<p>If you are so disgruntled about the system, then when you do receive the scholarship, do pass it on to someone who missed this opportunity 
and would be happy to appreciate the full ride!</p>
<p>I understand what everyone is saying but we all just need to calm down. Troddle is right about that and has a right to express his or her feelings. If you were in the situation that we were in then you would understand why we feel this way…</p>
<p>umm i am in ur situation… i havent gotten anything in the mail either…</p>
<p>@indians
I highly doubt I will receive the scholarship at this point. Two Students in my area got their packages and I have yet to receive anything. I’m pretty sure that means rejection, but I guess I have no real way of knowing since they can’t even bother to email me.</p>
<p>I feel you troddle. I’m in the exact same position.</p>
<p>same here. I really don’t know what to think at this point.</p>
<p>Wait list+ no notification for gates= super limbo. Yep i feel you guys. It sucks, we worked so hard too. finalist means you were so close. i wish i knew already i just want to make plans and move on…</p>
<p>We have till May 1st! Dont forget the tornadoes etc… may have slowed down the mail and stuff! Dont loose hope!</p>
<p>Sorry the wait is killing those who haven’t heard. It would probably be killing me too; I was obsessively checking my email and mailbox every chance I got for like two weeks even though I knew it wouldn’t come till at least the 15th. Maybe do something to get your mind off it, so if you do get the scholarship, it’ll be a nice surprise. Go for a run to clear your mind. I know it’s hard to do other things when your mind is stuck on this, but if it hasn’t come yet, it’ll do you good to try to do other things so you aren’t just sitting, waiting, and feeling like you’re dying a little every hour it doesn’t come.</p>
<p>OK… who here is STILL WAITING and is on the WEST COAST…state ur ethnicity and state</p>
<p>african american, southern california. We just moved and all of my mail is now messed up. So it`s freaking me out anymore</p>
<p>Any asian from texas??</p>
<p>@troddle…this whole process has been nerve racking for me as well. Countless times of going to my mailbox and finding nothing. I have become depressed and the gms staff gave no concern as well. I called and they just said to wait. I asked if any notification could be given. They said WAIT!!!. Even though there responses were not as adequate as they should have been, HOPE should not be lost. Nicky424 stated that he/she received their package yesterday by mail. Nicky424 is hispanic and in the area. This still means that scholars are being notified. Imagine 1800+ packages the post offices must send. In each area/gms office (AA, Native American, Asian/pacific, Hispanic) the local post office at each office has to postmark and send over 400 packages. This can not be done in one day. They have tons of incoming/outgoing mail from other areas and the local residents. Please keep faith everyone. TODAY MIGHT BE YOUR DAY and I PRAY FOR ALL OF US ON THE FORUM. In addition when I was notified of being a finalist, my internet had been shut down because we had switch providers. It was not till a week later, March 14th that i got a letter in the mail stating i was a finalist. PLEASE DO NOT LOSE HOPE. We should all hear something by the end of the week. GOD BLESS ALL</p>
<p>There were 4 finalists from my city (that I know of-including me). 3 of those finalists got notified via email and mail (2 from my school ). Yet I haven’t received anything! (we’re all Asian from Cali). What do you guys think my chances are?</p>
<p>UW gpa: 3.96
W gpa: 4.2
Rank 7/360
1st person in my family (5 siblings) to graduate high school and attend college
30-40 community service hours
Efc 0
Worked since freshman year 5 days a week tutoring kids in my community (which explains why I don’t have much community service hours)</p>
<p>@caligirl2011 and EVERYONE ELSE…the final stage does not consist of your stats and service. If you are a finalist, then all this was accounted for. Essays are rated from a 0-5. They look at grades, community service and what your recommenders put in as well. For ex: if one of your essays was a 3, and your community service is great, it might get bumped up to a 4. The same goes for your grades and recommendations, they could bump up the grading on your essays. So in the end the top 1800 or so applicants with the highest essay gradings make it as finalist. The FINAL STAGE of gates is to ensure that all given information is verified. your SAR to make sure your pell grant eligible, your transcript to ensure your eligible for the scholarship (a 3.2 is the requirement). School profile to check the demographics of the school (class profile, academic standings of school, and diversity etc). Acceptance letter to make sure your going to college, and the counselor form to verify and prove your transcript is original and the grading scale is correct. Remember not all schools nationwide use the same grading scale. Ex: 90-up = A, in the neighboring county, 93 up = A, my cousins school a 94-up = A. So to those who have lost hope due to the stats others have posted IT DOES NOT MATTER…someone’s 4.0 could easily be a 3.5 in another state or county…Also from my school there has been a scholar every year since 2004. TO give comfort for those who believe their stats are not adequate, there gpa’s ranged from 3.3-4.0 (only one has had a 4.0)</p>
<p>@stormshadow1093, how do you know the process?</p>
<p>If that was the case, I don’t understand why I haven’t been notified yet. I’m eligible for the whole $5500 pell grant, last semester gpa was 4.33, submitted my UC Davis acceptance letter, etc.</p>
<p>@caligirl2011, they have workshops in the area on how to write your essays and what they are looking for in your writing… readers of the essay portion of the scholarship told me how it works</p>
<p>@stormshadow1093 thanks you make me more confident since I was afraid I didn’t have enough community service hours. Are you a gms?</p>
<p>@caligirl2011 Your welcome, I just want to make sure that EVERYONE out here knows they still have a chance. As of right now I have not received any notification. I am anxiously waiting for the mail today. Hopefully we all get to meet each other at the banquet. Stay positive and faithful, our stories and struggles got us here and they will open numerous opportunities for us.</p>
<p>btw: if your efc is 0, most schools will provide outstanding financial aid, I have a friend who is going to American University and due to her EFC got 90% of her expenses paid by the college.</p>
<p>I will be attending UC so I’ll probably have about 35k in loans at the end. Maybe even more because the coa increases every year. </p>
<p>What is your ethnicity/state?</p>