With a 4.385 W GPA & 35 ACT, do you think I would qualify for merit aid? I need at least $20k for it to be an option, and Northeastern is my first choice school so if I got that I would almost definitely attend (unless offered a full ride elsewhere). I have a guaranteed $25k/year scholarship at RPI, so is there any way I could use that in my favor? Also, if it matters, I am expecting a 5.0 GPA for my senior year - could I provide them with first semester grades? Sorry for all the disjointed questions, just very anxious about getting merit aid - and want to make sure I do everything in my power to get it! Any input/advice would be greatly appreciated.
No one can say for sure, but your stats are competitive for that range of merit. They won’t get first semester grades unless you wait to apply RD. I don’t think your RPI scholarship could really be leveraged.
Good luck!
@PengsPhils Thank you! I am applying EA, but do you think if I was offered a smaller award that first semester grades could be something I could use for an appeal?
Have not heard of anybody asking for a bigger merit award and getting it from NEU.
Need based aid appeals may be successful but not merit aid appeals.
Are you NMSF by chance? If accepted, you could get up to $30,000 but not set amount like it used to be. Congrats on all your hard work.
Missed it by 2 points 
I’m commended, but sadly that gets me nothing haha. Thank you! @twicemama
School didn’t weight and used a 100 pt scale, but I received $20k/year for 35 ACT and 94 GPA UW when I applied in fall 2013 for the entering 2014 class.
In general, NU has gotten more selective since then, but there’s really not much higher you can get on an ACT, so I think you’re still solidly competitive. I would be shocked if you didn’t receive merit money, but the amount always seems to be somewhat of a crapshoot. Good luck!
Depending on your extra curricular you can get $20k/year. I didn’tdo this, but my friend was in the position of she got more money from RPI than NU and she called the scholarship office and set up an appointment (don’t have parents do this) and talked to them about getting more money because she wanted to go to NU but her parents wouldn’t let her without NU matching the RPI scholarship and they did (from a $15k). She brought in her resume with scores and such and she also was extremely well prepared on why she wanted Northeastern instead of RPI.
@safkjheoih Wow, thank you so much for sharing that! I will be sure to do that if something similar happens to me. That’s very exciting to hear.