College Search for future Sorority Girl

[Go Alpha Gam]

Hello again everyone! Thank you for your comments, I really have researched every suggestion that has been made! Again, financial aid is paramount, her 4.5/IB diploma/32 ACT does not get scholarships everywhere and in order to be competitive (financially) she needs to get some merit/financial aid money for her to go. Unless I am missing something, Alabama is definitely her best FA option (full tuition), and maybe, asking for a miracle, maybe Michigan will come through for something as we are in-state. She is/has been competing for competitive merit scholarships at in-state schools (GVSU and CMU) and has guaranteed tuition/partial board at Oakland University. She will hear from her high-reach school (Stanford) in December, as well as the CMU scholarship. She is also applying for additional scholarships at University of Alabama, although UA is in her top-three with Stanford and Michigan. Thank you so much for your insight and input into this thread. The Greek Chat community is a wonderful and invaluable resource and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Any and all suggestions are looked into and I appreciate everyone contributing to this thread.

[GeorgiaGreek]

Originally Posted by Go Alpha Gam

Hello again everyone! Thank you for your comments, I really have researched every suggestion that has been made! Again, financial aid is paramount, her 4.5/IB diploma/32 ACT does not get scholarships everywhere and in order to be competitive (financially) she needs to get some merit/financial aid money for her to go. Unless I am missing something, Alabama is definitely her best FA option (full tuition), and maybe, asking for a miracle, maybe Michigan will come through for something as we are in-state. She is/has been competing for competitive merit scholarships at in-state schools (GVSU and CMU) and has guaranteed tuition/partial board at Oakland University. She will hear from her high-reach school (Stanford) in December, as well as the CMU scholarship. She is also applying for additional scholarships at University of Alabama, although UA is in her top-three with Stanford and Michigan. Thank you so much for your insight and input into this thread. The Greek Chat community is a wonderful and invaluable resource and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Any and all suggestions are looked into and I appreciate everyone contributing to this thread.

She isn't a National Merit Finalist or semi-finalist is she? There are several schools that offer big stipends if not full tuition to National Merit Scholars. I know Alabama and Auburn are 2 schools with big Greek life and big NMS money to give; I'm sure there are more all over the country that I didn't look at in my own college search (Georgia is only $500). I only ask because a good ACT score could mean she had a high enough PSAT score.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaGreek

I only ask because a good ACT score could mean she had a high enough PSAT score.

Unless of course, she kicked butt on the science part of the ACT to make up for her other scores. #oppositeof33girl

[GeorgiaGreek]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Unless of course, she kicked butt on the science part of the ACT to make up for her other scores. #oppositeof33girl

It's ok 33girl, my science score was a lot lower than the rest of my scores too (and I'll be graduating with a degree in the hard sciences).

[happilyanchored]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaGreek

It's ok 33girl, my science score was a lot lower than the rest of my scores too (and I'll be graduating with a degree in the hard sciences).

And this is why standardized testing is nuts, because I came to college knowing I was never going to do anything math/hard science related and I somehow scored a 35 on science, much higher than my other sections (including CR, which was always my best!).

Ah the good old days of sitting at my kitchen table doing timed tests in preparation.......

[Hartofsec]

Originally Posted by Go Alpha Gam

Hello again everyone! Thank you for your comments, I really have researched every suggestion that has been made! Again, financial aid is paramount, her 4.5/IB diploma/32 ACT does not get scholarships everywhere and in order to be competitive (financially) she needs to get some merit/financial aid money for her to go. Unless I am missing something, Alabama is definitely her best FA option (full tuition), and maybe, asking for a miracle, maybe Michigan will come through for something as we are in-state. She is/has been competing for competitive merit scholarships at in-state schools (GVSU and CMU) and has guaranteed tuition/partial board at Oakland University. She will hear from her high-reach school (Stanford) in December, as well as the CMU scholarship. She is also applying for additional scholarships at University of Alabama, although UA is in her top-three with Stanford and Michigan. Thank you so much for your insight and input into this thread. The Greek Chat community is a wonderful and invaluable resource and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Any and all suggestions are looked into and I appreciate everyone contributing to this thread.

