<p>I've got a few questions on Merit-based scholarships I'd like to ask. Any answer/advice appreciated.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>How do universities decide on the amount of scholarship to be given?</p></li>
<li><p>Will the same amount be given everywhere year? Or is that you have to apply every year and demonstrate the same level of academic excellence?</p></li>
<li><p>If I have a SAT score of around 1900-2000, and have maintained 90% marks all through secondary school and high school, approximately how much can I expect to get through a Merit-based scholarship?</p></li>
<li><p>I have written a few exams conducted by Trinity College London, and have done really well on a couple. Would those examination certificates help in any way while trying to apply to colleges in the US?
(I am planning on doing an Accounting Major, not any Major in Music)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Unfortunately, the answer to most of your questions is “it depends on the school”.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Amount of scholarships given - Some schools have scholarships of full tuition and even room and board available. Other schools have max awards of something less than full tuition. It all depends on how well funded and endowed the school is, and how much money they’re willing to spend chasing top students. There are some sticky links that list schools with full-ride or substantial merit aid.</p></li>
<li><p>Same amount given each year - so far our experience on Merit scholarships is they are renewed each year for 4 years as long as you maintain a certain GPA and don’t get into trouble. If it’s a fixed amount, it may stay the same even as tuition goes up, so you end up paying the increase. If it’s a percentage of tuition, then it may stay at the same percentage, meaning the actual dollar award is more as tuition rises, to maintain the percentage. So you don’t feel as much of the hit each year as costs increase.</p></li>
<li><p>Totally depends on the school. You need to look for schools where you are in the top 10-25% of admitted students. A school isn’t going to give merit money to a student who is average or below average when compared against the other students at the school.</p></li>
<li><p>No idea, sorry.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Not all colleges give merit scholarships. Those that do usually use them to try to attract students who they think might otherwise go elsewhere. This means that merit scholarships are often offered to the applicants at the very top of a college’s applicant pool–often something like the top ten percent or so. </p>
<p>The numbers vary widely from college to college, so you can’t make a lot of predictions based on a student’s numbers alone. A good rule of thumb, though, is that you’re most likely to be offered merit aid at a school that’s worried you’ll go someplace “better” without it. Don’t count on merit aid from a college or university where your grades and test scores would place you smack in the middle of the freshman class. </p>
<p>Merit awards are usually a set amount per year, renewable for four years as long as you maintain at least a specified GPA (for my daughter’s scholarship, it’s 3.2) and make satisfactory progress toward your degree (for my daughter, that means 30 credits per year–a full course load). </p>
<p>But note that while the amount of the award is fixed for four years, the cost of attending is likely to go up every year!</p>
<p>Oh, my, I just repeated everything Inigo said.</p>
<p>Sorry, x-post. It takes me a long time to do so long a post on my phone.</p>