Test Optional and Merit Aid?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid is going to be a senior. 4.0W/3.6UW with all honors in core classes all 4y, 1AP/5 IB/1 DE + lettered in a varsity sport (wasn't offered COVID year) + National Honors Society. But he BOMBED the SAT (under 1100 with a prep class...yes, we can talk grade inflation...but also ADHD and being a poor test taker.) Clearly he will be going TO and isn't applying to top schools (looking at Towson, Temple, GMU) but wasn't sure how being test optional affected merit aid. Any insight? We need all the merit he can get since we won't qualify for financial aid.

Have your son try the ACT. With extra time, it is a much easier test to master than the SAT. My ADHD kid got a 34.

This is a good advice. Since he is going TO anyway, give it a shot at ACT (and also retake SAT??). What do you got to lose?

He has time and effort to loose. Why bother. He should just focus on the ECs that he does well at and his applications. My kid isn’t a good test taker either. That is just one skill and lots of schools are realizing that it has never been the only indicator of a valuable candidate. Consider the test blind schools, the entire California system.

If kid is as driven as this poster, yeah, don't bother.

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07/17/2023 16:46

Subject: Test Optional and Merit Aid?

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Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:curious on merit-is this something you ask for or a happy surprises when you open an acceptance?

Happy surprise.

And you increase your chances by applying to schools that offer it.

Look at the school’s common data set and look for how many “non-need” scholarships are given out and for how much.

By doing the above, we did not waste time applying to University of Rochester which is $83000 and gives very little merit to very few people.

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07/17/2023 17:30

Subject: Test Optional and Merit Aid?

quote

Anonymous

Not sure if he'd be interested but University of Arizona is TO and gives very generous merit aid. Plus it's got rolling admissions and a beautiful campus.

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07/17/2023 17:34

Subject: Test Optional and Merit Aid?

quote

Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD went TO and got $15000/yr from CU Boulder

Would you mind sharing your DD’s UW/W gpa? And did she have APs? I think DS would love Boulder and we have family there but he needs merit aid. Just yesterday I was trying to research if he’d qualify and it didn’t look hopeful. He has a 3.5 unweighted and a 4.2 weighted.

Prior to senior year, she had a 4.2 weighted GPA after having taken two APs, but she was taking 4 APs senior year when she applied to college and had an A average. Her unweighted GPA was close to 3.9 or so (I think).