College Scholorships

[Killswitch]

My stepson is a senior right now and we are doing the scholorship thing.

I know there is a lot of you that are either in, or have recently attended a university and or college.

You've just gone through or are going through what we are just beginning to experience.

We are using Fastweb as a search engine....and using every resource we have to find appropriate scholorship opportunities.

Any advice, or perhaps direction to any specific scholorships would be appreciated.

He is wanting to go into Physics/Engineering/ and scientific research type fields. He has around a 3.85 GPA, and scored a composite 21 on the ACT.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks Gang.

David

 

[Thrillhouse]

I can't really help you, I just wanted to point out the ironic misspelling. It's "scholarship."

 

[Monazwx]

Has he taken the SAT yet?
Also, has he set his sights on any particular school, cause sometimes, the colleges offer tuition breaks as well (depending on where he wants to go)?

 

[KillerMuffin]

He should get in touch with his High School Guidance Counselor. Then he should get in touch with the financial aid departments in all of the universities he's interested in attending.

 

[JaymesBlond007]

3.85 GPA and a composite 21 on his ACT?

He's not getting any offers already?

 

[Basia]

www.fasfa.gov

It's never too early to apply for aid.

 

[Rubyfruit]

OMG, Basia, never too early? Do I have to start this now for my preschoolers? It was hard enough filling out the paperwork for Star of the Week!

 

[Basia]

OMG, Basia, never too early? Do I have to start this now for my preschoolers? It was hard enough filling out the paperwork for Star of the Week!

LoL Ruby... Yes! Apply now! their maybe no funds left by the time they get to school! (You'll also be filling out the damned form untill your a grandmother)

 

[HighSchoolJock]

scotty is ona full ride at fsu baby tahts what the game is all about

 

[Killswitch]

Cool everyone....we are hip to Fasfa.com for financial aid...went to a seminar at the school the other nite. Thanks Basia.

K.M ....He's with his counselor and he's helping too.

Mona...he isnt taking the SAT....he's gonna go in-state and its noit necessary to take the SAT if you arent going out-state, but Thanks!

Jaymes.....we have several scholarship apps and packages sent in still waiting, and the schools are just now recieving his ACT scores.....there was a huge fuck up at ACT and they lost a bunch of early scores and he had to retake the exam.

He's probably going to Western Michigan University, but has applied to Michigan State also....I want him to go to State....but Western is a good school too and a little more his speed socially.

Thanks everyone....sorry for the mispelling of Scholarship.....I didnt go to college!

David

 

[Killswitch]

www.fasfa.gov

It's never too early to apply for aid.

Actually, I dont think you can apply till after Jan1 of the year your going...IE Jan 1, 2003....for fall 2003.....but there are deadlines.

 

[Killswitch]

OMG, Basia, never too early? Do I have to start this now for my preschoolers? It was hard enough filling out the paperwork for Star of the Week!

There are some great State run tax free College investment opportunities to look into Ruby....It's well worth your investigating them.

 

[Monazwx]

Yep, 529's I think they're called.
Start now. Interest accumulates over time.
The sooner the better.

 

[JaymesBlond007]

The State lost scores!?

Well, although I wouldn't know where to begin about the negligent handling of your son's state tests, I'm sure there will be plenty of schools eager to get his attention.

It may not be "State U." but then that's not always the best route anyway...

Where would your son like to go?

 

[Killswitch]

Jaymes....He wants to go to U of M....but its our understanding that you need a composite act score of 23 or they wont even look at you....plus with the minority bias issues they have their with being accepted he's not even applying....plus its like 3 times the cost of State funded or Public schools.

He really Likes Western Michigan...so do I...My Brother went there....its three hours away from home, and a good school. They have a brand new Science building thats awsome too.

I'd like him to go to Michigan State...he's applied and certainly will be accepted....but I think its going to be Western....I like State a lil better only for the fact that I think it will look better on a resume when he graduates.....but....its three times the size as Western, and a little faster paced than we think he needs.

 

[Mischka]

Are you members of any private organizations? Organizations like the Lion's Club give scholarships to the children of their members. I had a classmate get a scholarship because he was in a bowling league.

Most scholarships of significant size are going to come from schools that want to attract high-scoring students to attend their institution. If your son is already set on one or two schools, then his best bet is to contact those schools and ask for their scholarship applications. Many scholarships are set up in the name of alumni or organizations. He'll probably have to write essays for each application and get letters of recommendation, but there's always a shot, especially because some are overlooked because they are "only" for $500 a semester. Get several of those, and that adds up quickly.

