Colleges taking another look at value of merit-based aid

Parents Forum
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<p>Ya know,cur, I’m beginning to realize I don’t explain myself very well. Let me try again. </p>

<p>This thread is about the value of merit awards for colleges. So this school smiles upon my son and says here is a full ride. My son in turn desires to thank the school. He believes this would be in winning awards for them to wave in the air and improve their “status” to the powers that be.This appears to be very important to them. In addition to winning awards he becomes a big booster of the school because they treated him oh so well and throws money their way throughout his life. So their merit award now leads to a happy giving alumni and, who knows, maybe one hell of a scientist to claim as their own. Win,win. So I called this a very high value merit award because they get so much in return.</p>

<p>Aside: It also never occured to me that colleges hire people to groom students for awards and help them every step of the way.</p>

<p>Awards: marshall, fulbright, gates cambridge, goldwater, etc…whatever he will be eligible to compete for…it’s early.</p>

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<p>ss,…gawrsh, you’re a lady? guys, towels on(sauna etiquette)</p>

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<p>I’m floored by the number of “opportunities” that are packaged as part of preferential admission offers. So far there are: funded research opportunities, paid internships, underwriting the add-on costs of music lessons, travel grants, underwriting of summer-study experiences. Does anyone have experience with any others?</p>

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<p>If you can flap your arms continuously for an hour, you’ll get $$ to be The Eagle mascot at plenty of schools.</p>

<p>ro ro: LOL! Tell me Ro-ro isn’t a gal screen name?</p>

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<p>I had never heard of any of that while daughter was applying,…the opportunites, not the flapping. flapping is for me. she’s deserves better than flapping. we’ve worked so she doesn’t have to flap.</p>

<p>the snow is still out there. I’m still hungry. and the snowblowers of neighbors make a horrible racket.</p>

<p>no, I’m all man.</p>

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<p>crumudge,carolyn, mini. Very good info and perspective in your posts.</p>

<p>Calmom makes good point on the $100 K income. How much you can pay, value, pain you feel etc is so dependent on lifestyle, location, family etc. I know people who literally could fund all of Harvard out of annual cash flow on income of 100 K. They own small “paid for” houses and used cars–and probably read the Tightwad Gazette. Of course their neighbors could make three times as much and have credit card debt through the roof and feel poor.</p>

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<p>“I’m floored by the number of “opportunities” that are packaged as part of preferential admission offers. So far there are: funded research opportunities, paid internships, underwriting the add-on costs of music lessons, travel grants, underwriting of summer-study experiences.”</p>

<p>Well this just does not apply to ‘need’ based aid. There are many schools who preferentially package merit aids as well. My son did not go to one of those schools because we thought the preferentially packaged kids would have a better resume at the end of four years than him. He also did not go to a school where he was preferentially packaged (ouch).</p>

<p>And stickershock is correct. There is no way to arrive at the dollar figure and its worth. If that was the case why would people buy diamonds - they are after all pieces of rocks.</p>

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<p>stickershock: how is the weather in NJ today. Son is supposed to fly-out of EWR today.</p>

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<p>Simba: “Preferentially packaged child”. Sounds like nice wrapping paper, a big ribbon and put at the front of the UPS truck.</p>

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<p>

Hamilton gives you a free summer before freshman year “experience” thing-y. As far as packaging on merit awards Furman sent last year’s bunch to China before starting UG. That’s ultra cool. uhhh…Rhodes considers D’s award as more of a fellowship and she is invited to pretty much everything including new prof receptions, press dealies, serves on advisory committees, is consulted on school admissions outreach plans…all which to some may seem like work but D thinks of them as perks or at least as getting more connected to her college and the Memphis community.</p>

<p>Maybe someone can make a list somewhere of the “named” need based “merit-like” programs. That could be helpful. I know of Vagelos at Penn. What was until this recent announcement the Schambach at Hamilton. Cornell has one I can’t remember the name and Brown just instituted one with big donor money (Sidney ??? Frank maybe. Something like that). And of course the Alumni Memorial Scholarship at Colgate.</p>

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<p>

I thought this was where you were going. D has already been to that same office at Rhodes.;)</p>

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<p>I believe most schools have honors programs now and generally they have a staff and director part of whose jib is to try and help package their students for things like Rhodes, Fullbright, Goldwater, Gates, and other scholarships. Sometime kids can get into these honors programs after admottence based on first semester or first year grades but mostly they are part of preferential packaging. There are also usually other perks that go along with the programs including special dorms, early class selection, special honors classes and seminars etc etc</p>

<p>Some of these honors programs are rally good, others less special. They are definitely worth looking into and are definitely one reason to consider a less prestigious school over a more highly ranked one where you might just be running with the pack. Not everyones experience at a given school is the same. This can be especially true at some of the larger state schools but also applies to a lot of the private research universities.</p>

