Master List of Merit Awards

Parents Forum
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<p>I’ve been asked to do this by posters in PM’s so I’m doing it for the parents of juniors or anyone else who may be interested, and I’m doing it against my better judgment. Please, no arrows folks. If you don’t like me or my kid - fine . Don’t read this. Please, no attacks.</p>

<p>Well, D is waiting on one more merit aid possibilty (Rhodes may up her scholarship this weekend), other than that we are done with merit awards. I believe we had a well thought out list of schools where we thought she would be competitive to get the out of pocket costs down to Texas state school prices. We succeeded at every school listed here. </p>

<p>The first numbers I am posting are just for the merit aid alone, not preferential packaging “merit within need” stuff ( on Hamilton and Scripps, which is great, too - it replaces self help money with grants and the schools rework your FA with a more generous formula to boot - let me tell you THAT was a great find for us and makes Colgate AMS, Hamilton Schambach, and Scripps JES affordable to this middle class family. Research the possibilities and ask the financial aid office directly. Don’t assume anything when you are in the Merit Wars. The preferential packaging was worth over $5-7K per school, plus summer programs, travel money, and money for research.)</p>

<p>Note: The awards mentioned for Miami, Case, Hamilton, and Colgate are the top awards available generally as of this time. The Scripps award is the only and highest award listed on their website but there is in some years one full-ride New Generation awarded. Additionally, Case will bump up the awards of a small number of Trustee’s scholars over the next few days to full tuition . My daughter is eligible for that Case award , also. </p>

<p>All scholarships are renewable for 4 years and the dollar number is the total for 4 years. The ones listed as a fraction of tuition rise with tuition and I attempted to estimate tuition increases based on this year’s increase).</p>

<p>Hendrix - $70,000
Rhodes- $84,000
Hanover- $60,000 (she did NOT attend scholarship weekend)
Case - $102,800
Miami - Full-tuition and fees (@$130,000)
Centre - $78,000
Scripps - half-tuition (@ $70,000) (+$28k in pref pkging)
Hamilton - half-tuition (@ $70,000) (+ $40k in pref pkging and travel stipend)
Millsaps - $84,000
TTU - $16,000</p>

<p>My daughter has been smiled on. We are smiling back. :)</p>

<p>Hope this was helpful to somebody. Oh, I almost forgot. Does anyone see a pattern to the size of the awards?</p>

<p>Hint: think reverse commute. ;)</p>

362

<p>Quick question or request Curm: it might be beneficial for parents now but more importantly next year if in addition to the merit award amounts for each school to respectively include the final cost of attendence.</p>

<p>So for others they might know what you anticipate the final bootom line to be at each school.</p>

<p>I know, more work for you. But maybe it would be beneficial to other up and coming seniors to see what a real difference a researched merit award can make and how it can make a school which at first would seem completely out-of-financial-reach to be very doable. Especially the info on the preferential packaging!</p>

<p>Might give a lot of those parents who are being overwhelmed at this point real hope.</p>

<p>And thanks for posting.</p>

<p>I think this will really help many students and their families.</p>

<p>Again, congrats!!!</p>

<p>Kat</p>

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<p>Curmudgeon and Mudgerella: Without doubt, you are among the most “notable” of CC posters/posted-about’s, and I know I speak for many on these boards when I offer my heartfelt congratulations. It is wonderful for her that she has so many choices and that money need not drive her ultimate decision. (By the way: I note Yale isn’t listed here; is that because all Yale aid is needs-based and you were listing only merit money? Or did Yale not pony up w/enough to make it a school she can consider?)…</p>

<p>I’ve read for months the slings 'n arrows (and love & affection) you and others have “shared” with one another, but I can only rejoice for Mudgerella…her accomplishments are such that it’s just pure joy to see how much honor she is receiving–even more than the money. Kids who achieve as your daughter has done so deserve these results, and I’m proud to “know” her! Great congrats–and please feel free to publicly and proudly revel in the very special parent’s satisfaction that comes with seeing one’s beloved child so well and deservedly honored!</p>

<p>Sincere, deep congrats–</p>

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<p>Lydia </p>

<p>Awesome Congrats!</p>

365

<p>overanxious, you sure do talk pretty.:slight_smile: Thank you. </p>

<p>overanxious you are exactly right in thinking that since Yale and Colgate are need only schools , their numbers weren’t listed. We are doing some last minute financial docs to send to Yale Monday that they requested .OOPS. We will know soon enough. </p>

<p>As to your suggestion kat, I’ll just add a cost number at the end that is reflective of Z if X (tuition + fees + room + board) - Y (total merit aid and cash incentives) = z (dollars I have to pay not counting books, spending money, transportation) . Hopefully, that will give someone some hope. The numbers will be approximated and will not necessarily include 2006-2007 price increases (for schools she’s no longer looking at seriously).</p>

<p>Hendrix - $70,000 Z=$12,500
Rhodes- $84,000 Z=$14,000
Hanover- $60,000 (she did NOT attend scholarship weekend) Z=$14,500</p>

<p>Case - $102,800 Z=$15,300
Miami - Full-tuition and fees (@$130,000) Z=$9,000
Centre - $78,000 Z= $13,500
Scripps - half-tuition (@ $70,000) (+$28k in pref pkging) After our FA Z=$13,000</p>

<p>Hamilton - half-tuition (@ $70,000) (+ $40k in pref pkging and travel stipend) Z=$11,000
Millsaps - $84,000 Z=$9,000
TTU - $16,000 Z = $11,000</p>

<p>The point is that even living within the very strict parameters we had of state school in-state prices, and not counting on but not excluding the possibility of FA, we were able to meet our goals. </p>

<p>Good luck, folks. If you would like a way long and hastily written primer on preferential packaging , PM me.</p>

