Update on What I learned about free ride scholarships

<p>As in this fierce (class rank may be a problem but I'm posting it for others, too. )
[quote]
The 2008 Class of McDermott Scholars have a mean SAT/ACT equivalent of 2240. They are in the top 2.4% of their collective high school graduating class and are campus leaders, community volunteers, athletes, artists, scholars, scientists, and musicians.</p>

<p>Students who will have the best chance of being invited to McDermott Finalists' Weekend will:</p>

<p>have an SAT or ACT score at or above the 97th percentile;
approaching 1400 on the two part SAT (verbal and math)
approaching 2100 on the three part SAT
32 or higher on the ACT
be in the top five percent of their graduating class;
have long records of community voluntarism and leadership in school;
have broad and eclectic interests in science, literature, and the arts; and
have the social skills to interact easily with adults as well as peers. </p>

<p>The Program is not looking for students with any particular area of interest or intended major. </p>

<p>Applicants are welcome from across Texas, the U.S., and the world

[/quote]
</p>

<p>One of the best deals going for Texas kids is the U of Arkansas. <a href="http://apply.uark.edu/app_pages_07-10(scholarship_and_financial_aid_info).pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://apply.uark.edu/app_pages_07-10(scholarship_and_financial_aid_info).pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>The non-resident tuition award gets the costs way below Texas schools IIRC.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Non-Resident Tuition Award
The Non-Resident Tuition Award covers the difference between out-of-state tuition and in-state tuition. The award is automatically granted to qualifying students. Students must apply for admission to be considered, but are not required to submit a separate scholarship application. NRTA recipients will first be notified via their admission profile under the residency statement. The student with receive more detailed information from the Office of Academic Scholarships starting April 1st.</p>

<p>Eligibility
Awarded to entering freshmen and transfer students from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Entering freshmen must have a 3.5 or higher GPA and ACT of at least 25 or 1130 SAT (combined math and critical reading). Transfer students must have a 3.0 or higher college GPA and 24 transferable hours.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>And IMO Fayetteville would be a fun place to go to school (heckuva lot better than UT or A+M, again IM-heavily biased-O). Lots of Walton money for travel and the Honors College/Program and the uni itself.</p>

<p>Mike
there's a bunch of Texas kids in the Honors College at U of South Carolina where my S attends (hes a junior). They have a great deal for NMF's .As for your original question about schools having other scholarships they don't show you until you have applied/been accepted..this is very true at USCarolina..there are many departmental scholarships that are awarded to the kids after they are accepted..it happened toS and to many others he knows.</p>

<p>I wanted to edit to add (but for some reason it's not letting me)
USC is a great deal for anyone getting a merit scholarship b/c they lower the recipient to paying in state tuition rates.</p>

<p>^^Right, my OOS S was accepted to USC (4 yrs ago now) with no mention of scholarship in the acceptance letter. A couple of months later, he received notice that he was being offered the Cooper Scholarship and Capstone. Made for a nice deal. He was later offered similiar scholarships at our own big state u. making it an even better deal so ended up there. H and I were both impressed with USC on the visit.</p>

<p>Re The McDermott Scholarship </p>

<p>I think the program looks beyond class rank and test scores at each student individually to determine fit - although certainly strong test scores and class rank can only help. Social skills, leadership, and diverse interests factor strongly into the selection process.</p>

<p>those of you who have kids who are going (or were considering going to USC), are they all in the honors college program? were their stats comparable to the stats of my D? how did USC make it on to the list for your kids? did you all visit there beforehand?</p>

<p>thanks curmudgeon for the info you found for me. very helpful. i also looked up xiggi's SAT tips. now if i can just get her to get busy and work on it!!! plus, we have had 7 days of missed school due to the hurricane, so i am not sure what that will do to the workload.</p>

<p>and curmudgeon, why do you like UA over UT and A&M? and did you ever say where your D ended up??</p>

<p>i really liked the size and the look of the baylor campus ... but not the cost!</p>

