<p>Wondering about what was needed to gain acceptance this year ? and what
kind of GPA / SAT / etc… was needed to obtain some merit aid ? I doubt that we will qualify for any financial aid if my S applies next year. GWUniv. looks to be way too costly, unless they offer a decent merit scholarship.
Enjoy your weekend.</p>
<p>An advisor told me last week that this year's Honors minimums were 1450 CR/M and 3.8 unweighted GPA. Merit is in that range, I think, though I've heard you don't have to have Honors to get Merit and Honors isn't guaranteed to get merit, so go figure! Still it gives you a ballpark. I think if you are below 1400, you are unlikely to get merit unless you are an underrepresented minority or a first generation college student.</p>
<p>My child got no merit with an SAT ~1400, ACT 33, but her high school messed up her app and didn't send her transcript and rec till March -- by that point we were worried about there being a spot left!</p>
<p>I don't think the minimum was 1450. Inferring from last year's statistics, it is more likely that the average was 1450. I hosted two kids for honors overnight and they both said they scored less than 1450. However, their scores were still good.</p>
<p>I believe my son got a 760M, 670 CR, 710 W on the SAT...I guess if you look at the first 2 parts, that is 1430. Weighted GPA of about 4.5, Editor of school paper, Natl. Honor Society, varsity tennis, member of JSA ( Junior Statesment of America; a few other stuff. ) and is in a special Interl. Studies honor program in high school. I doubt that we would qualify for financial aid so a merit scholarship would go a long way.. I guess time will tell when he applies. Thanks.</p>
<p>American clearly tells people that the Honors program is based solely on SAT scores, and that the top 15% of admitted students get into Honors. If you do, they give sizeable merit scholarships, between 15-25 thousand. My daughter had a 2140 (new SAT) and made it into Honors. Got $18,000 per year. GPA has nothing to do with it. Each year the cutoff changes depending on the applicants. They are also known for not doing well with need based grants.</p>
<p>That's not what we were told. When my daughter was not invited into Honors (this year) her college counselor called the Honors department to find out what the criteria was and they told him that it was based on SAT scores and GPA. Her SAT scores were well above the cut off and even above the average, but her GPA was slightly below the cut-off which they told him was 3.9 (unweighted and recalculated based on academic subjects only). They told him that she could write a letter of appeal if she wanted, which she did and they did invite her into Honors after re-evaluating her GPA in light of the rigorous program and grading at her high school and possibly taking into consideration her other achievements (National Merit Finalist, State Champion in Debate, etc.) that she asked them to consider. Also, she was offered a substantial merit award upon acceptance - even before she was admitted to Honors.</p>
<p>There's a cutoff? That's pretty strange considering I made it into honors w/a $22k/year merit scholarship and a 1390 SAT. Then again, my ACT was a 32 which I think converts to the lower 1400's....</p>
<p>For what it's worth, my son was accepted into the AU Honors Program. He scored a 1540 on his SATs (800 math; 740 verbal) and had a 3.99 unweighted GPA.</p>
<p>He plans to formally enroll this evening. He turned down GWU, University of Maryland, Fordham, Temple and the University of Scranton.</p>
<p>The structured way in which AU awards Honors is one reason my daughter will not attend. FWIW, she did not receive honors but was still offered a merit award of some substance. It is impossible to graduate from AU with "honors" in any major without being in the Honors Program. To base so much on SAT scores when some kids don't take them more than once and don't pay for courses to prep them for taking the tests is absurd. My D will be attending schools that value accomplishments and depth of commitment over standardized testing. And this is a kid with a 3.9 GPA in a very competitive high-school taking all honors and AP classes, and a 2100 SAT. She knows she can gain entry to honors at AU on appeal and with two semesters of a 3.8 GPA, but that's just not the point. It's the philosophy within the system. She's just not a fan of standardized testing.
Good luck to all of you at AU!</p>
<p>Mellow, were you admitted to next year's class, or a prior class (sorry, I haven't been following the threads closely, if this already answered)?</p>
<p>Your stats are almost identical to my D's-- no merit, no honors.</p>
<p>Today I heard that the SAT cut off is 1480 (!) (she was quite certain) and GPA 3.9-- they do consider that as well as SAT.</p>
<p>I think they have raised the bar this year, probably reflecting an increasing quality of the applicant pool.</p>
<p>SAT cut off cannot be 1480.</p>
<p>I hosted a prospective student for honors overnight who told me that he scored 1430.</p>
<p>It definately can't be because I didn't get that high and it seems I got more scholarship than some people with 1500's.</p>
<p>AdvisorMom, I applied to fall 07 (next year's class). My GPA is a 3.93/4.59.</p>
<p>i got in with a 1350 sat (690 v 660 m) and a 3.92 gpa with a $20k/year scholarship</p>