 

[deliciously_naughty]

There's something called the big book of scholarships...it will help you find all manner of scholarship, whether by region, religious affiliation, major, what have you. It was a big help to me as an undergrad. If the high school guidance office doesn't have it, go to the local library. I wouldn't suggest buying it (I think it retail for about 30) but it should have several scholarships he's eligible for. I recall science and engineering have disproportionately high numbers of scholarships as compared to other fields.

 

[seXieleXie]

Any advice, or perhaps direction to any specific scholorships would be appreciated.

well, my advice is for him to apply to as many as he reasonably can without sacrificing too much of the rest of his life. lots of times you can reuse your personal statements or old essays, or fine tune them a little and then reuse them. this streamlines the process and makes it possible to apply to more places.

a 21 on the act is a little low. if he hasn't already submitted his scores to the school you might see if he can retake the test and submit a new score. if not, the best you can do is play up his other accomplishments. i don't know if you can take the SATs in the midwest, but if he took a SAT II (a subject test) in higher level math, or in physics or something that might help make up for the act as well.

good luck to him.

 

[Killswitch]

Sexy, KN, and Miscka, thanks for your help.

We just finished an aplication and essays..( I even had to do one) and recomendation letters for the Elks Lodge...Im not a member but they have a nice scholarship available.

Might look into that book KN...Thanks!

He doesnt qualify for the one big scholarship awarded by the school he wants to go to, but I am going to check with them and see if there are more opportunities also.

And the retooling of the letters and essays etc is a great idea to save some time and hassle....

Thanks Girls...I really appreciate it.

 

[CoolidgEffect]

He should get in touch with his High School Guidance Counselor. Then he should get in touch with the financial aid departments in all of the universities he's interested in attending.

This is a very good idea. That is a big part of their job, organizing the information about college scholarships.

On a personal note our HS Guideance Counselor had forms for many of these scholarships and as evidence that people do get these awards, her son won almost all of them.

OMG, Basia, never too early? Do I have to start this now for my preschoolers? It was hard enough filling out the paperwork for Star of the Week!

You should also stay up nights worring if your chosen preschool is the proper springboard into your favorite Ivy League College.

 

[Cheyenne]

Re: Re: College Scholorships

a 21 on the act is a little low. if he hasn't already submitted his scores to the school you might see if he can retake the test and submit a new score.

That's what I was thinking. The score doesn't go with the grade point. Maybe it was an easy grading high school? The ACT is designed to give the same score to the same person consistently, I think. But maybe he was sick or something the day he took it?

A score that low won't attract scholarships.

 

[Weird Harold]

OMG, Basia, never too early? Do I have to start this now for my preschoolers? It was hard enough filling out the paperwork for Star of the Week!

It's way too late for killswitch, but just about the right time for you, Ruby:

Check into "Prepaid Tuition" -- some colleges allow you to pre-pay your child's tuition at today's rates, thereby locking in the majority of your child's college costs against inflation.

 

[Killswitch]

Re: Re: Re: College Scholorships

That's what I was thinking. The score doesn't go with the grade point. Maybe it was an easy grading high school? The ACT is designed to give the same score to the same person consistently, I think. But maybe he was sick or something the day he took it?

A score that low won't attract scholarships.

21 is just a little above Average on a scale of everyone who has taken the ACT in the last year.

He scored 24's and 25's appx on the science, math, and the other area I cant remember....but scored a 15 on the english part which drug his composite down.

 

[Mischka]

We just finished an aplication and essays..( I even had to do one) and recomendation letters for the Elks Lodge...Im not a member but they have a nice scholarship available.

Don't count on this one. There are plenty of people that devote their time to the organization, and they have children. Unless there are no such kids applying this year, your son doesn't have a shot.

"Just a little above average" doesn't cut it with college apps and scholarships anymore. You have to be in the top quarter, at minimum, to get recognition. There is a difference in the scores of the people that take the college entrance exams and the scores of those that actually attend college. It's only January - can he retake it? Even if he has to turn in his applications with the old score, he can still forward the new score when it comes in later this spring.

 

[Guest]

there is lots of funding available, my daughter just completed her first semister in a private collage, she was fortinute to graduate from high school , second in her class, with a gpa of 4.10 so she got a presidents sclorship from the college as well as one from the drama department, then with all the local ones the first year is almost completly paid for, there is also grants from the goverment that should not be overlooked either!!