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I found out that they released WUE notifications last week. The selection criteria changed this year. It was awarded based on financial need and not merit (GPA), major, or application date. They were not transparent about the selection criteria on the website and this is significantly different from previous years.
Thank you for clarifying that! We were shocked that our D who has a 4.0 unweighted and 4.15 weighted was not awarded WUE. This makes more sense now. She did get a $10K scholarship so we are grateful for that piece.
Yes. One application to be considered for B&G and WUE. I understand now that WUE has passed they are moving to B&G and start announcing in March. I believe the value is up to $3k per year.
I went back and looked at the B&G / WUE application. There is a question that asks āHave you or do you plan to complete FAFSA?ā or something along those lines. In a very unscientific poll, it seems like those that answered āYesā were more likely to receive WUE and I assume B&G too? Regret not filling out the FAFSA. It seems like MSU was encouraging all students to complete regardless of need. Lesson learned.
Our son wasnāt awarded WUE & neither were the 3 other admitted freshman we know. While Iāve never found the information online, it does seem that WUE was āneed basedāā¦? B&G still say it will be April
Their out of state recruiting strategy is puzzling. I would have thought they might follow the Alabama approach by generously awarding the highest achieving out of state students to steadily bolster the average test scores and GPAās, raising their academic profile, yield, and rankings. MSU would become more peopleās top choice versus a safety or a last chance. As much as MSU and Bozeman are super appealing, paying more for MSU (ranked in the 200ās nationally) out-of-state versus other WUE, out-of-state colleges near mountains (ranked in the top 100) is hard to fathom. What am I missing? Maybe applications went through the roof this year with Covid? Maybe they donāt care because their primary focus is Montana?
More than half of our Montana HS that are college bound seem to be going to MSU. Big recruiting here. They even have a day at school where app fee to any state school is waived and they take time during that day to apply. DS and some of his friends got a priority application sometime last summer that waived the fee and I think he got his decision in a few days.
DS has been offered a couple scholarships and was sent letters asking him to apply for their big scholarships. They do a lot to attract in state achievers and make it hard to say no. If DS gets MUS scholarship he goes tuition free plus other scholarships. He is a top in state student (got this: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/psp/2022/candidates.pdf )
The honors college is the backup plan for many of his friends who are top students and some are taking it.
For in state, MSU is the top choice of the best students who stay (and a lot do). When I have seen the profiles of valedictorian students in local papers each year at least half are headed to MSU, often because of their engineering and Iām guessing $ too good to pass. DS wants out of state, but hasnāt closed the door on this, especially with a lot of his friends already going.
I think the Alabama route would be good for them, but in state seems priority.
Edit: I have noticed that a lot of the Presidential awards go to oos.
S22 Just got notified of 1,000 blue and gold, was really hoping for the 3,000 award, but Iāll take it. They added this to his 10,000 achievement award, so total of 11,000/year, which brings MS in line or slightly under UC. He didnāt submit for WUE on time and I was kicking myself so much, as his friend got the WUE and itās like 18,000/year. I am feeling a little better as it seems perhaps he wouldnāt have gotten WUE anyway as a 4.0 non-need based applicant.