<p>^10% isn’t even close. 5% is typically the maximum for “sustainable” spending, and some schools (e.g. Swarthmore, which is historically conservative wrt endowment) aim for 4%.</p>
<p>One of my good friends at Swarthmore, a fellow first-year, was offered STRIDE (I think, can’t remember whether it was 15k or 20k) at Smith. Prospective engineer with strong math/sci background, val, diversity-related ECs (though she’s East Asian, hard to figure out whether that’s treated as ORM or URM at LACs), moderate financial need (Smith was cheaper than Swat, but not full-pay). I think, overall, that STRIDE hits the sweet spot one tier below HYPS admission.</p>
<p>I am a STRIDE, and I was led to believe that it is given to the top 50 applicants based on GPA. Both my roommate and I are STRIDE. I submitted my test scores and my roommate did not. In late spring all STRIDEs are sent a list of possible projects (with descriptions), from which they must choose their top six projects.<br>
STRIDE was the reason I came to Smith. Originally, I wanted to go to Wellesley, but I was not offered any financial aid. I am so glad I chose Smith.</p>
<p>I think the STRIDE admittees comprise less than 10 percent; the “10 percent” number buried below was speculation about how much of a college’s endowment could be spent each year (and to be sustainable, it has to be less than that.)</p>
<p>I don’t know what the yield for STRIDE offers is, either, though I seem to recall someone here had posted a data snapshot on that as well. I believe fewer than 50 STRIDEs wind up enrolling, making for less than 7 percent of the student body and I think the more realistic number is in the 30-40 range.</p>
<p>Another imprecise way to look at your chances: if you might get an admit to an Ivy or a competing LAC like Wellesley, AWS, or Middlebury, your odds are better: Smith is more willing to spend money to grab you.</p>
<p>TD, I believe the number of enrolled STRIDE students have hovered just above 50 for the last two years. I think it was 52 in 2009 and similar last year.</p>
<p>Hi everyone! I just wanted to give a heads up that STRIDE and Zollman packets should be arriving in the mail soon, because I just received mine.</p>
<p>For those wondering, I live in Washington state.</p>
<p>So if the yield for STRIDE applicants is 20 to 25 percent and about 50 of those who were offered STRIDE enroll at Smith, then does that mean that they offer STRIDE to 200-250 of those admitted?</p>
<p>Got mine today! I live in PA for anyone who’s interested. I was so excited!!! This money could really make the difference between being able to go or not, and Smith is my top choice :)</p>
<p>Smith says it meets 100% of need (the amount of need is calculated by them). So even if one does not get a Stride, wouldn’t they get enough fin aid to meet “need?” And it would seem to me that there must be other types of scholarships beside Stride and Zollman because I can’t see them filling “needs” solely on grants and loans.</p>
<p>A few things on STRIDEs.
One: You get your loans VERY reduced. First year you get $0 in loans, next year like $700, etc. In the end, your total loans over four years is equal to what most kids get in their first year financial aid package</p>
<p>Two: Your “work study” money is guaranteed and not included as part of your aid package. With a STRIDE, you get 2100/year in guaranteed money for your project. </p>
<p>So, without work study and loans, an average first year STRIDE kid gets about 5-6k more grants in their aid package. It is a BIG difference</p>
<p>And no, Smith fills all need other than STRIDEs and Zollmans with Smith grants, loans, and work study. There are no other “scholarships” other than if you’re from the area high schools.</p>
<p>OH MY GOD! i just got my zollman/stride packet (I live in midwest!) I hadn’t really been considering Smith – mostly a backup – but this could change that!</p>
<p>according to smith’s website they give “fewer than 10” zollmans a year, so WOW! I haven’t written any operas or done anything crazy, so this is awesome!</p>
<p>@upstatemom – theoretically, that’s the case. But some people do not get the financial aid that covers need as THEY calculate it. They may have other obligations or priorities that don’t fit into the schools’ calculations, so they really hope for merit based financial aid to cover the difference. As r6l says, outside of the STRIDE and the Zollman and the Maples Dunn (and maybe one or two others. I know there’s an engineering scholarship), the only financial aid at Smith, and at most schools, comes from a combo of grants, loans, and work study. </p>
<p>@houston - Wow! Congratulations! There are very, very few Zollman’s every year, far fewer than there are STRIDEs. That means Smith is pulling out all the stops to try to convince you to enroll. I’m a little biased, but I think Smith is awesome, so I hope you consider it!</p>
<p>Congratulations to everyone receiving their Stride and Zollman awards!!</p>
<p>@smithie–I asked this question on another thread but didn’t get an answer, but maybe you can answer it–if an applicant didn’t get an early RD acceptance and/or Stride award already, are they out of the running for a Stride after the regular RD decisions come out on Friday?
BTW- Thanks for all the great info you’ve posted over the years!</p>