<p>Hi- I have already applied to all my schools: Brown, Yale, Wash U, Wesleyan, Oberlin, RISD, SMFA, Vassar, NYU, Carnegie Mellon, and Tufts.</p>
<p>I've been accepted into Wash U, NYU and SMFA so far. (Yay!)</p>
<p>My concern is that I will not get enough money to go to college. Yes, my family is middle class and I go to a private school, but I know my family is going to struggle to pay for my college tuition and that I will have to deal with debt after college.</p>
<p>I was wondering if I applied to the right schools for the kind of financial aid I desire. For instance, right now I am debating applying to U of Michigan for a merit based scholarship I'll know I get - which none of my current colleges guarantee.</p>
<p>I haven't heard about any of the financial aid packages yet... so that is part of the reason I'm scared. FAFSA said I'll get close to nothing. Ulp.. What should I do?</p>
<p>From where I’m sitting, there’s no way to assist you in guessing without knowing your EFC and what percentage of the applicant pool you fall into for each respective school. When it comes to merit scholarships, you are evaluated against the top applicants. So you might fare better at schools where you are in the “top” percentile of admits in terms of your statistics. In terms of need, again, that depends on a number of variables including your EFC (expected family contribution.) That said, I can say that NYU is not known to be especially great at meeting need, but I don’t know if you HAVE what the schools would call need. (HOWEVER, some posters have received generous merit…)
So, my post is only to ask you about your U of Mich comment. If you haven’t ALREADY applied to U of M, you are way behind the 8-ball, since U of M has rolling admissions and many folks applied Early Action. The majority of its MERIT scholarships have been given out, with the exception of School of Music. U of Mich is also not known for meeting the full demonstrated need of out of state students, so unless you’re IN STATE and have HIGH NEED, you may not get the kind of aid you’re looking for.
So what kind of merit-based scholarship do you “know” you’ll get at U of Mich, if you haven’t applied???</p>
<p>Good luck.
K</p>
<p><<fafsa said=“” i’ll=“” get=“” close=“” to=“” nothing=“”>></fafsa></p>
<p>many of those schools also use the Css profile which takes even more financial information into consideration when colleges decide how much to offer you. You’re best bet is going to be with schools that give MERIT aid without regard to financial need and for a financial safety that your parents can afford. The ONLY guaranteed thing you will get from the Federal government (since you seem that you are over the EFC for a pell grant) is the ability to borrow up to 5500 in stafford loans, ANYone can get those, even people with and EFC > COA.</p>
<p>NYU is notoriously stingy with aid, especially if your EFC is in the same ballpark as the COA.</p>
<p>what was your fafsa EFC</p>
<p>Is there really a LATE deadline for a merit scholarship at UMich? You might want to check this. Most state school merit scholarships (in fact…almost all) have deadlines that have long since past.</p>
<p>If your FAFSA EFC is high, only YOU can determine if it’s unaffordable for your family. They won’t be paying your private school tuition anymore so perhaps they are planning to reallocate that money to your college expenses. You need to talk to your parents.</p>
<p>The reality is that it is March 16. Most schools have either sent their admissions/financial aid info (in the case of rolling schools) or will be doing so in the next two weeks. It’s mighty late to be applying for merit aid at this time. There will be some schools that will have openings and some merit aid left after students make their final choices in May. BUT I dont’ think that’s what you are looking for.</p>
<p>Chicasso, for those schools that meet need, you are not likely to get much as you don’t demonstrate need. Brown and Yale do not give non need based awards though they do meet 100% of need. Vassar, Wesleyan, Oberlin, Tufts may also be in that category. NYU does have some merit money, but it is very limited if there is no need involved. MUch of what they give is merit within need. The only merit awards I have seen that have no need in them from there are in the $5k amounts at most. </p>
<p>In order to get merit money even at schools that have it, one has to be way above the average in terms of test scores and have a specific attribute the school really needs and wants. Unless you fall in that category, the pickings can be meager. </p>
<p>Why don’t you call your schools and ask if you are in consideration for any merit money there? Make sure you look over their web sites and digest the info posted so that you don’t ask questions that are answered right on there.</p>
<p>No, Thumper1, I know because my son had to make an early decision to accept a U Mich scholarship. The deadline to accept was Feb. 15. Eligibility for same required applications submitted by Feb. 1. School of music merit awards are being determined right now (sent first week of April) and that is the latest merit opportunity I know of (and you had to have auditioned by March 6.)
To the OP, this is why I was asking…unless I misunderstood that you HAD applied to U Mich, you certainly can’t take for granted at this late date either admission or financial assistance. I know your stats are great, I checked your other threads, but we know of a valedictorian from an excellent school in our area rejected from U Mich due to a very late application a few years back. It really can happen.</p>
<p>Cheers,
K</p>
<p>I read somewhere on the UMich website that merit scholarships are offered to students who have been <em>accepted</em> by Feb.1. (does not apply to music school)</p>
<p>FYI - Here’s what the website says:</p>
<p>U-M OFFICE OF FINANCIAL AID SCHOLARSHIPS </p>
<p>The University of Michigan Office of Financial Aid administers a variety of scholarship programs that recognize superior academic achievement, leadership qualities, and potential contribution to the scholarly community of the University. Some scholarships are based partly on financial need and others reflect the University’s commitment to achieving a diverse student body. </p>
<p>ENTERING FRESHMEN AND TRANSFER STUDENTS: </p>
<p>Entering freshmen and transfer students are automatically considered for most University-administered scholarships when they apply for admission to the University. Only a few scholarships require a separate application. However, to be considered for scholarships that are awarded to students with financial need, you must also apply for financial aid. See the U-M Office of Financial Aid Scholarship Listing for more information.</p>
<p>Be sure to apply to U-M early. And, if you feel you may need financial assistance, apply for financial aid early too. In general, equal consideration for scholarships is given to students who:</p>
<p>have been admitted to U-M by February 1 (unless another date is noted in the scholarship description ), and
have submitted both the College Scholarship Service (CSS) PROFILE application and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1 (to be considered for financial need-based scholarships listed).
The University notifies entering freshmen by mail during their senior year in high school if they have been selected for one or more University scholarships.</p>