What does it take to get merid aid at UMD College Park?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 3 kids are older (graduated already) but 2 got b/k and 1 got presidential scholarship. All 3 went to MCPS magnets. They all had almost perfect scores.

My son is not at a magnet or a W school (think second-tier MCPS), but has 1560 SAT, 4.0 UW GPA and will have 4.82 ish WGPA at time of application. He'll have taken 10 APS total after junior year, has pretty good extracurriculars and has been a varsity athlete since freshman year. Do you think he has any chance at getting merit from UMD?

I think so. See the pp above whose kids got about $5k/yr merit from UMD.

But $5k/yr is a drop in the college expense bucket. This generation of parents need to let go of the idea their kids are going to be funded by merit aid. It's a different world.

I’m the PP with DC who got $5000/year in merit. It is actually half the tuition so I’d say it’s more than a drop in the bucket. Over 4 years it is $20,000. Actually, DC entered with so many AP credits that she is graduating in 3 years. My younger DC, who did not get merit, has 43 AP credits going in and will also graduate in 3.

I’m PP with DC from non-magnet school above. What do you think was the reason your DC didn’t get BK? I know that lots of kids from Blair/RM get
it so I’m guessing it’s more competitive. Also, how were your DCs extracurriculars? We’re really hoping for more than 5k per year b/c my DC will likely be a NMSF (via alt entry) and we told him that if he goes to a school that gives a full ride for NMF (it would probably be U of Florida), he can use his college fund for grad school, but if he got BK, it wouldn’t even be a question about where to go.

I don’t think my DD was ever in contention for the BK. She did not go to a magnet school, but one of the W schools. 34 ACT. Her 3.8 UWGPA put her only in the top 25% of her class. If your DC goes to a less competitive school, he may stand out more to admissions. I forget how many AP classes she took, but she entered UMD with enough credits that she is graduating in 3 years. She was varsity athlete 4 years, in music activities 4 years, president of a club, and had part-time jobs four years. The one kid I know of who got BK turned down Princeton for UMD to give you an idea of how competitive a BK is.

My DS who did not get anything had a 35 ACT and went in with 43 AP credits. Also 4 year varsity athlete and musician who started his own business netting 5 figures a year. 3.7 UWGPA (pretty low at his school).

We actually saved enough in their 529’s for 4 years of out of state public. They knew if they went to private, they would have to take loans; if they went to out-of-state they would have nothing left for grad school, if they went in-state, they would have plenty left for grad school. They chose UMD and are very happy with the education they are receiving and the cost savings.

Your kids both did extremely well. But, I'll never get families like you who make a house and other things a priority over college/loans for college and graduate school when you royally can afford more especially given how well your kids did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 3 kids are older (graduated already) but 2 got b/k and 1 got presidential scholarship. All 3 went to MCPS magnets. They all had almost perfect scores.

My son is not at a magnet or a W school (think second-tier MCPS), but has 1560 SAT, 4.0 UW GPA and will have 4.82 ish WGPA at time of application. He'll have taken 10 APS total after junior year, has pretty good extracurriculars and has been a varsity athlete since freshman year. Do you think he has any chance at getting merit from UMD?

I think so. See the pp above whose kids got about $5k/yr merit from UMD.

But $5k/yr is a drop in the college expense bucket. This generation of parents need to let go of the idea their kids are going to be funded by merit aid. It's a different world.

I’m the PP with DC who got $5000/year in merit. It is actually half the tuition so I’d say it’s more than a drop in the bucket. Over 4 years it is $20,000. Actually, DC entered with so many AP credits that she is graduating in 3 years. My younger DC, who did not get merit, has 43 AP credits going in and will also graduate in 3.

I’m PP with DC from non-magnet school above. What do you think was the reason your DC didn’t get BK? I know that lots of kids from Blair/RM get
it so I’m guessing it’s more competitive. Also, how were your DCs extracurriculars? We’re really hoping for more than 5k per year b/c my DC will likely be a NMSF (via alt entry) and we told him that if he goes to a school that gives a full ride for NMF (it would probably be U of Florida), he can use his college fund for grad school, but if he got BK, it wouldn’t even be a question about where to go.