<p>Mike, my D went to a school that sends 40% of their top twenty kids to A+M and 40% to Baylor. A few other top kids are scattered OOS and a very few go to Texas. The school is in a small ranching community (although it is becoming more suburban every year much to my disgust). She had no interest in any Texas school, public or private, as she plans to come back to Texas to practice medicine (and most likey will do med school here) and wanted something different. She attends a small LAC in Memphis, Tennessee (Rhodes College). She loves it and is taking full advantage of the opportunities afforded her.</p>

<p>My rational dislike for Texas and A+M is based almost solely on size. I am a great fan of UT's Plan II and consider it the finest public college experience in America. You can keep the rest of the 40 acres.</p>

<p>My irrational side just says "yuck". Arkansas is much smaller. More of a campus feel than either, lots of Walton money, cheaper for great students, great Honors Programs that are easier to get into than Plan II, great study-abroad. Fayetteville is in a gorgeous part of the state if you like outdoor activities. Better weather. Nicer town. </p>

<p>My D was the Val of her 3A school ( auto qualifier everywhere) and the only Texas school she applied to was Tech and their Honor's College. She did so as an "ultimate financial safety". Once she was accepted at her first OOS school with enough merit aid TTU was off the list. </p>

<p>Until we get some specifics on rank, GPA, strength of schedule, ACT, SAT you need to be scouring all of the schools for likely financial AND admissions safeties. They are NOT always the same schools. Once you find those schools, it gets to be a lot of fun. Don't forget to have fun. We lived it up. Out time together was the best time of my life. </p>

<p>I can still remember when my D got her first acceptance at a very small OOS LAC with guaranteed merit aid (which made it barely affordable) . "Dad. We can do this, right?" Yes, dear. We can. She literally screamed "I'm going to college!!" and started calling her friends. And this was coming from a kid with what I would consider a stout app. She would have done fine and been happy at that first school, too. Everything else that came after was gravy. </p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

<p>I wanted to add that University of Texas - Dallas has a solid merit scholarship program - don't focus solely on the McDermott. My son had many friends that qualified for merit scholarships - all good solid students with stats similar to what you have mentioned. </p>

<p>Office</a> of Undergraduate Education - The University of Texas at Dallas</p>

<p>Visited UT-dallas. Did not like it. Jmho!</p>

<p>Anyone considering U South Carolina should also consider Clemson, So. Car.'s ag and engineering flagship. Really nice school, nice area, just right sizing, generous with out of state tuition waivers for the right kids. Just remember to pronounce it "Clempson" to fit in with the locals.</p>

<p>thank you curmudgeon. now i understand a little more where you are coming from.</p>

<p>i tried to respond to this thread twice last night. one time my post got eaten and the other ... i think my browser quit!</p>

<p>anyway ... i am not familiar with plan II. but that is probably not a possibility for my D as i do not think UT-austin is a good fit for her at all.</p>

<p>since this is just the start of her junior year, we don't have the specific scores yet. class ranks will come out in a few weeks, though. she takes about as rigorous a schedule as you can take. all honors classes except for band and the occasional elective. this year she is taking AP chem, dual credit/AP history, and AP english, i think as well as an honors level computer science elective. she gets As and Bs. so that is about all the info i have for now.</p>

<p>one more question ... since your D is already in school, what are you doing still hanging around here??? you are quite the expert, though. do you want to tutor me and help me get things figured out for my DD??? : )</p>

<p>
[quote]
those of you who have kids who are going (or were considering going to USC), are they all in the honors college program? were their stats comparable to the stats of my D? how did USC make it on to the list for your kids? did you all visit there beforehand?

[/quote]

Mike, have you been over to the USC section of the forum yet? I would recommend you go back a year or so and just start reading. There are lots of irrelevant posts you can skip about football teams, dorms, and such, but there is a lot on there about stats and why people were looking at USC. Here is the forum: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/&lt;/a> . Go down to the bottom of the page under "Display Options" and select "from the last year". </p>

<p>Here are the acceptances and rejections of cc kids for this year: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/454785-stats-only-usc-official-decisions-fall-2008-a.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/454785-stats-only-usc-official-decisions-fall-2008-a.html&lt;/a> You might want to note that the early acceptances on that list (Jan/Feb) were usually scholarship recipients.</p>

<p>
[quote]
one more question ... since your D is already in school, what are you doing still hanging around here???

