Apply for scholarships NOW, don't wait for acceptance to come.

mom2collegekids · 10-09-2009, 05:46 PM

Another poster was confused, so I thought I'd make this thread so that anyone else who was similarly confused would get clarified...

You need to fill out the scholarship app ASAP. Don't wait until accepted (but you must apply to the school first). Think of it this way....scholarship apps need to received by Dec 1. If someone were to apply to the college in November, they might not get their acceptance until after Dec 1st...then it would be too late to apply for a scholly.

Now, if you're waiting for a higher test score...go ahead and apply now, and if the later ACT (Oct) or SAT (November) is higher, they will give you the higher scholarship once they receive those scores. But, for scholarships, UA only takes up to Oct for ACT...and Nov for SAT.

From the website...

Entering freshmen should apply for scholarships during the fall of their senior year in high school. A completed admissions application will need to be submitted to The University of Alabama before completing the scholarship application.

MikeWozowski · 10-09-2009, 06:41 PM

oops ... that was me! i must have gotten something confused!!

parent56 · 10-09-2009, 06:55 PM

i thought the same thing, but wouldnt have mattered, we got acceptance back faster than son would have completed the scholarship app LOL

MikeWozowski · 10-09-2009, 09:44 PM

i think what i may have been thinking of is you have to wait for your mybama id before you can apply for scholarships. does that sound reasonable??

Montegut · 10-09-2009, 10:04 PM

So happy Bama gave a Bama ID to apply for schollies. One of our other applications was delayed by the admissions office not being able to locate son's transcript, even though it was sent twice. And this was the very first application we submitted, back in early September, because it was a very simple application.

Well, now, we're trying to apply for honors college, scholarships, and we can't do anything until accepted. So frustrating!

Thank you, BAMA, for making the scholarship application so easy, so our ducks will hopefully be in a row once the admissions decision comes through.

mom2collegekids · 10-10-2009, 08:18 AM

>>> Well, now, we're trying to apply for honors college, scholarships, and we can't do anything until accepted.<<<

You've applied for the schollies, right? Don't need to be accepted to do that.

I didn't know that you had to be accepted to submit your honors app. Can't you apply for honors once you have your mybama ID. I checked the honors website, and I don't see that it says that you have to wait until you've been accepted - but I may have overlooked that spot

My eyes aren't what they used to be...LOL

If it is true that you can't apply to honors until accepted, I wonder if the Honors College knows that it is taking longer for acceptance because UA is now getting over 18k apps for about 5k spots? They may need to rethink their process now that UA is getting so many more applications.

Montegut · 10-10-2009, 10:39 AM

Oops, so sorry. My wording was confusing.

Our first app college was Not Bama. It was another state uni that had a very simple app.

I was praising Bama for letting us apply for schollies once we got that Bama id.

But, thanks for the heads up on the Honors app. Got to do that one now, too. And I guess that one will need recs as well.

I'm unclear. If you are a NMSF, do you still have to submit an honors college application? I'm guessing so, since you have to fill out a FAFSA for merit aid at most unis, and I'm guessing that's the same also for Bama.

Boy, this college app process is very time consuming on many schools. First, the reg app, then the schollie app, then the honors app. Essays, teacher recs. And we haven't even started our common app colleges.

mom2collegekids · 10-10-2009, 01:33 PM

No FAFSA for Bama - we've never even looked at a FAFSA form...LOL UA's merits are pure merits. (I don't think UAB or Miss St ask for FAFSAs either for merit money.

I don't remember having to do teacher recs for UHP or IHP (maybe for CBHP???).

Everyone has to apply to honors college, even NMSF ...but the admission is automatic once they get your application. Frankly, admission is rather automatic for everyone who has the stats (GPA & test scores).

The wording is confusing...automatic sounds like you don't have to apply. But, with Bama, automatic kind of means "not competitive" - if you have the stats, you win.

The UHP and IHP apps are super easy...little short essays (I don't even know if they even really count for much. Just write a decent paragraph for each one.)

However, the CBHP and the Fellows required essays are more "in depth," and do count for a lot. These are VERY COMPETIVE...It's very hard to even qualify for the interview stage.

momreads · 10-12-2009, 08:50 AM

No teacher recommendations are needed to apply to the University Fellows or CBHP. But do write excellent essays for those two programs, if you want to be considered. The essays do count.

As for applying to the UHP and IHP, my son applied to the IHP well after he received acceptance, paid his deposit and landed his scholarship to UA. He was quickly accepted. If I remember correctly, there is no deadline to apply to UHP/IHP, but there is a definite deadline for the CBHP.

mom2collegekids · 10-12-2009, 09:07 AM

^^^

Yes...no deadline to apply to UHP or IHP...but there is a deadline for Fellows and CBHP.

parent56 · 10-12-2009, 08:45 PM

from the website/app

here is the info i wrote down on essays and timelines etc.

with an act of 28 or higher you can apply for honors

UHP and IHP have a deadline of feb1
CBHP has a deadline of Jan5
these need the essay done online (one for each program you apply to) and CBHP requires an upload of resume (NO mention of letters of rec)

Fellows you must be invited to apply... Deadline is Dec4
2 essays
optional letter of rec (if sent must be postmarked by Dec 1)

mom2collegekids · 10-13-2009, 01:21 AM

Wow...that's new about the Feb 1 deadline to apply to UHP or IHP. I guess they want firm numbers to determine honors class offerings.

Is that Feb 1 date on the application? I don't see it on the website (but I may have overlooked it.)

Re: Fellows...

If you don't qualify for an auto invite (by stats) then your school can nominate you...
"A student with an ACT score of 32 or an SAT score of 1400 (verbal and quantitative) and a high school GPA of 3.8 who is accepted into UA by the scholarship deadline of December 1 will be automatically invited to apply for the University Fellows Experience.

A student eligible for the University Honors Program (ACT of 28 or SAT of 1250) may be nominated for consideration by a high school representative or a UA faculty member. Prior to December 1, the nominee's name, email address, letter of recommendation, and resume should be sent to Wellon Bridgers, Coordinator.

BTW...Wellon Bridgers is a woman. We made the mistake of asking a question by email and wrote...Mr. Bridgers.

GetToCollege · 10-13-2009, 02:45 PM

Thank you for your help with my questions.

beyondlsu · 10-13-2009, 03:15 PM

How come UA and AU are so generous with their scholarships offerings especially for the National Merit Finalists? Do the colleges in AL get some special funding for such students?

SEA_tide · 10-13-2009, 03:45 PM

Beyondlsu,

UA has been rapidly expanding for a few years now. In order to fill up the new slots, UA is recruiting for the best and brightest students nationwide. For many students, it is the money that first interests us in Alabama, we visit, and then we get hooked. For many of us OOS students, UA is cheaper than staying in state and we get excellent educational opportunities (and nice dorms). I can't speak for AU, but since they are our biggest rivals, they have to compete too.

Echoing the advice of mom2college kids, do apply for scholarships and UHP/IHP/CBHP now. Save for fellows and CBHP, the applications are quite simple. The news of deadlines for UHP and IHP is certainly new this year. Last year, applications for UHP, IHP and even CBHP were being accepted during Bama Bound (freshman orientation)in late May. UA has some really early deadlines, so keep track of them.