What College will give me full tuition/full ride?

Parents Forum
1

<p>With the following statistics, from which college do I have the highest chance of getting a full tuition/full ride scholarship? I am open to anything besides any public universities in Tennessee and Alabama, any community colleges, or anything not in the top 100 in the US News College Rankings. I am aware I have very mediocre grades with a particularly weak junior year, but please take into account my test scores and decent EC's and potential national math/science awards that I hope to get next fall. BTW, my class rank will drop from like top 10-15% to top 25% when I switch schools for my senior b/c they do it quite differently at my new school. Will this be considered at all?</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>Ethnicity: South Asian American (Pakistani)</p>

<p>Age: 17</p>

<p>Schools:
Large Public in IN (9)
Small Private in TN (10-11)
Medium Public in TN (12)</p>

<p>Family: Doctor-MD (Dad), Master's (Mom), 2 younger siblings</p>

<p>Recs (Potential- I've talked to the teachers about what they will write): AP Euro History Teacher, AP Bio Teacher, Counselor (Even though I was there for only one year, I was always at the top of my class and did much better than my previous record)</p>

<p>Essays (Potential) : One on being an agnostic Pakistani Democrat in Tennessee, One on how I found a passion for learning (which had previously felt forced), especially math and science, that drove me to study all of them for many hours and partake in competitions.</p>

<p>Intended Major: Physics or Math</p>

<p>Objective:</p>

<p>Grades (9-11): Semester 1 (9): 7A/1B, Semester 2 (9): 1A/4B/1C, Semester 1 (10): 5A/1B, Semester 2 (10): 5A/1B, Semester 1 (11): 2A/4B, Semester 2 (11): 4B/2C in All Honors Classes and 2 AP Classes: AP Chemistry (Semester 1: B, Semester 2: C+) and AP Calculus BC (Semester 1: A-, Semester 2: B)</p>

<p>Senior Course Load and Grades (Potential): All A's (98% or better) in AP Biology, AP Physics B, AP European History, AP English Literature, AP Statistics, and Honors Spanish 4, at School and an A in Organic Chemistry with Lab in an online class </p>

<p>GPA/Class Rank (Potential): 4.10 at private school, top 15% at the end of junior year, and 3.85 (Weighted) Ranked in Top 25% in 300 Students after first semester of senior year (Potential)</p>

<p>SAT: 2400 ACT: 36 SAT Chemistry: 800, SAT Math II: 800, SAT Physics: 800, SAT Biology M: 800, SAT US History: 800, SAT World History: 800</p>

<p>AP Exam Scores: NONE</p>

<p>Extra-Cirricular Activities:</p>

<p>Speech and Debate (10-12): State 2nd Place (10), 350 Tournament Points</p>

<p>Piano (9, 11-12): Gold Star Rating in Region (9), Did Well in Regional Festival (12-Potential)</p>

<p>Mock Trial (11): Lawyer- 2nd Place in Region</p>

<p>Young Democrats (10-11): VP (11)</p>

<p>NHS and Mu Alpha Theta Member (10-12)</p>

<p>Community Service (10-12): 100 Hours in Mosque and Science Center; Mathcounts Coach (12-Potential)</p>

<p>Math Club (9, 12): President (12-Potential)</p>

<p>Student Newspaper Member (12-Potential)</p>

<p>Table Tennis Club (12-Potential)</p>

<p>Research (12-Potential): Independent "Research" done in Science- mainly with a home telescope and with some higher math</p>

<p>Other Awards/Distinctions: Regional Math Test Top 5 (9, 10), National Merit Commended Scholar (12), National AP Scholar (12-Potential), State Math Problem Solving Test Top 10 (12-Potential)</p>

<p>Awards to be sent after initial submission of application (all potential): </p>

<p>Intel STS Semi-Finalist in Math (Sent in Late January)</p>

<p>USA Physics Olympiad Semi-Finalist and AMC 12 Top 1% (Mid-February)</p>

<p>USA Chemistry Olympiad Top in Region and USA Biology Olympiad Semi-Finalist (Early March)</p>

2

<p>Did you take the PSAT as well? Because the potential for National Merit money would be nice.
And are you a US citizen?</p>

<p>With your stats, you qualify for full tuition at University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa, University of Alabama-Birmingham & University of Alabama-Huntsville. University of Arkansas has a non-resident tuition award for residents of TN, but that wouldn’t bring it to full tuition.
UA Presidential Scholar: [Out-of-State</a> Scholarships - Undergraduate Scholarships - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://scholarships.ua.edu/types/out_of_state.html]Out-of-State”>http://scholarships.ua.edu/types/out_of_state.html)
UAB Blazer Elite: <a href=“Error 404 | Not Found”>Error 404 | Not Found;
UAH: [UAHuntsville</a> - Entering Freshmen](<a href=“http://www.uah.edu/financial-aid/aid/scholarships/new-freshmen]UAHuntsville”>http://www.uah.edu/financial-aid/aid/scholarships/new-freshmen)</p>

<p>Miami of Ohio just changed their OOS scholarships starting with the class of 2013; students with scores over 1400 SAT or 32 ACT qualify for 1/2-full tuition: [University</a> Merit Scholarships | Miami Scholarships | Scholarships | High School Students | Financial Aid | Admission | Miami University](<a href=“http://www.miami.muohio.edu/admission/finaid/high-school/scholarships/miami-scholarships/merit.html]University”>Costs, Scholarships, and Financial Aid | Miami University)</p>

<p>Best of luck!</p>

3

<p>I believe Tulane and University of Miami give great grants for people with high SAT scores</p>

