Any experience with this Scholarship Reception for senior students? My son’s (student) invitation states that attendance is mandatory and that his donor will be in attendance (like all other scholarship receptions in the past), but my (parent) invitation states that “Texas A&M Scholarships and Financial Aid would like to recognize [my] student and [his] accomplishments.” He graduates 6 weeks after the reception, so I highly doubt he’ll be awarded with any more undergraduate scholarships. But, if funding comes through, he will likely stay on for graduate school.
What has your experience been? Has my son been invited in recognition for past scholarships that have already been distributed over the past 4 years, so that he can thank his donors again and celebrate his past successes? Are ALL past scholarship recipients who are current seniors required to attend? Or could his invitation to this particular reception possibly be for graduate school scholarships?? (You know what I’m hoping for, right?)
I’m going to be no help, but it sounds like congrats are in order for “something”. Fingers crossed for a National Award of some kind! My daughter is only a junior, so I hope I get such a notice next year. I didn’t know there was a Spring reception for Seniors. My D’s been to the Fall reception, but her donor never shows so she feels awkward going.
^ Hahaa. @Debbie7452. Thanks for your vote of confidence!
Anyway, I couldn’t take it anymore and decided to call Scholarships and Financial Aid this morning to ask. (You see, I have another obligation and can’t make the reception … but if it were for something big and unexpected, I would do everything I could to drop my other obligations. You know how it is!)
Turns out, this reception serves the same purpose as the others. It’s to recognize the kids for the scholarships they’ve already received for the current year and it allows the kids to meet their donors. I find that odd because my son already went to the Fall reception. Why so many receptions? Haha! Not that we’re not totally grateful for all scholarships received. Attending a few receptions is the least my son can do as a token of his appreciation!
(Like your D’s donors, my S’s donors don’t always show up.)
Thanks for being the one brave soul who dared to respond to my question! I’ve noticed that as my kids and I get more and more experienced with their schools, fewer and fewer people can answer our questions. I guess that’s to be expected. With a lot of experience, one tends to have fewer questions, and the remaining questions one does have tend to be harder to answer! Wah.
Just guessing, but would he be in the running for the Gathright Scholar ? That one I believe is announced parent’s weekend ( April 17) - top sophomore, junior and senior. It is by college, then overall.
I was also told that there is normally a reception prior to graduation for honors kids - so you’ll have another one to attend before graduation. My son says the food is usually pretty good at the receptions & his donor has never showed either (OOS donor) so he just enjoys the free meal every year
Oh, wow, @AGmomx2! I had never heard of that one! I looked it up. It’s awarded by the Association of Former Students. Interesting. Yes, he would be a contender for that. But the info I just saw says that it’s given at the Parents’ Weekend All-University Awards Ceremony. The Spring Scholarship Reception is on a different weekend. Good to know about the Gathright, though! And it’s also good to know that there’s at least one other weekend that I should try to keep open, just in case! Thank you for sharing!
There’s also two awards given at graduation itself. Brown Foundation-Earl Rudder Memorial Outstanding Student Award (two winners) & Robert M Gates-Muller Family Outstanding student award (one winner). The nominees compete within their colleges first, then those winners are listed at graduation & the students selected are surprised at their graduation ceremony with the announcement of the winners. I know one comes with a monetary award … can’t remember if both did. If you are a candidate for one of them (not sure about both) you’ll be asked to fill out a form prior to graduation.
My youngest is a contender as a junior for Gathright Scholar - he doesn’t think he’d win though,competition is brutal. My graduated senior was nominated within her college for one of the others but didn’t win within her college to move on to the next round. She was pretty excited to be nominated.
I’ve noticed that as my kids and I get more and more experienced with their schools, fewer and fewer people can answer our questions. I guess that’s to be expected. With a lot of experience, one tends to have fewer questions, and the remaining questions one does have tend to be harder to answer! Wah.