I don’t think my DD was ever in contention for the BK. She did not go to a magnet school, but one of the W schools. 34 ACT. Her 3.8 UWGPA put her only in the top 25% of her class. If your DC goes to a less competitive school, he may stand out more to admissions. I forget how many AP classes she took, but she entered UMD with enough credits that she is graduating in 3 years. She was varsity athlete 4 years, in music activities 4 years, president of a club, and had part-time jobs four years. The one kid I know of who got BK turned down Princeton for UMD to give you an idea of how competitive a BK is.

My DS who did not get anything had a 35 ACT and went in with 43 AP credits. Also 4 year varsity athlete and musician who started his own business netting 5 figures a year. 3.7 UWGPA (pretty low at his school).

We actually saved enough in their 529’s for 4 years of out of state public. They knew if they went to private, they would have to take loans; if they went to out-of-state they would have nothing left for grad school, if they went in-state, they would have plenty left for grad school. They chose UMD and are very happy with the education they are receiving and the cost savings.

Your kids both did extremely well. But, I'll never get families like you who make a house and other things a priority over college/loans for college and graduate school when you royally can afford more especially given how well your kids did.

DP but there are several answers to this
1. MYOB, obviously.
2. Different people have different priorities
and
3. Sometimes the smart folks with all the money know how not spending it is key to staying rich.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 3 kids are older (graduated already) but 2 got b/k and 1 got presidential scholarship. All 3 went to MCPS magnets. They all had almost perfect scores.

My son is not at a magnet or a W school (think second-tier MCPS), but has 1560 SAT, 4.0 UW GPA and will have 4.82 ish WGPA at time of application. He'll have taken 10 APS total after junior year, has pretty good extracurriculars and has been a varsity athlete since freshman year. Do you think he has any chance at getting merit from UMD?

I think so. See the pp above whose kids got about $5k/yr merit from UMD.

But $5k/yr is a drop in the college expense bucket. This generation of parents need to let go of the idea their kids are going to be funded by merit aid. It's a different world.

I’m the PP with DC who got $5000/year in merit. It is actually half the tuition so I’d say it’s more than a drop in the bucket. Over 4 years it is $20,000. Actually, DC entered with so many AP credits that she is graduating in 3 years. My younger DC, who did not get merit, has 43 AP credits going in and will also graduate in 3.

I’m PP with DC from non-magnet school above. What do you think was the reason your DC didn’t get BK? I know that lots of kids from Blair/RM get
it so I’m guessing it’s more competitive. Also, how were your DCs extracurriculars? We’re really hoping for more than 5k per year b/c my DC will likely be a NMSF (via alt entry) and we told him that if he goes to a school that gives a full ride for NMF (it would probably be U of Florida), he can use his college fund for grad school, but if he got BK, it wouldn’t even be a question about where to go.

I don’t think my DD was ever in contention for the BK. She did not go to a magnet school, but one of the W schools. 34 ACT. Her 3.8 UWGPA put her only in the top 25% of her class. If your DC goes to a less competitive school, he may stand out more to admissions. I forget how many AP classes she took, but she entered UMD with enough credits that she is graduating in 3 years. She was varsity athlete 4 years, in music activities 4 years, president of a club, and had part-time jobs four years. The one kid I know of who got BK turned down Princeton for UMD to give you an idea of how competitive a BK is.

My DS who did not get anything had a 35 ACT and went in with 43 AP credits. Also 4 year varsity athlete and musician who started his own business netting 5 figures a year. 3.7 UWGPA (pretty low at his school).

We actually saved enough in their 529’s for 4 years of out of state public. They knew if they went to private, they would have to take loans; if they went to out-of-state they would have nothing left for grad school, if they went in-state, they would have plenty left for grad school. They chose UMD and are very happy with the education they are receiving and the cost savings.

Your kids both did extremely well. But, I'll never get families like you who make a house and other things a priority over college/loans for college and graduate school when you royally can afford more especially given how well your kids did.

