Scholarships for ACT Scores

Are there any colleges that give money for ACT scores over 31?

Depends…what is your GPA?

@thumper1 3.8 unweighted and weighted 98 average

You’d get full tuition scholarships at Temple and Alabama is you get it up to a 32.

@slhslhslh5 - that’s a weird way to report GPA. Does your school use 4 point scale for UW and averages for Weighted? 98% seems to me to be equivalent to a 3.8 (ish).

Check out Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Mississippi, West Va., Texas Tech, Kentucky, Miami of Ohio, Florida International, South Florida, Alabama, Oklahoma.

Ohio University’s Gateway program awards scholarships based upon ACT scores with a B average. S1 actually received more money from them than he received in-state, but the in-state money went further with West Virginia’s extremely reasonable tuition rates.

31+ / 3.8 is a good combo for Merit scholarships. I suggest to check the Miami (OH) and Case Western. There were highest offers for my D. (33/4.0uw). Other publics in OH / MI that she applied did not offer much while all of them offered some Merits

Incase anyone reading this thread is getting totally disillusioned because they would be thrilled if their student got a high twenty something score, know that you are with 90% of the population. 28 and above puts you in the top 10% of test takers.

I get the merit implications and frustration that it didn’t go up for the OP, but in general, let’s quit adding to the pressure on these kids by not recognizing that these scores are in deed great scores.

Percent of all test takers that get these scores from the list in the link below

34-36 less than 1%
33 top 1.06% of test takers
32 top 2% of test takers
31 top 3 of test takers
30 top 5% of test takers
29 top 7 % of test takers
28 top 10% of test takers

http://blog.prepscholar.com/how-many-people-get-a-34-35-36-on-the-act-score-breakdown

http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/

It is true that a score in the mid to high 20s is a very good score.

And there are some state schools that will even give merit for those scores, too.

I get what you’re saying about the pressure of retaking tests, etc. But the fact is, some kids need money for college, and some colleges, mostly public, I think, are giving money for higher test scores. Retaking a test could make a difference between going away to college, or not, for some.

One reason there aren’t too many high scores is because most people only take the test once or twice. My nephew had trouble with timing, and the first time he took the ACT he made a 24. On his eighth and final time he made a 34.

I mentioned this on another thread, but the Ole Miss Academic Excellence Award is based on the highest ACT score on a test taken prior to enrollment. So even though you have been accepted you can still take the test the June before your August arrival on campus, and if you get a higher ACT score your scholarship increases.

As to the OPs question, Ole Miss and Alabama are two very good ACT schools. I’m sure there are more, particularly if “over 31” does indeed mean 32 or higher. A number of schools have competitive merit aid at this level, but at Ole Miss and Alabama it’s automatic; you just stick out your hand and say, “Gimme the money.”

Eight times? Paying and taking the ACT eight times seems excessive… unless the first four times were during the middle school years.

I can’t say if we had a good plan but my D took the ACT first time summer after freshman year to apply to a selective HS then once per semester starting second semester sophomore year. That will total five if we go through senior year. Progressed from 29 to 33 through three attempts. I don’t remember middle score but I think it was 31. Once per semester hasn’t been a bad schedule for us.

LSU Honors College is our safety and to OP, they offer automatic money based on ACT and GPA but for out of state, the minimum is higher than Bama and OU. As an LSU grad, I wish they matched Bama to compete for top out of state students. At 33, out of state students get a substantial portion of tuition automatically and a chance to compete for a full ride. I was also impressed with the LSU Honors College and wish it had been in place 25 years ago. Seminar classes for underclassmen and a senior thesis.

If it takes 8 times to qualify for automatic merit scholarships, then it’s a good investment. Many families can’t afford to send their children away to school without them.

hey - read through this thread. it talks about where kids were accepted - but also lots of notes about the scholarships that were offered.

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1763910-where-did-your-30-to-31-act-kid-get-in-p1.html

My S just made a 34 composite score and we are trying to figure out if he should take it again. Haven’t gotten the essay score yet.

Does OU or Texas A&M give good scholarships for out of state students with ACT 34 scores?

Tgirlfriend…I think most people would say a 34 is good enough to give you a good shot anywhere, and lots of colleges , private and public, will give merit aid for that, as long as it comes with a decent GPA as well. The AMOUNT of aid will vary significantly, so it’s really good to check out each school individually. Here’s Oklahoma’s page:
http://www.ou.edu/content/dam/recruitment/scholarships/ScholDescription_15.16_nonres.pdf

Also, with a 34, some state schools(e.g., Florida State, Texas Tech) would allow you to pay the in-state rate, AND give you some extra money.