<p>I know that in order for one to get a merit scholarship from University of Chicago, he or she must be extremely qualified. Does anyone have any idea of the GPA's, standardized test scores and extracurriculars that people receiving these scholarships usually have? I know that there is no formula, but does anyone have any guesses? And, in deciding whether one gets a scholarship, does University of Chicago consider anything else besides need and merit. For example, what if someone does not qualify for need or merit-based scholarships, but his or her parents do not want to pay $45,000 a year, and this person does not want to take out loans? Does University of Chicago take this into consideration when awarding need-based scholarships?</p>
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For example, what if someone does not qualify for need or merit-based scholarships, but his or her parents do not want to pay $45,000 a year, and this person does not want to take out loans?
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Tough luck. Financial aid is for those who can't pay, not those who don't want to. It's certainly not taken into account for merit scholarships. Rice or Emory would be safer bets for merit money.</p>
<p>Nobody wants to pay 45K a year, so colleges do not take it into consideration. </p>
<p>In terms of scholarships, several kids with ACT 35, SAT 2370-80 did not get ANY scholarships (even 10K ones), so it is very competitive. Sports and "diversity" factors seem to play a lot larger role in awarding those than scores/grades.</p>
<p>"Financial aid is for those who can't pay, not those who don't want to." Yes, I can't afford it, my parents can. Yet I do not get need-based aid. In essence, I put in four years of amazingly hard work yet my parents choose where I get to go to college, not me.</p>
<p>Merit scholarships are chosen by a faculty committee. They do not take financial need into consideration. Decisions about scholarships do not seem especially stats-driven, and I do not believe there is any public information about recipients' scores. I would also argue Datadriven on his statement that sports and diversity factors carry a lot of weight.</p>
<p>Corranged, scholarships are there to lure people that U Chicago needs for one reason or another. While UC is a division III school (thus not able to directly award money to athletes), they do need athletes. U Chicago is also (as much as other top schools) is interested in attracting a diverse student body (currently lagging behind in this regard, especially considering the neighborhood they are at).</p>
<p>Some other top schools (WuSTL, Duke, Vandy, many top state schools) have separate scholarships programs with money set aside for "diversity" candidates - Chicago has one pool that they call "merit" scholarships. So they use significant portion of the money to direct towards athletes and minorities. Of course these people also need to be good students, but you can not explain solely on "academic" merit why an athlete with 31 ACT, 3.6 GPA and no outstanding ECs would get a scholarship and people with 35-36 ACT would not.</p>
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Corranged, scholarships are there to lure people that U Chicago needs for one reason or another.
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Need is a funny word. I would agree that the U of C gives scholarships to students they desire, perhaps to students who they believe would add significantly to academic or active life on campus; however, I do not believe the U of C needs any particular students. Athletes and minorities may get merit aid at a higher rate than non-athletes and non-minorities, but there are too many confounding variables to make a case as to why these students are given scholarships. (i.e. Are they given scholarships strictly because of their athlete/minority status?)</p>
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So they use significant portion of the money to direct towards athletes and minorities.
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Do you have an actual statistic there or is that just your guess? I am welcome to any additional information. My view is not set in stone; I just haven't yet seen any reason to believe otherwise.</p>
<p>Others may be able to confirm, but I believe that the U of C reduces need-based aid for those students who get merit scholarships, so the merit aid may not improve the bottom line for other than the most affluent.</p>
<p>datadriven--
if you are saying athletes are getting them, is that not an ec? Can you define an outstanding ec that requires that kind of time? I would also be willing to say most of the minorities (other than maybe some Asians and Indians) I have met really do need aid, regardless of what school they would attend. Considering the hispanic and black population in Chicago, it seems like a pretty good idea.</p>
<p>I have not met many people here that have the stats you are showing that are having a terribly difficult time affording it. I know people with family incomes over $100k receiving a decent amount of aid (obviously not free, but still pretty nice for their income bracket). </p>
<p>If you truly have incredible merit and want aid (that isn't need based), then apply for one of many other scholarships available. I've seen quite a few kids get those even with very well off families.</p>
<p>parent2--
speaking for myself, my grant was slightly reduced after I received a rather significant merit scholarship from outside of UChicago. They do take it into consideration, but for myself and a girl in the suite next to me they did not reduce it all (10-15% for the 2 of us).</p>
<p>I believe this is the way it works. Many of the need based aid packages include loans, student contribution & work study. Merit awards can replace the loans, student contribution, & work study. Think of it this way, if one has a $20,000 aid package that includes $7000 in loans, Student contribution and WS, and one receives a $9500 merit award, $7000 of the award will go to replacing the loan, student contribution, and work study, leaving $2500 that may result in an adjustment of the need calculation.</p>