What I've learned about full-ride scholarships

Parents Forum
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<p>I agree that this is a helpful concept posted by OP whether one makes use of it or not, and folks coming to CC should understand all options.</p>

<p>Sometimes families do not qualify for needbased aid but can’t afford to pay costs for specific reasons, such as other children with special needs or they are supporting parents or they have no savings because of past financial problems – for a myriad of reasons – nothing to whine about, it is just their family’s reality.</p>

<p>Or a particular student may be a fine fit with a particular college that happens to be ranked in a lower tier. The student is shy and unlikely to network with professors and students, so the reputation and in-groupiness matters not at all. The student will return to a region of the country where the schools others consider topnotch are not the most important entree into the business or professional world. The student might be an exceptional self starter and plan on studying a humanities area for which the internet and books makes location irrelevant.</p>

<p>One more thing, some young people blossom when they are big fish in a small pond… they become close to the professors (who given the tight academic economy probably themselves went to great schools and/or are terrific within their field), they are given many opportunities and they are recognized. These same students may wither and fade among all the superstars and competition at a different school.</p>

<p>What’s right for one student, not necessarily right for another…</p>

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<p>Bandgeek—</p>

<p>We are from NJ too & congrats on your full ride at Rutgers! We too are waiting to hear from other schools in Apr. </p>

<p>May I suggest that while you are waiting you could visit the websites of the Rutgers depts you would be most likely to be majoring in, take a good look at their honors classes/program, and visit the campus? This time, paying special attention to the campus you’d most likely be using the most, the academic depts, etc. Try to meet some profs in the depts you’d be using, and some older students, and talk with them about their own experiences. </p>

<p>If you have to make a difficult decison in April, it will be less difficult if you have informed yourself very well just what Rutgers offers you. </p>

<p>The other thing you need to think about is debt and your plans for after the bachelor’s. Are you thinking of going to grad school, and if so is it in an area where you are not likely to be getting much in the way of stipends or other support? You will be borrowing to attend if the latter—and carrying loans from your BS/BA days might not be so attractive. </p>

<p>There are only 4 undergrad years, and if you are saddled with debt from both undergrad & grad schools, it will take way more than 4 years to pay it off. You will watch your coworkers and friends be able to buy houses years before you can, go on vacations, start their families, etc etc and you will still be sending a significant portion of your take-home pay to some bank or banks. Is Rutgers that bad a “fit” for you, when you think about the consequences of borrowing major $$$ will be in the long run? That four years will look pretty short when you are 35 & just squeaking into a little ranch house.</p>

<p>On the “too close to home” thing — I am a Girl Scout leader of teens and I hear this all the time. Girls in my troop would not apply to Princeton because it is “too close” — do they think once the school year starts and the assignments begin piling on, they will be going home for weekends? Or that Mom will turn up at the dorm door with a pan of brownies? (If she does, you can sit in someone else’s room while your roomie says you are “out.”) If you are hellbent on attending college in a state that has high mountains, eg, no school in NJ will suit you — but don’t let worrying about “too close” stop you from attending an excellent program that meets your needs, especially if it is free. </p>

<p>Also, Rutgers is a very well respected school in many circles. We have friends who are horse vets. They both attended RU for undergrad and then went to Ohio for the vet school. Neither of them had thought much of Rutgers (as is true of most NJans) but to their amazement when they got to the vet school, many people were saying “Oh, Rutgers! Great School! You are well prepared!” and things in that vein. And they found they were.</p>

<p>Don’t dismiss the long term value to you of the free ride. Best wishes & good luck in April!</p>

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<p>^^^</p>

<p>I agree…</p>

<p>and the thought of taking out a bunch of loans to make another school happen is not a good idea. Why ruin your adulthood being saddled with a bunch of debt.</p>

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<p>Thank you very much for all your responses. I’m definitely looking more into Rutgers–there are days when I’m happy with the thought of going there, and other days when the thought of going to a school that large with so many kids from my high school class makes me want to puke. There are other NJ options that I’m looking into (TCNJ is a good fit for me), but they haven’t started releasing decisions yet and they’re stingy on merit aid for instate students, so I’m not sure. I’m fortunate in the respect that my family has enough saved that if I receive a small award from TCNJ, I might be able to graduate debt-free, but I will be on my own for grad school, which is a problem. One thing I did research about on Rutgers that really didn’t impress me was the limits of its honors program–they only offer a one or two honors sections in each department each semester. Compared to the opportunities of honors programs such as the University of Maryland’s honors program, College Park Scholars, and the Gemstone Program, it’s really behind. </p>

