<p>When people say they won 22K in merit-based aid from Tulane... do they mean 22K per year, or 22K overall? </p>
<p>While I'm at it, I'd be really appreciative if you could chance me on if I am eligible for any merit-based aid:</p>
<p>-Out-of-State (Florida)
-3.3 UW GPA
-3.8 W GPA
-1230/1890 SAT
-29 ACT
-13 Total APs (Human Geography, Calculus AB, Biology, Vergil, Lang, Lit, US History, US Govt, Comparative Govt, World History, Macro, Micro, Stat) the rest being honors, or graduation requirements.
-Top 20% of Class
-ECs: Captain of Cross Country, Captain of Track, President (12) and Vice President (11) of Latin Club; various memberships to other clubs; around 100 community service hours</p>
<p>As a side note, I'm pretty good at writing, so if they look at the essays for determining aid, I think that might help me out a bit. </p>
<p>22K per year. The awards seem to be based largely on SAT/ACT score and GPA/class rank. If past years are any indication, I would have to say you are unlikely to receive one of these scholarships. Sorry. But of course I don’t make the decision.</p>
<p>Yeah, I figured. Thanks for clearing up my question though. </p>
<p>What ACT score do you think I’d need to get to give me even a shot? Or does my GPA/class rank kill my chances? I’ve only taken the ACT once, cold-turkey, so I’m expecting my ACT to go up to at least a 31, maybe a big higher. The reason I got a 29 in the first place is because my math score of 25 brought down my overall score, and I honestly think that may have been a fluke, due to the fact that in the SAT, math is always my highest section by far.</p>
<p>I understand there isn’t a clear cut score that guarantees me merit-based aid, but just an estimate would be great. Thanks!</p>
<p>My d received $22,000 a year with a 31 ACT. Her unweighted GPA was 3.9, so quite a bit higher than yours. I am not sure how much higher your ACT will need to be to compensate for a lower GPA.</p>
<p>I think a 31 might get you something. Also, these decisions are not 100% stat based. What I mean is if you we’re able to pull the ACT up to 31 and talked to your admissions rep about how many AP courses you have taken, it might help. I know they can see how many AP courses are on your record, but the human reality is there are so many cases to review they might just see the GPA and not fully account for your very challenging course selection. Put another way, it never hurts to politely advocate for yourself.</p>
<p>Another potentially big factor will be your first semester grades. If you can do especially well, it makes your chances stronger. Obviously if you are going EA it won’t help at that time, but people have been successful in getting some/more merit money when they have big improvements in grades and/or test scores. So this is largely, but not strictly based on numbers in some math equation. There can be discretion involved, but it takes a good case. You potentially have factors on your side, but only if you get the score up and, I think, have a very good semester.</p>
<p>Alright, thanks guys. 10K and 22K are the usual amounts they distribute, right? I’ve just been looking through these boards and those seem to be the two numbers everyone receives… (besides the occasional full tuition)</p>
<p>There are several awards that everyone is reviewed for automatically, without making additional applications. The amounts shown are per year, and are last year’s amounts. They increase them for incoming freshmen from time to time, but they do not increase for you during your 4 years at Tulane.</p>
<p>Presidential Scholar Award (27K)
Distinguished Scholar Award (25K)
Founders Scholarship (22K)
Academic Achievement Award (15K)
Leadership Award Scholarship (7.5K)</p>
<p>I think I have the amounts right, at least. I know the Presidential was 27K last year.</p>
<p>Yes it is, but they do not promise to meet 100% of demonstrated need. However, I think they do average something like 95%. And since that is an average, I assume that means they do meet up to 100% for some, less for others.</p>
<p>I am actually coming at this question from a slightly different angle. We are very fortunate in that we will be able to cover full tuition. Our youngest has applied early action but his grades and SAT scores probably put him on the low-end of the bubble for accepted students. He has taken a very challenging course load at our very competitive public high school. He did not tick any of the boxes for scholarships or aid on his application. I am wondering if this at all works in his favor.</p>
<p>Theoretically no. But perhaps it would be naive to think that being full pay doesn’t help students that are at the edge. I wish I could give you a more definitive assessment, but I honestly am not sure.</p>
