Stamps scholarship at Michigan is given to 18 students.
2016 class size is 6860. It is kind of a very rare scholarship.
@texaspg How does one apply?
Trying to remember what goes in the kids’ packed lunches.
Hoping they will both be ready at the same time so I can get a photo of both of them on bikes ready to head off to school. (Last first day of school together. Sniff, sniff.)
I think Stamps is through the Stamps Foundation. I’m on my phone and my pasting isn’t functioning. Just Google Stamps Foundation.
@itsgettingreal17 - at Michigan they don’t apply.
https://leadersandbest.umich.edu/scholarships-stamps
There are 40 schools which offer them. Don’t know if all of them follow the same policy.
@payn4ward Caspers 
I definitely have a Peter Pan on my hands 
@payn4ward @stlarenas Ooh, I like Caspers. So appropriate. And yes, I think the Peter Pan syndrome is real.
This poster gave excellent advice in how to classify options for determining where to apply.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/19888159/#Comment_19888159
@Ynotgo, I gave up on making school lunches years ago. S makes his own lunch. Yay for me because it was stressful! S starts school next Monday. His last first day! He is my youngest. :((
I think this depends on who your kid is and what types of schools they are applying. My S17 won’t be applying to any schools that are so competitive. Most of the schools are state schools that are stats based. The schools that are super competitive have been crossed off as being just too out of reach. He just doesn’t have the GPA to consider it. So this isn’t a good way to qualify reaches for every student.
Based on S17’s stats and Naviance I’ve figured out levels for University of California schools. These have become very competitive over the past 5 years, but they are still mostly stats based. UC Santa Cruz & UC Santa Barbara are matches for him (his stats are in range but your not 100% guaranteed anywhere), UC Riverside would be a safety (he is UC eligible which makes this a 90+%) school for him. I consider UC Davis a reach for him because his stats don’t put him in the range of anyone they have accepted from our school is recent years but not so far out of range to imagine it’s not possible. And UCLA, UC Berkley and UC San Diego so our of reach to not bother. (And in this case I’m since it’s one application with the only difference being a check-box & another application fee… it’s worth at least trying the reach.)
@curiositycat333 I am not sure we disagree at all. My post was in response to a student applying to competitive admissions schools (8%-30%) and having stats inthe bottom 50% or bottom 25%. My point is that competitive admissions needs to be factored with all of the admissions facts when deciding whether a school actually fits the definition of reach. Unlikely to be admitted is a different category for my kids than reach. ( And their reaches tend to be scholarships.)
fwiw…the U of Michigan Stamps recipient in S14’s class was a top scholar and world class cellist…definitely not a scholarship I’d count on as likely…
@Mom2aphysicsgeek Do we have a term for a school that’s out of reach?
I was thinking of this a bit more and by many definitions of safety/match/reach neither of my kids (D12 nor S17) really have “matches” they are all either safety schools. (should get in based on stats.) or reaches. Their stats don’t really fit into any normal profile (but very different from each other) & every other school is really a shot in the dark. It’s why we want our teens to apply to as many schools as we do.
I check on school web-sites where S17’s stats fit and I’m honestly finding he fits in the bottom 15% by GPA and top 7% by SAT. That should 'average" around the middle right?? 
I know it does’t & we just have to hope schools like the rest of his package.
Who’s going back to school this week? S17 starts Wed.
I know he’s been working on AP Physics homework because he asked me to sign a few things. (Part of the homework is to read the syllabus & get it signed.) Don’t know where is is on his online Health class. He has a dentist appt. this morning. It feels like this summer has gone by in a flash.
And those college essays? Don’t think he’s even started on them. Trying to not constantly nag, but I’m going to have a college session with him today or tomorrow. I’m already planning on a LONG Thanksgiving weekend working on college essays. UC’s & Cal States are both due at the end of Nov. And marching band keeps him very busy until early Nov.
I am just going to stop posting. When a parent posts that they aren’t happy with a list and asks what they are missing, I try to be helpful and give an honest critique. If $$ is a serious issue, the list needs to be scrutinized carefully bc their time can be better spent on real contenders.
I think @itsgettingreal17’s dd is the exception to filling out apps and writing essays. Most kids struggle getting everything done well in time. That means financial choices in the spring can end up being severely limited.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek I hope you don’t feel like I discounted your responses. I really appreciate your insight - especially having been through this before. I have to assume you know a little more about the process than I. You actually confirmed some of my fear. But like @curiositycat333 I am really struggling finding matches that work for both her stats AND our finances (or lack thereof 
)
Oh and for sure my D is going to get burned out on apps.
Ack! So much to do, so much to think about. We are heading to Portland in a week for D17’s jaw surgery so the stress level is mounting. Not a lot of movement on essay writing, but really starting to lean on her to participate in the list building. I’m still wondering if anyone knows anything about Agnes Scott, which should be a academic safety for us. And they offer a full-ride scholarship that is super appealing. I don’t know if she’d be awarded one, but her stats should put her in the running, I would think.
@picklesarenice Wishing your D the best of luck with surgery and an successful recovery process!
This year at least two of the recipients happen to have attended TASP last summer.
http://www.tellurideassociation.org/our-programs/high-school-students/summer-program-juniors-tasp/
Is anyone filling out CSS profiles? Are they worth spending the extra money on each submission? Do merit scholarships need it?