<p>Hi, I have to say that what I’m reading here about who did and who didn’t get awarded merit scholarship $ is confusing and appears so random! </p>
<p>To see if perhaps there is some method to the madness, can we compare what we presented to the admissions committee in a nutshell and see if any patterns emerge?</p>
<p>Here’s an idea for the format, keeping it short and simple: (and sorry, attempts to bold and format didn’t work, oh well.)</p>
<p>1) Stats: (stats on SATs and SATs or ACTs, GPA, AP exam grades,class rank)
2) Hooks: rate on a scale from 1-5 (none or low) to 5 (Oscar winning actress)
3) ECs: rate on scale of 1 (obviously joined just to have something to write on college app) to 5 (consistent dedication all throughout high school, received top awards/showed leadership)
4) Essays: rate on a scale from 1-5 (ho hum) to 5 (unique/fascinating/clever/from the heart/one of the very best the school has ever read)
5) Recommendations: rate on a scale from 1-5 (slacker and shouldn’t be in a 4 year school) to 5 (one of the very best the school has ever had)
6) Scholarship awarded: including total $
7)Chance of going without any $: On a scale of 1-5, likelihood of going prior to receiving merit money decision (1 (not a chance) - 5 (most definitely)
8) Chance of going now with scholarship money / honors program/ trustree/ university professors program offered (1 (not a chance) - 5 (most definitely)</p>
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I’ll go first about my son DJ (JJ was S#1)
STATS:
GPA is 4.2, definitely top 10%
SAT 1s: CR 710, Math 680, Writing 760 = 1390 old system, 2150 including writing
SAT 2s: US History: 720, English Lit: 730
AP US History = 5
HOOKS = 1
Standard Jewish boy from NJ so it wasn’t that.
ECs = 4
ESSAYS = 4
RECOMMENDATIONS = 3 Didn’t read them, but they should have been at least a 3.
SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED:
a) Legacy Scholarship: $1000 offered to students with outstanding academic record who are kiddos of Boston University alumni .
b) University Scholarship: Half-tuition scholarship offered to students with exceptionally strong academic records…
c) Federal Direct Unsub. Loan of $3500 a year
Your total financial aid award for this year: 21965
He was also invited to join the Honors College, which is cool too.
7)Chance of goingwithout any $: 2
Chance of going now with scholarship money and Honors Program: 4
The merit money has made a HUGE difference in our ability to put DJ through BU. We’ll see how the rest of his schools play out but BU was his #1 choice but it was pending merit money, so it looks like the financial aid office will make his dreams come true.</p>
<p>What stuns me is how many other applicants had better to offer, at least on paper, but got little or no aid.</p>
<p>Please, by posting here we can figure out how BU AdComs distributed their scholarship $$$ by finding patterns… maybe!</p>
<p>1) Stats: SAT I: 2270
SAT II: French 590, Math II 670, Physics 660, US History 680
Rank: 1/578 all four years of HS
UW avg: ~98
4 AP classes jr year, 7 AP classes sr year (AP Physics B: 3, AP Psych: 5, AP USH: 5, AP Eng Lang: 5)
2) Hooks: 2 (National Merit Finalist, girl who loves physics?)
3) ECs: 4 (Varsity Sport for two years, dedicated music study for four, Editor-in-Chief of school paper, community service and leadership in CS for four years, etc)
4) Essays: 3
5) Recommendations: 4
6) Scholarship awarded: NO merit money. $15900 in FA. Admitted to Honors Program.
7) Chance of going without any $: 3
8) Chance of going now with scholarship money / honors program/ trustree/ university professors program offered: 3.</p>
<p>I was really hoping for some more money, but it all depends on where I get accepted later this week.</p>
<p>1) Stats: SAT: 2070 GPA: 3.7 Top 25% SAT II's: Decent
2) Hooks: 4
3) ECs: 4
4) Essays: 3
5) Recommendations: 3-4
6) Scholarship awarded: NO Merit, but only $4000 in loans with interest from FA.
