<p>I am a HS junior and have a 4.0 in all AP and honors classes. I am a year ahead in math and will take Calc II and II at a local community college. I am also a 4 year varisty wrestling starter and will be captain next year. I have thousands of volunteer hours at my synagogue and hold a leadership role in the youth group. I play guitar and won a scholarship to go to Wisconson for a music symposium next month. I live in NJ. </p>
<p>What SAT score will I need to receive at least a 3/4 tuition scholarship?</p>
<p>That’s not like a thing…
You can apply for the merit-based scholarships, which are full tuition, if you can write well, you’ve definitely got a shot at them.
Also, there is a full scholarship for community service you can apply to, and with 1000 hours, you’d probably be competitive in that too.
Finally, the third merit scholarship is $5000 for all national merit finalists, which is based on your psat, not your sat.
Most of the financial aid is need-based, and that all depends on your family’s income, which can range from full cost to nothing.</p>
<p>There is no particular scholarship for getting a good SAT score.</p>
<p>Finally, “being a year ahead in math and will take Calc II and II (I assume you mean III) at a local community college” is not a big deal, you will find that a huge number of students have taken Calc BC (which is calc I and II), many of them their junior year. Focus on your music, your service, and your sports for your essays, your academics certainly will make the cut for Vanderbilt but don’t make you stand out in any way at all.</p>
<p>Although it is true that the above figures were listed as “scores required for further consideration” for merit scholarships…on past web pages, please note that for at least the last 2 years, a 34 ACT is not even in the top quartile of matriculated students at Vanderbilt.<br>
That means that a fourth of the 1600 people in your class, if you are admitted had above a 34. That is tall cotton to be competing with for attention. Most admitted students also have talent, work ethic and a history of contributing to their schools, teams and communities.<br>
Obviously, selection for merit dollars has a great deal to do with other measures of your potential and is difficult to predict.<br>
Nevertheless, I would say by all means apply to all of the merit scholarships, be diligent in your essays and thought processes when doing so, and secure references from people who are articulate about you.
And most important…do not count on Vanderbilt at all re merit. Apply for merit…if that is your goal at two or three other institutions, give it your A game, and make sure to apply for merit at a less selective institution as well as at Vanderbilt…develop match schools that are wonderful where you feel you are a financial safety and an admission safety …this is tricky. But you must devote yourself to your match college. </p>
<p>Vandy is no longer a match college for anyone but very very unusual people. Vandy’s merit scholarships are going to people cross admitted to top colleges. There are people on the waiting list with better “stats” than my son’s who is a rising sophomore at Vandy now. There are people waitlisted who would have been admitted just two or three years ago for sure. Vanderbilt’s selectivity is closer to Duke’s now…I think 16% overall is very comparable to many highly selective colleges but it is only 13 percent in RD season when most merit scholars are in the pool. </p>
<p>Can’t emphasize enough the importance of loving your match colleges. Both of my sons were “surprised” with their final college choices…and didn’t count their eggs before they hatched. They would have been very happy at their match colleges, but we live in VA and the state schools are mighty good. Make sure to select great match schools then put your absolute heart into reach colleges and merit efforts.</p>
<p>Be good at telling your own story. Vandy is definitely open to kids from all over and wants to be a place where all sorts of people come together to learn. Everyone has a story…put yourself on paper beautifully.<br>
ps if your parents have an EFC that is affordable (we didn’t)…you may be in the majority…of students at Vandy who enjoy stellar need aid based on Vandy’s assessment of your fair share to pay…so get your FAFSA and CSS profile done and have that family conference about how much you can pay. You don’t need merit aid if you are in that group of people who have a reasonable EFC within your grasp to pay.
Lastly…vandy gives out smaller merit awards not listed in their top merit categories…these are usually surprises…you won’t know unless you put out the effort…so work on those essays.</p>
<p>There are no statistics that guarantee any sort of merit scholarship at Vanderbilt except for the $5000/year you get if you are a National Merit Finalist. And competition for scholarships is much much much tougher than competition for admission.</p>
<p>Don’t want to scare you, but not only is it difficult to get merit money at Vandy, it cannot be considered a match/safety for anyone. Both my son and his friend were waitlisted at Vanderbilt. My son’s friend is a valedictorian, 4.0 unweighted, 4.5 weighted, National Merit Finalist, Eagle Scout, athlete, many ECs and volunteer hours. He was waitlisted at Vanderbilt. He will be attending Princeton.</p>
<p>boomie, lovely news for your son’s friend and a very good example of super qualified kids put on the waitlist…I am sure your son is also fabulous and imagine he is also in a fine college…people just have to get realistic and ready for weird outcomes…and realize how odd and arbitrary things become when you have near 20 thousand applicants at Vandy and any other school with that many applicants who want a school like Vandy that offers very good financial need aid…that is a big draw alone when loans are no longer in the package for need students</p>