<p>I had posted earlier to get people's thoughts on UD and merit scholarships; now trying again with more data.</p>
<p>My daughter is a rising senior and for a variety of reasons, extremely interested in the UD Honors Program and Pre-veterinary Medicine and Animal Biosciences major. She is ranked in the top 4 students of almost 500 in a competitive public high school (in PA), and her GPA is approximately 4.2 (weighted, which is about as good as you could be due to the number of honors/AP courses she was eligible to take). Her ACT, taken as a sophomore was a 35. She has taken 5 AP courses (Chem, Eng Lang, Calc BC, US and World History), and gotten all A's and all 5's on her AP test (except a 4 in World History). SAT2s include Math 2 (750), Literature (740), Chem (780), and Spanish (690). Long term, her career goal is to become a veterinarian, specializing in equine and equine sports medicine and surgery.</p>
<p>Her passion is equestrian, spending 20+ hours every week with training and competing in regional and national eventing competitions. She has done fairly well in eventing and Pony Club (HB/C3), and has won some awards. She has some other ECs as well, including Key Club and other community service involvement, but nothing remotely involved as this. Her recs and essays should be excellent. She is probably going to take an alternate path her senior year and finish a few high school classes virtually (although she has enough credits to ahve graduated early), and take a college course or two (possibly at UD). She is doing this to spend the year working full time (or more) as a working student for a current US Olympic eventing rider. She would learn infinitely more from doing this, and also be able to advance her own riding and compete during the year. We have no concerns about her being able to handle her coursework during this time.</p>
<p>So...my questions for the knowledgeable:
1) Any issues with admittance to the Honors Program?
2) Any issues with her senior year plan?
3) What are the chances of significant merit aid, OOS tuition waiver, and DuPont Scholarship? She would like to attend somewhere that can offer her siginificant merit aid, and save her 'college money' for vet school.</p>
<p>Thanks for any input you all have...I have gotten some great advice in the past from the UD board!</p>
<p>The above student had an alternate path his senior year also, makes for interesting admissions and I’m sure your daughters unique senior year would be a major plus.</p>
<p>According to the above article there are 30 DuPont offered per year, however, there are many other that are not full like the DuPont, but significant to make it a viable contender with opportunities and money.</p>
<p>My d freshman year (2008. roommate received one of other full tuition scholarships (not DuPont), chose not be in honors, was val of her high school class, admitted to Cornell/Dartmouth and d said she thinks her SATs were 2100 range. She had tremendous opportunities afforded to her while at Delaware, so just a sample of one kid, female OOS with Stats below your daughters, </p>
<p>Based on her stats, she would be in the running for the DuPont, and at that point I would assume the interview would perhaps be the deciding factor.</p>
<p>Definitely for merit scholarship, very likely in the running for DuPont, and almost assuredly yes for honors as long as she applies by December 1 and writes a serious essay. The honors committee wants to see that the candidate is serious, motivated and has done her research about the university.</p>
<p>Update: my D has been approved for the plan above for her senior year. She also met with an advisor at UD, and has registered for an online class through UD in animal science. This will be one of her 4 ‘virtual’ classes her senior year, and she will get credit for her working student position from her high school for a co-op. This has worked out beyond her expectations.</p>
<p>Zoosermom, do you think this could help her Honors/DuPont chances? She really thinks UD is her first choice for many reasons (loves location and campus, honors program, animal science major, close to home, and close to her equestrian connections), but really wants to get some significant merit help due to vet school looming.</p>
<p>CDK, wow those are impressive stats! I don’t have much info to offer but my D took some Seton Hall courses through our high school her Jr year. As a result she had a transcript from Seton Hall with a 4.0 GPA. Although she never applied to the school she was contacted and offered a minimum of 1/2 tuition scholarship based on her grades registered from Seton Hall alone. We were told the $offered could increase based on the rest of the data they would receive from her. She had elected not to apply so we never found out what the grand total would have been.</p>
<p>I think it’s great that your D will take the virtual classes at UD. Between those grades and her alternate Sr year path as well as her existing stats. I’m sure she will get a significant scholarship.</p>
<p>CDK, if your daughter is sincere and timely in applying, I can see no circumstances under which you aren’t here in the spring sharing good news.</p>
<p>My daughter did apply to UD, and had everythign complete in mid-October. I am assuming that they automatically contact applicants that are competitive for the DuPont Scholarship. Does anyone know how this occurs?</p>
<p>When she gets her acceptance e-mail/letter (early Feb?), it will say whether she got into the Honors Program, which looks pretty definite based on her stats. The letter will most likely also tell her she’s a finalist in the Distinguished Scholar Competition. That competition is held on a weekend in March, and to be eligible for one of those scholarships, she MUST attend the event. Based on her interview there and essay she writes while there, she will receive one of the scholarships. A letter/e-mail is sent the week after to notify the students. Seems to me she would at least get a Lewis-Lewin Stark Scholarship. This is what my daughter received and we were all so happy. We feel so grateful for the generosity, and she loves the school. Good luck to your daughter.</p>
<p>My son is a freshman DuPont scholar. Your daughter’s stats seem on par with his although he had more of a traditional senior year in high school. I imagine she has a very good shot at being asked to interview for their biggest named scholarships. As an aside, Distinguished Scholars weekend was also a good opportunity for him to meet other high achieving students, some of whom are now his closest friends. I wish your daughter the best.</p>