Merit scholarships

mimieliza
Fri, 24 Apr 2026 20:22:44 +0000

We are also seeking merit and I have been following this forum and others for music schools for awhile now to help inform our decision. My son is cellist, and is a HS sophomore this year.

Here is my perspective of some of the schools on your list based on what I have seen reported from others

University of Michigan: very hit or miss. A few substantial merit awards, but also a lot of students who get $0

Indiana University: decent-sized awards, and an overall COA that is lower than others

University of Miami: can offer HUGE awards (up to full tuition or even full ride) for music merit. But it’s very expensive, so smaller awards barely make a dent.

Rice University: it seems that if you get in, they can offer a lot. It might be partially need-based, since they claim to meet demonstrated need.

Boston University: I have not seen much merit offered from them

Northwestern: seems similar to Rice - if you can get in, they have a combination of merit and need-based awards to make it feasible

Lawrence University: VERY generous merit for music and academics; COA for many students is less than it would be at their in-state schools (full disclosure: I am an alum)

Northeastern: No merit for anyone

NYU: No merit for anyone

UNT: Very good value - if you get even $1000 of music or academic merit, you qualify for in-state tuition, which is quite low