<p>I know this is an EXTREMELY generic question, but just follow me for a second. Say you wanted a merit scholarship to a school like UNCC; a state school, but still not very well known. What GPA and SAT (along with extra-curriculars) would be a good bet? Also, if you have a personal experience with another college, please include the name of the college. </p>
<p>Thanks so much!</p>
<p>University of Alabama:
<a href=“http://scholarships.ua.edu/types/out_of_state.html[/url]”>http://scholarships.ua.edu/types/out_of_state.html</a></p>
<p>Does not include living expenses, books, etc. I do not believe.</p>
<p>OK, and that’s a GUARANTEED one! University of Alabama is also fairly well known, correct?</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>The above info is correct for Bama…and it doesn’t include room, board, books.</p>
<p>As to the OP’s question…it depends on the school. Many schools don’t have very generous merit scholarships.</p>
<p>And if you’re talking about a REAL full ride…which is tuition, fees, room, board, books, then FEW schools have such scholarships based only on GPA and Test scores.</p>
<p>Free rides are often based on NMF status or other achievements in addition to high stats.</p>
<p>What are your stats? We can recommend some schools for your stats.</p>
<p>Also, can you or your family contribute anything towards college costs? If not, are you low income?</p>
<p>I’d think so… It’s Alabama’s flagship, and is ranked #79 nationally by Newsweek.</p>
<p>Also:
<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</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/52133-schools-known-good-merit-aid.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/52133-schools-known-good-merit-aid.html</a></p>
<p>My family is fairly affluent, but I don’t want to come out of college in debt. I am fairly early in searching for colleges right now, so my stats wont mean much. </p>
<p>I have seen full ride merit scholarships at schools like Appalachian State University, UNCC, and UNCG. And these are FULL rides. My question is, what stats do you typically need for a scholarship like that? Once again, I understand that this is an extremely flawed question.</p>
<p>I have seen full ride merit scholarships at schools like Appalachian State University, UNCC, and UNCG. And these are FULL rides. My question is, what stats do you typically need for a scholarship like that?</p>
<p>What do their websites say? If there websites are vague, that often means that they only have a limited number to offer, so they don’t give them to everyone with certain stats.</p>
<p>For instance…App State…</p>
<p>[Chancellor’s</a> Scholarship :: Admissions :: Appalachian State University](<a href=“http://www.admissions.appstate.edu/scholarships/chancellors-scholarship]Chancellor’s”>http://www.admissions.appstate.edu/scholarships/chancellors-scholarship)</p>
<p>Their Chancellor’s scholarship is a full ride, but it is highly competitive. So that would suggest that very high stats would be needed…along with maybe some impressive ECs… </p>
<p>What are your stats?</p>
<p>How much will your family contribute?</p>
<p>You may not need to borrow much or anything if your parents will pay - say $12k per year - and you get a full tuition scholarship.</p>
<p>Be aware that some of these non-flagship state schools might be largely commuter or suitcase schools…and may not have much “campus sprit/activities.” </p>
<p>*OK, and that’s a GUARANTEED one! University of Alabama is also fairly well known, correct? *</p>
<p>Yes, that is an assured scholarship for stats if you apply by Dec 1st and submit the scholarship app. Yes, Bama is well known…it’s a national university and it’s the flagship U. One of my kids just graduated from Bama and the other child will be a junior there.</p>
<p>Yes, I know these are highly competitive. My question is, what do my stats need to be to be a competitive applicant for these scholarships?</p>
<p>There is no one answer. My daughter received 3 such scholarships-- two were based on competitions hosted by the school - in which 800 kids competed for the scholarship - with 10 receiving them. Each school is so very different in what they are looking for. MANY schools have watered down these scholarships to cover only tuition. That way they can offer more merit scholarships.</p>
<p>My daughter stats- 2290 SAT 35 ACT 3.9 GPA Weighted 4.6 top 5 at a very “tough” academy - OK EC-- lots of service hours >700. National Merit Finalist</p>
<p>Going to a small LAC – full scholarship --received one of the 5 spots in their special honors program.</p>
<p>Hope this helps a little.<br>
Just keep searching you’ll find it.</p>
<p>High school…</p>
<p>What are your stats?</p>
<p>OP, to have a real chance for a FULL ride scholarship at a major research university, you would have to be “IVY” competitive. So what is that? Go look on a decisions thread for an Ivy, (such as Harvard) to get an idea. Good luck.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/894548-official-harvard-university-rd-decisions-class-2014-a.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/894548-official-harvard-university-rd-decisions-class-2014-a.html</a></p>
