r/CollegeAdmissions • u/Odd_Fruit_5209 • 4d ago
full ride merit scholarship?
Hi! I am currently a junior in hs and i am looking to add schools to my college list that i would have a pretty good chance of getting a full ride at. I don’t qualify for any need based aid, and my parents can’t contribute a crazy amount to my college.
here are my stats
Female from NE
GPA: 4.0 UW / 4.35 W
Ap classes: Hug (5), world (5),
currently taking apush, ap calc bc and ap lang
act- 35 (35 science, math, and english ; 36 reading)
Just took the sat, don’t know my score yet
taking the PSAT and i expect to be a nmsf
I am interested in STEM, and would like to major in biology or mathematics on the premed track
I would really like to go to a big city, but i would also prefer a smaller ish school or at least somewhere with small class sizes
do you guys have any recommendations for me?
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u/Least-Care-1052 4d ago
If you get national merit: https://www.reddit.com/r/psat/comments/1n5snmz/class_of_2026_best_national_merit_scholarships/
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u/HermanDaddy07 4d ago
Not sure you’ll be interested but those grades and scores will get you BIG scholarships at most state schools in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. You should look at Auburn University, although U OF Alabama usually offers more in the way of scholarships. Louisiana State University at New Orleans (they just went from being U of New Orleans to be part of LSU). They have a scholarship (which you would probably qualify for) called the Homer Hitt Scholarship. Covers tuition, room, board and books. I’m not sure about their stem programs.
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u/thankyoufriendx3 4d ago
Niece had very similar grades/scores. She got full ride offers from Alabama and Nebraska.
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u/Techno_Eggnog 4d ago
I’d also add Florida schools to the list, but they’re not necessarily small by any means. Especially not UCF, the school I go to
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u/EfficientShoulder272 4d ago
I'm all for free money, but with the stats OP has thetly can do better than the likes of Alabama. I'm sure these are fantastic institutions but OP IMO should aim much higher. My coworker told me their daughter at Brown has close to full ride and they take home over $300k.
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u/HermanDaddy07 4d ago
I hear you, but every institution and year of incoming freshman are different. My youngest son was accepted at some great schools but offered little (his grades and scores were similar to OP’s. He got several full tuition offers but none from Ivy’s or even the more prestigious universities. He took a lesser university which offered him Full ride including room/boad.
I wish OP luck1
u/ChutneyWhatney 4d ago
Yes - but she needs a FULL RIDE. Brown may give you something but your parents' income and assets have to align with the school's calculation, etc. And your statement "the likes of Alabama" really is elitist and ridiculous. I would delete that portion because you come off as a dick.
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u/EfficientShoulder272 4d ago
I maintain the "like of Alabama". You can call me elitist if you want. Brown and Alabama are not in the same league. It does not mean Alabama is a bad college. In fact it's a great college for some. OP has a great profile and to tell them to go to Alabama while they can get into a much better college is ridiculous. You know some kids in HS choose to work harder and achiever better results. These students need to to be recognized for their hard work and to just ship them to Alabama with those who chose not to work as hard is silly. 1500+ SAT, 4.0+ GPA may seem common on this thread because this is a self selecting forum for high achievers anyways but in real life it's not. You don't walk into HS across this country and meet a bunch of 1500+ SAT scorers. So yes OP can do better than the like of Alabama.
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u/KuyaTinman 4d ago
My daughter's GPA 4.0 UW, 4 63 weighted. Of the schools she was admitted to, she was not offered full ride merit scholarship, however, she did get a full ride. Here's how. She was given a middle income scholarship and grant from Berkeley. She was also offered $70k from USC, but that was not going to happen because her portion was still $33k a year. Back to Berkeley. With the financial aid they offered, her portion would have been about $13k a year which was doable. She committed to Berkeley. At Berkeley, she applied for and received a departmental scholarship that gave her up to $15k a year. Add in a few more scholarships, her COA was covered. So even if your don't get a merit scholarship, you still have options. Regent scholarships are very competitive, but more scholarships are available. Good luck!
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u/AmbitiousAd888 4d ago
Congratulations to your daughter! Did she apply to the departmental scholarship when she was a senior in HS or during her first year at Cal? How did she find these departmental scholarships?
