<p>I spoke with a friend recently who had attended a presentation (free) by a free-lance college counselor/advisor. He told them that sometimes prestigious liberal arts colleges may award certain full-ride scholarships during an applicant’s junior year of high school, as well as a promise of admission. Having had two go through the college admissions process in recent years, and they applied to several well-known LAC’s, I told her I’d never heard of such a thing - that the earliest commitments I know usually come from ED. She said it isn’t well-known, but that some schools do this in the junior year to ensure economic and/or geographic diversity. Is this common? Is there a particular program to which I could direct other students that I know? Or is this an unrealistic hope?</p>
<p>never heard of it</p>
<p>In our area, several colleges give scholarships to juniors through the local HS. I don’t think they’re full rides, but a significant amount like half or full tuition. RPI, LeMoyne, Elmira, Clarkson and a few others that I can’t remember do this. I believe it’s a program the high schools participate in and the guidance office/teachers do the selection within the college’s criteria. Unfortunately, the kids don’t know which schools they’re being considered for and there’s usually a huge mismatch which results in the scholarship going unused.</p>
<p>I can only imagine a college doing this in order to try to snag the type of student who they wouldn’t have a prayer of getting otherwise. Such students, it would seem, might have more appealing full ride opportunities at other schools if they don’t jump at the first offer.</p>
<p>I too have never heard of any colleges – much less “prestigious liberal arts colleges” – offering full-ride scholarships and guaranteed admission to high school juniors. There may be some out there, but I have to admit that I’m a bit skeptical that it’s anything more than an isolated case or two, or perhaps what is more likely – a misunderstanding.</p>
<p>I don’t know about the other schools sk8rmom mentioned, but I do know about the RPI program she referred to, the Rensselaer Medal Program, because I received one of those medals. It’s just an award given to a high school junior who is an outstanding math/science student. Each of the high schools that chooses to participate – and there are 3,000 of them located across the country – can pick one student to receive the award each year, and it’s up to each school to determine their own specific criteria for making the selection (other than the fact that the medal is supposed to be tied to excellence in math and science). The recipient just receives a letter of congratulations and a small medallion. There is NO promise of admission to RPI with this award.</p>
<p>However, if that student then decides to apply to RPI in his/her senior year – AND they are accepted and choose to attend – they will receive an automatic $15,000/year scholarship for 4 years (5 years for architecture majors). Since RPI’s tuition alone is $38,425 per year, this is nowhere close to a “full ride.” And you can’t combine the Rensselaer Medal Scholarship with any other merit scholarships (although you can also receive need-based financial aid with it).</p>
<p>As for the scholarship going “unused,” sk8rmom is probably referring to the fact that the medal recipient may have no interest at all in applying to RPI. In that respect, it’s just like the college-sponsored National Merit Scholarships that are available to any NM Finalist – but only if they apply to that particular college and list it as their “first choice” school.</p>
<p>More details can be found at this link:
[Rensselaer</a> Medal Program - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)](<a href=“http://admissions.rpi.edu/aid/medal.html]Rensselaer”>http://admissions.rpi.edu/aid/medal.html)</p>
<p>That’s right - I forgot how the RPI thing worked, my D’s best friend received it and had no interest in applying to RPI. The others were actual scholarship offers, I’m sure contingent upon admissions. My friend’s D used her junior scholarship from LeMoyne, a Jesuit college in Syracuse, as it was worth $15-20K per year.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for your insights! This all is more congruent with what our experience, and that of our kids’ classmates, has been. I’m thinking that either my friend misunderstood what the “counselor” was saying, or was getting incorrect information.</p>