Upper middle class family claiming “full ride (sports) scholarship” to small D3 private college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this for real? OP how do you know all this?

+1, weird that OP would know details about this kid's grades, course selection, and test scores, but also be distant enough from the situation to be unsure about the details of the scholarship. Betting OP is a family member (likely aunt) and possible some/all of her details are wrong or exaggerated anyway.

I'm not the OP, but I knew a lot about my kids' classmates, especially one of my DC's who was in the very top rung of the class. There can be a lot of chatter in that bandwidth. And some of these kids have been in school together since K.

[Anonymous]

You sound jealous but I’ll give you the benefit that maybe you’re just curious because you have a kid hoping for the same. I know I do. DS is looking to play soccer and is likely to end up D3. We have been told there are no athletic scholarships but there is merit. He’s not a great test taker but is hoping his stats are strong enough for admission to a decent school and that he qualifies for merit aid to bring the price in line with our public university where he otherwise can’t play soccer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is the school? If they give a huge discount to pretty much everyone then this is nothing really special.

It's special to the parents who are proud of their kid and likely relieved that they won't be on the hook for full tuition.

Lots of teenagers are aimless and undedicated. The kid in question sounds like a hard working kid who is not naturally brilliant, a good test taker, or a naturally gifted athlete. And yet she has diligently kept working at school and her sport, doing the best she can, even retaking test to improve her shot at a good college result. She's gotten in a a school she and her family sound excited about, and bonus, she is getting scholarship money to attend.

She and her parents have every reason to proud and if you can't see that, that's on you. This kid isn't being written up in a national newspaper as some kind of superstar. Her parents are bragging on her a bit because they are happy and proud.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this for real? OP how do you know all this?

PS - 26 is perfectly acceptable ACT score for many colleges

My child got lower and went T30 because of sports. People hate athletes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the school? If they give a huge discount to pretty much everyone then this is nothing really special.

It's special to the parents who are proud of their kid and likely relieved that they won't be on the hook for full tuition.

Lots of teenagers are aimless and undedicated. The kid in question sounds like a hard working kid who is not naturally brilliant, a good test taker, or a naturally gifted athlete. And yet she has diligently kept working at school and her sport, doing the best she can, even retaking test to improve her shot at a good college result. She's gotten in a a school she and her family sound excited about, and bonus, she is getting scholarship money to attend.

She and her parents have every reason to proud and if you can't see that, that's on you. This kid isn't being written up in a national newspaper as some kind of superstar. Her parents are bragging on her a bit because they are happy and proud.

There are many, small D3 schools that provide nearly 100% of admits significant merit aid. If that is the goal then just go to colleges like the below:

Colleges Offering Merit Aid to 95%+ of Students Without Financial Need
Name State % Freshmen W/out Need
Receiving Merit Aid Avg Merit Award Cost of Attendance
('22-'23)
Beloit College WI 99 $41,660 $67,172
Albion College MI 100 $39,697 $67,796
Susquehanna University PA 98 $36,317 $70,600
Kalamazoo College MI 96 $36,009 $68,166
Clarkson University NY 100 $35,794 $76,666
Washington & Jefferson College PA 100 $34,857 $45,515
The College of Wooster OH 98 $33,902 $73,550
Washington College MD 100 $33,834 $67,960
Ursinus College PA 97 $33,247 $74,240
Coe College IA 98 $33,182 $63,562
Simpson College IA 100 $32,534 $55,394
Lebannon Valley College PA 98 $32,257 $60,460
Centre College KY 98 $32,217 $60,370
St. Catherine University MN 96 $32,101 $58,764
Wabash College IN 100 $31,853 $61,500
Lawrence University WI 99 $31,503 $66,987
Widener University PA 97 $31,300 $68,148
Agnes Scott College GA 100 $31,127 $61,195
Cornell College IA 99 $30,950 $61,168
Ohio Wesleyan University OH 99 $30,854 $69,443

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of small, not prestigious, not selective D3 schools give everybody tons of merit aid.

D3 schools can't give sports scholarships, but I assume this family is betting that you don't know that so that is why they are bragging this way.

It is possible that they receive some extra merit aid compared to the next person for some leadership award or something like that which mysteriously always goes to athletes.

THIS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this for real? OP how do you know all this?

PS - 26 is perfectly acceptable ACT score for many colleges

My child got lower and went T30 because of sports. People hate athletes.

People “hate” athletes because many would have absolutely no chance getting accepted to highly selective schools on their academic achievements, while our kids excel beyond belief and acceptance (not to mention scholarships) to these same highly selective schools are a lottery. My kid excels both in a niche sport, musical instrument AND academics.

[Anonymous]

What school?

[Anonymous]

OP, be warry of anyone claiming full ride. They often mean tuition, which may be only half the cost of attendance. At which point, as others have pointed out, you're back in the realm of merit offers to non-athletes. Athletics is a way to boost admission to a slightly higher tier of schools. Many sports families are happy with that, and aren't pursuing scholarships at all.

My rule of thumb, very few families are paying less than the cost of their in-state flagship with room and board, which is close to $30K these days.

[Anonymous]

OP, you're the one who looks bad in this scenario, not the student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this for real? OP how do you know all this?

PS - 26 is perfectly acceptable ACT score for many colleges

My child got lower and went T30 because of sports. People hate athletes.

This. My DS didn't score well, went test optional, and was offered at multiple T20 schools in 2 sports. People hate athletes.

[Anonymous]

Student athletes work hard and their dedication helps their schools. I personally see no problem with merit being based in some part on athletic achievement or potential.

[Anonymous]

If the choice is small school in the middle of nowhere for free or small school in the middle of nowhere for 50k a year it doesn't matter if you are UMC, paying for college in scenario is asanine and quite frankly none of your business. They throw money at kids for a reason, D3 sports is not a cakewalk... all of the extra time and energy for none of the great facilities and playing for nobody. It's basically club ball with a lot of parents in folding chairs on the grass. I know one kid that went to play at some no-name school with 400 students and they had to farm their own food. They were miserable.

[Anonymous]

Plenty of small, not prestigious, not selective D3 schools give everybody tons of merit aid.

Yup. You can get "merit" scholarships to many of these schools with B grades, no SAT, no APs. These schools need bodies.

[Anonymous]

OP, quit counting other people's money. And then to not only categorize them as upper middle class, but to determine on your own that they are "the lower end" of UMC, makes it clear what an awful person you are. Good for that kid. Maybe with all the savings his family can move to "upper middle class" for real and then you'll find some reason to slight them again (for having the audacity of buying a summer home or something?). Seriously, go away and mind your own house.