[/quote]

Curmudgeon isn't the only one. Be careful....College Confidential has been compared to crack. ;)</p>

<p>


</p>

<p>Aaahh. Don't buy that , Mike. I can quit anytime I want to quit. Really. I can. .....Come'on , everybody! Stop laughing. I can quit. I've done it plenty of times. ;)</p>

<p>(Mike, the truth is my utility is waning by the day. I'm a Commodore 64 in our I-Phone3G world of college admissions. But I do amuse myself from time to time. ;))</p>

<p>hey! i had a commodore 64 when i was in college!!! and now i have an iphone.</p>

<p>even if you are a commodore 64 ... you still get the job done! </p>

<p>: )</p>

<p>I just wanted to bump this thread up. I think this is a wonderful idea. a third tier college with a scholarship can make undergrad very affordable and allow you a greater choice for grad school.</p>

<p>What about Auburn University?</p>

<p>Non-Resident Freshman Scholarships</p>

<p>National Merit, National Achievement, and National Hispanic Scholars
Non-resident National Merit Finalists, National Achievement Finalists, and National Hispanic Scholars automatically receive a four-year, renewable Academic Presidential Scholarship. Presidential Scholars receive full tuition for four years, currently valued at $72,848 ($18,212 per year); a $1,500 technology allowance in the first year; and the Auburn Academic Guarantee. The Auburn Academic Guarantee includes automatic admission to the Honors College and an enrichment experience valued at $4,000 during the third year. A Presidential Scholarship replaces an Academic Heritage or Charter Scholarship if previously awarded. </p>

<p>National Scholars may also be eligible for a university stipend from $1,000 to $2,000, depending on financial need as determined through completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) . National Merit Finalists should contact National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) to name Auburn University as their first-choice institution by the requested deadline. National Achievement Finalists and National Hispanic Scholars should mail or fax a copy of their notification letter to the Office of University Scholarships upon receipt. </p>

<p>Elite Scholarships
The University Scholarship Committee invites a select group of eligible incoming freshmen to apply for up to seven of Auburn’s most prestigious scholarships. Students typically invited to apply in December are those with a minimum 34 ACT or 1490 SAT score and a 3.5 high school GPA by the December 1 Freshman Scholarship priority deadline. Following a January application deadline, 12 to 14 finalists are invited to campus in February to interview. Elite Scholars receive an additional $10,000 to $32,000 over four years ($2,500 to $8,000 per year). </p>

<p>Elite Scholarships include:</p>

<p>Roberts and Mildred Blount Presidential Endowed Scholarship – Must be a resident of Elmore County, Alabama, and have a minimum 28 ACT or 1240 SAT score and a 3.25 high school GPA. Awarded at $20,000 over four years ($5,000 per year). </p>

<p>Blount Presidential Endowed Scholarship– Must be an Alabama resident; have a minimum 31 ACT or 1360 SAT score and a 3.4 high school GPA; and be enrolled in civil engineering, mechanical engineering, or building science. Awarded at $20,000 over four years ($5,000 per year). </p>

<p>John P. Brandel Presidential Endowed Scholarship – Must have a minimum 31 ACT or 1360 SAT score and a 3.4 high school GPA and be enrolled in mechanical engineering, with first preference given to residents of Orange County, Florida, then residents of the State of Florida, and then residents of the State of Alabama. Awarded at $32,000 over four years ($8,000 per year). </p>

<p>Dudley University Scholarship – Must meet the criteria for an Elite Scholarship. Awarded at $10,000 over four years ($2,500 per year). </p>

<p>McWane Foundation Scholarship – Must have a minimum 34 ACT or 1490 SAT score and a 3.5 high school GPA. Awarded at $24,000 over four years ($6,000 per year). </p>

<p>Yetta G. Samford Class of 1917 Engineering Endowed Scholarship – Must have a minimum 34 ACT or 1490 SAT score and a 3.5 high school GPA and be enrolled in engineering. Awarded at $16,000 over four years ($4,000 per year). </p>

<p>Vulcan Materials Company Presidential Endowed Scholarship – Must have a minimum 34 ACT or 1490 SAT score and a 3.5 high school GPA. Awarded at $20,000 over four years ($5,000 per year). </p>