NP
The PP saved for college in 529 and seems financially responsible.
I think you should work on your reading comprehension.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 3 kids are older (graduated already) but 2 got b/k and 1 got presidential scholarship. All 3 went to MCPS magnets. They all had almost perfect scores.

My son is not at a magnet or a W school (think second-tier MCPS), but has 1560 SAT, 4.0 UW GPA and will have 4.82 ish WGPA at time of application. He'll have taken 10 APS total after junior year, has pretty good extracurriculars and has been a varsity athlete since freshman year. Do you think he has any chance at getting merit from UMD?

I think so. See the pp above whose kids got about $5k/yr merit from UMD.

But $5k/yr is a drop in the college expense bucket. This generation of parents need to let go of the idea their kids are going to be funded by merit aid. It's a different world.

I’m the PP with DC who got $5000/year in merit. It is actually half the tuition so I’d say it’s more than a drop in the bucket. Over 4 years it is $20,000. Actually, DC entered with so many AP credits that she is graduating in 3 years. My younger DC, who did not get merit, has 43 AP credits going in and will also graduate in 3.

I’m PP with DC from non-magnet school above. What do you think was the reason your DC didn’t get BK? I know that lots of kids from Blair/RM get
it so I’m guessing it’s more competitive. Also, how were your DCs extracurriculars? We’re really hoping for more than 5k per year b/c my DC will likely be a NMSF (via alt entry) and we told him that if he goes to a school that gives a full ride for NMF (it would probably be U of Florida), he can use his college fund for grad school, but if he got BK, it wouldn’t even be a question about where to go.

I don’t think my DD was ever in contention for the BK. She did not go to a magnet school, but one of the W schools. 34 ACT. Her 3.8 UWGPA put her only in the top 25% of her class. If your DC goes to a less competitive school, he may stand out more to admissions. I forget how many AP classes she took, but she entered UMD with enough credits that she is graduating in 3 years. She was varsity athlete 4 years, in music activities 4 years, president of a club, and had part-time jobs four years. The one kid I know of who got BK turned down Princeton for UMD to give you an idea of how competitive a BK is.

My DS who did not get anything had a 35 ACT and went in with 43 AP credits. Also 4 year varsity athlete and musician who started his own business netting 5 figures a year. 3.7 UWGPA (pretty low at his school).

We actually saved enough in their 529’s for 4 years of out of state public. They knew if they went to private, they would have to take loans; if they went to out-of-state they would have nothing left for grad school, if they went in-state, they would have plenty left for grad school. They chose UMD and are very happy with the education they are receiving and the cost savings.

Your kids both did extremely well. But, I'll never get families like you who make a house and other things a priority over college/loans for college and graduate school when you royally can afford more especially given how well your kids did.

NP. To each their own. My DD with stats good enough for ivies and the likes is smart/down to earth enough to understand that an undergrad education is not worth 300K (from either loans or parents savings). She has only applied to schools with good merit aid and would rather save our money for grad school, down payment on a house, etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 3 kids are older (graduated already) but 2 got b/k and 1 got presidential scholarship. All 3 went to MCPS magnets. They all had almost perfect scores.

My son is not at a magnet or a W school (think second-tier MCPS), but has 1560 SAT, 4.0 UW GPA and will have 4.82 ish WGPA at time of application. He'll have taken 10 APS total after junior year, has pretty good extracurriculars and has been a varsity athlete since freshman year. Do you think he has any chance at getting merit from UMD?

I think so. See the pp above whose kids got about $5k/yr merit from UMD.

But $5k/yr is a drop in the college expense bucket. This generation of parents need to let go of the idea their kids are going to be funded by merit aid. It's a different world.

I’m the PP with DC who got $5000/year in merit. It is actually half the tuition so I’d say it’s more than a drop in the bucket. Over 4 years it is $20,000. Actually, DC entered with so many AP credits that she is graduating in 3 years. My younger DC, who did not get merit, has 43 AP credits going in and will also graduate in 3.

