Weird theory about merit aid that I have been turning over in my mind.

[Hoggirl]

I am TOTALLY making this up but wondering if there could be some validity to it.

 

For some reason, the young men at our church seem to have trouble "going away" to college. Well, maybe not "going away" but "staying away." We have had some who have gone out of state to private schools for a semester or a year only to come back to the state U. which is right down the road. None of my beeswax, but here is my question: Two of these young men (both public-schooled) received fairly substantial merit aid packages. One got full tuition at Washington University in St. Louis. He stayed a year, but has now come back to the nearby state school. Both of these young me were public-schooled by the way. Let's say from OHS - Our-town High School. So, does the young man who left Wash U. "hurt" other students from OHS who later apply to Wash U.? Do they look at his leaving and think, "Well, we're not going to hand out money as readily to kids from OHS b/c that last kid from there didn't stay."

 

And, as an extension of this, if homeschooled kids get merit aid at places and then don't return, does that "hurt" future homeschooled kids who apply for merit aid at those schools?

 

Like I said, I am totally making this up, but I wonder if certain high schools, or classes of people or whatever aren't taken as seriously as applicants b/c of what others who are similarly situated have done before them. Does that make sense?

 

What do you think?

[Beth in OH]

I am a public university trustee. We look at all sorts of data to help us (and university departments) make decisions, but we do not cross reference students to high schools when trying to understand retention. Furthermore, scholarship decisions are made on a specific applicant's merits, not whether others from his/her high school matriculated successfully.

 

When a student leaves our university before graduation, we look to ourselves to consider how we might have served that student better. We don't blame retention on the student's high school.

[creekland]

Private schools will consider the high school. Our particular high school is not very highly regarded among higher level private schools because few students do well at them from our school. The main reason is a poor high school education - they simply aren't prepared well for a rigorous college. Therefore, graduating from our high school is a knock against a person UNLESS they have something special on their application to show they are different (more motivated, more educated, etc). We are working to be able to provide this on my youngest's application since he insists on going to ps.

 

Our kids get accepted often to our public colleges. I think they do have different "rules."

 

I don't think scholarships or any sort of aid depends on it though.

 

As for homeschoolers, much more emphasis is put on test scores (ACT/SAT) and outside courses (CC, AP) due to those being the only real ways to judge them according to others who apply. Of course, this is the same as from an underperforming high school (where an "A" is not necessarily an "A" as with a good high school).

[Nan in Mass]

Did the young men come home to their state U because their grades weren't good enough to keep their merit aid?

[creekland]

Did the young men come home to their state U because their grades weren't good enough to keep their merit aid?

 

You make a good point that there might have been another reason. The vast majority of students from our high school that return couldn't cut the academics, but that doesn't mean it's true everywhere.

[Hoggirl]

You make a good point that there might have been another reason. The vast majority of students from our high school that return couldn't cut the academics, but that doesn't mean it's true everywhere.

 

Mama's boys.

 

ETA: Well, maybe not mama's boys. The kids from our church just seem to not want to leave each other. Most had stayed local, and I think they missed their high school/church friends. One came back b/c of a girl. But it was not due to grades. In fact, the one who came back b/c of a girl speaks of how much better the teaching was at the private school he attended. Overall, I would just say they didn't stay b/c of a lack of maturity.

Edited December 7, 2010 by Hoggirl

[creekland]

Mama's boys.

 

ETA: Well, maybe not mama's boys. The kids from our church just seem to not want to leave each other. Most had stayed local, and I think they missed their high school/church friends. One came back b/c of a girl. But it was not due to grades. In fact, the one who came back b/c of a girl speaks of how much better the teaching was at the private school he attended. Overall, I would just say they didn't stay b/c of a lack of maturity.

 

I would think that sort of thing would be a similar statistic across all high schools (or homeschoolers), and therefore, wouldn't affect future applications. In general, adcoms might want to look to see if there are siblings out doing well or talk with a student more in an interview or something to try to determine fit. Going away isn't for everyone.