<p>Auburn Spirit Foundation Scholarships
Incoming freshmen who meet the December 1 Freshman Scholarship priority deadline receive automatic consideration. Auburn Spirit Foundation Scholarships are awarded among students with a minimum 26 ACT or 1170 SAT score and a 3.0 high school GPA who have not already been recognized by the Office of University Scholarships with a scholarship of equal or greater value. Additional consideration is given to first generation college students. Auburn Spirit Foundation Scholarships are awarded in January at $6,000over four years ($1,500 per year).</p>

<p>Academic Scholarships
Academic Scholarships are awarded to non-residents in December, based on academic achievement as demonstrated by the high school GPA and standardized test scores. These four-year, renewable scholarships are awarded at three levels: Presidential, Heritage, and Charter. Students must meet the December 1 Freshman Scholarship priority deadline and have the minimum test score and high school GPA requirements to receive consideration at each level. Competition for these scholarships is keen, and consideration does not guarantee that a scholarship will be awarded. </p>

<p>Out of State Student Academic Merit Scholarships
Charter Academic Scholar:
To qualify- 28-29 ACT or 1240-1310 SAT and GPA of 3.25 - 3.49
What you get - $3,500/yr toward OOS tuition renewable 4 years</p>

<p>Academic Heritage Scholar:
To qualify: 30-32 ACT or 1320 - 1440 SAT; GPA 3.5- 3.74
What you get - OOS 2/3 tuition paid renewable 4 years</p>

<p>Academic Presidential Scholar:
To qualify - ACT 33-36 or SAT 1440 - 1600; GPA 3.74 and above
What you get - Academic Presidential Scholars receive non-resident tuition, currently valued at $72,848 ($18,212 per year); a $1,500 technology allowance in the first year; and the Auburn Academic Guarantee. The Auburn Academic Guarantee includes automatic admission to the Honors College and an enrichment experience valued at $4,000 during the third year.</p>

<p>Also, during the University Scholars weekend my D and I attended I believe I understood the finacial aid people to say their policy is for out of State students I believe if you can windepartmental or other in university scholarships to equal the instate cost you get automatically switched to in-state tuition. But check this out for yourself in case I misunderstood or they change the policy! </p>

<p>Also, their honors program is top notch with lots of great perks like Housing, tickets to their famed football games, and other stuff.</p>

<p>There is a similar program for in-state students, too.</p>

<p>What about Auburn University?</p>

<p>Non-Resident Freshman Scholarships</p>

<p>National Merit, National Achievement, and National Hispanic Scholars
Non-resident National Merit Finalists, National Achievement Finalists, and National Hispanic Scholars automatically receive a four-year, renewable Academic Presidential Scholarship. Presidential Scholars receive full tuition for four years, currently valued at $72,848 ($18,212 per year); a $1,500 technology allowance in the first year; and the Auburn Academic Guarantee. The Auburn Academic Guarantee includes automatic admission to the Honors College and an enrichment experience valued at $4,000 during the third year. A Presidential Scholarship replaces an Academic Heritage or Charter Scholarship if previously awarded. </p>

<p>National Scholars may also be eligible for a university stipend from $1,000 to $2,000, depending on financial need as determined through completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) . National Merit Finalists should contact National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) to name Auburn University as their first-choice institution by the requested deadline. National Achievement Finalists and National Hispanic Scholars should mail or fax a copy of their notification letter to the Office of University Scholarships upon receipt. </p>

<p>Elite Scholarships
The University Scholarship Committee invites a select group of eligible incoming freshmen to apply for up to seven of Auburn’s most prestigious scholarships. Students typically invited to apply in December are those with a minimum 34 ACT or 1490 SAT score and a 3.5 high school GPA by the December 1 Freshman Scholarship priority deadline. Following a January application deadline, 12 to 14 finalists are invited to campus in February to interview. Elite Scholars receive an additional $10,000 to $32,000 over four years ($2,500 to $8,000 per year). </p>

<p>Elite Scholarships include:</p>

<p>Roberts and Mildred Blount Presidential Endowed Scholarship – Must be a resident of Elmore County, Alabama, and have a minimum 28 ACT or 1240 SAT score and a 3.25 high school GPA. Awarded at $20,000 over four years ($5,000 per year). </p>

