UC Berkeley Merit for OOS?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Berkeley
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My son graduates in 2017. He’s a STEM kinda kid, plans to major in Computer Science. (Perhaps Computational Biology later as a Graduate degree.)

GPA: 4.0 UW / 4.35 W
ACT: 36C
SAT: 1570/1600. 800CR 770M 750W 2320/2400
Likely NMSF (223 SI)

SAT Subject Area Tests
Biology 750+
US History 750 +
Chem & Math 2 - scores due in July

RANK: School will no longer rank beginning next (his senior) year, but he’s been in the top 5% all along. Likely #2 or 3 in a class of 270.

Most rigorous schedule: Will grad with 12 AP’s.
10th
APUSH - 5
APBIO -5
11th - waiting on these scores
AP Calc AB
AP Physics 1
AP Gov
AP Lang
AP Physics

12th:
AP Calc BC
AP Spanish
AP Literature
AP Physics 2
AP Econ

Activities/Leadership include:
Class Vice President - 3 yrs
NHS Officer - next year
Freshman Mentor - 2 years
HOBY Award (1 sophomore chosen by the school to represent the school at HOBY Leadeship conference )
FTC Robotics: Chief Programmer of a 4-man team. Many team design & programming awards. Went to States 2x.
Quizbowl: Team Captain / Received Best in County - High Score Award
Science Student of the Year
Science Club: Advisory Panel
Math Club (casual club - no officers - they get together to solve complex math for the joy of it.)
Orchestra - Violin
Athletics- runs & snowboards on his own

Internship: full time programming internship with a software company this summer.

He is quite interested in UCB. Our EFC is in the $35,000 - 40,000 area at most schools. We can do that, but not really wanting to spend more.

I know the UCs no longer give financial need aid to OOS students.

Q: Is there any chance of a Merit award for this kid, if he gets accepted?

Regents/Chancellors? I don’t know much about UCB merit… Hoping you can help.

I don’t think I can allow him to apply to UCB unless there is at least a small shot at merit aid. He has other schools on his list, but right now I’d like to vet the possibility of this school.

Thanks for your thoughts and input!

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UCB’s merit for OOS is rare. Regents for a good amount of money requires high need as well as high stats. If there isn’t high need, then Regents award at UCB is very small…like $2500 per year.

Since you already have a high EFC, and the UCs don’t give aid to cover the OOS portion (even under old rules), you may get little/nothing.

The old OOS aid rule was EFC plus OOS portion.

You’d be looking at paying EFC + about $25k anyway. So, you’d be full pay…even if they gave need based aid.

I wouldn’t count on much/any merit, even with the perfect ACT…there are just too many in Calif with perfect stats applying.

My instate nephew is applying to UCB this fall. He has a perfect ACT and a perfect SAT (single sittings) and he’ll be Val of his class…he’ll also be a NMF because his PSAT was perfect. His parents would love for him to get merit, but they know that chances aren’t great…even tho he’s instate.


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He is quite interested in UCB. Our EFC is in the $35,000 - 40,000 area. We can do that, but not really wanting to spend more


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the cost is about $55k per year. If your son was awarded $10k-20k per year…would that be enough?

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don’t think I can allow him to apply to UCB unless there is at least a small shot at merit aid. He has other schools on his list, but right now I’d like to vet the possibility of this school.
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Might as well let him apply and see…but make sure he understands that w/o XXX amount of merit, it’s not happening.

Have you run the UCB NPC???

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A Regents’ scholarship at UCB is meeting full need (based on FAFSA EFC) with no student contribution. , Assuming that it is the same as last year, the minimum amount for those with less or no need is $2,500 for those paying resident tuition, or $25,000 for those paying non-resident tuition (i.e. non-residents without financial need end up with approximately resident price).
http://financialaid.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/docs/forms/2015-16%20Regents’%20and%20Chancellor’s%20Domestic%20Nonresident%20Tenure%20Contract%20Terms%20and%20Conditions.pdf

For comparison, normal need-based financial aid at UCB tends to give a net price of FAFSA EFC + about $8,000 student contribution for residents, but no financial aid (i.e. net price = list price) for non-residents.

UCB cost of attendance, no need-based aid, living in dorm:
$33,418 resident
$30,918 resident with Regents’ scholarship
$60,100 non-resident
$35,100 non-resident with Regents’ scholarship
Note: the off-campus cost is several thousand dollars lower than the dorm cost; most upper level students live off-campus.
http://financialaid.berkeley.edu/cost-attendance

For computer science, he can apply to EECS, which is one of the most selective majors, but offers direct admission, or he can apply to L&S, but then he will need a 3.3 GPA in the prerequisite courses to get into the L&S CS major.