<p>I guess the one thing that makes me think they really are blind to that is, even if one does not say they are planning to apply for financial aid, the forms are not due until mid February and a lot of these students have already heard they are accepted by then. There is nothing stopping them from still applying for need-based aid. But again, I just don’t know with certainty.</p>
<p>If you want to PM me his stats and the other relevant facts, I would be happy to give you my opinion, even though that might not be worth a whole lot. Oh wait, you cannot PM, you don’t have enough posts. Well, up to you if you want to post them here.</p>
<p>3.3 unweighted, 3.98 weighted gpa, 1310/1930 SAT. Tulane likes our high school. Every year, somewhere between 40 and 60 out of 500 kids apply, 1/2 to 3/4 are accepted and about 5 or 6 end up going. My son did not apply single choice because he was concerned about his chances and there is one other school he really likes that also allowed for non-binding, non-single choice early action.</p>
<p>Stats alone he has a decent shot, and with the rigor of his high school and hopefully his course load (and with that weighted GPA it looks like he took a very challenging schedule), and if he showed strong interest by visiting and/or attending a local session/doing the Why Tulane question, good ECs, recs, etc. then I think he has a very reasonable chance. So I know he did not apply SCEA, but did he apply EA? If so, that helps too.</p>
<p>He did apply EA. He has taken a rigorous course load - 5 APs and, almost all the rest, honors. We visited Tulane last spring and he has been in touch with both his admissions counselor and a counselor we met out there who is a close friend of a good family friend. I really liked both his personal statement and his why Tulane essay. Also believe 2 of his AP teachers wrote good recs. His ECs aren’t terribly strong, but he is a genuinely nice, good kid. He is following in the footsteps of 2 older sibs who were kind of academic stars. Not an easy path.</p>
<p>Well, I will say it again. Regardless of need or lack thereof, I think he has a very decent chance. His record seems quite good to me, and he has certainly done everything possible to let Tulane know how much he wants to be there. Also, even though there are a lot of kids form his school applying, Tulane doesn’t have quotas for any high school. It sounds like students from that school have been successful at Tulane in the past, and they know that, so that definitely helps also.</p>
<p>Best of luck, we will anxiously await the decision!</p>
<p>Thanks. I really appreciate your educated assessment! This is my child who tries hard, doesn’t always succeed, but still gets up smiling and tries again. He just had his best quarter ever in high school. I know he will be happy wherever he ends up for college, but I would so love for that school to be his first choice. Will update when he hears. Thanks again.</p>
<p>It wouldn’t hurt to email the admissions counselor with an update on this quarter’s grades and it would also give him an opportunity to reiterate that Tulane is his top choice. If his file has fallen to the bottom of a pile, an update might just pull it to the surface again.</p>
<p>Actually, he is one step ahead! He emailed the counselor and let her know that he is having his high school send in his first quarter grades. Great minds think alike!!!</p>
<p>The Academic Achievement Award that my daughter got is $20,000 not $15,000 so your numbers may be off.</p>
<p>Also, my daughter’s GPA was UnW 4.0, her ACT was 32, she wrote her Why Tulane Essay, submitted additional audio and video (to the music department) for consideration and has an all AP/Dual Enrollment course load, on top of being in both band and orchestra, & a lot of other extra curricular activities.</p>
<p>I’m not complaining about the $20K, it was nice, but I am just pointing out that we have seen kids from other states (we are in NY) get more money for lower scores/grades and she didn’t get an honors college invite, which other kids with lower scores did. </p>
<p>So my point to the OP is, don’t stress too much about the numbers. They are trying to build a college class and therefore a community and they want students from different states, with different backgrounds and different personalities. </p>
<p>Admissions folks are looking for all of those things too, so you might be surprised.</p>
<p>Thanks for that update alexmarie. I was citing last year’s numbers, as best I could remember. They do adjust them from time to time. So far from what people have reported, it looks like the $27K, $25K, and $22K are correct still, while based on your helpful info the $15K is now $20K. It may have actually been $17K last year, I really am not 100% sure.</p>