<p>I need some help finding schools which award merit based aid to applicants based on their application (GPA, scores, ECs, etc). I am in a position where I know that I won't receive any need based aid, but I'd really like to go to school on a "full ride." I am probably a typical "Ivy" applicant, 4.4W GPA, 2260 SAT, some good ECs, etc. While I might be able to get into an Ivy/near Ivy school I would rather go to a "step down" university where I could go for free. I am really interested in studying finance and applied mathematics, so most everywhere will have what I am interested in. Any suggestions on schools that would likely hand out full/close to full scholarships to a great applicant would be much appreciated. I have looked online, but very few schools advertise the fact that they give large amounts of merit-aid. Thanks for all of the help.</p>
<p>Check out the Parents forum. One “Locked” thread is devoted to colleges with good merit aid.
From Personal experience i can say that based on SAT’s and grades:
American University will offer about 75% and Honors
George Washington will offer similar.
Boston University might offer 40-50%
Washington and Lee might choose you for its scholarship competition; winners get full full ride. (Tuition and board!).
I have heard Tulane also is generous.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>It’s hard to get a “free ride” without being a National Merit Finalist. </p>
<p>There are some at some free-rides at 3rd/4th tier schools (according to the old USNews ranking system), but many of those are largely commuter schools so that may make for an unhappy school life. </p>
<p>For instance…UA Huntsville (small university but strong in math, sciences, and business) would give you a free ride, but it’s a bit of a suitcase/commuter school even though freshman must live on campus. <a href=“http://finaid.uah.edu/scholarships/2011-2012%20approved%20scholarship%20grid.pdf[/url]”>http://finaid.uah.edu/scholarships/2011-2012%20approved%20scholarship%20grid.pdf</a></p>
<p>If you want to go to a top 100 school, then you probably can’t get a “free ride” w/o being a National Merit Finalist. </p>
<p>You would get free tuition at University of Alabama ( the big flagship university) if you apply on time, and you “might” get a free ride. If you get accepted to one of their elite honors programs you could also get more $$. Also, if you’re NMF, then you’d also get a lot more. You’d also get more if you majored in Engineering or Comp Science. But, at a minimum, you’d get free tuition if you apply on time.</p>
<p>What was your PSAT and what state are you in?</p>
<p>Check out this recently-updated thread, which lists colleges and gives the percentage of non-need students who received merit aid:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/696637-merit-aid-percentage-common-data-set.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/696637-merit-aid-percentage-common-data-set.html</a></p>
<p>I think I used the wrong language. Instead of “full ride” I really only need free tuition. Actually I don’t need it, but it would be nice. Places that I have looked at so far that might give free tuition are Case Western and RIT – do any state flagships (not deep south) give free tuition to great applicants? Thanks again</p>
<p>Btw – I got a 229 on my PSAT, so I might be in contention</p>
<p>National Merit Scholars automatically get 1/2 tuition at USC.</p>
<p>The issue is it won’t just be a step down, it will be many big steps down. Schools like Bama and Auburn.</p>
<p>Off the top of my head, state flagships that award full tuition include U Mich, U Maryland College Park, and Pitt. I’m sure there are many more. These vary in competitiveness; you aren’t the only applicant who has Ivy-worthy stats and who is looking for merit dollars. U Arizona, I believe, has a nice National Merit award. With 229, you should definitely be in contention. Look at the National Merit forum (under financial aid) for a list of schools that offer NM scholarships.</p>
<p>You should also look at private schools. I’ve read stories on CC of top-notch students receiving full rides from colleges like Rhodes (see “Colleges that change lives”) and Vanderbilt.</p>
