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

[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.

They can give sports grants though. It's not far fetched to use the words interchangeably

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

you want a gold star, d-bag?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know anything about division 3 schools and athletic recruiting. Is this possible?

They are on the lower end of upper middle class. No hooks. Their senior is a good not great athlete. And not an especially noteworthy student. She was not in the most advanced AP courses and her parents kept having her retake the ACT and SAT because her scores were so mediocre. Best ACT sitting was 26 and she was too embarrassed to reveal SAT scores.

You sound nosey and judgmental.

D3 schools don't give money for sports per se, but they can award athletes the Presidential Scholarship or the Excellence Grant or whatever it is that significantly discounts the sticker price. (If they cover all of tuition but not room & board, is that still a full ride? Maybe in this family's telling...) The academic or playing level of the student only matters in comparison to the student body -- if they are seen as a valuable addition *to that school,* the school will throw money their way. So if your kid is rocking a 3.6 and applying to a school where the average admit has a 3.3, those coaches and AOs will ask you to dance.

No, I'm not being nosy or judgmental at all. The 18 year old teen, the father and mother have all recently posted this on social media and are making a big deal about it in conversation. I'm just trying to understand how it's even possible. Not an exceptional athlete, not an exceptional student, and they make way too much for Federal Pell Grant or any means-based awards. Why or how would any college, even a regional small private college, let their child go there for free?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know anything about division 3 schools and athletic recruiting. Is this possible?

They are on the lower end of upper middle class. No hooks. Their senior is a good not great athlete. And not an especially noteworthy student. She was not in the most advanced AP courses and her parents kept having her retake the ACT and SAT because her scores were so mediocre. Best ACT sitting was 26 and she was too embarrassed to reveal SAT scores.

You sound nosey and judgmental.

D3 schools don't give money for sports per se, but they can award athletes the Presidential Scholarship or the Excellence Grant or whatever it is that significantly discounts the sticker price. (If they cover all of tuition but not room & board, is that still a full ride? Maybe in this family's telling...) The academic or playing level of the student only matters in comparison to the student body -- if they are seen as a valuable addition *to that school,* the school will throw money their way. So if your kid is rocking a 3.6 and applying to a school where the average admit has a 3.3, those coaches and AOs will ask you to dance.

No, I'm not being nosy or judgmental at all. The 18 year old teen, the father and mother have all recently posted this on social media and are making a big deal about it in conversation. I'm just trying to understand how it's even possible. Not an exceptional athlete, not an exceptional student, and they make way too much for Federal Pell Grant or any means-based awards. Why or how would any college, even a regional small private college, let their child go there for free?

It’s a big deal to them. Stop bending mean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

+1. Kids and parents talk, especially kids on the same teams and in the same track of classes (ex. honors, AP). And GPA honors tiers and names are literally published in the school district newsletter throughout high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Or maybe they are lying. Nobody likes liars, especially lying braggarts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

It is probably not free. They are probably travel sports braggarts lying to save face. Tuition is likely heavily discounted, but $60,000 annual cost of attendance minus $30,000 in scholarships is still $30,000 owed each year. "Free" is $0 owed, not $30,000 a year. Even if the college awarded enough in scholarships for "free" tuition, the family would still owe over $20,000 a year in room, board, books and fees. $80,000 over four years is a long ways from free.

[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 probably pretty special to a family looking at no bills and no debt, and to a student accepting an offer where they are truly wanted! Congratulations to them, and may their kid thrive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know anything about division 3 schools and athletic recruiting. Is this possible?

They are on the lower end of upper middle class. No hooks. Their senior is a good not great athlete. And not an especially noteworthy student. She was not in the most advanced AP courses and her parents kept having her retake the ACT and SAT because her scores were so mediocre. Best ACT sitting was 26 and she was too embarrassed to reveal SAT scores.

You sound nosey and judgmental.

D3 schools don't give money for sports per se, but they can award athletes the Presidential Scholarship or the Excellence Grant or whatever it is that significantly discounts the sticker price. (If they cover all of tuition but not room & board, is that still a full ride? Maybe in this family's telling...) The academic or playing level of the student only matters in comparison to the student body -- if they are seen as a valuable addition *to that school,* the school will throw money their way. So if your kid is rocking a 3.6 and applying to a school where the average admit has a 3.3, those coaches and AOs will ask you to dance.

No, I'm not being nosy or judgmental at all. The 18 year old teen, the father and mother have all recently posted this on social media and are making a big deal about it in conversation. I'm just trying to understand how it's even possible. Not an exceptional athlete, not an exceptional student, and they make way too much for Federal Pell Grant or any means-based awards. Why or how would any college, even a regional small private college, let their child go there for free?

It’s a big deal to them. Stop bending mean.

Yes, it's probably not a free ride, but it's also not your business.

[Anonymous]

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

+1 Good reminder not to share too much about your kids. This kid's parents probably thought they were commiserating with a friend over her testing and now she's on here talking about the girl like she's an idiot because she doesn't want to believe anything good could have happened for her. Gross.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

You're actually teaching your own lesson here. Kids have to become the best version of themselves. Colleges need a wide variety of such kids. Some of them will be great students. Some of them will be great athletes. No kid can check every box. If the schools you want don't seem to value your kid, try shopping different schools. I did so myself, and it turned out better than I could have imagined.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know anything about division 3 schools and athletic recruiting. Is this possible?

