your Need!" (speaking of doublespeak....)</p>