<p>So, I've been nominated as a candidate for the Posse foundation by my school, but I've been told that if I do end up getting the scholarship, I am NOT allowed to back out, and I will have to withdraw any other applications that I sent to colleges. Is this how most scholarship foundations work? Or are the staff at my school just trying to bully me into taking the scholarship if I do get it? Just cause I applied for the scholarship doesn't mean my opportunities should become limited.</p>
<p>Posse is different in that it matches kids from different cities to a few colleges. You can find out on their web site which colleges are matched to your city, and you would apply only to those schools (early admission or early action). You could (and should) apply to other schools in case you don’t get the Posse scholarship or decide not to keep it. </p>
<p>If you win the Posse scholarship (and want to keep it), you have to withdraw any other applications you have to non-Posse schools. You would get a full tuition scholarship to the Posse school along with 9 other students from your area. The whole group/Posse gets mentoring of some kind at regular intervals to keep them on track. </p>
<p>The school supplies the money for the scholarship, Posse finds the students. They are usually schools that are rural, or somehow just not diverse enough and are trying to attract a more diverse student body. That’s why they “recruit” from cities, although around here, they are now taking kids from very high performing suburban public school systems which seems to defeat, or at least, dilute, their original mission. </p>
<p>I know a boy who received a Posse scholarship and he was notified in November or December so he hadn’t heard back yet from his other schools. Yes, a choice has to be made, but if it feels too much like bullying, or if you have serious reservations about the schools you would be matched up with, then you may not want to accept the scholarship.</p>
<p>I like Posse, and I suspect that in the long run Posse students are more likely to graduate from college because of the support network they incorporate. One thing you might want to do is find out, in your area, which schools the Posse students were matched with this year. You might find that they’re schools you’d be happy to attend. You might find that they’re schools that aren’t of interest. Either way, you’ll know more.</p>
<p>Have you looked into Questbridge too? (Nice thread on here about it if you’re interested.)</p>
<p>Yea, but you guys still didn’t answer my question.</p>
<p>Just for you:
Most scholarship programs do not work that way. This is different. However, this is the way the Posse program works so the staff at your school is not bullying you. If you don’t like the rules then you should remove your name now. But it is a good way to get entry to some fantastic colleges with a support structure.</p>