I’m beginning my senior year of high school and need to assess my chances of receiving substantial merit awards from out of state institutions, public or private. I am in the top 3% in my class, a resident of CT, and have a 4.4 weighted GPA with an SAT of 1320. I will attend almost any 4-year institution which academically challenges me. I am significantly involved in extracurriculars and leadership roles and am one of the top-performing history students my high school has seen. My APUSH teacher will write a great recommendation complimenting my performance. I’m not retaking the SAT, I want to focus on AP’s next year rather than bumping up that score.
Some obstacles in my college search have been finding schools which will offer merit with my somewhat low SAT score. I’m planning on zero federal financial aid as I come from a middle class white family with a fairly large annual income (of which I will see little of when paying for college). I’ve considered test-optional schools if it might increase chances of receiving merit. So far, I know that Truman State in Missouri will offer me more money than UCONN based on automatic scholarships. I’m wondering if there are any other colleges out there which will challenge me academically and permit me to graduate debt free while working part-time. Thank you!
A student can get need-based aid or merit aid. You are focusing on merit aid. You might consider Miami of Ohio. Here’s a simple chart that shows the range of aid you might receive there.
I think this chart suggests that you might want to reconsider the decision not to retake the SAT, or to take the ACT. You can prepare pretty well for it with a limited amount of study in guides that are readily available. It doesn’t have to interfere with your AP classes. You note, “Some obstacles in my college search have been finding schools which will offer merit with my somewhat low SAT score.” This is something you can control. Why not give it one more shot?
Public universities offer little merit aid for OOS students. The University of Alabama has become well-known as an exception but requires high stats (which also argues for retaking the SAT). I’ve seen on CC that Alabama-Huntsville also offers merit aid, though I can’t vouch for that. Huntsville is home to NASA facilities and is a nice town. But in general, you’d be looking at private schools, like Denison, Kalamazoo, College of Wooster, etc., which often give significant merit aid but can still be pretty expensive.
You might also look at need-based aid. From what you say, you might not be in line for this, and/or may not receive enough aid to cover what your family is not paying. However, you can google schools that meet full financial need. These include most of the wealthiest, most competitive schools (Williams, Amherst, Harvard, Yale, Penn) but also some that are more accessible: Beloit, Clark University (MA), Berea, Holy Cross, Denison, Earlham, Franklin and Marshall, Gettysburg, Grinnell, etc. Good luck!
Some schools don’t have automatic scholarships, but you may still be pretty competitive for full tuition or full ride scholarships. Generally, you’re going to want to focus on places where you are in the top 10-25% of applicants.
For example, Oglethorpe University (a small liberal arts college in Atlanta) offers the James Edward Oglethorpe scholarship, which is anywhere from $17,000 to full tuition.
If you’re a young woman, Agnes Scott College (a small women’s LAC in Decatur, which is right outside of Atlanta) offers a number of large scholarships. A 1320 would make you competitive for those.
Furman University, a small LAC in South Carolina, offers big merit scholarships too. Their top scholarship is a bit of a long shot (they say generally selected students have a 1500+) but they have a smaller scholarship that’s $35K per year.
Thank you for all your replies! Will certainly reconsider not retaking SAT. I’ve definitely been concentrating my efforts at apply to schools where I would be in the top of the applicant pool to increase any possible scholarship opportunities.
Went on a tour of UConn in July. Can’t believe the changes since I was there last (took some classes back in the 80s). Love the new dorms and the downtown area close to campus. Far cry from what it used to be!