<p>DD has applied to 11 schools, has heard from one (a reach, rejected). She thought she was done with apps.</p>
<p>Then Friday, her German teacher told her he had recommended her for a full-tuition scholarship at a state school (instate, non-flagship). The kickers are (1) it’s not a school she’s even looked at, and (2) it requires that the recipient major in German; and although DD plans to continue with German in college and has not decided on a major, she’s never really considered majoring in German.</p>
<p>OTOH, this school would be a financial safety even without the full-tuition scholarship; the requirements of the German major would allow her to do a second major, and in fact the German Department’s website encourages their majors to double-major; and she really, really respects the German teacher who recommended her.</p>
<p>The application deadline for scholarship consideration in December 31, but she needs to decide before Christmas break so her GC can get the paperwork done.</p>
<p>Not really asking for advice - but perhaps some insight?</p>
<p>Does your D think she could possibly imagine herself at the school? I guess I’d ask that question first.</p>
<p>I work at a public institution with a good reputation and have half-off tuition benefits for my dependents. D was approached by an in-state small private school “in the middle of nowhere” (her words) because they were looking for smart tennis players. The school had a great tennis team; they travel internationally.</p>
<p>D wasn’t interested. As much as she liked to play tennis and would love to travel, she said she’d rather live at home and go to school where I work (and where she probably would not make the tennis team) than go to this school. And for her staying home was a last resort.</p>
<p>So, could your D imagine herself at this school? Do they offer a major she would be interested in (in addition to German)? If the answer is maybe, then it might be worth it to apply.</p>
<p>What caused you all to not look at it from the get go?</p>
<p>If she got in would she want to go? If she’d consider it I guess I don’t see the harm in applying and then deciding once all the decisions are in.</p>
<p>This is a school OP’s daughter never considered. If she did, according to annasdad, she would be able to get very good aid, with or without this German scholarship. I would say no, and give this scholarship to someone else. The German teacher is putting his name on the line by recommending Anna. If Anna were to win and turn it down later, it would give the teacher less credibility for future years, and a scholarship like that could be very valuable to some other kids.</p>
<p>I kind of agree with Old Fort. If there is no chance your Daughter really wants to go and really wants to major in German, she should probably pass on this offer.</p>
<p>I wonder if the college hasn’t had many applicants for the scholarship. Many of our area schools are down to just Spanish and French, and German once more widely available is dying out at a high school language choice.</p>
<p>My D had a similar experience. D applied to Holy Cross and her Latin teacher and wants her to apply for a full scholarship for Latin majors. She’s a prospective Chemistry major so she thought about it for about a week and then said thanks, but no thanks…she won’t apply for the scholarship. Latin teacher is not happy about it, of course!</p>
<p>If your D WANTS to double major then she should go fo it. It would be a huge commitment on her part, but it might make the in-state expereince more challenging. I don’t see the harm in applying for the scholarship while she is giving the school some serious thought (time is short). If she is selected for it and turns it down …another student will be offered it. </p>
<p>BTW: Any student should think carefully about accepting scholarships tied to a major, honors program or athletic program…student is committing to 4 years and should have thier heart in it 100%.</p>
<p>I guess it depends on how important the scholarship is to you. Going to a non flagship if she can do better and majoring in something she had not planned to seems like a lot of sacrifice for a tuition scholarship at a state schools (value $8-20K?/yr?) if you don’t really need the merit money. For some families that don’t qualify for need based aid this is often the case, so it just depends on your particulars.</p>
<p>It’s a large state school, so almost every common major seems to be offered. As far as “imagine herself at this school,” she really hasn’t given it any thought - this just came up on Friday.</p>
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<p>It wasn’t really a conscious “we’re not going to look at this one.” It’s the farthest of the state schools from where we live, so we never even really thought about . </p>
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<p>I have some sympathy for the view, give it to someone who would really appreciate it. In terms of practicality, the teacher is retiring this year, so future effects really aren’t an issue.</p>
<p>It sounds like a great opportunity, especially if money is an issue. </p>
<p>If she thinks she should consider it, she should sit down with the course catalog and scope out what would be required as a German major, and what her options are for a second major. And you probably should visit. Easier said than done, I know, as you mentioned it was a long distance from you, even if in-state.</p>
<p>When you mentioned it was a financial safety, did that mean that as an in-state student, you would have no trouble paying for this school and it would free up funds that are earmarked for your D’s education or other needs? I’ve always suggested to my kids that freeing up funds with scholarships means there are other things available for that money – such as grad school, study abroad, a car at some point. </p>
<p>It would be a financial safety - a place we could pay for with no FA - but somewhat of a stretch. If we could avoid stretching, I would prefer to.</p>
<p>Just one other thought: You haven’t mentioned what D’s primary academic interest might be, but there are a remarkable number of academic fellowships and paid semester abroad programs offered to American students for study in Germany – I’ve known kids in engineering, math, physics, and business who’ve taken advantage of them, and for that the additional German knowledge would prove tremendously helpful. (And, a long-term friend who is now a prominent nuclear physicist found German to be pretty handy given all her time over the years spent at CERN.)</p>
<p>If her state flagship is a reach, and the non-flagship has a strong program in her intended major, I would apply, especially since at this point in time your D has no acceptances in hand. </p>
<p>If she gets the scholarship and turns it down because she has been accepted to a school she’d rather go to, wouldn’t they offer it to the next in line?</p>
<p>You mention German was not going to be her major,so why even entertain this possibility? If majoring in German got her into a bigtime reach school WITH a full tuition scholarship, i think it would be wise to pursue…but to settle on a school you hadn’t applied to,a non-flagship where you would have the financial ability to pay without the scholarship, i’d pass</p>
<p>In the past, both my children had a safety acceptance in hand in the fall from a rolling admissions in-state university. If your D does not yet have a safety acceptance that she would rather attend than this state school, why not apply as a financial and academic safety?</p>
<p>As for having to double major, it’s less time to take the extra coursework than to have to work part-time, especially as she was going to continue with German anyway. Just map out a tentative 4 year plan to make sure there is lots of flexibility in pursuing her “major” major. I see a semester or year abroad in her future studying at a German university!!! </p>
<p>Having said that, I would also make sure that this school was an academic fit for her - if appropriate, does it have an honors college? And of course, she should visit.</p>
I don’t agree with this viewpoint. The schools that give out huge merit scholarships are offering it to bright kids who are a reach for the school. It is probably the only way to attract those reach kids, and they are fully aware that the chance of that kid accepting the school is lower than the chance of that kid being accepted to their own reach school.</p>
<p>It’s not as if the German teacher would offer to write a letter for the next best student if Anna expressed disinterest. It’s not even as if the school WILL DEFINITELY offer this merit money to Anna.</p>
<p>Many many kids get the huge merit money offers from CWRU, but few take it.</p>