I am currently in 11th grade, and I was wondering:
How much scholarship money (if any) could I get?
How?
I got PSAT scores back recently, 80 verbal, 77 math, 77 writing. I also got a 5 on the AP US history test, the only AP test I have taken so far. I will be taking Comparative Government test this spring, and the French Language test. I am fairly confident that I can get a 5 on the French test, no idea about the Comp Gov one. My GPA is around 3.5, I don’t know an exact value. So, can I save a little money on college?
A girl at our school not too long ago got 1.5 million in scholarship funds and a full ride to MIT.
Then again, she was black.
(I hate to add a disclaimer because I wish that people knew what I meant without me having to lower myself to this level, but I am not racist. For instance, on the PSAT, you can check a box that states if you are an African American who wants special scholarship oppurtunities…)
Of course, this was the same girl who had perfect attendance since Kindergarten.
It all depends on what school you choose. A lot depends on the activities you do (most scholarship people don’t want someone who only studies, they should play in the band or theater or something…) and your financial need.
I suggest you talk to your counselor now, and get in early on applications.
I was in orchestra from 4th through 10th grade, and I have competed in Future Problem Solving since 5th grade (went to international twice). Other than that I haven’t done many extracurricular activities.
That’s a very broad question, like asking “How much money will I make when I graduate college”? There are thousands of scholarships and how much of that you get is just a matter of how many you apply for and how many you receive. The first bet is to ask someone at your high school, like a guidance counselor. They should have a list of a lot of scholarships available. Also contact the college’s you plan to attend to see about their financial aid programs. Like the above posts said, it’s really going to depend on a lot of factors like your college, your activities, your GPA, your parent’s income, your race, etc.
Also I forgot to mention, the government is also a source. A lot of states (like here in Florida) have lottery-funded scholarships that are easy to get. Here’s a link for some of your state’s programs: http://www.mheso.state.mn.us/index.cfm
It definitely depends on your college. Most of the really selective ones don’t give out merit scholarships at all – everybody’s really talented at those schools – so you’re only getting money there if you’re poor. On the other hand, some schools give an automatic scholarship to everyone with certain test scores. (Don’t worry, they’ll contact you. Repeatedly. For years.)
You need to ask the schools you’re interested in; only they can give you specific details on what scholarships they have. You can also check with your school guidance office to see about any independent scholarships that might be available – some states give out scholarships for qualifying students to use at any in-state university. My school system gave full scholarships to the local community college for any student graduating with a 3.0 GPA.
Oh, and apparently the college applicant pool is increasing steadily, making it harder to get all of these nice scholarships. Really, I would be prepared not to get much from any one school. I don’t know anyone who got a full ride or even a partial ride solely on merit, and I know plenty of people who would be a dream for a college admissions office.
Go there and fill in the lengthy questionnaire, then it will offer a list of potential scholarships you could qualify for, and it will also update you on other scholarships it finds that you would be suited to enter for.