If he does decide to apply, he should treat UCB as a high reach for the needed Regents’ scholarship, especially if he applies for EECS. If you are not willing to pay $60,100 per year, then admission without the Regents’ scholarship (or something similarly large) is effectively like a rejection (tell him this up front before he applies).

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@ucbalumnus Thank you for the link to the PDF…that is more clear than the link that I was looking at. The page I was looking at stated that it would only give Regents money “up to” EFC.

How many Regents/Chancellors are awarded to OOS students?

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There are about 200 new Regents’ and Chancellor’s scholars each year. Note that both frosh and transfers may get these scholarships. There are about 7,700 new students (about 5,500 frosh and 2,200 transfers) per year, so about 2.6% have Regents’ and Chancellor’s scholarships. Could not find the resident/non-resident or the frosh/transfer distribution of the scholarships.

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Thanks, I appreciate your detailed replies.

Yes, @mom2collegekids, we have run the UCB NPC, and UCB would be within reason for our budget IF he receives $15k in merit. I know that is a very high reach situation (as, I suppose just getting in might be).

I previously told him UCB was off the list because I didn’t think it could be made affordable. I’ll discuss this with him - he can apply, but admission would have to come with at least $15k merit to make it work. I think this is unlikely, but he can give it a spin.

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Just make sure he has a number of other schools that he really likes on his application list. He needs to treat Cal as just one application amongst many. He can’t elevate it to a dream school status.

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He is working on his list now. He is not really interested in small LACs. List needs some paring, but that will happen after more research. Heavy on high reach schools, but he should be safe applying EA to Ohio State. He is on the fence about adding UCB as a super-reach, since he already has several of those. We are fortunate to have a great flagship available.

Ohio State (our flagship)
CWRU
UChicago
Northwestern
Brown
UMichigan
UNC -CH
UVA
Cornell
MIT
Stanford
Vanderbilt
Yale

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@ucbalumnus <<<
There are about 200 new Regents’ and Chancellor’s scholars each year. Note that both frosh and transfers may get these scholarships. There are about 7,700 new students (about 5,500 frosh and 2,200 transfers) per year, so about 2.6% have Regents’ and Chancellor’s scholarships.

Could not find the resident/non-resident or the frosh/transfer distribution of the scholarships.


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Thank you …helpful info.

Since it’s not strictly a stats award, do you think that the UCs, and UCB in particular, use these awards to help target certain students that help with their diversity numbers?

Does UCB require an interview for consideration? If so, do they provide funding for that?

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Yoir son has great stats…but his list is very top heavy. It’s good that you have Ohio State on it. If it were me, I would, insist on one more sure thing…just in case something happens and the others don’t work out. It’s nice to have choices.

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@thumper1
I fully agree – it’s a very, very high reach list. And I even accidentally left Harvey Mudd off the list!

He is working on identifying a few more match/safety schools - affordable sure things that he would happy to attend. Miami- Ohio is a possibility. I’m aware of the NMF list… if he makes that.

Other suggestions for this kid are welcome.:slight_smile:

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UW-Madison? Out of state tuition, room and board, and fees are currently $44,000. It has a good comp sci program.

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Curious…what did the NPC results show? Did it show any free money?

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@mom2collegekids Nope, no free money. Didn’t ask for stats (some schools do) either, so no predicted merit.

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Ok…just wondering if it showed anything.

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Yes, the list is reach heavy.

Why not include some great schools that will likely accept him…like Georgia Tech?

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Son is bothered by the gender imbalance at Georgia Tech. But I am open to more suggestions.

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If he is interested…and wants an early acceptance with terrific merit aid…have him apply to University of Alabama. That application usually is available in the summer…and the admission decision comes very quickly. Complete the scholarship application too…and auto merit aid will be included.

Might be nice to have that early acceptance.

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He should add U Southern California to his list and apply before their Dec 1 scholarship deadline.
IF he’s a NMF AND is accepted to USC he will receive an automatic 1/2 tuition scholarship. He would also be in the running for one of 100 full tuition scholarships -that is IF he applies by Dec 1.
BUT he needs to “show the love” to USC, and that involves more tha just tossing them an application.

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^^^ good suggestion

Also include Santa Clara U…great school and great location.