The package is basically a full ride, covering all but $168 dollars and books. It is a great school with a really strong honors college and many academic peers. Also if you consider it, check out the Clark Scholars summer research program and the McDermott Scholars Program.
I do think, over time, that these programs of awarding scholarships to the most able students will pay off (on average - no one thinks that a PSAT score is the be all and end all for intelligence testing).
Southern states are leading the way here, especially Florida with its Benacquisto program now open to OOS, and Texas.
@Mnacttutor the NM kids should be getting a check mid Septmber, I think for $625? that should cover that $168 and leave the rest for books:-)
Thanks @3scoutsmom - we did not realize that. Nice.
@Mnacttutor the reason it’s not with the rest of the scholarship is because it’s the portion that comes directly from NMSC.
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Your National Merit Scholarship check from NMSC will not arrive until approximately the middle of September. Once received, we will deposit it on your behalf, and the university will then send the money to you via direct deposit. We will email you once the checks have arrived.
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I am so happy UTD is attracting so many NMFs. Such a wonderful school!
How necessary is it to write an essay for the UTD app? It looks like it is an optional essay, which normally I would interpret as required. But if son is likely to be a NMF, can he get away with no essay? Or does that just look bad?
So many top institutions no longer provide full scholarships for simply being a Merit Scholar so it’s no surprise UTD has 170
@tabbychiro I don’t know but why would you even chance missing out on a full ride scholarship by not submitting an essay???
@3scoutsmom I just wanted son to be done with the app already but once again he is more sensible than I am and is planning to do the essay
As hardly any top school gives money for any merit, let alone NMSF, lower ranking schools like UTD benefit from it. However, I must add that only few of my children’s high achiever friends even considered UTD. Ones who did had pressure from controlling Asian parents, who wanted kids to stay home or nearby and go pre-Med.
@CupCakeMuffins I know plenty of high achieving kids that picked UTD over move “prestigious” schools. My son was an auto-admit to UT Austin. One of his roommates from outside Atlanta turned down Georgia Tech to go to UTD.
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@CupCakeMuffins Definitely not the case at my son’s school. Last year #2 and #3 both (both NMFs) picked UTD and neither have controlling parents nor Asian parents. For middle to upper-middle class families UTD or other universities offering full rides is a great choice, especially if the plan is medical school in which case the undergrad university’s ranking doesn’t matter that much. Much better to start medical school with no debt than $200K debt…
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Well, obviously 170 students DID consider UTD
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I also have an issue with calling UTD “lower ranking”
University of Texas–Dallas Rankings https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/university-of-texas-dallas-9741/overall-rankings
129 (tie) in National Universities
87 (tie) in High School Counselor Rankings
61 (tie) in Top Public Schools
80 (tie) in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs
I don’t put too much stock in rankings but considering UTD only started offing a full undergrad program in 1990 I don’t think it’s too bad, certainly not bad for a full ride.
My DD turned down UT Austin CS for UTD as well as UNC and several other higher ranked schools. UTD gave her opportunities that she could not have done at the other schools because of her scholarship including travel abroad and flexibiltiy to study numerous areas. She got a great internship and is getting her masters in 4 years all on scholarship. What more could we ask for.
I also know somebody who turned down a full ride to Purdue this year to accept a less than full ride at UTD. She was not a NMF but AES. She is premed and like the research opportunities, the Clark research program as well the acceptance rates to med school.
University of Oaklohoma enrolls even more semifinalists and while both are decent colleges, can’t even make top 100 nationally let alone top 20. It is what it is.
However, I totally agree that a free undergrad degree is tempting, specially when COA for top colleges is a fortune if you aren’t eligible for much financial aid or rare merit scholarships only few of them offer. Anyway, hardly half of semifinalist get accepted at a top 20 college.
As too many from UTD are pre-Med so not sure if it is the best stratedgy to go there to improve your odds, probably non urban campuses of A&M/UT or privates with merit like Baylor/TCU would give an edge.
UT Dallas has a 73% acceptance rate to medical schools. https://www.utdallas.edu/pre-health/results I have looked for these same stats for UT Austin and have not been able to find them. I have not looked for the others. In my experience, it is the GMAT score that matters the most and which ever university prepares you for that test is the one you should go to.
I think some people get all wrapped up on the “prestige” of attending a name university instead of looking at what the school has to offer. UTD is a great school.