<p>We took our son to visit both East Lansing and Ann Arbor this spring. While clearly apples and oranges, I've read a lot on CC about the dearth of FA for OOS applicants to UMich. Does the same apply for MSU - or more so? My son has pretty good numbers and a focused interest. Is MSU more aggressive in FA, especially merit-based, for high-achieving OOS kids than UMich? Some of his numbers:</p>
<p>ACT: 34 (twice - Illinois makes you take it again w/o writing as their statewide test), incl. a 36 math
SAT: 2230 (740 R, 710 M, 780 CW)
don't have AP scores yet but took Calc AB (taught it to himself), Psych, Eng. Lang & Japanese
PSAT: 219; incl. an 80 on the math section
GPA: 3.8 uw/4.4 w
very rigorous courseload - took every honors or AP option available for all classes at our large (3200 students), competitive public HS
plenty of art/digital design classes
will graduate having taken 10 APs
will graduate with Calc 3 & 4 yrs of Japanese (& Japanese honors)
won scholarship for summer Japan school trip
focus: computer science, emphasis on game design; designed first games @ 11, will have multiple available (free) on iTunes App Store - playable in English and Japanese
demographics: white male, family income bracket 100-150k
extra curr: 2 yrs cross country, psych club, in alt. band (writes own songs), founded game design club (also teach assistant for game design class)</p>
<p>He liked the Honors College - otherwise he probably wouldn't apply to MSU v. UMich. Also applying to UIllinois, UTexas, Rice, Maryland, Dartmouth, Brown, Cornell & Penn (his dream school). He knows the math SAT is low but he doesn't have time to retake and also take the 3 SAT subject tests; hopes his ACT numbers and good SAT II numbers will compensate, since he wants CS.</p>
<p>But $$ is obviously a concern; we know that Ivies & most upper tier privates often beat the net cost for state flagships - but the game design concentration at MSU, and emphasis on intl. study are interesting. If it comes down to it the FA could make a real difference.</p>
<p>MSU out-of-state merit aid is actually quite generous (I speak from experience, being an out-of-state student who enrolled at MSU in 2008) particularly through the honors college if you meet their standards. check it out here [Scholarships</a> for Incoming Freshmen](<a href=“http://honorscollege.msu.edu/scholarships/incoming_freshmen.html]Scholarships”>http://honorscollege.msu.edu/scholarships/incoming_freshmen.html)
Your son’s stats (as long as he is ranked in the top 5% of his class/is unranked) look like they will qualify him for the professorial assistantship ($2500/year stipend for research with a professor) and the out-of-state tuition grant that equalizes your tuition paid to in-state rates (worth about $18,000/year), as well as the $5000 study abroad scholarship given for out-of-state students. Your son would receive full consideration for these scholarships if he applies to MSU before November 1st. </p>
<p>There are also other scholarships your son can qualify for: one is the alumni distinguished scholarship from the competition held every february ([Academic</a> Merit Scholarships | Michigan State University Office of Admissions](<a href=“http://www.admissions.msu.edu/finances/scholarships_merit.asp]Academic”>http://www.admissions.msu.edu/finances/scholarships_merit.asp)) that your son would be invited to participate in (you can receive up to a full tuition/room/board/fees scholarship through this, although ~one in ten participants actually receive a scholarship from the competition). Also, MSU may also consider your son for a “collegiate scholarship” given at MSU’s discretion (I received one for 2K/year on top of the guaranteed honors college stuff).</p>
<p>they have alumni distinguished scholarships and university distinguished scholarships, which are full tuition, room, board, and a stipend. </p>
<p>the website says regarding this year’s scholarship winners: </p>
<p>"The students’ average high school grade point average is approximately 4.2. The average ACT score is 35 (out of 36) and the average SAT score (critical reading plus math, only) is 1520 (out of 1600).</p>
<p>Alumni Distinguished Scholars were selected from more than 1,100 of the top high school seniors who applied to MSU and took an intensive general knowledge exam. They were then selected by a committee composed of faculty and administrators based on the results of the exam, high school programs and achievements, other standardized test scores and interviews with the finalists.</p>
<p>University Distinguished Scholars were chosen from an MSU applicant pool based on academic records, accomplishments and interviews with the finalists. Students were selected by the director of admissions and dean of the Honors College on the basis of their high school programs, achievements and standardized test scores."</p>
<p>Personally, I received a lot of money from MSU, and almost nothing from U of M. If you were wondering, I had similar stats to your son.</p>
<p>Actually, fa-la-la-lena, he’s not even in the top 10% - yet. He will be by the time he applies, except to MSU and UMich, where he’s applying November 1st; MSU for greatest scholarship eligibility (they told us when we visited) and UMich EA - why not.</p>
<p>Our expectation is what kiwifruit said and what others on CC have commented; while there is some FA for OOS kids at UMich, don’t get your hopes up. He definitely likes UMich better but is aware of the financial situation. Hopefully he’ll get into one of the Ivies he’s applying to (Green, Brown, Red and Red/Blue) or Rice, all of which show great recent history in FA, nearly all more affordable than the flagship publics, and he won’t have to choose between MSU and UIllinois (his safety - but he really doesn’t want to go in-state).</p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback; we need as many data points as we can get at this stage of the game.</p>