candyman92486

Hey Nightingale,

That 15% statistic is correct. I have taken the liberty of pasting into this post some basic information on the Marquis and Trustee Scholarships from the Lafayette website.

- Marquis and Trustee Scholarships -

Lafayette College is a demanding environment that enhances the process of intellectual discovery. For those students who have distinguished themselves through high academic achievement and who have demonstrated intellectual curiosity through involvement in school and community programs, Lafayette offers a greater challenge.

Each year, Marquis and Trustee Scholarships are awarded to approximately 15 percent of the entering class. Marquis Scholars receive $16,000 a year ($64,000 over four years) or full grants instead of any loans to meet their financial need. Trustee Scholarships are $8,000 a year ($32,000 over four years) or a full grant to meet a student’s financial need.

Who Qualifies?
Lafayette seeks students who have demonstrated intellectual curiosity in addition to their superior academic achievement. Curriculum, grades, rank in graduating class, and scores on standardized tests are all considered. Furthermore, the College looks for students engaged in independent, creative scholarship who have demonstrated significant accomplishments through involvement in school and community.

Scholarship recipients typically have the following profile: top 3-4 percent of their graduating class in the most demanding curriculum available, with SAT mid-50 percent range of 1390-1480. Characteristics vary slightly from year to year, depending upon the strength of the College’s applicant pool.

(NOTE: I heard this year's average SAT for incoming scholars was a 1480, which made it extra hard to receive a merit scholarship!)

All students who apply to Lafayette are considered for the program, based on the above criteria, though the program is limited to U.S. citizens and/or permanent residents. The scholarship is renewed each year at Lafayette provided the student maintains a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00. Students who are also requesting need-based financial aid must file the CSS Profile and other documents by the deadlines.

Students selected for an academic scholarship receive an official letter of notification in March.

(NOTE: Lafayette provides more than $22.7 million in scholarships and grants to about 55% of enrolled students.)

I hope that clears up any questions you may have had on the topic.

J