Universities with generous academic scholarships? (Houston, Dallas: credit, how much, school tuition)

[Treasurevalley92]

Originally Posted by UnfairPark

I was talking from parental point of view, it’s a better compromise than keeping them in same sphere as home to commute daily (to Collin
college, UTD, UT Arlington, Austin College, UD or SMU) or sending them someplace only reachable by airplanes. Just a simple matter of cost, efficiency and peace of mind without any disadvantage to the kids.

No one from UT Austin, Rice, Baylor or A&M comes home every weekend, unless they (or their parents) have separation anxiety but they can come whenever there is a need.

Yeah, no, I get that that is from a parental standpoint, and my sisters did just that. I'm just saying that really putting yourself out by going somewhere totally different has a lot of benefits as well...and they can absolutely outweigh over protective concerns over the "Risks"

Half the kids my University were from out of state, and my friends from New England, California, and the Upper Midwest and I all agree it was a good experience to come to Texas where the culture was different and have real independence.

Not necessarily every weekend, but I dated a girl who went home to Houston 5 or 6 times a semester which i though was excessive. Her best friend did the same thing. I know people who went to UT or Baylor who did the same thing as well.

A friend's little brother came home from OU often enough to not have to do Laundry. He would have probably benefited from being left somewhere and being told "See you at Thanksgiving" or See you at "Christmas"

Again, not saying it is for everyone, but it has it's advantages.

[UnfairPark]

Amen. It has its advantages and some kids and even some parents really need it to break enmeshment cycle.

[numbersguy100]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

I’ll shoot straight with you. Your kid has ZERO chance of getting a full academic ride from Baylor, Rice, A&M, or UT. He may not even get into Rice at all. All he has is grades. It’s not difficult to be in the top 1% of a good suburban high school if all you do is study. What impresses major universities is when you’re at the top ademically while ALSO managing a significant leadership role, playing on a demanding athletic team, giving back to the community through regular volunteer work, working part-time, etc.

Our friend’s older kid is on a full ride to UT. She was Valedictorian of a top 25 Texas high school, NMSF, Editor in Chief of the newspaper, founded a charity for sex-trafficking victims and managed to expand the charity’s reach to other high schools in her area, varsity athletic team, founded her own business (more than a lemonade stand ), numerous academic & citizenship awards. All around amazing kid who is thriving as a double Plan II/ Business Honors double major. Her younger sibling who was a nationally ranked debated and got admitted to numerous Ivy & Top 20 schools did NOT make the final cut for a full ride at UT. If you think the competition is any less stiff at A&M or Baylor (or SMU or TCU, etc) you are kidding yourself.

I’m not sure why your kid “would be happy with free tuition” since your family does not show financial need- whether it’s to save college funds for med school or for another reason. But your kid needs to get real. The schools that might offer him a full academic ride are going to be more along the lines of *maybe* a Hardin-Simmons or A&M-Kingsville type school. Even then I don’t know if academics and one club is enough.


I mean, even the McDermott scholarship at UTD is a total long shot for your kid (at least based on what you’ve shared about the resume): “Selection is based on exceptional academic performance; community volunteerism and leadership in school; broad and eclectic interests in science, literature, and the arts; and social skills. Applicants must have a 1490 or higher on the SAT or a 33 or higher on the ACT. Most students are also in the top 5% of their high school classes.” Over 1,300 kids apply each year for the McDermott. 62 finalists are brought in for interviews and from that the 27 are selected.

Here are the bios for 2 kids from Collin County with McDermott scholarships. Do their resumes in any way resembled your kid’s??

Kid 1 (from Plano, graduated from TAMS)
National Merit commended student
AP Scholar with distinction
Competed at the international level for scientific research
Won awards from the National Society of Professional Engineers, United States Air Force, MIT and Raytheon
Volunteers at local schools, bikeshares and community gardens
He was an executive leader of RESOLV, an entrepreneurship and innovation club; Naturally, an environmental sustainability club; and MineCraft Programming Workshops, a program dedicated to teaching computer science to local students.
In the TAMS Robotics Club and competed with his team at the FRC 2015 World Championships.
He is an avid audiophile, animator and composer.
Languages: Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese and the Teochew dialect.