I’m PP with DC from non-magnet school above. What do you think was the reason your DC didn’t get BK? I know that lots of kids from Blair/RM get
it so I’m guessing it’s more competitive. Also, how were your DCs extracurriculars? We’re really hoping for more than 5k per year b/c my DC will likely be a NMSF (via alt entry) and we told him that if he goes to a school that gives a full ride for NMF (it would probably be U of Florida), he can use his college fund for grad school, but if he got BK, it wouldn’t even be a question about where to go.

I don’t think my DD was ever in contention for the BK. She did not go to a magnet school, but one of the W schools. 34 ACT. Her 3.8 UWGPA put her only in the top 25% of her class. If your DC goes to a less competitive school, he may stand out more to admissions. I forget how many AP classes she took, but she entered UMD with enough credits that she is graduating in 3 years. She was varsity athlete 4 years, in music activities 4 years, president of a club, and had part-time jobs four years. The one kid I know of who got BK turned down Princeton for UMD to give you an idea of how competitive a BK is.

My DS who did not get anything had a 35 ACT and went in with 43 AP credits. Also 4 year varsity athlete and musician who started his own business netting 5 figures a year. 3.7 UWGPA (pretty low at his school).

We actually saved enough in their 529’s for 4 years of out of state public. They knew if they went to private, they would have to take loans; if they went to out-of-state they would have nothing left for grad school, if they went in-state, they would have plenty left for grad school. They chose UMD and are very happy with the education they are receiving and the cost savings.

Your kids both did extremely well. But, I'll never get families like you who make a house and other things a priority over college/loans for college and graduate school when you royally can afford more especially given how well your kids did.

How do you know we made our house and other things a priority? We live in a modest house in a W district and it’s 100% paid for. HHI upper 300,000. We are very conservative in our spending but will splurge on vacations, theater, sports, charity, and other things important to our family. We teach our kids the value of money, investing, and hard work. They already have Roth IRAs and have worked since age 14. DS is an entrepreneur from age 16. They had other options for college but chose in-state on their own. Just because we can afford something doesn’t mean it is a good investment for us. DD is graduating this year and has a good job lined up already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 3 kids are older (graduated already) but 2 got b/k and 1 got presidential scholarship. All 3 went to MCPS magnets. They all had almost perfect scores.

My son is not at a magnet or a W school (think second-tier MCPS), but has 1560 SAT, 4.0 UW GPA and will have 4.82 ish WGPA at time of application. He'll have taken 10 APS total after junior year, has pretty good extracurriculars and has been a varsity athlete since freshman year. Do you think he has any chance at getting merit from UMD?

I think so. See the pp above whose kids got about $5k/yr merit from UMD.

But $5k/yr is a drop in the college expense bucket. This generation of parents need to let go of the idea their kids are going to be funded by merit aid. It's a different world.

I’m the PP with DC who got $5000/year in merit. It is actually half the tuition so I’d say it’s more than a drop in the bucket. Over 4 years it is $20,000. Actually, DC entered with so many AP credits that she is graduating in 3 years. My younger DC, who did not get merit, has 43 AP credits going in and will also graduate in 3.

I’m PP with DC from non-magnet school above. What do you think was the reason your DC didn’t get BK? I know that lots of kids from Blair/RM get
it so I’m guessing it’s more competitive. Also, how were your DCs extracurriculars? We’re really hoping for more than 5k per year b/c my DC will likely be a NMSF (via alt entry) and we told him that if he goes to a school that gives a full ride for NMF (it would probably be U of Florida), he can use his college fund for grad school, but if he got BK, it wouldn’t even be a question about where to go.

I don’t think my DD was ever in contention for the BK. She did not go to a magnet school, but one of the W schools. 34 ACT. Her 3.8 UWGPA put her only in the top 25% of her class. If your DC goes to a less competitive school, he may stand out more to admissions. I forget how many AP classes she took, but she entered UMD with enough credits that she is graduating in 3 years. She was varsity athlete 4 years, in music activities 4 years, president of a club, and had part-time jobs four years. The one kid I know of who got BK turned down Princeton for UMD to give you an idea of how competitive a BK is.

