high school girl doesn't get to be valedictorian

[TexasWSP]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

Washington doesn't, either. Does UT make applicants do an admissions essay? The University of Washington implemented that several years ago because the formula they used to use (like many state institutions do) just wasn't effective anymore with so many highly qualified applicants. Can you imagine having to read tens of thousands of essays?

UT as in Texas?

Yeah, I had to at least.

[AGDee]

Michigan has the Promise Scholarship.. a whopping $4000 for your entire college career if you make a certain score on the standardized test everybody takes Junior year.

The top 10% thing seems odd. Isn't it conceivable that the top 10% in one school district/one school is still lower than the top 30% in another? So you could be really screwed if you're in a better district?

[srmom]

Originally Posted by TexasWSP

UT as in Texas?

Yeah, I had to at least.

Yes, depending on your major, there is a choice of essays. All very PC and all kind of begging for you to bs your way through it.

Considering you are guaranteed a spot if you are in the top 10%, I doubt very seriously that they pour over them with a fine tooth comb.

For the honors colleges (Plan 2, business honors, etc.) the essays are critical, from what I've heard (don't have a dog in the hunt so can't vouch for sure).

[srmom]

So if you are in the 11th percentile at Great High School and you have stellar SATs and ECs, you still may be denied admission to give a spot to the 5th percentile kids from Bad High School with lousy SATs and ECs. Perhaps Srmom can elaborate

Pretty much

It used to not be as bad, meaning that there was space for kids from competitive hs's with good scores, ec's, etc. But this past year, was unbelievable!!! Complete bloodletting at our school!!! Where as last year, pretty much if you were in the top 25%, you had a great shot of getting in, this year, I know kids who were top 14% (2 B's at our school) and didn't get in!

Unfortunately, they won't be doing anything legislative-wise until after 2009 when they meet again. The proposed changes to the law were brought to the floor in the 2007 session, but were struck down.

SOOOO, what that meant for me and mine is that we sweat bullets last week while my youngest (rising junior) took finals. He has 1 B from freshman Bio, cannot get another, and just squeaked by with a 91 in pre-AP Calculus.

Back in my day, if you could sign your name on the application, you could get in UT!!

[ISUKappa]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

^^^ I'm with you. I loved EVERY second of high school. I was able to do soooooo many things I wouldn't have had the chance to do otherwise....studying abroad, hosting a Russian, quiz bowl, FBLA....that's in addition to the "big" things like Senior Class President and Student Government.

I even joined FHA for a semester!

I didn't *love* high school, but I had a great time and was involved in a ton of extracurriculars and clubs all while holding a part-time job as a waitress.

Originally Posted by OTW

I graduated from high school 11 years ago and I don't even remember who our valedictorian was.

Our valedictorian was my BFF at the time. No one in our class had a perfect 4.0. She had a 3.8, the next gal (who took chump FFA classes and study halls her senior year and had a senior photo that looked like one of those old-timey photos you take at state fairs or amusement parks of her in a cowboy hat and duster holding a shotgun while sitting on a barrel) had a 3.798. I (who took a full course load including 3 AP classes and no study halls senior year while doing aforementioned extracurriculars and working and should have been 2nd) had a 3.976. No, I'm not bitter or anything.

ETA: our GPA calculations were ancient. IIRC, they weren't weighted and were straight points - A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1. And pluses/minuses weren't figured in. An A- was basically equivalent to an A, B+ the same as a B, etc... We three top students had all had one B+ at some point in our high school careers. I got mine right away first semester Freshman year, so I had to try and build my GPA back up. #2 got hers second semester freshman year and #1 got hers first semester sophomore year.

[sjsoffer]

I graduated from high school only a semester early, and the principal told me I wasn't allowed to apply for any of the local scholarships so when I came back for graduation, I got to see some dumb-as-dirt kids get full-rides from several scholarships when the only one I got was from my college itself, which they didn't bother announcing. Schools 'round here don't like if you graduate early; they lose money from it.

