<p>Those of you still waiting, be sure to check your regular e-mail if you’re only looking at OSU email you might have already. I know it’s hard to wait - I have students every year who are holding their collective breath for weeks.</p>
<p>The awarding of these sometimes seems very random. But I work in a local educational office (Ohio) that serves several counties, and the students who get the scholarships live in Appalachian counties. The students who attend these same schools and do not live in the Appalachian county, but maybe literally a few hundred feet from the county line, never do. There is usually one per Appalachian high school here each year if someone qualifies and lives within the county line (not all schools have OSU applicants). </p>
<p><em>WITHIN</em> the Appalachian status and other factors, the students this year who I know of so far range from around a 3.8 (weighted) to a solid 4.0 (unweighted). The lower GPA is also a first generation student. All of these students have done either PSEO or AP (if offered, many don’t offer AP), heavily involved in the usual activities but not really “traditional” diversity activities because they aren’t offered here (the diversity comes from their Appalachian residence). All have ACT of 30 or above. The student from the little school was the only one to apply to OSU so no “competition” in a way.</p>
<p>In the neighboring counties which don’t have Appalachian status though often attend the same Appalachian school districts, there are rarely Morrills offered, and when they are it is to a minority student, inner city, or someone who has a very strong ethnic background with a lot of involvement and exposure to their heritage. Not saying that’s true every year and every place, but where I live and in the schools in which I work, that has been the case the past years. So if one isn’t a minority, Appalachian, far away out of state or doesn’t have a strong ethnic background, or isn’t involved in extreme diversity situations, chances are very slim. Sometimes I think students don’t understand this. The described requirements are a bit vague so tends to throw students off.</p>
<p>So that may give you an idea. I have an issue with the Appalachian part because so many of the students I deal with miss out on scholarships - not just this one - because they live across the street from the county line from have the same, and often worse, lack of opportunity and socioeconomics. But, that’s just the way it is. If you think about it, with the not-so-stringent base requirements to apply, a huge percentage of OSU applicants would qualify on those alone. I’ve worked with the school districts for many years; OSU isn’t really generous with aid at all unless you fit in a particular category. There is little aid for the excellent student who doesn’t happen to fit in those compartmentalized areas.</p>
<p>^that is true. D did receive the email at the account she used in the application rather than the OSU email she activated.</p>
<p>Thank you friedpasta for the information. So, at what point do we give up??? I am afraid that my SS is one of those ‘excellent’ students. He does ,however, fit into the appalachian category, but, both his father and I went to college (on our own dime !!!) He has a GPA of 3.9 and a 31 ACT and extremely active in athletics and the community… so go figure!!! I sure hope they don’t leave people just wondering for too long.</p>
<p>33 ACT Class rank 3/605, Valedictorian, Strong EEc activities, Good recommendation letters, 1460 SAT R+M.</p>
<p>hey don’t give up hope.some of these students still need to decide if they are attending osu at all.my son is there on a morrill scholarship from two years ago, and is doing well in chemical engineering.two years ago they did a mass e-mail for those who recieved it, and another to those who didn’t. some people were offended because the heading showed all the names.my daugther got the morril offer this year,but she also got the chancellor scholarship from wisconsin which is the same value.we are pressing her to make a decision after she visits both in early april so someone else at one of these schools can recieve one.maybe this is why people have,nt heard.keep the faith osu is probaly doing everything they can now</p>
<p>I got waitlisted for the scholarship. I was wondering if they waitlisted everyone or if they actually selected students for waitlisting.</p>
<p>i emailed in and ive been waitlisted but i never got it in the mail. Christ Gomez is in charge, and he said that those that have been waitlisted will find out by June 25 which is ridiculous because by then people will have chosen other schools.</p>
<p>I never got an email either, I called in yesterday to see if they were completely done handing them out and to ask about the waitlist. The guy tried to tell me they sent everyone an email but I never got one, so he sent me the email saying I didn’t get it but that I could email them of my intentions and be waitlisted. It looks like everyone who wants to can be waitlisted. This scholarship was very poorly handled in my opinion, from start to finish. You figure Ohio State would be able to run things a little bit smoother than this. But yea that is kinda late, but for me I’m going there regardless of whether or not I get the scholarship so I can only pray that I get it from waitlist, but its dountful seeing as my only credidentials are my strong academica background and Appalachian status.</p>
<p>I also wonder about the whole selection process for this one??? I do think ‘need’ comes into play. If your parents went to college, your chances seem to drop dramatically. Even if they don’t make alot of money. It doesn’t hurt if you have brothers or sisters. I suppose I should be glad that I got some $ from OSU because it doesn’t seem like they give much out.</p>
<p>My daughter did not receive the scholarship, and both parents did not go to college. They never even sent an email telling her she did not get it.