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<p>“Not everyones experience at a given school is the same.”</p>

<p>Mini, and curmudgeon, does the average student at Smith and Rhodes have the same opportunities at these schools as your kids?</p>

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<p>

Simba, you’ve just added a whole new layer of complexity to this college selection puzzle!</p>

<p>Newark should be fine. Very warm today, no wind. Sun was out all afternoon & lots of melting snow everywhere.</p>

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<p>

At Rhodes? Hmmmm. Not the activities like the meet the trustees /advisory stuff, but yes on the research opps, national scholarships office, that kind of thing. Rhodes really doesn’t segregate the scholarship winners out in honors college-y ways. They are fully assimilated into the regular college culture. There are no classes just available to them and they get no registration breaks. </p>

<p>I’m going to post a link to a truly special opp for lower middle/middle middle class kids at Rhodes that unlike all the merit awards we have discussed is in addition to your need based award. This fellowship is based on Rhodes amazing commitment to public service. These kids are treated somewhat differently on a weekly bass as they have things going on all the time. It’ll take a minute to find a link.</p>

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<p><a href=“http://www.rhodes.edu/finaid/611.asp[/url]”>http://www.rhodes.edu/finaid/611.asp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>If you are passionate about effecting positive change in the world, you may be a good candidate for this award. Each year, we select 15 incoming first-year students with exceptional records of leadership, community service and/or social justice work to participate in a unique, four-year leadership program.</p>

<p>As a Bonner Scholar, you will be challenged to connect your academic studies, personal beliefs, leadership skills and philosophy of service to real-life organizations and situations</p>

<p>What benefits will I receive as a Bonner Scholar?
An award of $12,100 per year in addition to any other financial aid for which you qualify (not to exceed full tuition, room and board)
$2,500 in earnings and living expenses for each of the two summers you participate in service projects
An additional $500 available to senior Bonner Scholars for a final summer service project or for a special project during senior year
A four-year program of leadership development, reflection and service activities </p>

<p>Requirements for Bonner Scholarship: (Edit: Really not that bad)</p>

<p>SAT-I composite score (Math and Critical Reading) of 1250 or higher OR
ACT composite score of 27 or higher
Top 15% of your high school class if ranked (or equivalent performance in schools that do not rank)
Exceptional record of leadership, community service and/or social justice work
An Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as determined by the FAFSA and CSS PROFILE of $7,500 or less</p>

<p>So, IF your efc is $7500 or less the award may be enough to get you a full ride , no loans, no nothing. </p>

<p>Really quite the opportunity and the perks are outstanding. I’d suggest googling to see what other schools take part in the Bonner’s largesse and how they treat the $.</p>

<p>It is my experience that these programs , little known and hard to find in books or on lists, are at a number of excellent schools. You just have to ferret them out yourself.</p>

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<p>Curmudgeon, we’re not understanding each other.</p>

<p>Higherlead said, "“Not everyones experience at a given school is the same.”</p>

<p>I want to know if Rhodes has 1,000 students, does the 500th student have the same opportunites as the top 20 students?</p>

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<p>dstark, short answer-yes. The long answer was where I pointed out that the fellowship parts of D’s scholarship allow and require her attendance and service at events and on boards and committees that may not be open to the other students. None of those are academic opportunities (while they are clearly worthwhile). I’m also not denying that she is probably/maybe considered somewhat pre-vetted for some academic opps. </p>

<p>I’m doing my best. :frowning: Remember, the kid’s the one that is smart. Not me.</p>

<p>Your Q did trigger in me that the Bonner Scholars, a separate scholarship, had some exclusive opps that I don’t believe my D can take part in. </p>

<p>I think the answer will depend on each school, and each program within that school.</p>

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<p>I’m wondering why Rhodes is not better known.</p>

<p>In the classroom, are class sizes small, are there plenty of chances to increase your public speaking skills, aid to improve your writing, and what does your daughter think of the caliber of the average student? Is she learning a lot from her fellow students? Or are they hurting her education?
Can she tell who had high SAT scores or not?</p>

<p>Sorry about all the questions. You can take a week to answer. :slight_smile:
It’s just on this board you read a lot about going to the best school you can get in, or fit, which means the best school you can get into. ;)</p>

<p>So does your daughter think she is going to come out with a weaker education because she didn’t choose the “best” school she got into? </p>

<p>Or, does she not think about these things at all? She has moved on?</p>

<p>I’m timing you. One week. ;)</p>

<p>All joking aside, my questions are serious.</p>

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<p>curmudgeon, that Bonner Scholarship you linked is exactly what I think of when I hear the term “merit-within-need.” A wonderful opportunity, but with an income cap.</p>

<p>I wasn’t even aware of some of the colleges in the program. I guess the hunt for $$ will turn up as many new colleges as scholarships.</p>