<p>Someone mentioned Tulane above. Not sure if you are trying to avoid the deep south, but if not then you should know that Tulane has a full tuition scholarship called the Deans Honor Scholarship (DHS). There are 75 each year for the last 2 years. There were 100 per year prior to that, but I assume the stock market plunge cut into the fund. It requires an additional application, so you should apply EA by early October, get your admission and merit aid offer (which will come in a few weeks most likely) and in your case probably an offer into their Honors Program. I am going to assume your UW GPA is around 3.8-3.85? If so then you have all the stats required. You don’t mention specific EC’s and the like, so that could make a difference.</p>
<p>Anyway, other than possibly location, Tulane seems to have everything you want if you can snag a DHS. Very competitive though, as you might imagine.</p>
<p>Some of the schools mentioned have assured scholarships - if you have the req’d stats, then you get the money. However, some schools, like UMich, have competitive scholarships. I don’t know if UMich has full-tuition for an OOS student. I know that one of their big competition scholarships (LSA - Shipman) is for about 1/2 tuition. </p>
<p>With a 229, you’d make NMSF in EVERY state. So, get your NMSF packet from your school. They received it a week or two ago. Do everything the packet says and return it to the school on time.</p>
<p>As a likely NMF, you will have more opportunities for big scholarships - including free tuition at Fordham.</p>
<p>Here are two other threads to look through:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation.html</a></p>
<p>Shipman is not just for LSA at UMich. It is awarded regardless of the specific College at UMich. Also the full scholarship is $15,000 + Room & Board. So value-wise it is a little more than 1/2 OOS tuition.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.finaid.umich.edu/media/pdf_scholarships_autogen/Schol_Info10.pdf[/url]”>http://www.finaid.umich.edu/media/pdf_scholarships_autogen/Schol_Info10.pdf</a></p>
<p>Source: D started today at UMich Engg on a full Shipman scholarship (being in-state makes it a full-ride).</p>
<p>My younger daughter goes to Tulane and got a very nice merit award based, I believe, on ACT, IB classes, HS GPA.</p>
<p>St Louis University offers substantial merit aid based on Test Scores & HS GPA—(at least it did when my older daughter applied 6 years ago.</p>
<p>^If that’s WUStL, then they still had the big free ride offer available two years ago. A family friend took that over Harvard.</p>
<p>Shipman is not just for LSA at UMich. It is awarded regardless of the specific College at UMich. Also the full scholarship is $15,000 + Room & Board. So value-wise it is a little more than 1/2 OOS tuition.</p>
<p>Thanks…</p>
<p>I didn’t know it was also for non-LSA since the website I looked at calls it LSA Shipman Scholarship. <a href=“http://www.lsa.umich.edu/umich/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=ab570e36557aa110VgnVCM100000a3b1d38dRCRD&vgnextchannel=79d06886aca38110VgnVCM10000096b1d38dRCRD&vgnextfmt=default[/url]”>http://www.lsa.umich.edu/umich/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=ab570e36557aa110VgnVCM100000a3b1d38dRCRD&vgnextchannel=79d06886aca38110VgnVCM10000096b1d38dRCRD&vgnextfmt=default</a></p>
<p>When I read it, I didn’t notice the room and board part (for those who will live on campus). I just saw the $15k part. So, with room and board, it covers about half of COA for OOS students. :)</p>
<p>*The LSA Shipman Scholarship:</p>
<p>The Shipman Scholarship consists of a $15,000 annual award provided by the Shipman Scholarship Fund, renewable for four years of undergraduate study, plus room and board (about $8,590 per year) for recipients who choose to live in U-M residence halls.*</p>
<p>Slithey Tove— They are two separate, unrelated institutions. I’m referring to Saint Louis University, the Jesuit University founded in 1818, not to Washington University in St Louis</p>
<p>There aren’t guarantees, but with those standardized test scores and being an OOS, based on many circumstantial examples described on this site, you’d likely get full tuition at Pitt. In any case, you’d be placed in the honors college for sure and assuredly get some sort of academic awards. You might be eligible to apply for the Chancellor’s scholarship which would be a full ride (tuition+room/expenses), although they are highly competitive and sought-after awards.</p>