<p>For those of you that have been offered merit money, would you be willing to share with us how much your merit offer was and what your GPA/SAT/ACT was. Thanks and congrats!</p>
<p>For example, Merit $3,500 per year, SAT CR 600 M 600 W 600 or total 1800, weighted GPA 3.53</p>
<p>Full Ride (President’s Scholar): $54k per year</p>
<p>3.93 (unweighted)
weighted unknown
Sent in ACT Score: 36M, 33R+W, 28S</p>
<p>Merit: Provost (12K/yr), BBA Scholarship (5K/yr) total 17k/yr
GPA: 3.4
SAT: 770 M 730 CR 700 W total 2200</p>
<p>Merit Scholarships: Provost (12k), Sewell Meadow’s Arts (5k), + 6 grants that equals 40K per year</p>
<p>**offered another 10k in work study/loans but turned those down</p>
<p>GPA: 4.0
ACT: 31 (30s in everything, 36 in Reading)</p>
<p>Didn’t do as well as dtakeda92 but had better stats:
ACT 35 (Math 36, English 35), uw GPA 3.95.
Got Provost @ $12K per year, BBA Scholar @ $5K per year, no grants. Offered all kinds of Honors programs, but not enough money. Did better at other schools, so will be going elsewhere.</p>
<p>Merit Scholarships: Founders (15k) + Meadows (6k) = 21k/year
GPA: 3.94 unweighted
SAT: 680 M 700 CR 680 W (2060)</p>
<p>I’m really grateful for all the scholarship money I’ve gotten, but the cost of attending SMU is still very high… still waiting for possible financial aid. Congrats to all!</p>
<p>Provost (12K) + BBA Scholarship ($5K) = $17K
ACT: 33
GPA: 3.72 overall; 3.9 junior yr; 4.1 senior yr, 6 APs
Grateful, but still not sure about $32K per year vs. UNC in state ($16K per year)! Hard decision.</p>
<p>Provost (12K), Meadows (10K), Mustang (2,500) = 24,500 per year, for which we are VERY grateful!
GPA: 3.9
SAT: 680 (Math), 670 (Critical Reading), 740 (Writing) = 2090
4 APs.
Chose to leave time for Art and developing his portfolio, so only took 1 AP as soph, 2 as junior and 1 as senior. Several other Honors classes, though. Also took outside art classes at 2 other institutions.
Is definitely attending SMU and will be a Hilltop Scholar!</p>
<p>Provost (12K), Engineering (10K) = 22K per year.</p>
<p>GPA: UW-4.0; W-4.975 on a 4.0 scale
SAT: 2390 (one sitting)
ACT: 35 (one sitting)
9 APs.</p>
<p>We have discovered, through CC and friends, that, for some reason, SMU seemed to award their top Founder’s scholarships (15K) to holders of well-above-average stats, while offering the next level down (Provost’s-12K) to the very tippy-top scorers. The top departmental scholarships, on the other hand, seemed to go to the highest scorers. Just an observation based on an admittedly small sample.</p>
<p>We know stats aren’t everything – that’s just all the OP asked for. Like everybody else, my son had other qualifications as well.</p>
<p>While we ARE grateful for these generous offers, my son is declining his acceptance. He got more money from a lot of other schools on his list. For my kids, finances have always, by necessity, been a top priority when choosing a college. The only schools on their list are schools they can see themselves attending – and then after scholarships roll in, they choose between the “cheapest” in terms of Cost of Attendance.</p>
<p>This son’s choice did come with a significant amount of disappointment – mainly back in January and February, when we realized that his application would not garner their top scholarships. We were all very sad at our house for a few weeks. SMU was in his top 2 for the past two years, most frequently sitting at number 1. We were pretty sure that’s where he would end up. It seemed sadly ironic to us that the one place that most frequently held his top spot didn’t consider him a top contender! Oh well.</p>
<p>We now wonder, in retrospect, if the very top scholarships were not generally awarded to kids in his “bracket” because SMU doubted their intentions of attending. My son would have attended.</p>
<p>Either way, it’s SMU’s choice. They get to reward who they want to reward, and we have to respect their decisions. We’re no longer really sad about it, but we do still have some bad feelings whenever we discuss it. Can’t really explain that. It will surely subside with time.</p>
<p>newjersey, would you care to post your son’s merit scholarships and stats? I’m curious now! 
