<p>which schools might give me a lot of merit aid (at least 10% of tuition)?</p>
<p>GPA UW: 3.8
expected SAT: 1800-2100
SAT math 2: 670, SAT world history: 800
mostly AP and honors classes</p>
<p>Look for schools in which you are in the top 10%-25% of applicants. The higher that you are in the applicant pool, the more money that you can expect to win in scholarships.</p>
<p>I would highly recommend the University of Miami if you are looking for merit based awards, especially if you have no need (they dont consider it at all). The scores could probably get you around 50% or so, if you do the top score you could probably get 75 percent.</p>
<p>
I know that, but there aren’t that many schools that I know of (other than some publics) that would have me in the top 25%.</p>
<p>Lots and lots of schools give most potential full payers 10% of tuition. You don’t need to be near the top, just qualified to be accepted. It’s really a discount to get you to come more than it is real merit aid.</p>
<p>OK…then what about 50 or 100%? Not possible?</p>
<p>Indiana gives automatic scholarships to those who have a certain GPA and ACT or SAT score:</p>
<p>[Automatic</a> Academic Scholarships: Office of Scholarships: Indiana University Bloomington](<a href=“http://www.scholarships.indiana.edu/pages/automatic.php]Automatic”>http://www.scholarships.indiana.edu/pages/automatic.php)</p>
<p>If you got the $9,000 per year automatic academic scholarship, you would receive a little more than 1/3 of tuition from that money.</p>
<p>I live OOS from Indiana, so I think I would still have to pay $20k/year w/o other aid.</p>
<p>There are a couple of threads right at the top of this forum. Look through those.</p>
<p>Lots of LACs will give you merit aid, At some 40 grand schools those
stats might get you 12 to 15 grand.</p>
<p>Think strategically: You’re in California so think of places that perhaps don’t get too many applications from there -possibly the midwest or midsouth. If you are willing to go to a school that is very white and you’re not, money may be offered to help with the lack of diversity. Think about how to market yourself.</p>
<p>We are talking about $4K at the most expensive schools. Almost every school below the top 50 knows they need to discount that much, especially in this economy, to get a full class. Apply widely to schools known for giving lots of small merit grants. That is most private colleges.</p>
<p>Great suggestion. They are terrific in supporting merit at. School is working hard to build their academic program and putting money where their mouth is.</p>
<p>OK…any chance that I can get a full ride from anywhere? I know I’m asking a bit too much…</p>
<p>Very doubtful if you mean the true definition of full ride: tuition, room and board. Few schools today offer it and I don’t think it would necessarily be the schools you would be most competitive for.</p>
<p>your stats aren’t good enough for a full ride.</p>
<p>1) Go to a site like Princeton Review and look for schools where your SATs are above the top 25% of scores (thanks, missypie)</p>
<p>2) Then look at the USN&WER Big Book for information about what % of students get merit aid and the average merit award.</p>
<p>3) Then based on your “fit” preferences select schools to add to your application list as “financial safeties”</p>
<p>Here’s some of those figures in #2 for some schools, as an example:</p>
<p>Oberlin: 17% 11k
U Rochester: 33% 9k
Muhlenberg: 30% 11k
Beloit: 25% 12k
Brandeis: 22% 20k
UVM: 19% 2k
Dickinson: 9% 10k</p>
<p>Good Hunting!!!</p>
<p>Kei
“Love Thy Safeties” </p>
<p>P.S. An institution wiht a lower “list price” may be a financial safety even without much merit aid. Fotr example, U Michigan-Ann Arborlist price for OOS is 47k; for Penn State it’s 37k - same for UVM.</p>
<p>If you’re concerned about finances the first place to start is to figure
out your efc and then how much your parents are willing to pay. That’s
a better starting point than how much merit am I going to get.</p>