<p>My daughter was accepted and received a $10,000 Presidential Scholarship. Her ACT was 33 and her GPA was 3.89 unweighted and 4.31 weighted - all accelerated and AP classes. The Presidential Scholarship amounts I am seeing on this board are much higher than what she received. Does anyone know what determines the amount?</p>
<p>NewJerseyMom, I am not sure how they decide. My son got accepted with a $15,000 Presidential Scholarship. Looked at the site but it didn’t give particular criteria as to how they choose the amounts.</p>
<p>hmm…that is strange. i’m also from nj, ACT of 32, GPA of 3.7-8 unweighted, and all honors and AP classes too. but i got $15k. maybe ec’s and community service could be factors. i do have a decent amount of them.</p>
<p>i also got the presidential scholarship for 10,000 dollars.
2020 sat 3.9 gpa unweighted</p>
<p>or it could be decided on if they think you’re going to attend or not. i’ve noticed that a lot of the bigger scholarships are awarded to those with somewhat mediocre stats. they’re probably trying make it look more appealing so they’d attend.</p>
<p>We’re feeling pretty bummed because my daughter was offered nothing at all, and there’s no way we can afford it now. And her stats were pretty good – 34 ACT, 4.00, lots of APs and ECs. She really likes GW, so it will hurt to tell her she can’t go.</p>
<p>Esthetique, that really makes no sense at all. Why would they entice mediocre students with big scholarships?</p>
<p>I got the $15000 with a 2230 SAT, 4.42w GPA, 33 SAT, and pretty decent ECs.</p>
<p>gwu probably knows that those with lower stats will most likely attend and those with higher stats probably will get into better colleges and then refuse their admission. so they’re probably offering those they know who’ll most likely attend more money. and those who aren’t less because otherwise it’d be a waste? sorry if that’s a bad explanation…</p>
<p>$10k here, I slightly agree with esthetique. Right now, I checked and GWU still doesn’t have my FAFSA or CSS profile…agh, I guess I should resubmit? Or, wait on the other privates?</p>
<p>Um, I don’t know. I got the Board of Trustees scholarship for 25K, and I have a 4.0 unweighted, 2050 SAT, and tons of ecs. I’d say my stats are pretty decent.</p>
<p>Esthetique, I think that GW wait-lists or rejects students that they don’t think are genuinely interested in attending. This protects their “yield.” But if they have admitted them, they do have an interest in attracting the top students to enroll. </p>
<p>As with all of these decisions, there are probably some factors that the committees take into consideration that we aren’t aware of or can’t compare in an apples-to-applies fashion (in other words, it’s not just grades and test scores).</p>
<p>I’ve been, as a parent, on both sides of the “I don’t get it” reaction–kid getting scholarship while others who seemed “more qualified” didn’t, and vice-versa, so I’m convinced there is just something at work that we don’t know about.</p>
<p>This being said, it should also be noted that GW (and other schools) have two kinds of merit scholarships. The merit scholarships for students with need, such as the “Board of Trustees” scholarship and various other named scholarships (look at the list on the website–it’s really long) may be in very large amounts. The merit scholarships awarded to applicants who do not qualify for need-based aid seem to be offered in amounts in the $10-$15 K range, although, again, I don’t think we know why someone gets one amount or another.</p>
<p>I got the $15K one. 1920 SAT; 3.75 GPA (Un-weighted); really, really good ECs with lots of leadership. I’d say I’m pretty qualified.</p>
<p>Sent from my SPH-D700 using CC App</p>
<p>Sent from my SPH-D700 using CC App</p>
<p>I am guessing DD will not receive need based aid based on the type of merit she received.</p>
<p>anyone apply to the BS/MD program? Have decisions come out yet?</p>
<p>Guh, I hope that getting a merit scholarship doesn’t disqualify me from any need-based. I kind of still need money in order to go.</p>
<p>I think it should also be noted that the presidential scholarships are for those without financial need, board of trustees combines merit and demonstrated need. that may be why people with worse (for lack of a better word) stats get a higher scholarship than somebody with stellar stats.</p>
<p>if the amount of aid offered is really an issue, so much so that it completely rules GW out, there’s no harm in calling into the financial aid office and seeing what other options there are or if there is anything more they can offer you. one of my close friends sisters did that with another school and they were able to work something out so that she could afford it.</p>
<p>^ My EFC is like 20k and I got a 15k Presidential Scholarship, does that mean that they won’t give me any need-based aid?</p>
<p>Maybe loans?</p>
<p>Did anyone get a Presidential Scholarship who did not apply for financial aid?</p>
<p>I noticed in the Common Data Set that a significant fraction (I’m recalling about 1/4) of the students who applied for financial aid were determined to have “no need.” Which would make these students eligible for “no need” scholarships, which certainly helps if you thought you’d be getting need-based aid.</p>
<p>But I’m wondering if only people in this category–applied for need-based aid and didn’t get it–wind up with the “no-need” merit scholarships, or if some students who didn’t apply for aid (because they knew they wouldn’t qualify) are awarded them as well.</p>