@suzyQ7, we visited and liked Grinnell that has historically been generous with merit. But they told us that they review their merit vs. financial aid structure and adjust yearly if needed.
So far Grinnell stays on the list.
@mommdc, thanks for your feedback. DD’s class rank, so far, is top 1%.
@4beardolls I don’t have anything to add but I want to say I’m very impressed with the way you are approaching your DD’s list so carefully. There are so many parents who bury their head in the sand when it comes to paying for college and it’s threads like these that can be so helpful for future readers of CC.
Best of luck and please keep us posted as the search/application process unfolds. Your kids are lucky to have you in their corner!
D had a 34 (35 SS for those few schools that superscored the ACT) and received very good merit scholarships from Case, Tulane (plus honors admit) and Northeastern (no honors admit), as well as a couple of LACs (Wooster, Albright).
I really appreciate your comment, @GnocchiB.
@OHMomof2, thank you for sharing your D’s experience. This is very helpful.
Lafayette would be another good one to try.
Since she’s top 1%, then UPitt would be a possibility, but I think you have to apply by a certain date for best consideration.
Yes, with that rank, definitely have her apply! My D applied early and found out about admission by Sept and her scholarship in Dec.
Pitt is great for Biosciences. My D especially likes the SEAPHAGES program.
@4beardolls
My daughter had 34 ACT and her composite SAT is 2200, but her SAT M+V, I think it, was 770. She got the following:
- Presidential Merit Scholarship (1/2 tuition) at USC
- 35K Merit at Case Western
- Regents Scholarship at UCLA (although not really a good scholarship since they'll only give you 2K if you're not qualified for FA, but this is UCLA's highest scholarship (I think) that's based on merit.
My daughter with 2370 (800,800,370) SAT (took only once) last year:
1-Cornell Meinig Family National scholarship.
2-UCLA Regents
3-USC Presidential (bumped down from full tuition Trusty because of bad interview)
4-UCI Regents
5-LMU Trusty (full tuition with room and board)
6-A $15,000 private scholarship reward from a Law firm
7- $3k from her own highschool.
Attending UCLA!
Would that be 770 on each of those sections?
^
Sorry. I just realized my mistake. Yes, I think both sections is 770. Her score is lopsided.
This is a terrific conversation. Anyone know the scores of kids who get merit at Grinnell? American? Davidson? or Wake Forest?
I agree you’re not likely for big merit at a 15-30 ranked school, but opening to top ~50 will help immensely. I had a 35 ACT (class of '14) and received about $23k in merit at Northeastern on top of other grants/financial aid. Pitt gives good merit if the class rank is high as mentioned. BU comes to mind as similar to Northeastern.
Lopsided? Both scores are identical! And her writing score is about the same.
Back to the OP’s question.
The most completive schools that give merit aid require very high stats to get it…the top of the applicant pool.
I recieved the full tuition Trustee scholarship at Mount Holyoke, a top LAC, with a 32 ACT & 2210 SAT (730 math, 800 reading, 680 writing), which surprised me!
@thumper1
Her W score is low compared to the other sections. I think it was 660. Maybe higher. I dont remember it now. But for sure it didnt reach the 700 mark.
@homerdog - my daughter with 2230 SAT (1480CR+M) , 35 ACT, 3.9 U/W GPA, 7APs, good ECs, National Science competition, paid biomedical engineering summer internship junior year, excellent recs. was not offered any merit by Wake Forest, she did visit the campus and have an admissions interview, but was not invited to compete for any of their big scholarships.
The University of Richmond(slightly more selective than Wake Forest), which she attends, offered her a full tuition scholarship(they offer 45 full tuition/full ride scholarships to freshmen each year).
It may be worth contacting the individual schools.
I really do believe that once you get to 34 (or possibly 33) or over 2200/2250 it is all the same, except possibly the 36/2400 (but not sure and have no real way of knowing unless you have sat on a scholarship committee.)
I remember there have been posters on the admissions threads who ask if they should retake a 2300 and are often told yes! One of those ignored that advice and ended up at at 3 of 4 HYPS! I realize not the same but I think as long as her scores are in the 99% and she is overwise presentable she has the same chance she would with a 35.
@uclaparent9 I never understand how ivies such as Cornell can give merit and then say they don’t give merit?! I know Penn and Columbia have something like this too? How does it work?
A girl I know got the half scholarship at Tulane with a 32 and a 4.0 (based out of 100 and she had perfect 98-100s in almost every class unweighted).
It is not merit in the traditional sense because it is not money that is applied toward the COA and does not lower EFC. So, it is certainly not the type of merit most, including the OP are looking for but rather a nice incentive when a student is choosing between two similar schools. It is money structured to pay for perks like research projects and summer programs. S1 received such offers from Williams, Bowdoin, and Amherst, all schools that do not offer merit aid. Additionally colleges can give “preferential” financial aid with these programs as well. That is the case with the Cornell program that was mentioned, as well as with Williams. As long as a student qualifies for FA there is nothing preventing the school from replacing the student loan with a grant for example, or eliminating work study and giving extra grants to make up the difference. Loans and Work Study are technically FA, and the school just replaces them with a different type of aid-they are still not exceeding need, so they can still call it FA instead of merit.