Just some thoughts and advice passed along to me as a mom of a dd in the most common age-related zone of applying to post-graduate professional programs – along with a shameless plug for my own alma mater.

The best undergraduate school might be the one where she incurs the least debt. Attend on scholarships while you can, because the tuition and living costs of med school (and other post-grad professional programs) are staggering, and merit-based money is far less available than in undergrad. Everyone applying has terrific stats and activities. I have been shocked at some of the kids I know who have been waitlisted -- or worse yet, rejected and reapplying. If a kid is only able to secure a seat in an OOS or private school, the tuition costs can be hideous.

The stress will really escalate when it is time to take the MCAT and begin the app process, and this seems to come ‘round more quickly than one expects. She will probably be taking the MCAT 2 ½ years after her feet first hit campus as a freshman, and she may be gathering/locating relevant community service/research opportunities/shadowing prior to that time for use on her app. If your daughter returns in-state for med school, her time in Alabama might even count as a culturally diverse experience – or at least some interesting interview fodder.

If you daughter is looking for academic money and a Greek experience, it seems like she would get plenty of both at Alabama.

I thought I would pass the following along as well – this is a huge forum with tons of sub-forums pertaining to pre-med and other health-related professions. There is a lot of discussion regarding applications and acceptances – even threads for specific schools. Undergrad schools and stats of applicants are often listed so that you may get an idea of where students attend undergrad and where they are ultimately accepted. It might be some interesting reading for your daughter (and you) at some point – here is the link to the pre-med sub-forums:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/foru...ysprune=-1&f=5

Good luck with it -- all the best to daughter.

[HQWest]

These are all good points Hart. I would just add something else that we deal with on a regular basis. If you go to a school in large part based on the financial aid - be sure to read all the fine print!! You could be pleasantly surprised and find that the four year scholarship includes money to study abroad one summer - or if you choose to be in a program like engineering that it can be very difficult to go abroad, some will allow you to use your abroad money for a summer of undergraduate research. A few schools will allow you to use all four years of scholarship even if you finish early - for example, use the fourth year to pay for the first year of pharmacy school or your MBA.

Some folks have been unpleasantly surprised to find strict rules on what gpa you must maintain every semester in order to keep your scholarship or that the school can reserve the right reevaluate your financial status - I.e. a merit scholarship to get you there and the amount reduced after your first year.

[Hartofsec]

Originally Posted by HQWest

Some folks have been unpleasantly surprised to find strict rules on what gpa you must maintain every semester in order to keep your scholarship

Yes -- absolutely. I don't know Alabama's GPA policies for various scholarships -- but allowing a GPA to fall won't improve one's chances for acceptance in post-grad professional programs either.

Also -- scholarships may not cover summers in addition to the specified number of semesters (this may matter, especially if a student is OOS).

About 10 years ago, a smart young lady I know had a very nice academic scholarship at Ole Miss. She let her GPA fall, and lost her scholarship as a sophmore. She loved Ole Miss, so she took out loans to stay there (worse yet, she was an OOS student). She is now married with two children and still paying back those loans. Student debt can affect a family for a long time -- I just cringe at the amounts some students are taking out in loans these days.

Originally Posted by HQWest

or that the school can reserve the right reevaluate your financial status - I.e. a merit scholarship to get you there and the amount reduced after your first year.

Oh wow -- they can reduce the amount of your merit scholarship? That is super scary -- I'd be worried about the unknown. I'd look for the more straight-forward kind of merit package -- the kind guaranteed unless you mess up.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by HQWest

Some folks have been unpleasantly surprised to find strict rules on what gpa you must maintain every semester in order to keep your scholarship or that the school can reserve the right reevaluate your financial status - I.e. a merit scholarship to get you there and the amount reduced after your first year.

Yep, the old bait-and-switch. It's fairly common, since schools want to improve their yield (the percentage of accepted students who attend).

I didn't realize that the OP's daughter is an IB student--yay! After finishing the diploma programme, I found college to be a breeze.

Also, I don't feel comfortable providing shameless plugs for either of my alma maters anymore.