Hi, I am a rising 8th grader (Middle School Class of 2023-2024), and I am considering applying to private high schools for the remainder of my schooling, as I have heard that you can gain connections and new challenges to face. However, I know I am not going to get financial aid, as my parents combined make over 200k a year. As a result, if I want to go to a private school I will have to get a merit scholarship, as my parents will not pay.
Do you know any good merit scholarships/schools (I live in CT, so there or the surrounding states) that will help me? Also, what benefits to private schools offer exactly?
Here is a list of my achievements so far in my middle school career that might help you:
I consistently place in the 96-99 percentile on my STAR tests, and usually get the highest score allocated for SBAC each year (for both English and math), always have an almost perfect GPA (I hate gym), placed 3rd in a grade-wide math contest in 6th grade, volunteer at my local library, placed 2nd in a school-wide Robotics competition as a member of a team in 7th grade, placed 1st in the state at a Science Olympiad competition for one of my events (team placed 3rd overall), and made it to the national level of a competition called National History Day (VERY competitive) two years in a row. In 6th grade I actually won a special award there (the only kid in 6th-8th grade in the COUNTRY to receive it) and had a newspaper article on the front page of the Journal Inquirer (CT newspaper) about me in 7th grade.
Sorry for typing so much, but I wanted to give a good scope of my achievements in case it’s helpful. Please reply ASAP and thank you!
I believe George School in PA has some merit scholarships. They bring down the cost of admission , but the don’t cover all of it. I suspect you know that, but figured it was worth saying. If you live close enough to a school to be a day student, that can bring down costs.
You should take the SSAT as well. It has become less important in admissions at many schools, but it is possible that some may use it as part of their merit screen. Submitting a strong score can help as well.
Start looking at websites to see what appeals to you as well. That can help you decide where you feel like you would be happiest.
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Although your parents don’t want to pay, can they help you with research? At some schools you might qualify for some financial aid, but it wouldn’t cover the full cost (and those schools won’t offer merit aid). Good luck!
Peddie has a very generous merit scholarship program.
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Do some sleuthing and ask around. Boarding schools usually have more money for scholarships (and named scholarships than local private schools… but every school’s financial situation is different. You might not get it all, but you could get a good amount. Good luck!
My child received a merit scholarship at Williston-Northampton in MA. We also live in CT, and it’s only about a 1.5-2 hour drive depending on where in CT you are.
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Many private high schools reserve their financials aid dollars to meet their diversity goals. Boarding schools may have some merit dollars available but it is wildly competitive pool just for admission, let alone merit. Some of the same schools with merit, also consider international applicants so make sure have a solid local plan too. You make sure you understand the admissions process and study understand the SSAT. Your STAR tests will predict nothing about your scores in the SSAT which often requires quite a lot of study for the kind of scores you’ll need.
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@Rachel40 You sound like an amazing candidate who could add a lot to a school community!
Couple of things – you said “private school” so I could quite tell if you meant boarding and day. I will only have info on the boarding side of things, having had 3 daughters go through the admissions process over 3 years.
First – do not automatically discount getting FA at a boarding school with a 200k income. Boarding schools take into account cost of living, etc when they consider FA awards.
Second – there ARE boarding schools that offer merit scholarships. And there are some where you could get both FA and Merit to make for a very affordable option.
To find some BS who offer merit – you could start with a search on Boardingschool review.
Also, you can search here and see what schools have been mentioned here in this group.
From my own experience, I know that merit is offered at almost all the all-girl schools. For co-ed schools, I know Fountain Valley has a competitive scholarship that is full ride (and a half ride and quarter ride), Culver had some competitive merit options. Mercersburg (where we are now) offers merit, including I believe some full-ride or close to it. (MB is also known to be very generous on FA.). Loomis has a merit designation called “Loomis Scholar” which we were super excited to have gotten for my daughter but it turned out to have some minimal financial perks (like a free computer and a free summer program if I recall correctly); it was more about the mentoring and support she would have received on campus.
anyway, take a look on Boarding school review and do a search on merit scholarships and that can make a first list. AND – don’t overlook applying for need-based FA either.
Regarding SSATs – yes take them because if you knock it out of the park it’s all upside. But know that one of my daughters who didn’t take the SSATs at all got merit at every school who offered it when she applied.
Peddie has three merit scholarships that each have some spots open each year. Armellino, Annenberg, and Potter.
Armellino covers full tuition including room and board. You have to submit test scores. Annenberg covers full tuition except for room and board. Potter covers a little less than half the tuition. Since they just did a ton of fundraising this last year, they’ll probably be expanding it in some way.
If your SSAT scores are good enough, you might be in the running for the Armellino Award. Although I do understand students who also are athletes and/or artists usually receive the scholarships.
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