<p>^I received a full ride including tuition and housing for four years and I don’t think my stats were ivy league material. So it’s definitely possible. I had ok academics but a lot of leadership activities.</p>
<p>Read Momfromtexas’s thread on full ride scholarships. It is indeed possible for students who are not top of the top to get a full ride. What it involves is a meticulous search among those schools that are not well known.</p>
<p>@flowerpower, … congrats. Which college gave you the scholarship?</p>
<p>Yes, flowerpower, I would like to know the college and stats as well. </p>
<p>But I think that most Ivy competitive kids would take full rides at medium sized schools, like the University of South Carolina.</p>
<p>But I think that most Ivy competitive kids would take full rides at medium sized schools, like the University of South Carolina.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t call South Carolina a medium-sized school…it has 22k undergrads and over 30k students total. That’s a big school. </p>
<p>I think there is a misunderstanding here. Many/most colleges do not offer full-rides. Some offer full or near-full rides for NMF status. </p>
<p>Some lower tier schools offer full-rides for high stats. Some mid-tiers might offer a few VERY competitive full-rides (tuition, room, board, books).</p>
<p>However, there are more schools that will offer Free Tuition scholarships for strong stats. These won’t be top/top schools, but there are some very good schools.</p>
<p>The MomfromTexas thread is quite dated now. With the recession, many of those scholarships either no longer exist or have been reduced. And, many of those schools were commuter schools where an out-of-region student would often feel alone on nights and weekends. I’m not dissing that thread; it was great when it was current and it was great for those who had no other means to pay for college, but had pretty good stats. </p>
<p>It would help if the OP just gave more info…</p>
<p>1) stats</p>
<p>2) intended major</p>
<p>3) type of desired school</p>
<p>4) amount family will contribute</p>
<p>With the above info, we could list actual schools that might work for you.</p>
<p>From another thread:
If you already have full rides offered why are you asking so many questions about more?
From another thread a month ago:
What HS year are you and where are these full rides you have in hand?</p>
<p>My younger S was offered close to a full ride from Univ. of Buffalo via merit scholarships. The balance due would have been about $3K a year (including R&B). He did still have Stafford Loans, though.</p>
<p>He ultimately chose Lehigh but the offer from UB was tempting.</p>
<p>"Should I take Calculus or another AP? </p>
<p>So here’s my situation. I am a freshman currently taking Algebra 1. Yeah yeah, I know, shame on me. I have two options." </p>
<p>You say you are a freshman in high school, I don’t think we can help you look now, we have no stats, no SAT/ACT scores, no GPA, no class rank.</p>
<p>I can offer some insight on Appalachian State Chancellor’s (full ride) scholarship specifically. You must complete the application before Dec. 1, and fill out all 5 of the essays (I did not, but I think they rarely make exceptions) and get in to the school and the honors college. Then a group of maybe ten people sit and chose, this year, 30 people to interview for the scholarship. They only gave out 10. These numbers may change from year to year.<br>
Then in February there is a day called Scholars day where you show up and attend information sessions and have a 40 minute interview. There is also a special reception for those interviewing for the chancellors scholarship the night before.
They said that we should hear back a week to 10 days after the interview but I got a call from the chancellor within 3 days telling me that I would be offered the scholarship.
I was very impressed by App State’s speed in choosing, as well as the overall experience at scholars day.</p>
<p>My stats are
SAT R 700 M 780 W 700
GPA 4.708 W, 3.89 UW
National Merit Finalist
Few ECs: Film club, NHS, latin club.
Not much volunteering, but some at retirement home.
Accomplished jazz guitarist, mediocre cellist, Ind. study in music where I wrote a piece for orchestra, building a distortion pedal for guitar. I think my drive and passion for my major, music industry with classes in physics and circuits, hoping to one day design amplifiers or something, helped me a lot in the interview. </p>
<p>They want people that are motivated and that are going to become leaders in their fields and communities.</p>
<p>I hope this helps someone who is interested in Appalachian. From my 3 visits I can tell it’s a great place! Everyone there seems so helpful and supportive</p>