Full ride from merit - Is it a thing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are upper middle class and looking for a full ride, you need to apply to colleges that are at least two tiers lower than your regular target schools. For example, a student with a 4.0 unweighted GPA and a 1450 SAT would need to look at schools with an average GPA of 3.0 and SAT of 1150.

This is true. I saw it this cycle. The key thing is to thoroughly research the intended major to ensure good outcomes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can afford college and expect a full ride?

There’s a big gap between not qualifying for need-based aid and being able to afford a 90K a year private university.

Right!

Someone who identifies as UMC has a very large income and choose not to save. OP is not asking for some help, they are asking for a full ride.

PP, you must be an uninformed policy maker. Newsflash: UMC families can have health problems with huge five or six figure medical bills, if they’re 1st Gen college they are likely supporting or helping their parents, and guess what? No inheritance. Stay in your lane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m trying to understand WTF would make any school worth $360,000.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

If you don’t get it. You don’t get it.

The school is why my kid has the job they do right now. The network. Not STEM

My kid chased merit. We are UMC. We paid @ $160k for four years at a Jesuit private (thanks to merit). He’s at a “safety” school and landed a fantastic six figure finance job due to leveraging all the contacts he could - mine, his from private schools in DC and Maryland, and alumni from his university. It can be done. Planning on a similar path for kid number two. So glad we passed on the circa 2020 $70k schools, now pushing $90k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are upper middle class and looking for a full ride, you need to apply to colleges that are at least two tiers lower than your regular target schools. For example, a student with a 4.0 unweighted GPA and a 1450 SAT would need to look at schools with an average GPA of 3.0 and SAT of 1150.

This is true. I saw it this cycle. The key thing is to thoroughly research the intended major to ensure good outcomes.

Not always the case. I’m the pp who shared about my son’s journey. First of all, thanks to grade inflation, nearly all kids at merit awarding schools have above a 3.5. My son had a 1440 SAT and ended up with significant merit at a university where the average SAT is 1250 and avg entering GPA was 3.75.

I was worried he’d not be challenged, but he is NOT graduating with honors, sadly. He’s graduating with great friends, a fun college experience and a six figure finance job in Chicago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:W&L offers the full ride Johnson scholarship to 10% of the incoming class. You have to apply by Dec 1st (but can apple RD) and write an additional essay. They recruit some really top stat kids this way that turn down T20 schools for the scholarship.

A bit misleading. If interested, please look up the Johnson Scholarship details.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can afford college and expect a full ride?

There’s a big gap between not qualifying for need-based aid and being able to afford a 90K a year private university.

Right!

Someone who identifies as UMC has a very large income and choose not to save. OP is not asking for some help, they are asking for a full ride.

PP, you must be an uninformed policy maker. Newsflash: UMC families can have health problems with huge five or six figure medical bills, if they’re 1st Gen college they are likely supporting or helping their parents, and guess what? No inheritance. Stay in your lane.

Many of us have health issues, no instance, dslecial needs kids, aging parents and more and yet, we still save.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can afford college and expect a full ride?

There’s a big gap between not qualifying for need-based aid and being able to afford a 90K a year private university.

Right!

Someone who identifies as UMC has a very large income and choose not to save. OP is not asking for some help, they are asking for a full ride.

PP, you must be an uninformed policy maker. Newsflash: UMC families can have health problems with huge five or six figure medical bills, if they’re 1st Gen college they are likely supporting or helping their parents, and guess what? No inheritance. Stay in your lane.

Many of us have health issues, no instance, dslecial needs kids, aging parents and more and yet, we still save.

You're missing the point. The PP is wrong when assuming that UMV automaticslly means large income and didnt save. That's a gross generalization and not true in my case or my friends' situations. We all saved - I started at birth for three kids Yet, when time to pay for college came around, those funds didn't match the price tag. At around $250 HHI we received no financial aid so were paying full freight. We were, also, by then taking care of three parents, one of whom needed round-the-clock care. This is a dilemma of donut hole families and why all three kids went in-state Virginia