Sue</p>
<p>I think this scholarship is always handled poorly, the qualification requirements are too vague, and that waitlisting is just a way of getting students to commit that $100 acceptance fee in the desperate hope they might get the scholarship, and OSU still gets the money. OSU is purposely weeding out students who are selecting schools based on scholarship offers by waitlisting these students until so late.</p>
<p>I’ve always had a problem with how this is awarded. Where I live, at least one scholarship is awarded to each school (Appalachian) where they have an applicant (not all schools do). In most situations I’ve seen, with all applicants in a school being generally equal, the money has gone to the student who is first generation (there are very few minorities here if you don’t count Appalachian, and I don’t). In some schools, there is only one applicant and the award has gone to that student regardless of college parents (ex., this year in one small school the parents have masters degrees, last year the student’s parent was a school administrator).</p>
<p>One of the main issues I have with the Morrill is the lower requirements to keep it. I believe the GPA to keep this FULL tuition is 2.5. Yet a student who does not fit the “minority” categories for the Morrill and therefore can’t apply is required to keep a 3.2 for the measly $1000 -2000 merit award they get. This really bothers me; I think if one is going to be awarded full tuition, the standard should be a bit higher. Not all of those “Appalachian” schools are hurting in academics - the one down the road from me offers tons of AP courses in all grades and the students have access to 4 well-known universities for PSEO. They have more to offer their students than many of the surrounding counties not considered “Appalachian”.</p>
<p>Off my soapbox. 
It’s just that I work with so many excellent students who are left out in the cold due to random, vague requirements and awarding of these things. And I’m sorry to say that I’ve never seen anyone get off that waitlist. If you have good offers from other schools, go there. You will still get a great education and love college - it doesn’t have to be OSU.</p>
<p>I agree with the fact that first generation makes a difference. It seems income doesn’t even matter if the student is a ‘first gen’. And yes, the requirements to keep it should be much higher! I really don’t like how recipients are determined and I am not just saying that because my son didn’t get it.</p>
<p>Any advice on which OSU honors dorm is best for an engineering student…Lincoln or Taylor???</p>
<p>@ friedpasta</p>
<p>A deposit wasn’t needed before. I got the MSP and I just put my deposit in a couple days ago.
And as for minorities – for MSP almost everyone is a minority! ■■■■■
Seriously. If your poor, first gen, URM, from Moldova – It didn’t matter ! </p>
<p>Personally, I think that your just a tad bit bitter. If you got a full tution and ground out you only needed a 2.5 – you’d be elated =]</p>
<p>Not bitter! Just realistic. Cultural and socio-economic situations don’t suddenly switch at the county line for the students I serve in my educational multi-county area. I wish they would make the expectations more clear. I have never seen a student in one of my non-Appalachian counties receive this scholarship even if attending an Appalachian school district. That is my issue with it.</p>
<p>I’m sure that the students -and if I was one, me, too - think it’s great to “only” have to achieve a 2.5. But as an educator, I think it is unreasonable for that amount of tuition.</p>
<p>I agree the requirements should be stricter. Yes, if I had minimum requirements to receive full tuition it would be great,but even if I had gotten it I would prefer stricter requirements. A 2.5 is way too low, thats right near transfer requirements. With a school becoming more difficult to get into each year, you figure there would be good requirements across the board. And as to what fried had said, your $100 has to be in by I think May 1st. If they waitlist you, you don’f find out if you got the scholarship until late June, so therefore you are required to pay the acceptance fee just to see if there is a small chance that you got the scholarship.</p>