How does a student get a full ride?

[jamajo]

My nephew got a full ride to a state school. He was homeschooled grades 1-7, private school 7-8 and public high school.

 

My bro n law mentioned to my husband that he thought his son got a full ride b/c the public school was a objective evaluator of his grades that confirmed his solid foundation from home school.:glare:

 

So my husband says "should we consider not homeschooling all the way through?"

 

How do universities decide if they give a student a full academic scholarship (tuition, room & board)?

[OLG]

Well, ds got two full ride offers based upon SAT test scores and grades and he was homeschooled from first grade thru high school. I'd check with the schools/colleges that are of interest to see the specific details for awarding those scholarships. It does vary. Test scores and grades seem to be the biggies for state schools.

[Candid]

He didn't get a full ride because of the public school. Find out more details about what he is receiving and the form of it.

 

I'd encourage you to ask more questions about what your nephew received. Does the scholarship have a name or is financial aid? (I wouldn't ask that right out).

[Gwen in VA]

The colleges my kids applied to gave full-rides and full-tuition scholarships based on:

 

1) academics

2) extra-curricular activities/involvement

3) leadership experience/potential

4) on-campus interview

[dirty ethel rackham]

Ds received top scholarship offers at all 4 schools he applied to. Unfortunately, none of the schools he chose actually offer full-ride scholarships. There were several schools where he would have qualified for one, but those schools just didn't meet his needs. For ds, it was his test scores, NMF status, outside validation with AP scores and college classes as well as his interests/passions. He also chose schools where he fell into the upper third of accepted students. I think being homeschooled actually helped him get noticed.

 

Each school has different criteria.

[creekland]

Most schools use test scores (SAT/ACT) for the majority of their scholarships, then couple that with GPA and extra curriculars. They can also offer them for sports (assuming they aren't division III).

 

Both of my high school homeschooled grads got great merit scholarships.

[Beth in OH]

In addition to all of the criteria mentioned in the previous posts, a student receiving a full-ride scholarship usually has test scores, grades, extra-curriculars, etc. well above the mid-range for that school. Schools use these scholarships to compete with more academically attractive schools in order to attract top students and raise their profile. For example, if a student is admitted to both Harvard and Average Academics State U, he is more likely to receive the scholarship at Average Academics. [This is not to say that schools offering full-ride scholarships are average! Just trying to provide an example of the supply/demand aspect of the scholarship world.]

[redsquirrel]

my friend's two kids each got a full ride to their 4 year university. They were both entirely homeschooled. My friend went out of her way to make sure her kids 'looked a lot like top candidates' on paper. That means they took AP tests and lots of SAT2 tests. She kept excellent records for transcripts. They did internships and public service. She didn't use an computer classes or anything. She did all the test prep etc herself.

[jamajo]

This is all very helpful. Thanks!

[Frances]

I think it varies somewhat from school to school. My son received one of 50 full tuition scholarships (they don't give full rides) to our flagship state U. He had to fill out an extra application about extracurricular activities and we know they look at test scores. Since they don't require transcripts from homeschoolers, it seemed from his conversations with a dean assigned to recruiting high achieving students that they somehow compute a GPA for homeschoolers based on test scores (they require two SAT subject tests in addition to the regular SAT). We did send transcripts from his outside courses at a local LAC and the community college, but I'm not sure they really used them to compute a high school GPA, as they considered these college courses. In this case, I really think test scores were the most important.

 

While none of the LACs he applied to give full rides, he got excellent scholarships at all that offered merit aid. While I don't know their exact criteria, I think it was probably a bit more balanced look at test scores, grades from outside classes, ECs, interviews, etc. At one school you did have to be either a National Merit or National Achievement Semifinalist to be considered for the highest scholarship, but since that school also promises to meet full need, it probably doesn't matter for many students.

[Luckymama]

Spend some time digging through the websites for schools your student likes. Check the admissions section, the financial aid section---if you're lucky there'll be a nice big link labelled "scholarships" :D

 

Reading the schools' Common Data Sets can be more tricky. The CDS is what it sounds like: a form each institution fills out giving information about the school, the most recent freshman applicants/accepted students/enrolled students, financial information (scholarships, grants, loans) and so on. You can find some CDSs right on the schools' websites (I search directly on the websites) or by using google. Other CDSs are just not available to the public.

 

Spend some time reading the Parents' section of College Confidential http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/ Posters on that forum maintain an ongoing sticky thread entitled "Schools known for good merit aid." I started there with ds's scholarship search, branched out to other sections of CC, then was able to navigate websites and ask questions of admissions people on my own.

[flyingiguana]

My daughter didn't get full rides, but she did get the highest amounts offered by the colleges she applied to.