[nittanyalum]

I didn't read all 5 pages of this thread, but I read the OP and I'm still trying to wrap my head around a GPA over 5point, that just didn't exist (in my experience) back in the day.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

I didn't read all 5 pages of this thread, but I read the OP and I'm still trying to wrap my head around a GPA over 5point, that just didn't exist (in my experience) back in the day.

That's because we = old.

[nittanyalum]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

That's because we = old.

LOL. Exactamundo. (see? old )

[srmom]

If I had chosen to go to UF (fat chance, I basically applied because our college consultant required us to apply to a state school), my education would have been free, but it was so cheap anyway that it didn't feel like a major honor

For my oldest, he chose UF (we are from Texas, so it's out of state) because it was free. He had always thought that he wanted to be a doctor, so we made a deal with him that we wouldn't touch his college fund, and he would have it to go to med school. Well, one year of all those science courses, and he quickly decided that he would go econ/business route. Good news for him though is that when he graduates next year, he has quite the nest egg to do with what he chooses.

[srmom]

http://www.utexas.edu/business/accou...tf_flatsem.pdf

Just for grins, I looked up this on the UT website to see all the different tuition rates.

It is done by college within UT, with business being the highest. The thing I found interesting is that they have different measures of "non-resident" rates - Early, Intermediate, and New based on when you matriculated (before 2004, between 2004 and 2006, and after summer 2006).

The highest rate, the "new nonresident", is a whopping $15,385 PER SEMESTER for the business school!!!! YIKES!!! That is just for tuition, doesn't include any expenses like room and board. So, $30,770.00 per year for tuition - might as well be private...

Makes me wonder, who, in their right mind, would come to UT from out of state!

[DSTCHAOS]

I worked financial aid for years and people over a certain age are considered independents. So, unless the person was legally a dependent, our federal and financial aid investigations would render you ineligible to officially claim that your parents are supporting a 30 year old. We would've thought you were lying for aid, too, but the outcome would be the same even if we thought you were telling the truth.

That sucks because there are different circumstances but the regulations exist for a reason. There are exceptions to the laws and regulations but a 30 year old brother who decided to go back to school, but would otherwise be an independent, doesn't qualify as one. If he was a medical student who had to report his parents' information for certain institutions there may have been a way around the regulation (at some insitutions).

[ComradesTrue]

Looks like our would-be valedictorian obtained a scholarship from UT in the amount of $13,000 a year for four years.

Not bad.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...p.32e2e77.html

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

I worked financial aid for years and people over a certain age are considered independents. So, unless the person was legally a dependent, our federal and financial aid investigations would render you ineligible to officially claim that your parents are supporting a 30 year old. We would've thought you were lying for aid, too, but the outcome would be the same even if we thought you were telling the truth.

That sucks because there are different circumstances but the regulations exist for a reason. There are exceptions to the laws and regulations but a 30 year old brother who decided to go back to school, but would otherwise be an independent, doesn't qualify as one. If he was a medical student who had to report his parents' information for certain institutions there may have been a way around the regulation (at some insitutions).

Yeah, I think it's age 25 maybe, just like with a lot of insurance policies.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

So, unless the person was legally a dependent, our federal and financial aid investigations would render you ineligible to officially claim that your parents are supporting a 30 year old. We would've thought you were lying for aid, too, but the outcome would be the same even if we thought you were telling the truth.

Yeah that is what I had figured in the first place, but I was told to ask anyways. So when I called up the university, I make it crystal clear the situation. I mean being a HS senior, I was unaware of how financial aid worked. I asked to speak to the director and I assumed that is who they had transferred me to, so I pretty much took their word as truth. Looking back on it, I wish I had applied at more places, then I would have had more schools (more financially affordable schools) to fall back on.

Also, I talked to my mom about this yesterday and she told me that in the letter the Dean had sent, he said that even if I just put myself down, that the 'scholarships' would have been taken away from me anyways because my parents make too much money. FYI: My mom works as a teacher and my dad works in maintenance at the Post Office. They struggle to stay financially afloat, but suuure they are able to pay $38,000+ a year.