<p>I’m International, 1940 SAT, GPA would be around 3.5 (im guessing), and i got a $16500 per year merit scholorship at a school in Phily that starts with a D and ends with an L.</p>
<p>inshallah, 16,500 is a very generous merit scholarship. That school, lists in my 2004 US News that 18% were awarded a merit aid (non-need based aid), and 39% were awarded grants based on financial need, 2% were on athletic scholarships. What is the gpa requirement to keep the $16500? Have you contacted them to see what % of students meet the requirements to keep that merit scholarship? I assume that those statistics are not disclosed in the letter. I assume that we are talking about the school that offers coops in Phili.</p>
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I heard the same thing a few years ago and didn’t believe it until I heard it again. I believe it is because many schools – schools that are not even listed on CC – may have extremely low graduation rates. I am not sure how many colleges & universities there are precisely in the US, but there is most likely a plethora of small, local schools that people outside those regions have never heard of, schools that would never dream of being ranked in some national publication. I think there a lot more schools out there then most of us realize, so a paltry 1 out of 6 graduating does seem shocking.</p>
<p>Exactly. I know literally hundreds of people, my own parents included, that went to small, almost-unheard-of community colleges and never took more than a couple courses. When you consider those, be glad that it’s as high as 1/6!</p>
<p>Northeastmom - We are in fact talking about the same school. I recieved the Dean’s Scholorship. I need a 3.2 GPA to keep the scholorship. It doesn’t seem like a very tough requirement. I haven’t contacted them yet but I will soon. Another reason could be that I visited the campus over the summer and actually applied on campus and had a long long long chat with the international adcom.</p>
<p>I have to wonder if the 1 out of 6 number includes all students that apply to schools that grant federal financial aid (that is one of the numbers that the feds track). That would include all those technical colleges that are always advertising on TV (at least here they are) where you can become an administrative assistant, nurse’s aide, etc. At all of those schools they have kids fill out the FAFSA. Those types of schools along with people who enroll in CC’s without the intention of ever earning a degree would make up alot of students.</p>
<p>What would be interesting to find out is what percentage of students who enroll in a 4 year university (with the intention of completing a degree) matriculate in 4 years, 5 years, 6 years or ever.</p>
<p>Well good luck. 3.2 sounds steep to me, but you might be able to pull it off.</p>
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<p>That statistic sounds a little too appalling to me. It may be that only 1 in 6 students finish college at the same college where they start, but that’s a different idea. The way to track who finishes at the same college where the student starts is to check the Education Trust College Results Online Web site </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/default.htm[/url]”>http://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/default.htm</a> </p>
<p>and search on the name of the college you are curious about. There you will find that a lot of college graduate less than 50 percent of their freshmen after six years. You will also see some astoundingly low estimated median SAT scores for the entering classes at some colleges. </p>
<p>I know of two men in my generation who each went to FOUR different undergraduate colleges to get their four-year undergraduate degrees. They transfered to a new college each year, each graduating in just four years. So perhaps that reflects poorly on the colleges each of them started out at–those guys didn’t want to stay in those colleges–but it doesn’t necessarily show that guys who failed to graduate from three colleges each that they attended can’t graduate from college at all. </p>
<p>See the book College Knowledge </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.amazon.com/College-Knowledge-Really-Students-Succeed/dp/0787973971/[/url]”>http://www.amazon.com/College-Knowledge-Really-Students-Succeed/dp/0787973971/</a> </p>
<p>for more about the distinction between college eligibility and college readiness. The authors of that book have studied the issue and estimate that only about half of the students who can gain admission to college are really ready for college-level study, and I think graduation figures back up that estimate.</p>
<p>USN&WR gives the stats on the % of kids that finish in 6 years (maybe it’s 5). That is something to consider. </p>
<p>Also scholarships with averages that have to be maintained are often lost. That’s a stat to check too. Some years ago, there was some flurry about Case Western and the number of kids who did not keep their generous and prolific merit awards. I believe they have changed things a bit to make it less ornerous. A school like that with tough majors and low grading curve does not have that many kids who do not drop below a 3.2 threshhold in a given semester, so a grace period or cumulative average system should be in place just in case. I have also heard that one of the Arizona U’s honors program with full tuition costs paid, has a high drop out rate, that is, kids losing the scholarship.</p>
