<p>Do the chances of getting a scholarship affected by an in-state or out-of-state status?</p>
<p>What do colleges usually look for in students when deciding who gets the full tuition/full ride or the high scholarships, like GPA, rank, SATs, extracurriculars, college essay?</p>
<p>Who gives out the best merit aid, public or private colleges?</p>
<p>Applying to lower level colleges (those with average SAT/GPA scores) will increase chances of getting scholarships, especially with 2000+ SATs and high GPA/rank, right?</p>
<p>Generalizing along such broad categories is not terribly helpful, but I would probably say that public schools tend to give slightly better merit aid for two reasons:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Even for OOS students, the overall price tag is usually lower at public schools. So, scholarships don’t need to be as large in order to reduce the price to acceptable levels.</p></li>
<li><p>Merit aid is generally most prevalent at somewhat less-selective institutions. Even a less-selective public will probably have some high-achieving students who choose to attend because of low in-state costs. As such, the less-selective public is more likely to offer a motivated peer group than the less-selective private.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>The criteria for scholarships vary too wildly to even attempt a generalization. Some are based on clearly defined characteristics, and some of these are even guaranteed. Others are dependent on showing leadership, character, or superstar-level promise in some area.</p>
<p>At public schools, in-state students are usually at an advantage if only because they don’t have to earn as much in scholarships to cover their lower price tag.</p>
<p>We can provide more specific advice if you post the following:</p>
<p>*How much can you afford to pay?
What state do you live in?
What is your unweighted GPA?
What kind of courses have you taken?
What are your test scores?
What do you want to study?
What region do you want to be in?
What size school appeals to you?
What other characteristics are you looking for?
*</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply and I did not mean to generalize, I just did not know what to ask </p>
<p>Well, I live in New Jersey and I probably want to go to a public college in NJ, PA, or NY.
GPA: 3.9/4.0 UW
Class Rank: 3/408
Current SAT: 2030 (630 CR, 680 M, 720 W) (will take again in October)
I have mediocre EC’s.
I want to be a Bio Major in the pre-med track.</p>
<p>Okay, here are some possibilities:</p>
<p>Rutgers
Total cost w/out aid: ~$23,500 per year
[Rutgers</a> | Rutgers Admissions](<a href=“http://admissions.rutgers.edu/Costs/Scholarships/FirstYearScholarships.aspx]Rutgers”>http://admissions.rutgers.edu/Costs/Scholarships/FirstYearScholarships.aspx)</p>
<p>TCNJ
Total cost w/out aid: ~$23,000 per year
[Freshmen</a> Merit Scholarships :: The College of New Jersey](<a href=“http://www.tcnj.edu/~admiss/freshmen/merit-in.html]Freshmen”>The College of New Jersey | Undergraduate Admissions)</p>
<p>SUNY Buffalo
Total cost w/out aid: ~$25,500 per year
[UB</a> Undergraduate Admissions: Costs, Scholarships and Aid - Scholarships - Merit Scholarships](<a href=“http://admissions.buffalo.edu/costs/meritscholarships.php]UB”>http://admissions.buffalo.edu/costs/meritscholarships.php)</p>
<p>SUNY Stony Brook
Total cost w/out aid: ~$25,000 per year
[Stony</a> Brook University](<a href=“http://www.stonybrook.edu/finaid/programs/freshmanmeritbasedscholarships.shtml]Stony”>http://www.stonybrook.edu/finaid/programs/freshmanmeritbasedscholarships.shtml)</p>