<p>Thanks for the advice though-- I’m keeping my options open still, but I’m definitely more inclined to pick Rutgers than I was last week. I was in shock for a few days at the thought of receiving the scholarship, now I’ve begun to think with my mind rather than my heart again.</p>

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<p>bandgeek - I would also highly recommend attending a Rutgers Honors Open House and speaking to current students. You should be hearing about them shortly. It is what swayed my son last year. He was very anti-Rutgers all throughout High School and absolutely hated his first tour there. Then he received the Presidential Scholarship and wondered how he could turn it down. Yes, Rutgers is large but the Honors program provides you with a small group within a school that will make you feel a lot more comfortable. You will live in an Honors dorm and that will basically become your group of friends. If you take an Honors class you will bond with those kids too. If you take a regular class, you might become frustrated with some of the students but just sit in the front and make yourself known to the teacher. The school is also a lot of fun and has great school spirit. After one semester, my son really loves it there and is convinced he made the right decision.</p>

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<p>Bandgeek - my son (who did not go to Rutgers but was admitted to Rutgers Honors program) also attended the Honors Open House. I would suggest the same as mamajay. Do attend and THEN make up your mind. Rutgers has great resources and great faculty. You might not find them your first year, but you certainly will in 4 years. </p>

<p>Also, another factor to consider is that Rutgers is big university and the people whom you don’t want to meet from your HS class: you probably will not meet them. You can form your own circle of friends and not even see them (or maybe see them once in a while). Also, since you are in the Honors program, this will be a select group of people, so again, you may not see the people you don’t want to see. I live very close to New Brunswick and I actually like the town, there are some seedy places but it has a college feel to it.</p>

<p>I don’t know if you have indicated your field of interest, Rutgers is very good for Mathematics, sciences, engineering and even Humanities. Rutgers has a highly ranked Math department, a highly ranked Philosophy department and it’s biological sciences is also very good.</p>

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<p>Interesting - I also had a strategy for my kids - looking for schools with generous merit aid that would rival the cost of in-state State schools with a small scholarship. We have a limited income - not poor, but just don’t make enough to save tens of thousands. S1 ended up with a substantial scholarship to Tulane. We moved from NY State to centralTexas, where our cost of living went down along with our incomes. S1 will graduate with less than $30k debt from a school that costs $55K a year. D is a music major - just accepted to Vanderbilt, a school that will cover 100% of financial need with no loans. Yes she will have to work during the school year and during vacations. Yes it will be tight for us, in that we still have some EFC. But it was a plan that worked, thank God. I think families need to research what will work for them. We sold our house in NY when the market was high, and bought a low cost home in Texas. With 3 kids and low salaries, you get creative and use whatever assets you can - your brains, research skills, desirable house that we had a lot of equity in - to educate 3 kids. I applaud the OP for her research skills (I’m a librarian!) and finding a method that worked. Boo on the snobs. Reminds me of a guy I worked with years ago at an investment bank who poo-poo’d state U’s (he knew I was a SUNY grad), while he was a Harvard legacy who couldn’t spell or write very well. I got promoted with my paltry SUNY degree while he got canned! :)<br>
BTW, Texas Tech, which I see mentioned in this thread, is a very good school with high degree of student satisfaction. My next door neighbor is a TT alum and a retired engineer who has had a wonderful career and lives comfortably.</p>

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<p>hello, i wonder is there any strategy or something for international student to get financial aid? it is ok for me if it is not a full ride.:)</p>

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<p>I find it very interesting to read this “old” thread with “current” eyes. Things sure have changed for many people. The concept of finding an affordable alternate was met with what seems just short of disgust that a parent would like an option other than strapping the family with huge debt. Times have sure changed. </p>