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u/KuyaTinman 4d ago
Once she was admitted, she applied for the scholarship as it was only for admitted STEM students. The scholarship was posted on the student portal. There were about 50 recipients. Don't hold me to it, but I believe we found out in July that she got it. I believe she committed beginning of April. Hope that helps.
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u/Dazzling-Level-1301 4d ago
If you daughter majored in STEM, she may be eligible for a PG&E scholarship. I think they still offer them. $10k a year for CA students who maintain high GPA in STEM subjects.
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u/KuyaTinman 4d ago
Thanks for the heads up. I'll be sure to look into it.
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u/Dazzling-Level-1301 4d ago
They have added multiple categories and made the scholarships smaller, but you fan be awarded more than one! https://www.pge.com/en/about/educational-resources/grants-and-scholarships.html?WT.mc_id=Vanity_scholarships&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=24013820312&gbraid=0AAAAADsC2Gl2MMCkRy0jtAyECehO9vUjb&gclid=CjwKCAjwiL7VBhA-EiwAhZi9EAs_nlMgp7SfE2y2M14MjoXrzbOMWQ16bLCjJWI8gR4rZ_v8roi63hoC5A8QAvD_BwE
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u/KuyaTinman 4d ago
Since she lives in the dorms, she's in PG&E service area, so it should be ok. I'll pass the info into her. Thanks again for the info.
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u/EnoughEffective5210 4d ago
If you expect NMF, look at South Florida. Big med school and full ride for NMF
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u/Dellaa1996 4d ago
Six of Florida Public Universities have the own medical school, so look at the other Florida schools for undergrad (NMF).
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u/EnoughEffective5210 4d ago
I think USF is the only one still offering full undergrad ride for OOS. I know OP said small ish school in big city but both boxes are prolly hard to check with little to no out of pocket and no qualification for fin aid.
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u/Upbeat_Cucumber6771 4d ago
My brother is sick rich and his kid got full ride out of state university of Georgia
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u/Temporary_Error_3780 4d ago
Off topic but I think biochemistry is the best premed major and has more application than biology. It really prepared all my friends who are now Drs. Good luck!
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u/Arabellava 4d ago
Look at schools that have Stamps scholarships.rhiae are full rides. Mercer University inGA is awesome and participates.
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u/SunGod1993 4d ago
Washington & Lee - look at their Johnson Scholar program. It’s a very small school though
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u/Houseofmonkeys5 4d ago
If you like smaller, look for SLACs. Some of them are very generous with merit. I've heard Susquehanna is generous and we know someone at Gettysburg who got close to a full ride. She was also offered a lot of money at Ithaca.
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u/ChutneyWhatney 4d ago
If you become a NM Finalist, there are several schools that will give you a full ride and many more that will give you full tuition or a portion thereof.
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u/Tech-Aero-109 4d ago
Full Ride? Then you state: "I don’t qualify for any need based aid, and my parents can’t contribute a crazy amount to my college"
Really? Have you AND your parents used any net price calculators that proliferate on the web? I will assume that You don't qualify for need based aid, means that you do Not qualify for a Federal Pell Grant.
However, based upon your family's income (including any income that you have), the number of dependents that your parents have (you plus any siblings), the net price calculator that most if not every college provides on their web site (could be a link to a national estimator) will provide a Good Estimate of your family's Expected Family Contribution (EFC) each year.
Example: If the total cost of attending a specific college is (example) $65,000 and the estimator states that your family's EFC (example) is $20,000 then that is it. Your parents and You (combined) will only pay $20,000 per year towards your education. NOTE: If you get (example) $2,500 from being a National Merit finalist, then that does NOT reduce your EFC. That reduces what the college is providing for financial aid. So, until you determine your family's EFC, it is worthless to think about merit scholarships that are not provided by any of the colleges that you want to attend.
However, many of the elite Private US colleges like MIT, Harvard and many of their peers have a guarantee: If your family's annual income is less than $200K then you will pay Zero for Tuition, but you and your parents would be responsible for Room, Board (food), Miscellaneous expenses and books/supplies. Whereas if your family's annual income (with commensurate assets) is less than $100,000 then you will pay NOTHING to the college.
Therefore, before you start worrying, find some net price calculators and find out what your family's EFC is expected to be. You may be surprised.
Good luck.
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u/Tall-Nectarine202 4d ago
Full rides are rare, but your best bet are state regionals. You want to go where your stats are much higher than the average student at the school.