<p>Blount Presidential Endowed Scholarship– Must be an Alabama resident; have a minimum 31 ACT or 1360 SAT score and a 3.4 high school GPA; and be enrolled in civil engineering, mechanical engineering, or building science. Awarded at $20,000 over four years ($5,000 per year). </p>

<p>John P. Brandel Presidential Endowed Scholarship – Must have a minimum 31 ACT or 1360 SAT score and a 3.4 high school GPA and be enrolled in mechanical engineering, with first preference given to residents of Orange County, Florida, then residents of the State of Florida, and then residents of the State of Alabama. Awarded at $32,000 over four years ($8,000 per year). </p>

<p>Dudley University Scholarship – Must meet the criteria for an Elite Scholarship. Awarded at $10,000 over four years ($2,500 per year). </p>

<p>McWane Foundation Scholarship – Must have a minimum 34 ACT or 1490 SAT score and a 3.5 high school GPA. Awarded at $24,000 over four years ($6,000 per year). </p>

<p>Yetta G. Samford Class of 1917 Engineering Endowed Scholarship – Must have a minimum 34 ACT or 1490 SAT score and a 3.5 high school GPA and be enrolled in engineering. Awarded at $16,000 over four years ($4,000 per year). </p>

<p>Vulcan Materials Company Presidential Endowed Scholarship – Must have a minimum 34 ACT or 1490 SAT score and a 3.5 high school GPA. Awarded at $20,000 over four years ($5,000 per year). </p>

<p>Auburn Spirit Foundation Scholarships
Incoming freshmen who meet the December 1 Freshman Scholarship priority deadline receive automatic consideration. Auburn Spirit Foundation Scholarships are awarded among students with a minimum 26 ACT or 1170 SAT score and a 3.0 high school GPA who have not already been recognized by the Office of University Scholarships with a scholarship of equal or greater value. Additional consideration is given to first generation college students. Auburn Spirit Foundation Scholarships are awarded in January at $6,000over four years ($1,500 per year).</p>

<p>Academic Scholarships
Academic Scholarships are awarded to non-residents in December, based on academic achievement as demonstrated by the high school GPA and standardized test scores. These four-year, renewable scholarships are awarded at three levels: Presidential, Heritage, and Charter. Students must meet the December 1 Freshman Scholarship priority deadline and have the minimum test score and high school GPA requirements to receive consideration at each level. Competition for these scholarships is keen, and consideration does not guarantee that a scholarship will be awarded. </p>

<p>Out of State Student Academic Merit Scholarships
Charter Academic Scholar:
To qualify- 28-29 ACT or 1240-1310 SAT and GPA of 3.25 - 3.49
What you get - $3,500/yr toward OOS tuition renewable 4 years</p>

<p>Academic Heritage Scholar:
To qualify: 30-32 ACT or 1320 - 1440 SAT; GPA 3.5- 3.74
What you get - OOS 2/3 tuition paid renewable 4 years</p>

<p>Academic Presidential Scholar:
To qualify - ACT 33-36 or SAT 1440 - 1600; GPA 3.74 and above
What you get - Academic Presidential Scholars receive non-resident tuition, currently valued at $72,848 ($18,212 per year); a $1,500 technology allowance in the first year; and the Auburn Academic Guarantee. The Auburn Academic Guarantee includes automatic admission to the Honors College and an enrichment experience valued at $4,000 during the third year.</p>

<p>Also, during the University Scholars weekend my D and I attended I believe I understood the finacial aid people to say their policy is for out of State students I believe if you can windepartmental or other in university scholarships to equal the instate cost you get automatically switched to in-state tuition. But check this out for yourself in case I misunderstood or they change the policy! </p>

<p>Also, their honors program is top notch with lots of great perks like Housing, tickets to their famed football games, and other stuff.</p>

<p>There is a similar program for in-state students, too.</p>

<p>gapyearmom--do you happen to know if the gpa req'd for the scholarships is weighted or unweighted? Thanks!</p>

<p>A close friend of mine got a full ride to Auburn, she was a NMF, high GPA, 34 ACT, great ECs.</p>

<p>She’s going to University of Southern California’s honors program.</p>