7) Chance of going without any $: 3-4
8) Chance of going now with scholarship money / honors program/ trustree/ university professors program offered: 3-4</p>
<p>I was hoping for a little merit money, but for financial aid i was expecting much more. My parents are currently putting my brother through cornell which is far from cheap. I'm far from rich. What gives?!</p>
<p>1: stats sat 2180 GPA 4.35 SAT IIs 700s x3 8 APs
2. Hooks: none
3. ECs can't remember the rating but solid
4. Essays good
5. great
6. 1/2 tuition (engineering scholarship)
7. even with merit aid schools too expensive
8. as above</p>
<p>Stats: SAT: 2260 CR: 770, M: 690, W: 800
GPA: 96.5
SAT II: Lit: 760, World: 750, French: 720
AP: US Hist: 4, Eng Lang: 4, I'm taking 5 more APs this year.
My schedule is the hardest in the school, probably
Hooks: 3
ECs: 4
Essay: 3
Recs: 5
Scholarship: Absolutely nothing, although they offered me a few thousand a year in loans.
Chance of going w/o $: 0
Chance with money that I got: Well, I got no money, so still 0</p>
<p>You guys are wasting your time. Aid is evaluated, I understand, based partly on the need factors in your submissions, partly on how they rank you in their admissions pool (for each college), and partly it seems on how the money is divided among the various schools. One can argue, for example, that a kid in honors in CAS should get more aid than anyone admitted to CGS but CGS is a BU college and they don't treat it like there's a series of steps with CGS at the bottom.</p>
<p>I'm too lazy to post my stats again, but BU merit money seems kind of random. This guy from my school who has worse GPA/SATs/and arguably ECs got rejected from Dartmouth ED, and then got 1/2 merit tuition at BU and I got $0. And, from the threads, a couple harvard admits received nothing.</p>
<p>1) Stats: SAT: 2200 GPA: 3.8UW 4.5W Top 2% of class
2) Hooks: 0
3) ECs: 4
4) Essays: 3
5) Recommendations: 4-5
6) Scholarship awarded: $36,000 all in BU Grant, $43,000 total financial package
7) Chance of going without any $: 1
8) Chance of going now with scholarship money / honors program/ trustree/ university professors program offered: 3</p>
<p>I'm really happy about the package, I was just surprised that none of it was in a merit scholarship.</p>
<p>1) Stats: SAT: 2180 GPA: 3.95UW 4.7W Top 2% of class
2) Hooks: 0
3) ECs: 3
4) Essays: 3
5) Recommendations: 4-5
6) Scholarship awarded: $10,000 dean scholarship - no financial aid
7) Chance of going without any $: 1
8) Chance of going now with scholarship money / honors program/ trustree/ university professors program offered: 1</p>
<p>It is my understanding that the school of engineering doesn't have an honors program, is that right? I am not sure.... I think that only two of the schools: CGS and CAS have the programs, so perhaps if you are not invited that is why... but this is just a guess, I am kind of confused, and have not had my morning coffee!!</p>
<p>I was offered both the Honors Program and the University Scholars merit award (half-tuition, equivalent to a 35% ride)
Stats:
SAT: 2180 (710CR, 770M, 700W); 790 World History, 770 Math IIC, 750 Chemistry
13 APs will be finished by the end of senior year, current average over 5 exams is 4.4
GPA: 3.7uw
Hooks: URM (4)
ECs: small band awards and leadership positions on euphonium (three different bands, two in school), Chinese classes and self-study, exchange program (rating = 3)
Awards: highest-ranked black student in school(rank not released to the colleges), National Geographic Bee national finalist (rating = 4)
Essays: Common App 4, BU Supplement 1.5
Recommendations: 3.8 on scale of 5 (one sucked, the other two were good)
Potential Major(s): Chinese/East Asian Studies, Chemistry
Chance of going to BU pre/post scholarship: 1/3.8</p>
<p>1) Stats: SAT: 2170 GPA: 3.8W
2) Hooks: (2) legacy & sent art portfolio
3) ECs: (4) helluva lot of time spent on these.
4) Essays: (3) they were decent.
5) Recommendations: (3) probably okay.
6) Scholarship awarded: $10,000 dean scholarship, $1,000 legacy, $3,500 fed loans = $14,500
7) Chance of going without any $: 1
8) Chance of going now: 1</p>