<p>Wow Cptofthehouse, I did not know those details, although I have expected that a good deal of students lose their merit awards. I wish there were disclosure about percentages of those that kept it, and those that lost awards in the past, and wish that this would be offered in writing to future recipients.</p>
<p>Some of the programs at Bowling Green Ohio are quite nice - The undergrad geology major has some great field trips open to undergrads, for example. Two of our neighbors graduated from Bowling Green and they loved it there. "U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” </p>
<p>Agree with you, NEMom, on students making sure they have a realistic GPA requirement to maintain their scholarships. We looked at that carefully with son’s merit offers last year. He was a recruited athlete and would have a large chunk of time devoted to his sport so he certainly didn’t need the added pressure, especially in-season. He’s playing at the D3 level at his chosen school so his scholarship was academic, not athletic. In his award letter, it specifically outlined what we considered to be lenient GPA requirements…2.3 cumulative GPA for first-year students, 2.5 for upperclass students, reviewed annually. It even said the college purposely sets the GPA at a low level to permit students to experiment with courses in unfamiliar subjects, without fearing loss of scholarship support.</p>
<p>Let’s put this in context. The other discussion was about big merit grants at private, high-tuition schools. “Big” merit money meant big enough that losing it might mean catastrophic consesquences. Like a half- or full- tuition grant. Something to lose sleep over if you were in jeopardy of losing it. “Mediocre” meant relative to the student body at the particular school giving the money.</p>
<p>The OP there was worried that the gpa required to keep such an award would counsel against accepting it. My POV was that by definition, a student receiving such an award has the talent and horsepower, relative to the overall student body at that school, to keep it if he applies himself and stays focussed. </p>
<p>Those that lose them do so because of a lack of discipline once out of sight of their parents. And only after lots of advance notice, probation, second chances, tutoring, counseling, etc. There are plenty that find themselves in this situation, so it is not a trivial concern. I agreed this was something to worry about, but not whether the student was smart enough, but whether he was disciplined enough.</p>
<p>The other POV was that lots of private colleges give big merit money to mediocre students at that school, so no matter how hard that student worked he might still lose it for failing to make the required gpa. I questioned that.</p>
<p>So how are doing so far with the list of expensive private schools that give big money to average students at their school?</p>
<p>Umm, Dt123, I lived in the midwest for many years, where Case Western was a popular choice. Top students often went there for the merit money as well as for its academics and name (high name recognition in the area). I saw many kids who were top students in their public schools taking rigorous, balanced courses. But that is a whole different scene from taking engineering, math, computer courses from a top tech school which CW is. Saw a lot of GPSs plumment and scholarships lost, and these were kids who were waaay up there in class rank and had great work ethics, and study skills, and smarts. Not only were the courses much more difficult than anything they had in highschool requiring much more time and higher standards, the competition was tough. Tech schools often have international students who have completed college already and are doing a rerun for US education purposes. Also there are kids who live, breathe the work, and if your kid is well rounded enough that he also wants a social life and take other courses that are time consuming, there can be a problem. The work it may take to do well in such courses may well be out of the range of what the kids wants to do, but he does not know it yet. Unfortunately, they can suffer the blow of losing the scholarship and having to leave school to learn this lesson. Also bear in mind, that many top students have been well sheltered at highschool with much time and encouragement to study. The dorms at a college do not have that type of environment. The pressure is too often to party, party, party. </p>
<p>The other thing I have seen is that kids who are in the HPY stats range, but do not get in, or have to go the merit route for monetary reasons, too often have a chip on their shoulder about colleges, thinking that a school that is not as selective as the ones annointed, is not going to be as difficult. That can be a dangerous presumption as we all know. Particularly with tech schools. Many non selective tech schools have curriculums and standards that would blow the socks off HPY, where many have said that getting in is the hardest part of the getting to graduate. Selectivity and difficulty are not related, particularly when it come to tech schools.</p>
