Has your kid or any kid you know won a full-ride scholarship to an elite college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not talking about Banneker-Key. I mean the biggies, like to Duke, Hamilton, Johns Hopkins, U Chicago, UNC Chapel Hill, etc. as well as the foundations (Stamp?) that offer four-year full rides.

I'll start. I know one kid who got a full ride a few years back to U Chicago. I can't remember the name of the scholarship. He played an instrument at a near-professional level and was studying an unusual language (like Serbo-Croation?) which he'd learned in high school, had lived in the country and did some other community service like starting a food pantry in a poor neighborhood which he stocked by getting donations from his private school friends' parents. Top grades and scores of course from a private school.

I'm curious if any kids who are not so accomplished on paper ever win these awards? Good grades are a given, but does ingenuity or intellectual curiosity or creativity count? Do any geniuses who sit in a corner and solve math problems in their heads ever win? Or kids who create amazing art (or science projects) in their basement studio or on their computer ever win?

Washington University gives full tuition scholarships (plus $1,000 stipends) to the kinds of students who also get into Harvard and end up turning down Harvard to get the merit money at Wash. U.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know a kid who had all 4 years at MIT paid in full by the Gates Foundation. He is a prodigy from a working class house, African American. I am not sure what you are looking for but it was an academic scholarship (not sure if need had any role maybe it did) and MIT is certainly elite.

MIT Is need-blind and meet-full-need, so need was the first factor in determining financial aid.

I’ve posted a number of times on this point, and I want to clarify: this isn’t to suggest that students who get need-based FA don’t earn it or don’t have merit. Quite the opposite: the reason schools choose to be need-blind and meet-full-need is to ensure that high-achieving students without financial resources are able to attend elite schools. The schools are saying that if you are able to get admitted, we’re going to make sure you can attend. This applies to middle-class students, as well; they just don’t get as much aid, as (again) the amount of aid awarded is based on need.

[Anonymous]

Gates is minority only. McCabe is financial need as well as merit. There is very little for non minorities or those who can pay, except for very specific colleges.

[Anonymous]

My kid was a finalist for a Jefferson Scholarship at UVA - 4.0 unweighted, 35 ACT, captain of 2 sports teams (but not an athletic recruit). Lost out to a young woman who had similar stats, but was also in the all-state orchestra. She subsequently went on to get a Rhodes Scholarship, so I guess the Jefferson selection committee knew what they were doing when they rejected my kid LOL

My kid has gone on to get a full-ride scholarship (plus stipend) at U of Chicago Law School so it's worked out well for everyone

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a kid who had all 4 years at MIT paid in full by the Gates Foundation. He is a prodigy from a working class house, African American. I am not sure what you are looking for but it was an academic scholarship (not sure if need had any role maybe it did) and MIT is certainly elite.

MIT Is need-blind and meet-full-need, so need was the first factor in determining financial aid.

I’ve posted a number of times on this point, and I want to clarify: this isn’t to suggest that students who get need-based FA don’t earn it or don’t have merit. Quite the opposite: the reason schools choose to be need-blind and meet-full-need is to ensure that high-achieving students without financial resources are able to attend elite schools. The schools are saying that if you are able to get admitted, we’re going to make sure you can attend. This applies to middle-class students, as well; they just don’t get as much aid, as (again) the amount of aid awarded is based on need.

This is correct.

Note that often, questions about scholarships come from families not eligible for (enough, or any) need-based aid. Accordingly, the distinction between need-based aid and merit scholarships is important.

[Anonymous]

The Jefferson Scholarship at UvA. Run by a separate foundation -it pays for everything including a spending allowance but your high school must first nominate you then you must be recommended by your region to go on to the final competition.