366

<p>NATIONAL MERIT AND ACHIEVEMENT SCHOLARSHIPS: Carleton sponsors 75 or more National Merit and National Achievement Scholarships in each entering class. Those selected will receive a renewable total stipend of $2,000 per year. National Merit and Achievement Finalists designating Carleton as their college choice are eligible for consideration for a Carleton-sponsored Merit or Achievement Scholarship. These scholarships represent the only “non-need” or “merit” awards available at Carleton. Other college funds are awarded on the basis of financial need.</p>

<p><a href=“http://apps.carleton.edu/campus/sfs/prospective/aid_available/[/url]”>http://apps.carleton.edu/campus/sfs/prospective/aid_available/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Confirmed at <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=118436[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=118436&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Curmudgeon, your PM box is full. Probably too many congratulatory messages!</p>

368

<p>Correct about Carleton, Xiggi. D did get a scholarship at Carleton, but it was need-based. It does appear, though, that they have a more generous EFC calculator than FAFSA.</p>

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<p>Curm-Great job, you deserve an A+. For the schools with preferential packaging, have you looked into the history of them continuing to package FA in the same manner all 4 years? No surprises needed years 2-4.</p>

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<p>my-3-sons the preferential packaging I speak of comes with a name attached and specific written included items (and some not written). At Hamilton she received the Schambach, at Scripps the James E. Scripps, at Colgate the Alumni Memorial Scholarship. All are for the full 4 years and have as their only criteria “satisfactory progress toward a degree” or words to like effect (as far as I’ve seen. I will double and triple check. ) I think Vagelos at Penn also does some of the same things to a need award as these do. And remember at Hamilton and Scripps the award will never go below the 1/2 tuition and fees merit award, no matter what our EFC is. Colgate could . </p>

<p>None of them are as solidly planted as the I.B. Singer at Miami, for example. :slight_smile: That remains the bench-mark by which everybody else is being judged. Thanks, Miami.</p>

<p>There are other examples of need "scholarships " where the usual rules don’t apply and I don’t know if those all have names or not. Sorry. Maybe someone else can add them? Smith Stride?</p>

371

<p>Trinity College (in CT): D recieved a Presidential Scholarship award – full tuition for all 4 years. Works out to about $130K!</p>

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<p>Congrats to all on both planned/ hoped for and unexpected good news on the aid front—and on all the fabulous choices that lie ahead.</p>

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<p>singme - awesome news!</p>

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<p>curmudgeon, the VERY interesting thing to me is how very close the merit offers turned out to be. I assume these are pure merit and not the merit/need based kind? Do you suppose the schools have a common formula that they use?</p>

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<p>May I suggest you read the Atlantic Monthly, Nov. 05 “The Best Class Money Can Buy”. Very thought provoking article relating to preferential packaging as well as enrollment management. The article is long but would likely be helpful for parents and Juniors seeking merit based scholarships for SY 07/08.</p>

376

<p>Oops, the awards I listed the other day are need-based, not merit (Carleton, Colorado, Macalester). Sorry for confusion. I’m new at this game and guess I just think my kid is so great that all the good stuff happening for him (and us) is the result of his hard work!</p>

<p>Congratulations to all and thanks for setting me straight.</p>

377

<p>quiltguru, the Hamilton and Scripps offers are 1/2 tuition and fees merit, plus Hamilton threw in a travel scholarship (Thank You!!) and then a preferentially packaged need award that I tried to estimate. The rest are straight merit and no need award at those schools. </p>

<p>Now, what I was hinting at y’all seeing was the geographic pattern of the awards. The less likely it was that a Texas ranch girl would be applying, the higher the award (it seems). Schools in the South see Texans by the bushel. We are not exactly rare. But maybe more rare at Scripps, Case, Hamilton, Miami? Could be . Just seemed interesting to me.</p>

<p>As several have postulated , the idea of a reverse commute COULD be worth bucks. Males to Goucher. Females to Case engineering. Alabama to Dartmouth , whatever it might be. New Hampshire to Miami. Go to the place that has less “you’s” there if you are looking for a better break on FA or merit aid .</p>

378

<p>Hamilton is especially interested in attracting students from outside the New York/New England area, according to a report on a Board of Trustees meeting in their school newspaper.</p>

379

<p>We received our last merit award, 18000 to Holy Cross. Their tuition is around 41,000 though, a little higher than most. I wish my son liked it more but it always felt “stuffy” to him. He is reading it over though, but it wont replace Drew’s offer or his feeling about the school. (those might be “famous last words” though with a teenager)</p>

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<p>Curmudgeon – I saw the same geographic tendency with my son – among colleges that claimed to meet full need he got the best award from a LAC in NY, the weakest from a comparable LAC in Southern Calif.</p>

<p>Not so much with my daughter, but we’ve only seen one award so far from a 100% need school; still waiting on U of Chicago. (The UC’s met 100% of my son’s need 5 years ago, but this practice seems to have changed, but I’m not competely sure – they may be gapping us this time because of some other issues that complicate the picture). </p>

<p>On the other hand, those Southern schools seem to be a lot less expensive overall. Barnard has set a total “budget” (tuition + fees, housing, incidentals) of $47K, which is kind of scary when you consider that about half of their students are paying the full amount.</p>

<p>But it looks like your daughter has an array of terrific choices, whatever the geography. </p>

<p>Fordham notified my d. of admissions today with an offer of a $7500 Loyola Scholarship + additional need-based aid. Plus she has the added plum of being accepted to the Lincoln Center campus. The aid dollars aren’t quite enough to make things do-able, but they are close enough that if Barnard wasn’t in the picture I’d be on the phone trying to negotiate for another $2500 to close the deal.</p>