<p>Did BC give out any merit based scholarships? I got my acceptance packet - I’ve been invited to their Honors Program - and I see nothing about a scholarship of any sort.</p>
<p>BC only offers merit scholarships to a select few that apply Early Action. There is no merit money for regular admission.</p>
<p>The “select few” = 15 incoming freshmen. These Presidential Scholarships are the only merit money that BC gives out. ALL other financial aid is need-based only.</p>
<p>That’s kinda ridiculous. Strange. Thanks.</p>
<p>Why do you think, “That’s kinda ridiculous. Strange.”?</p>
<p>Very few of the most selective private schools offer merit aid.</p>
<p>Most schools give their honor students some kind of boost. BC only gives them 4 years of housing, which they give many other students. Honor’s housing is not guaranteed for all o the students who request. They don’t receive first pick of classes of housing, a free laptop or any other incentives.</p>
<p>I’m very surprised BC doesn’t give the honor students any merit aid. It’s not just MagicalMalik.</p>
<p>^ Where do you find out how many years of housing you got?</p>
<p>imac15 and magical, the kind of honors programs that you are talking about – the ones with early registration, free laptops, premium housing, etc. – are found primarily at public universities and at some less selective private universities. That’s because these schools use the incentives to lure top-caliber students that would likely go to higher ranked schools otherwise. </p>
<p>Most of the top private schools don’t even have honors programs, since all of of the students they accept are academically strong. (That’s also why most of them don’t offer merit aid – or if they do, they offer just a few big $ scholarships, like BC does.) In fact, of the top 40 schools, the only one that I know of that has an honors program that comes with all the “goodies” you mentioned is the one at Emory. Also, Lehigh has an honors program that is similar to BC’s in that the benefits are primarily academic in nature (special classes, mentoring opportunities, seminars, etc.)</p>
<p>If you want incentives, it would be hard to beat Barrett Honors College at ASU, which has its own “campus” with dorms, classrooms, dining hall, and rec center just for honors students:</p>
<p>[New</a> honors campus unrivaled in scope | ASU News](<a href=“http://asunews.asu.edu/20091005_barrett]New”>New honors campus unrivaled in scope)</p>
<p>I’m a senior in the BC honors - definitely no financial incentives or otherwise. </p>
<p>All honors students get four years of housing, but definitely no leg up in the lottery. Within the next 10 years, Boston College is seeking to house 100% of students in University-controlled housing, so that will hardly matter. </p>
<p>The only advantage to the honors program is seeing it on your final transcript if you complete all the requirements.</p>
<p>One other advantage of the Honors program is that the classes are small – about 15 students in a seminar style setting. It’s not for everyone, but if you like to read the great books, analyze them and discuss them, then this is right up your alley. My daughter thought they were phenomenal.</p>