<p>S got an OK Magis scholarship today. I was disappointed. Marquette was one of my top choices but they offered about half what other schools have offered. S is going to the scholarship competition Sat and will be submitted an app for one other scholarship this week, but not expecting much there. If the flight wasn’t already booked for Friday he wouldn’t be going. Guess it helps us narrow down the list.</p>
<p>Glad to hear they’re adding the Magis in this year. My son applied the same year as Beastman. My son was NMF, 32 ACT, lots of EC and leadership, but he “only” got 12 to 14K Ignatius. I know we shouldn’t complain, but we were unable to incur 25K to 30K a year in debt, with grad school on the horizon.</p>
<p>We did apply for all the extra scholarships, and really hoped our geographic location of the Deep South might at least get him the Pere Marquette, but no.</p>
<p>Like Beastman, we were also devastated. My son had wanted to go to Marquette for two years, as he had gone to a Jesuit High School, and he was hesitant to even apply to other schools.</p>
<p>It still gives me chills to think where we would be now had he not applied to the schools that were actively pursuing him, offering full rides and acceptance to excellent honors programs. In the end, he was able to choose not based on finances, but on fit. And he is very happy where he is and does not regret saying no to Marquette.</p>
<p>But we still follow Marquette’s website and weather, as a possibility for grad school. We don’t follow the basketball team, but do hope that maybe one day they’ll use the money they get from their sports to boost their merit awards, as many schools down here are doing to build their academics along with their athletics.</p>
<p>Montegut - You hit the nail on the head. A good college list means your S/D is not disappointed where ever they end up. My S has some nice choices and will gladly attend any school on his list. He does have favorites, but likes them all.</p>
<p>Congrats to those who received good awards!</p>
<p>Marquette remains focused on attempting to build its endowment and therefore continue to land the top candidates. It’s a shame some had to make other choices due to financial considerations. Our daughter’s merit package last year was just a tad less than she received from her other top choices. In the end, we were able to make MU happen for her and she has flourished. It is a reminder to start saving for college when they are very young.</p>
<p>Montegut, good to hear from you! So funny – I remember all your posts from last year about weather and what to do if you were here during bad winter storms. Well, guess what – up to two feet of snow to hit Marquette tonight and tomorrow. We’re going to get it here in Chicago too. Your son, meanwhile, is probably wearing very light jackets and shorts!</p>
<p>Thanks, dbwes. We actually left son off for spring term during snowfall in Tuscaloosa. He is wearing the jacket we bought for him to wear at Marquette. But no snow shoes!</p>
<p>We think of our Marquette friends every day and worry about you guys walking to class in the snow. Please stay safe!</p>
<p>To respond to the saving when they are young, my son, and we, thought we could make college costs because we had been saving since he was young. Unfortunately, we still have to pay taxes, put a roof over our head, and pay Catholic school tuition. We live a VERY modest lifestyle, foregoing family vacations, driver’s license, new car or house, so son could get a good Catholic education. </p>
<p>We were not foolish enough to think that if he worked hard and got good grades, he would get paid to go to college. Husband and I were both good students and had to work very hard to pay for our college tuition, even though we got good scholarships to our respective colleges. </p>
<p>We were willing to take out 10 to 15K a year in debt, but we could not find a school that was a good fit that would be in that price range. We really had hoped Marquette would give him enough merit aid to get in that price, but it didn’t.</p>
<p>Even though son has a full ride to Bama, we still live our modest lifestyle. Still in the same old house and driving the same old cars. Our only luxury we afforded ourselves was a family vacation to Seattle, to reward son, and us, for all his hard work. </p>
<p>Since he is planning on grad school, we are continuing to save. Maybe he’ll get some merit aid for that, maybe not. But at least he won’t have to rule out grad school because he had already acquired a large amount of debt in undergrad.</p>
<p>Marquette is a wonderful school. We visited it and fell in love, and I wish all of you the best in your admissions decisions.</p>
<p>Take care and God Bless!</p>
<p>But wait, if the “magis” award is an add-on to the Ignatius scholarship, does that mean that someone (like myself) who received a 13.5 K magis award will get an Ignatius letter as well?</p>
<p>No 13.5 K is Ignatus/Magis. If you have need base they will also add grants.</p>
<p>Would anyone who won one of the higher level St. Ignatius awards ($12K - $14K) be willing to share key stats (GPA, ACT, SATII, etc.) from his/her record?</p>
<p>My S was awarded merit aid at comparable schools (including SLU) which was 250% (2 ½ times) that given by MU. MU was his top choice so it was very disheartening to us all. Were trying to figure out what the discrepancy could be. He has some outstanding stats (high test scores, leadership, lots of APs, etc.) but a relatively low GPA - 3.6 (w) / 3.2 (uw).</p>
<p>Also, has anyone heard of any possibility of appealing the award, i.e., by updating community service hours (> 250 total to date) or leadership awards that were earned subsequent to the Sept. application submittal? The D of a friend submitted her updated service hours to Creighton a few years back and was given an additional $8K. Any history of that being done at MU?</p>