 

She had high ACT scores, 2 AP tests, and 9 college classes taken while she was in high school. She got all A's in the college classes. Her extracurriculars were a decent mix of the usual things kids do: sports, theater, music. They weren't anything really out of the ordinary.

 

However, I know that the college she eventually went to does give high scholarship amounts to kids who don't have the high ACT scores and high grades, solely on the basis of extracurriculars and the interview. The extracurriculars have to really mean something to the student, though. There are kids who came from more difficult circumstances who have decided to go into health fields, for example, because working as a volunteer in a hospital have made them realize they have a passion for doing this sort of work. They have to mean it though. Interview committees can see through kids who are just mouthing the words.

 

My daughter didn't apply to anything like Ivy League schools because she didn't want to go there. She only applied to a few good, solid LACs. She also applied to one that wasn't so solid, but she had no intention of going there unless other things didn't work out.

 

But it's no good pushing students into things that they aren't ready for. Taking a lot of AP tests and doing badly on them, or attempting college courses and getting poor grades are worse than not having them at all.

 

I've also seen lots of kids do community college for the first 2 years. These are bright kids who got into good colleges, but they decided it wasn't worth spending the money for a full 4 years at a more expensive place. They've gone on to state universities where they're now doing fine. All their credits transferred because they worked with counselors who knew what they were doing.

 

And having taught at community college and big state universities, as well as now working at an LAC, I don't think there's really all that much difference. There are a significant number of students at the community colleges who haven't got their act together (there are a number at every college, but the percentage tends to be higher at community colleges). However, the students who decide to study and take advantage of what's being offered at the community colleges learn just as well as those at "real" college.

[AK_Mom4]

DD18 got her full ride strictly based on her ACT scores. She auditioned for a music scholarship and would have been awarded a full tuition waiver for that except she had already been awarded the academic one. So she took the $$ offered instead to apply to her living expenses and fees. :D

 

She also recieved college credit for English and math from her ACT score and also for a foreign language from her AP exam.

[MicheleinMN]

Dd got a full-ride (minus the $5000 of govt. loans) off her ACT scores, her community college grades, and her volunteer work, along with her homeschool courses and grades, and an awesome letter of recommendation. (The second lor was okay, I assume, but one of them was VERY good.)

 

I don't know what part each of those things played in her grants/scholarships, but she received merit aid everywhere she applied and her only rejection letter came from the only Ivy she applied to. Some of the schools expected us to cover part of room and board, but all of them offered her enough to cover tuition.

 

HTH

[jamajo]

Luckymama........can you link me directly to where you are referring to on College Confidential?

 

I don't see this information.

[Luckymama]

Luckymama........can you link me directly to where you are referring to on College Confidential?

 

I don't see this information.

 

The most recent Common Data Set links begin at post #434 here:

 

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/76444-links-common-data-sets-posted-colleges-29.html

 

Unfortunately not every school is represented. In fact, only 3 of the 10 schools on dd17's preliminary list are on the list :tongue_smilie:

[rhrice3]

I tell you what I saw last year - colleges want to see high scores and AP test scores and grades to back them up - in public/private hs - but they, also, want to see interesting kids. The more the kids have done - community service, travel, group involvement like orchestra, scouts, athletic teams, etc. These are the things colleges look at.

 

My son was schooled K-10. When we moved to Florida he wanted to go to public hs so we let him (it is an A high school). He did not graduate in the top 10% because he was hs for the first two years and his grades were not weighted, but he graduated with 10 AP classes with 4 and 5 scores and ACT score in the mid-30's and many different travel experiences locally and abroad plus orchestra and athletic involvement. The state school's offered him a near full ride and some of the kids that he graduated with did not even get accepted to the most competitive state schools.

 

Don't listen to anyone that says colleges want to see public school kids with objective grading. Colleges want to see interesting kids that can hold their own and know who they are and have worked or found a passion for something. And I don't think this is just for the smartest of the bunch - I have seen it with friends whose kids are above average but don't score 30 on their ACT but who have worked all through high school or spent 1/2 a year in India or just worked in their inner city.

 

I am rambling - sorry got up too early today.

Renee R

[QueenCat]

DD18 got her full ride strictly based on her ACT scores.

 

She also recieved college credit for English and math from her ACT score and also for a foreign language from her AP exam.

 

Same here.... full ride based on ACT score. Credit for two English classes based on ACT score.

[Frances]

 

And having taught at community college and big state universities, as well as now working at an LAC, I don't think there's really all that much difference.

 

My husband, who has attended and/or taught at virtually every type of college (community college, small state U, large research state U, LACs, large private U, two Ivy League schools, etc.) would strongly agree with you!

[Lori D.]

Here are links to 2 past threads with ideas in case your students *don't* get a full-ride:

Options to cut down college costs

[ideas for] Paying for college

 

:)