<p>I think the advice was good and shows the other end of the spectrum from going into huge dept. You can still use the concept without going to the same extreme if that meets your families situation. Take it for what it is worth and use as little or as much of the method as you like. If you child is at the top of the school’s demographic you will get more money if they are a school that offers merit aid. Using that info is a valuable strategy and will help a lot of families. There is something affordable for most people if you really look and affordable options are a must for many families.</p>

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<p>marching…</p>

<p>This thread is about merit scholarships, not need-based financial aid. </p>

<p>If you have high stats, then look for schools that give merit-based scholarships to int’ls. There aren’t a lot, but there are some. Generally, the schools are mid-tier or below. However, many are strong in various subject areas.</p>

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<p>My son has very high SAT scores, and is in the top 5% of his class (barely, by 2 kids)</p>

<p>800 CR
800 writing
700 math</p>

<p>I understand that Tulane and University of Miami have good merit aid.</p>

<p>Could you give me the names of some other schools who do?</p>

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<p>Miami, is a big ??? my S received zero for a 2220. M2CK is a great resource. Other schools S applied to gave him large offers (for their schools), but they didn’t make a huge dent in tuition of $55K+ So it is relative to what you are looking for and what you are equipped to pay.</p>

453

<p>University of Pittsburgh would be a good bet for full-tuition. However, it has become increasingly competitive in the past few years with the economy the way it has been. In the past couple of years, students with stats similar to your S’s have gotten full tuition without optional essays or recs. Nonetheless, if you are at all interested in this school, I would suggest applying early (by the end of October) and sending in essays and recommendations.</p>

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<p>You might want to look at Alabama and U. South Carolina. They have some very good merit aid scholarships.</p>

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<p>Miami does have excellent merit aid, but you do compete for it. One of my students was invited to attend a weekend in April where she would be interviewed, etc. for a full tuition scholarship. She had seriously thought about going there for that weekend, but she would have had to pay for the flight and hotel. So she turned down the opportunity.</p>

<p>This student also received $40,000 a year from Vandy. Again, she turned down that offer for a small, private LAC on the West Coast.</p>

<p>I can second the U. of Alabama. My son will enter his third year there. Because of the National Merit package, he receives full tuition and honors housing for four years, along with some other goodies. But you do not need National Merit status to earn a scholarship there. So take a look at the scholarship page on the website.</p>

<p>Ole Miss and Mississippi State also have nice merit packages.</p>

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<p>I may have posted this earlier in this or another thread, but while we’re rehashing “good merit aid” schools for a new crop of applicants, let me mention University of Cincinnati’s offer. Full in-state tuition, room & board for National Merit finalists, plus $ for a laptop or study abroad. They have 60 of these scholarships each year, so there are a goodly number of NMFs on campus.</p>

457

<p>Have a look at :
Foundation Fellowship at Univ of Georgia
[Welcome</a> to the University of Georgia Honors Program](<a href=“http://www.uga.edu/honors/c_s/scholarships/f_f/foundation_fellows.html]Welcome”>Foundation Fellowship - UGA Morehead Honors College)</p>

<p>Presidential Scholar at Ga Tech
The website seems to be down at the moment- but try googling it</p>

<p>Johnson scholar at Washington and Lee
[The</a> Johnson Scholarship Program :: Washington and Lee University](<a href=“http://www.wlu.edu/x33307.xml]The”>http://www.wlu.edu/x33307.xml)</p>

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<p>

I would turn this around … it seems to me a ton of very good schools give merit aid. A lot of the highly-highly selective schools (the IVYies and most/all? of the NESCAC schools for example) do not give merit aid but once you drop below these schools a ton of schools do. To be a solid candidate for merit aid having stats in the top 25% of the school is very helpful … which for almost all students puts them in range of schools which give merit. So I’d suggest looking for schools in which the student is interested and is at least in the top 50% stats wise and then inquiring about merit.</p>

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<p>Our last child is a rising senior. Any school suggestions that will AUTOMATICALLY give a merit scholarship based on grades and SAT, etc. besides Univ of Alabama? He will not be a nmf ( he is commended scholar). SAT is 2150 and combined math /reading is 1500 . . with 3.87 unweighted and 4.3 weighted GPA.</p>

<p>He would like to attend schools in the Northeast. Rutgers doesn’t have an automatic scholarship, nor does Univ of Pittsburgh.</p>

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<p>

</p>

<p>This thread has some helpful ideas.</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;