They are on the lower end of upper middle class. No hooks. Their senior is a good not great athlete. And not an especially noteworthy student. She was not in the most advanced AP courses and her parents kept having her retake the ACT and SAT because her scores were so mediocre. Best ACT sitting was 26 and she was too embarrassed to reveal SAT scores.

You sound nosey and judgmental.

D3 schools don't give money for sports per se, but they can award athletes the Presidential Scholarship or the Excellence Grant or whatever it is that significantly discounts the sticker price. (If they cover all of tuition but not room & board, is that still a full ride? Maybe in this family's telling...) The academic or playing level of the student only matters in comparison to the student body -- if they are seen as a valuable addition *to that school,* the school will throw money their way. So if your kid is rocking a 3.6 and applying to a school where the average admit has a 3.3, those coaches and AOs will ask you to dance.

No, I'm not being nosy or judgmental at all. The 18 year old teen, the father and mother have all recently posted this on social media and are making a big deal about it in conversation. I'm just trying to understand how it's even possible. Not an exceptional athlete, not an exceptional student, and they make way too much for Federal Pell Grant or any means-based awards. Why or how would any college, even a regional small private college, let their child go there for free?

Because the kid as a total package is looked upon as a potential asset to the school. If you want your kid to be eligible for a free ride, look at institutions outside T20. There are scholarships out there that your kid might be able to apply for. You have to make sure they can love the school, but beyond that the opportunities do exist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

+1 Good reminder not to share too much about your kids. This kid's parents probably thought they were commiserating with a friend over her testing and now she's on here talking about the girl like she's an idiot because she doesn't want to believe anything good could have happened for her. Gross.

Don't put it on social media, don't participate in the college athletic commitment ceremony in the high school gym, and don't spread falsehoods to other parents about your kid's alleged full ride scholarship to a small division 3 college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know anything about division 3 schools and athletic recruiting. Is this possible?

They are on the lower end of upper middle class. No hooks. Their senior is a good not great athlete. And not an especially noteworthy student. She was not in the most advanced AP courses and her parents kept having her retake the ACT and SAT because her scores were so mediocre. Best ACT sitting was 26 and she was too embarrassed to reveal SAT scores.

You sound nosey and judgmental.

D3 schools don't give money for sports per se, but they can award athletes the Presidential Scholarship or the Excellence Grant or whatever it is that significantly discounts the sticker price. (If they cover all of tuition but not room & board, is that still a full ride? Maybe in this family's telling...) The academic or playing level of the student only matters in comparison to the student body -- if they are seen as a valuable addition *to that school,* the school will throw money their way. So if your kid is rocking a 3.6 and applying to a school where the average admit has a 3.3, those coaches and AOs will ask you to dance.

No, I'm not being nosy or judgmental at all. The 18 year old teen, the father and mother have all recently posted this on social media and are making a big deal about it in conversation. I'm just trying to understand how it's even possible. Not an exceptional athlete, not an exceptional student, and they make way too much for Federal Pell Grant or any means-based awards. Why or how would any college, even a regional small private college, let their child go there for free?

It’s a big deal to them. Stop bending mean.

Yes, it's probably not a free ride, but it's also not your business.

It is your business if parents in your social circle are pathologically lying to your face.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know anything about division 3 schools and athletic recruiting. Is this possible?

They are on the lower end of upper middle class. No hooks. Their senior is a good not great athlete. And not an especially noteworthy student. She was not in the most advanced AP courses and her parents kept having her retake the ACT and SAT because her scores were so mediocre. Best ACT sitting was 26 and she was too embarrassed to reveal SAT scores.

You sound nosey and judgmental.

D3 schools don't give money for sports per se, but they can award athletes the Presidential Scholarship or the Excellence Grant or whatever it is that significantly discounts the sticker price. (If they cover all of tuition but not room & board, is that still a full ride? Maybe in this family's telling...) The academic or playing level of the student only matters in comparison to the student body -- if they are seen as a valuable addition *to that school,* the school will throw money their way. So if your kid is rocking a 3.6 and applying to a school where the average admit has a 3.3, those coaches and AOs will ask you to dance.

No, I'm not being nosy or judgmental at all. The 18 year old teen, the father and mother have all recently posted this on social media and are making a big deal about it in conversation. I'm just trying to understand how it's even possible. Not an exceptional athlete, not an exceptional student, and they make way too much for Federal Pell Grant or any means-based awards. Why or how would any college, even a regional small private college, let their child go there for free?

Because the kid as a total package is looked upon as a potential asset to the school. If you want your kid to be eligible for a free ride, look at institutions outside T20. There are scholarships out there that your kid might be able to apply for. You have to make sure they can love the school, but beyond that the opportunities do exist.

Are you the girl's parent? An unhooked UMC kid who played sports and scored 26 on the ACT is literally a dime a dozen. No private college is giving such a kid a full ride.