<p>Congrats to all who scored big on merit and thank you to anyone who can help us decipher the mystery of disparate scholarship awards.</p>
<p>@archimom I can only guess that it might be your sons GPA and might possibly be the rigor of his HS curriculum. I received 12K Ignatius + 2K Magis. I believe the Magis has something to do with service and leadership. My weighted GPA is 4.34 and unweighted 3.78, I took three AP classes last year and passed all three National Exams. This year I am taking four AP classes. I got a 31 on the ACT. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>@erp1821 Thanks so much for your input! He had 9 honors classes + 6 AP, one of the most rigorous courseloads at his private, Catholic school, perfect 800 on a SATII (taken for another school’s adm. req.), 29 comp./32 cr on ACT, beaucoup leadership (hence the Magis connection, I guess) and good recs. The 3.2/3.6 GPA is a big issue I guess.</p>
<p>Can’t quite figure it out, received VERY generous scholarships at schools comparable to MU. Any history of reconsideration of awards at MU known out there? Any other ideas?</p>
<p>@mamom – Any info on the less than expected scholarship? Our S in the same boat – other schools offering 2 1/2 x what MU did! MU was his first choice. Any history of award reconsideration by MU?? Friend saw D’s award bumped $8K at Creighton with submittal of updated community service hours in the spring. We have some positive things to add since Oct. app submittal but won’t try if it isn’t done at MU.</p>
<p>archimom et al, I think the conclusion here is essentially the same as we 2010’ers made one year ago - that it ain’t necessarily the most logical thing in the world. Give me ten minutes and I’ll find the 2010 versions of your posts. Come to think of it, I was one of them. When/if you attend that overnight thing in the spring - can’t remember the name - you’ll meet another three parents at the reception who will tell you about the other awards they got that are much larger than MU’s. I really don’t get it, because when you look at the make up of the last incoming class or two you will see how much better your kid’s stats are than the typical. It really makes you wonder what the average student gets. But wait - I know. It’s that $3500 whopper I was told about last year. The average award. I don’t know how they do it, how they fill the class with these puny awards. Based on the conversations I had with prospective parents, there’s a fair amount of family money to go around. If Junior’s award comes up 5k short, they fork it over because he loved his visit and can’t see himself anywhere else. So I suspect the demographics of the incoming class skew heavily to the affluent with a few super-bright kids who snagged 12k or better.</p>
<p>As for challenging the award, I will not say don’t bother but I did try it and was told that my 8k was pretty sweet compared to the average of 3500 and the best they could do was point me to the Financial Aid office where I could make a need appeal based on change of circumstances, such as lost job, death in the family etc.</p>
<p>Like Montegut, our son went elsewhere for 5k net less per year. And he’s very happy to be at the University of Iowa and hasn’t mentioned MU since. Our initial disappointment with MU’s award was the beginning of an important lesson as we evaluated critically what the additional 5k/year for MU would get him. So those of you whose kids are “devastated,” please remember that there are about 3000 colleges and universities in this country, and while MU is a great institution, it’s not the only game in town. Creighton, SLU, St. Thomas are all very similar and for (probably) a lot less $$.</p>
<p>@archimom - S & H went to MU last weekend for the scholarship competition. H did ask about the merit money and was basically told, good luck with the scholarship competition and make sure S applies for the other scholarships he is eligible for. So it seems it can’t hurt to ask, but don’t hold your breath. Fingers crossed S gets more money from the other MU scholarships he has applied for.</p>
<p>It’s unfortunate but it appears MU has more desire to give out need aid rather than merit. Which is interesting in itself.</p>
<p>It also appears other Jesuits - like SLU and Xavier - give out more merit than need aid.</p>
<p>And the different approach appears illogical - but all 3 have been successful using their model.</p>
<p>I hope that does not read rude.</p>
<p>Whatever works. As a Jesuit school you would think that they would be more inclined to give out FA rather than merit. I am not knocking merit, I love merit. But wouldn’t you think they should “serve the poor” so to speak. OTOH, perhaps they need to offer some merit to get high stat kids to attend and to help round out the class. Perhaps Marquette needs to do this less than some of the other Jesuit schools.</p>
<p>@archimom GPA seems to make a big difference. My S (a sophomore at MU) 3.78 GPA got 8k, D accepted but attending school in Boston (freshman) 3.97 GPA got 12k all other stats were same as her brother’s. Also the merit aid depends on the pool of candidates applying, and a lot of the brightest Midwest candidates use Marquette as a safety school. There are other scholarships available that have a deadline of Feb. 15 just check which ones the student is eligible for at the MU site. I’ve had three kids apply to college in the last three years and it seems the more competitive the school the less merit aid given. Many of the elite schools do not even give merit aid (sad but true). For those with need base aid you will most likely get your fin. aid package during March and it will include grants, work study, etc…</p>
<p>@mamom That is basically correct…</p>
