“I will not give up on my dream”. School is a way to bigger goals/dreams.
As a high stat kid, go where you will get great merit and be a low cost - as NM you will have some wider options.
You can go to your ‘dream school’ as a graduate student, with a Graduate Assistant-ship and continued low cost.
What you may find is that you are going to be spending a lot of time and energy, and your end decision is going to be going where you will be able to finish a UG degree within the budget.
Be sure to explore well the many options you will have.
You have been a bit brainwashed on the UG rankings and prestige factor.
@SOSConcern I have no plans to go to grad school at this time. Also, my dream school is not an ivy or the most highly ranked school. It is a school that is a very good fit for me. The academics are strong but honestly it’s not that prestigious at all. Not all high school students are aiming for prestige in their college choices. I’m not sure why everyone is so quick to assume that.
Why not answer the questions that are put to you? That will pretty much eliminate the assumptions being made.
(1) Which state are you from (state flagship)?
(2) What are you “reach” schools (list the schools you have applied to)?
(3) What is your major?
(4) **How much are your parents willing to pay each year, what is their combine their income and the reason why they are unwilling to contribute much towards your college cost? /b What are your parents views on your college choices? Do they think you should attend more affordable schools or commute to an institution close to your home?
It doesn’t matter if you’re aiming for prestige or not, or whether the academics are strong or not, or whether the school is “a fit” for you or not, if you can’t afford it in the first place.
We have found scholarshipamerica.org to be helpful in sorting through outside scholarships. Also, check with your school counselor if you have not done so, ours was helpful in pointing us to scholarships that prior students have been successful in.
@Jamrock411 My original question was to ask the group if they are aware of merit scholarships similar to the Coca Cola scholarship where financial need is not a requirement to apply. I have put together a list of some that I have gathered from this site and some kind posters have private messaged me a few. I already have applied to very good schools that I will receive full tuition and a couple that will be full ride. Since I have plenty of time I will try for some merit scholarships to have the opportunity to attend some schools on my list that do not offer merit aid.
Answering the question of what my parents feel about my college choices or how much they will contribute does nothing to help me locate merit scholarships. It only adds to negative opinions which I will not feed into.
@CourtneyThurston I agree, that’s why I am working to afford it. And my research over the past week is showing some promising results.
If your volunteering also involves leadership, maybe look at schools that offer Stamps scholarships? They are highly selective (generally a handful are offered per school) but your stats look competitive. The requirements vary for each school (for example, some are limited to in state residency). In many cases, no separate application is needed. You can click on each school for more information.
We have a family friend who got one for USC. He was a National Merit Scholar.
Regarding your initial question, outside merit-based scholarships tend to be small in value and limited to your first year. Not a great return on investment, IMO.
Be sure to report back in May when your work to afford college through merit scholarships for 4 years of costs is complete so that you can help future posters with a list including name of scholarship, amount, and number of years awarded.
@OHMomof2 No, the reaches I am looking at offer no merit scholarships, only financial aid. But I have already applied to a few of the type of schools you are referring to. I am not looking for new schools to apply to. I have a great list already and have submitted apps last month. Some schools have offered full tuition or full ride already and a good number I’m just waiting to hear back from but are very promising as I spoke to many of the admission reps when I interviewed or visited the schools.
Check out the national associations for your major as many offer scholarships. Not sure if you are male or female, but if you are female there are many STEM scholarships for women.
You could do an advanced science project and enter the NJSH competition. There are regional competitions and if you place first, second, or third there is a scholarship. If you place first or second you compete at the national level for even bigger scholarships that you can divide up over four years. My daughter learned about it at the beginning of her senior year and managed to win a regional prize, though she did not place at the nationals. It is not impossible to do this, though at this point in the year it would take a lot of hard work.