Ultimately DS18 decided he wanted to stay in-state and go to either UK or U of L. As a NMF he had automatic full tuition plus $10k a year towards room and board (year 1 and 2 only) at UK. U of L for instate NMFs is an automatic full ride. So that made it easy and guaranteed there wasn’t going to be too much stress.
He applied for the competitive scholarships at both. Singletary at UK and Brown Fellows af U of L. Neither meant more money, but additional perks, especially Brown Fellows. UK he got an interview for the Singletary but did not get it.
Brown Fellows at U of L required a minimum 31 ACT to apply. The received over 300 applications last year and interviewed about forty for ultimately 10 spots. The interviews lasted a day and half. Group discussion on various topics and current events. It was pretty grueling but he seemed to rise to the occasion. He was fortunate to be chosen for the scholarship. 10 out of 300, those are tough odds. Top stats help but aren’t enough by themselves.