<p>@beastman,mammom,kingjulian,newsdrms,erp1821 – you guys are a wealth of information and so kind to spend the time on such thorough posts. Thanks so much, just the info I needed!</p>
<p>Fortunately, my S does not fall into the “devastated” category (thank goodness) and it was amazing that when two other colleges came in with big $$$ (before MU’s relatively small merit) they shot up much higher on his list. Not only does “money talk” but as my husband keeps saying “it is nice to be wanted”. We should qualify (unfortunately) for significant financial aid so it may all come out in the wash. He’s headed to MU this weekend for the scholarship exam and, since we’re from a very under-represented state, he’s applied for the Pere Marquette. We’ll just keep our fingers crossed and see how it goes.</p>
<p>@beastman – you made me feel better with the average $3.5K merit figure. I guess my son is truly above average as I always thought he was :-).</p>
<p>Again – thanks to all and best wishes for a wonderful college experience wherever you (or your D/S) end up.</p>
<p>Archimom-Your husband is right. It is nice to be wanted. We are from an underrepresented state, Louisiana, and son was an NMF, so we thought son would be “wanted” by Marquette.</p>
<p>Fact of the matter, they acted like son didn’t exist. No literature, emails, personal notes, other than the standard form letters.</p>
<p>Coming from a Jesuit High School, it was quite puzzling to us.</p>
<p>His current school wooed him like an ardent suitor. They invited him to apply for their top honors programs, interviewed him by phone for some, and flew him in on their nickel for others. In the end, he was admitted to an honors program that was an excellent fit for him, so he decided to attend there (Bama), although he had “full rides” at other comparable schools (Miss St, Auburn, UAB, La Tech).</p>
<p>I’m not meaning to brag, but we were quite puzzled as well, and were even more puzzled when the Jesuit High School scholarship (which was worth more money than his Ignatius award) was awarded to a lesser stat, lesser involved, but more affluent student. </p>
<p>It is not only Marquette who seems to award the affluent. Our local private university gives full scholarships to the most affluent local applicants, while the middle class students either choose the state flagship, which is located 2 hours away, or take on loans to stay close to home and attend the prestigious local private if they are lucky enough to get in. </p>
<p>I don’t know if it’s a matter of “grooming alumni contributors” or simply lack of funding.</p>
<p>I do know that schools who may have been very generous in the past no longer offer the scholarships they used to because of decrease in funding, alumni donations, and other economic factors.</p>
<p>Clemson, while a state university, is a very respected engineering school, and used to give generous awards to lure top OOS students. In our 2010 class, the money was not there, and those who thought Clemson would be an option for their kids were left disappointed the same way our Marquette kids were. This year, Auburn, who used to be as generous as Alabama, has reduced its full scholarship to a 2/3 scholarship to high stats kids. </p>
<p>It could be a matter of timing, and it could also be a matter of an applicant pool. As my son applied for BME, he may look to us as a “high stat” kid, but maybe others who applied for that program were much more appealing stat wise, so our son was not the “gem” we thought he was. </p>
<p>I believe that God has a way of making things work out, and we have to be open to Him “showing us the way”. He closes one door, but opens another, and we have to have our eyes open to see it.</p>
<p>Keeping all of you in my prayers as you make your college decisions. </p>
<p>Remember, your kid is special. And no matter where he/she ends up, always tell them that. Believe in them, encourage them, and stand behind them in whatever they do. No matter where they get their degree from, if they even do get their degree, be proud of them and let them you how much you love them.</p>
<p>Take care and God Bless.</p>
<p>@montegut – had to smile reading your post. Some of your words were almost verbatim what I kept telling him during our trip to MU this Saturday for scholarship exam, i.e., “God has a plan” . . . </p>
<p>The funny thing was that most of the discussion was not really about MU but the small LAC we visited prior to the MU visit this weekend. That school made it abundantly clear that they want him to come there AND play a sport; now he is REALLY confused. I just keep telling him that he has done a fabulous job (both in getting to this point as well as in his college search) so there are really no “bad choices” from here on out. He would be happy at any of them!</p>
<p>So strange about your S’s experience on the Jesuit scholarship. After seeing his MU merit aid, my son kept kidding, “why couldn’t I have gone to a Jesuit h.s. rather than a Christian Brother’s???”. From your story, it seems that it wouldn’t have made any difference :-). So glad your S is happy at Bama.</p>
<hr>
<p>Just to update everyone on this past weekend’s scholarship competition –
About 700 students sat for the Arts & Sciences exam. They award 25 scholarships
($5K/year for 4 years). I believe they said this was the highest attendance they have ever had for the A&S exam.</p>
<p>They also mentioned [a record number] 21,000 applicants for admission of whom 40% were selected. This percentage surprised me as the previous years’ info indicated much higher admit rates for MU. Can any other parents who attended the parents’ info session confirm that I heard this correctly? Their target for the 2015 class remains at 1900 (same as last year) despite the higher number of applications.</p>