My DS who did not get anything had a 35 ACT and went in with 43 AP credits. Also 4 year varsity athlete and musician who started his own business netting 5 figures a year. 3.7 UWGPA (pretty low at his school).

We actually saved enough in their 529’s for 4 years of out of state public. They knew if they went to private, they would have to take loans; if they went to out-of-state they would have nothing left for grad school, if they went in-state, they would have plenty left for grad school. They chose UMD and are very happy with the education they are receiving and the cost savings.

Your kids both did extremely well. But, I'll never get families like you who make a house and other things a priority over college/loans for college and graduate school when you royally can afford more especially given how well your kids did.

Not PP, but what are you talking about? You know nothing about PP other than her kids' stats. Nothing whatsoever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 3 kids are older (graduated already) but 2 got b/k and 1 got presidential scholarship. All 3 went to MCPS magnets. They all had almost perfect scores.

My son is not at a magnet or a W school (think second-tier MCPS), but has 1560 SAT, 4.0 UW GPA and will have 4.82 ish WGPA at time of application. He'll have taken 10 APS total after junior year, has pretty good extracurriculars and has been a varsity athlete since freshman year. Do you think he has any chance at getting merit from UMD?

I think so. See the pp above whose kids got about $5k/yr merit from UMD.

But $5k/yr is a drop in the college expense bucket. This generation of parents need to let go of the idea their kids are going to be funded by merit aid. It's a different world.

I’m the PP with DC who got $5000/year in merit. It is actually half the tuition so I’d say it’s more than a drop in the bucket. Over 4 years it is $20,000. Actually, DC entered with so many AP credits that she is graduating in 3 years. My younger DC, who did not get merit, has 43 AP credits going in and will also graduate in 3.

I’m PP with DC from non-magnet school above. What do you think was the reason your DC didn’t get BK? I know that lots of kids from Blair/RM get
it so I’m guessing it’s more competitive. Also, how were your DCs extracurriculars? We’re really hoping for more than 5k per year b/c my DC will likely be a NMSF (via alt entry) and we told him that if he goes to a school that gives a full ride for NMF (it would probably be U of Florida), he can use his college fund for grad school, but if he got BK, it wouldn’t even be a question about where to go.

I don’t think my DD was ever in contention for the BK. She did not go to a magnet school, but one of the W schools. 34 ACT. Her 3.8 UWGPA put her only in the top 25% of her class. If your DC goes to a less competitive school, he may stand out more to admissions. I forget how many AP classes she took, but she entered UMD with enough credits that she is graduating in 3 years. She was varsity athlete 4 years, in music activities 4 years, president of a club, and had part-time jobs four years. The one kid I know of who got BK turned down Princeton for UMD to give you an idea of how competitive a BK is.

My DS who did not get anything had a 35 ACT and went in with 43 AP credits. Also 4 year varsity athlete and musician who started his own business netting 5 figures a year. 3.7 UWGPA (pretty low at his school).

We actually saved enough in their 529’s for 4 years of out of state public. They knew if they went to private, they would have to take loans; if they went to out-of-state they would have nothing left for grad school, if they went in-state, they would have plenty left for grad school. They chose UMD and are very happy with the education they are receiving and the cost savings.

Your kids both did extremely well. But, I'll never get families like you who make a house and other things a priority over college/loans for college and graduate school when you royally can afford more especially given how well your kids did.

How do you know we made our house and other things a priority? We live in a modest house in a W district and it’s 100% paid for. HHI upper 300,000. We are very conservative in our spending but will splurge on vacations, theater, sports, charity, and other things important to our family. We teach our kids the value of money, investing, and hard work. They already have Roth IRAs and have worked since age 14. DS is an entrepreneur from age 16. They had other options for college but chose in-state on their own. Just because we can afford something doesn’t mean it is a good investment for us. DD is graduating this year and has a good job lined up already.

DP. I get this, 100%. But you didn't need to rise to that poster's bait and explain yourself. They were clearly baiting you and you fell for it. Sometimes just ignoring the assholes is the way to get past it.