<p>(at least 50%)</p>

4

<p>Case Western Reserve University ([Case</a> Western Reserve University - One of the nation’s top universities and the best college in Ohio](<a href=“http://www.case.edu/]Case”>http://www.case.edu/)) will almost certainly give you a full ride with those test scores. They have an excellent engineering program, use the Common App, will waive your application fee, and will let you know early whether or not you’ve gotten in.</p>

<p>The University of Pittsburgh will also give you a ton of merit money.</p>

5

<p>I was going to make several suggestions but since you’re only interested in schools with a media-driven perception of “prestige”, I decided not to bother. There are a 100 similar CC threads where you can get that basic info which you’ve probably already read since you’ve been on CC long enough to make nearly 150 posts.</p>

<p>You should already know by now that almost no college in the “top 100” by USNWR rankings will give you full tuition or a full ride, especially since you’re not the first in your family to go to college and one of your parents is an MD. If you were willing to look beyond USNWR, you might be surprised how much merit aid you could get. The “top 100” colleges don’t need to “buy” students with tons of merit aid but many other colleges will line up to do so.</p>

<p>Potential essays… You’re going to write about being agnostic but you’re also going to list many hours of community service at a mosque on the same college app? Do you have any other real passions beyond learning? Especially regarding math, science, and academic competitions? Multiple thousands of other students of South Asian heritage who’ll be STEM majors will also only be applying to the same “top 100” and talking about loving math, science, and academic competitions. Don’t write essays about stuff that’s reflected so heavily elsewhere in your app. Try to stand out from all the other similar students applying to the same colleges. Several colleges post some of their standout application essays on their web sites. Search those out and see what really made those students get noticed and accepted.</p>

6

<ol>
<li><p>Find out what your parents can and will pay, because the places that are on your list aren’t likely to hand you a full-ride.</p></li>
<li><p>Go read through the threads on guaranteed merit-based scholarships in the Financial Aid Forum, and see if anything will work for you.</p></li>
</ol>

7

<p>

</p>

<p>The OP is asking about merit aid, not need based FA. And while some merit scholarships use financial need as a factor, many do not, so the OPs parental education level and occupation would be inconsequential.</p>

<p>There are many colleges within the USN&WR top 100 that offer substantial merit scholarships, starting with 2 schools on the within the top 10; 4 within schools #11-20… </p>

<p>This is not a comment on the OPs concern with rankings or qualifications for these scholarships, just a clarification on the quoted statement.</p>

8

<p>

</p>

<p>Interesting…what number of students actually HAS these scores…maybe one or two?</p>

9

<p>Family: Doctor-MD (Dad),</p>

<p>???</p>

<p>Is there a reason for looking for a full ride/tuition scholarship? How much will your parents pay?</p>

<p>Are you a likely NMSF? What was your PSAT?</p>

<p>*Quote:
SAT: 2400 ACT: 36 SAT Chemistry: 800, SAT Math II: 800, SAT Physics: 800, SAT Biology M: 800, SAT US History: 800, SAT World History: 800
*</p>

<p>And, yet, no AP scores??? Why???</p>

10

<p>About the AP Scores, I just decided not to score any of them. Yes, I am only looking for merit aid. I’d be willing to extend that to the top 150 in the US News Rankings. Please list schools that I would have a good chance of getting merit aid too with my stats. BTW, I’m self-admittedly the laziest person on earth but when I even try to try to do something, I’ll get it done. That’s why my grades don’t match my test scores but I’m really going to try next semester and that’s why I’ve listed my potential grades for my semester of senior year so high. Also, my parents can easily afford any college but I don’t want to take any money from them for college. I’m willing to work a few hours every day during college and the summer as well.</p>

11

<p>100% merit aid doesn’t really exist in my opinion (well only at a very few places or for only a few students per class) and no matter what your test scores, your grades will hold you back. Any substantial merit aid will most likely look at subjective things like essays and interviews as well. Explaining your grades by saying you’re lazy but can do it if you try is probably not going to win you votes! And why wouldl you not take AP exams if you’re really smart? At many schools they help you exempt or place out of classes.</p>

12

<p>I honestly can’t believe the OPs post is legit…but if it is here’s the thread the OP wants:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/211927-institutional-merit-based-scholarships-full-tuition.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/211927-institutional-merit-based-scholarships-full-tuition.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

13

<p>

</p>

<p>You’ll be lucky if you get any merit aid.</p>

14

<p>

</p>

<p>What does THIS mean?</p>

15

<p>

</p>

<p>There are plenty.</p>

16

<p>As asked earlier…OP, did you TAKE the PSAT as a junior? Are your scores such that you are in contention for National Merit Finalist status? If so there are some schools that offer good merit aid.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Actually, there are NOT plenty of kids who have both perfect SAT and ACT scores AND six perfect subject tests.</p>

17

<p>Yes, look at the Financial Aid Forum for National Merit Threads if you think you’d qualify.</p>

18

<p>Let me make a correction. I’d be willing to pay up to 35K/year (everything). Please lists colleges that give such merit aid programs which allow you to only have to pay this much.</p>

19

<p>Why are you not answering the question about PSAT?</p>

<p>If your weighted GPA is 3.85, your UW is like 3.2? </p>

<p>If you are willing to pay 35k per year, there are plenty of public schools that will admit you and probably give you a good chunk of money.</p>

<p>University of Alabama
University of Pittsburgh
Iowa State University
University of Minnesota
University of Nebraska
University of Houston
University of Texas at Dallas</p>

<p>There are about 400-500 kids that get 2400 and another 400 or so that get 36.</p>

<p>The overlap is not very high. I have seen several kids show 800s in subject tests. I know a few that have 2400 and about 5-6 subject test 800s, but most are in California private schools and they don’t seem to take ACT at all.</p>

20

<p>

</p>

<p>You will or your parents will?</p>