<p>For art students, the Savannah College of Art and Design seems to have very low thresholds for their academic scholarships. From their website:</p>
<p>"May and Paul Poetter Scholarship
A full tuition scholarship may be awarded to any student accepted to the college who achieves a perfect score on the SAT or ACT upon receipt of official verification. Room, board, books and supplies are not included, but may be paid through other scholarships, loans or financial aid.</p>
<p>Academic Honors Scholarship (Level 4)
A $20,000 per year scholarship may be awarded to any student accepted to the college who scores 1470 or above on the SAT or attains a composite score of 33 or above on the ACT.</p>
<p>Academic Honors Scholarship (Level 3)
A $15,000 per year scholarship may be awarded to any student accepted to the college who scores 1340 or above on the SAT or attains a composite score of 30 or above on the ACT. </p>
<p>Academic Honors Scholarship (Level 2)
A $10,000 per year scholarship may be awarded to any student accepted to the college who scores 1220 or above on the SAT or attains a composite score of 27 or above on the ACT.</p>
<p>Academic Honors Scholarship (Level 1)
A $5,000 per year scholarship may be awarded to any student accepted to the college who scores 1110 or above on the SAT or attains a composite score of 24 or above on the ACT or completes an International Baccalaureate diploma program, or holds membership in the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, upon receipt of official verification. Academic Honors Scholarships may be awarded to any transfer student accepted to the college with a minimum of 45 quarter credit hours or 27 semester hours of college-level coursework who meets any of the above criteria or who has achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale."</p>
<p>“A full tuition scholarship may be awarded to any student accepted to the college who achieves a perfect score on the SAT or ACT upon receipt of official verification. Room, board, books and supplies are not included, but may be paid through other scholarships, loans or financial aid.”</p>
<p>A full tuition for perfect SAT/ACt isn’t exactly a low threshold. Most of the Presidential Scholars at my school don’t have perfect SAT/ACT scores to get their full tuition.</p>
<p>“Academic Honors Scholarship (Level 2)
A $10,000 per year scholarship may be awarded to any student accepted to the college who scores 1220 or above on the SAT or attains a composite score of 27 or above on the ACT”</p>
<p>That ^ seems very nice however.</p>
<p>Cpt: So Case Western gives big money to mediocre students?</p>
<p>I’ll agree that trying to keep a 3.5 or even a 3.0 in an engineering program is going to be tough. Been there, done that, myself. Also had one child lose a merit scholarship in EE, have another one easily keeping one in ME. Same heredity. But I know one of them was seriously distracted. (Luckily the merit grant was immediately replaced with a need-based grant, so no serious consequences.)</p>
<p>And I’ll also agree that party, party, party is the way to lose, lose, lose your scholarship.</p>
<p>Here is an example: </p>
<p>My D is CA resident, white female, GPA = (approx.) 3.9 UW, 4.3 W, PSAT = 233, SAT 2 math = 790, physics = 700; didn’t take SAT 1 yet (junior), but her CTY SAT score in 8th grade was 1450. Officer at 2-3 nonprestigious school clubs (French club and honor society, Music for Communities), member of math club (minor achivements at some math contests), musician (2 instruments, 12 and 10 years of lessons, first violin in a good local youth orchestra, some minor achievements), singer (regional and All-State Choir), interested in languages (fluent in 3 of them, won 2nd place in <a href=“http://www.frenchteachers.org/concours/[/url]”>http://www.frenchteachers.org/concours/</a> last year) … that’s about it.</p>
<p>I mean, she is a bright and hardworking kid and deserves to be acepted to some good place; but she is not an extraordinary one (didn’t cure cancer ;-), didn’t win big competitions, doesn’t have big leadership positions or huge volounteering involvement …). And, unfortunately, can’t count on any significant need-based finaid. So, her only hope is merit scholarship. </p>
<p>Which colleges should we consider for that?</p>
<p>Sorry, OP and DT, I went OT. Case’s scholarship goes to top students, at least by my definition. A great thread to visit is Momfromtexas who has just contributed a fantastic follow up to her original thread. She has full ride scholarship info for kids that are not way up there, and her own two kids who are at such schools, and thriving.</p>
<p>myau, 233 for California is National Merit, isn’t it? Search the threads for National Merit scholarships. Secondly, with the predictors you have I would think most merit opportunities are within her sights (not that she’ll get them) . You do not list rank which is oftimes a stated requirement. Those kids from schools that don’t rank are possibly at some disadvantage.</p>
<p>Check out any of the merit aid threads on the board. You can search on my name and merit aid and find several threads with what I consider likely candidates among top ranked USNews schools, both LAC and Uni.</p>
<p>There are dozens to choose from at varying degrees of difficulty.</p>