(The example was just that – an example … right?)</p>
<p>Just remember everyone, the scholarship process is need-blind and it’s all part of a holistic review of the applicant. Congrats to all on your scholarships!</p>
<p>^Not sure what warranted that reminder, johnangle. My family is aware that merit scholarships are need-blind. I get the impression that everybody on this thread is aware that these are merit awards, not need-based awards. But thanks.</p>
<p>SimpleLife:
Same situation. Cannot understand why others with lower posted stats received higher awards. I have a long list of community service, academic, and other awards, so quality of resume should not be the difference. I will also be going elsewhere even though SMU was a top choice for me. Maybe a Tufts Syndrome issue?</p>
<p>^Yeah. I actually noticed that about you, long ago, when you posted something on another thread. I noticed that you and my son were in the same boat. I really do wonder if SMU discounted those at the very top of the stats pile just a little bit, assuming that they would rather go elsewhere if accepted elsewhere. I hope that’s not the case, seeing that it’s kind of an unfair disadvantage to the very top academic students who love SMU. Like you, my son’s application was very well-rounded with all sorts of other accomplishements and service. Oh well. </p>
<p>I really do believe that my kids are entitled to nothing. Anything they get is gravy. And we’re grateful for what they bestow. Merit awards are completely at a school’s discretion, and they should be. They’re theirs to give. But, I will admit, at first we thought they made a mistake! :o Oh well. It will come out in the wash, and you and my son will be happy in whichever new “home” you choose. ;)</p>
<p>Wishing you the best of luck, Tiger! Great job on those stats, btw!!!
(Where have you decided to go?)</p>
<p>I feel as though I need to do some clarifications, especially to Tiger1992.</p>
<p>Clearly my stats are slightly lower than many people who replied on this threat. However, it is very marginal. I have read many articles that once you get to a certain point on the standardized testing and GPA, it really doesnt matter ie 1 or 2 points on the ACT, 50-100 points on the SAT, and <.1 GPA. GPA and the tests gets you past the initial reading for most colleges. </p>
<p>In addition, you can have a long list of awards and activities but they dont matter if the adcoms dont know what they are. For example, I’m a member of the National Forensic League, a debate institution, but it is most commonly mistaken for something medically related. My essays focused on my most significant accomplishments in order to make sure the adcoms understood how prestigious/time comsuming/competitiveness, etc the award was. </p>
<p>Moreover, I believe SMU does not have the Tufts Syndrome. SMU is not ranked high enough to do so. In fact, I know several current President’s Scholar and potential President’s Scholar who were accepted to the Ivy League and its’ equivalent. </p>
<p>Finally, SMU also probably has certain feeder schools for certain merid scholarships. For example, my school sends at least 1 President’s Scholar to SMU every year so my school is probably a target school. </p>
<p>I’m not trying to anger any of you or disparage on your achievements; I just felt that some clarifications were required.</p>
<p>^ I was going to say something along the same thing. I certainly didn’t get a full ride or anything but I did pretty well with great (but not incredible) stats. 31 is top 3% of the nation. Just because someone got a 32 doesn’t make the biggest difference between the two. And I agree about extras and clubs. Of course, stats get you to the level where you are considered for the scholarships, but a ton of things factor into the final process of whose going to get what (This comes from my college counselor who is familiar with the process). </p>
<p>Congrats to everyone on all of your merit awards! You should be so proud :)</p>
<p>I also think you have to pay attention to the type of scholarships being reported. Meadows scholarships are based not on SAT, ACT scores or GPA’s. They also don’t depend on a long list of ECs. They are based on talent as demonstrated through auditions or submitted portfolios – not measurable through standardized testing. As such, the evaluation of these talents may be somewhat subjective, but the evaluations are being made by professionals who are experienced at evaluating promise in a given field.</p>
<p>^Hi bubblemom! Congrats on your son’s great merit awards to SMU! It is an awesome school. He is going to LOVE it!</p>
<p>I think both Tiger and I were referring more to the Founder’s versus Provost’s awards, as opposed to the departmental awards.</p>
<p>The Founders’ is published on the website as being awarded to those with “an exceptionally strong academic background,” while the Provosts’ is published as being awarded to those with “a very strong academic background.” And so, my family was just a little surprised (and, admittedly, hurt), initially, that the awarded amounts that we’re personally familiar with did not exactly follow the published line. When I started hearing of others’ awards, like Tiger’s, a few others who posted, a few who PM’d me, and several at my son’s school, I began to notice that those we were familiar with who had truly exceptional academic records seemed to get the Provosts’, while the people we know who had very good, very strong, definitely-nothing-to-sneeze-at academic records got the Founders’. In no way do I mean to take away from those recipients. I am certain that they are all very deserving of their scholarships, because I am certain that SMU does a very thorough, very thoughtful job of awarding them. It’s a sensitive subject, I realize. It’s difficult to frankly mention my observation without sounding like I’m detracting from others’ well-deserved success. All of the stats here are very strong. All of the kids on this thread are very deserving of their scholarships.</p>
<p>( I have a son who’s a Meadows Scholar, btw. It has been an amazing experience for him! I know you must be really proud of your son for earning this very special award! )</p>