Kid 2 (from Frisco, graduated Liberty HS)- PRE-MED / BIO MAJOR
National Merit commended student
National AP Scholar
Spent two years mentoring under the pediatric neurosurgical team at Children’s, where she completed a statistical analysis on the current incidences of hydrocephalus
Taught elementary-age children at Prestonwood Baptist Church
Volunteered unteered at Children's Medical Center, where she was the volunteer committee chair on the Junior Leadership board.
President of her school's Health Occupation Students of America chapter
Member of the Frisco Mayor's Youth Council
Founder of Empower International, a woman's leadership camp in Cambodia.
Has authored a children's book.
Languages: conversational in Malayalam.


And remember, these kids have the full ride scholarship to the local school your kid turned his/ her nose up at....




I don’t write this to be mean-spirited, but you can’t just say “my kid wants a full ride” and expect to get one just for having good grades. Hopefully there is time to build on to the resume and recommendation letters. For a rising senior, it’s very hard beef up the resume by the time applications are due this fall/winter.

I agree that OP’s kid is gonna have to lower expectations for scholarship money, but lots of the bios you posted just sound like kids whose parents hired college consultants to craft admissions stories. People in HPISD start hiring them in early middle school years. I don’t say that to sound harsh - kids from giant schools who have never experienced much adversity have to stand out somehow. It’s sad but true that smart kids are a dime a dozen. Schools like to give scholarship money to students who have shown leadership, especially people elected to those leadership positions.

[tcualum]

At what age do people hire college consultants? I’m not obsessed with getting my older son into an Ivy, but I am concerned about finding the right. He’s intellectually gifted but he has special needs so I know his path to finding the right fit will be quite different from his brother’s.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by tcualum

At what age do people hire college consultants? I’m not obsessed with getting my older son into an Ivy, but I am concerned about finding the right. He’s intellectually gifted but he has special needs so I know his path to finding the right fit will be quite different from his brother’s.

I think it's usually an Ivy-Fever (throw in MIT, Stanford, several tiny tough-admit liberal arts schools and a few others too) kind of thing. I can't speak much to HP we simply haven't known many kids who go/went there but among my son and daughter's friendship circles - mostly Plano West and North Dallas private school kids totalling dozens of mostly overachievers exactly one family (two Saint marks kids) hired college consultants.

All that said finding someone to help decide where your kiddo should attend might be very valuable.

[Threestep2]

Originally Posted by TGentry

I have a child who will be applying to college. They are currently in the top 1% of their class in the Frisco ISD with a 34 ACT. They will not qualify for a scholarship based on financial need. Not a National Merit Scholar.

Are there any Texas schools (or nearby states with equivalent in-state tuition) that are generous with academic scholarships other than UT Dallas?

One child or more than one child? A and they?

[Threestep2]

Originally Posted by TGentry

Thank you, Calgirl!


My child would be happy with free tuition, leaving only room and board/books/incidentals.
I don't think they would want to be too far from Texas. Other than academics and a club leadership role, they don't have any other "hook."

They are particularly interested in Baylor, Rice, UT and A&M but are open to any Texas or nearby school where tuition would be waived. I doubt they will get a dime from UT and probably not much from A&M. May not even be admitted to Rice. Baylor would have to offer a chunk of money since their private school tuition is ridiculously high.

I suspect they would qualify for free tuition plus a $6000/year stipend at UT Dallas, but they do not want to go that route. We toured UTD, and several employees emphasized the nerd-factor too many times. It's a shame that my child will not look past that.

I've looked into Arkansas. There's a slim possibility my child would qualify for their tippety-top fellowship program, or whatever it's called, but it's highly competitive. They would definitely get a 90% waiver of out-of-state tuition. However, my child wants to go into medicine, so I worry that in the med school application process a degree from Arkansas wouldn't be perceived the same way as a degree from UT or A&M. Perhaps my concerns are not warranted.

You do not think, suspect and doubt. Time to get facts straight and finances if family or student spans are to cover those three factors.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by numbersguy100

I agree that OP’s kid is gonna have to lower expectations for scholarship money, but lots of the bios you posted just sound like kids whose parents hired college consultants to craft admissions stories. People in HPISD start hiring them in early middle school years. I don’t say that to sound harsh - kids from giant schools who have never experienced much adversity have to stand out somehow. It’s sad but true that smart kids are a dime a dozen. Schools like to give scholarship money to students who have shown leadership, especially people elected to those leadership positions.

Right or wrong, the reality is that’s the world that OP’s kid is applying to colleges.

But some kids really are self-driven. Our friends who have the UT 40 acres kid and equally talented sibling are in total shock that they’ve raised these kids (they were honestly stereotypical frat guy and cute socialite girlfriend in college, smart but not THAT kind of smart) and really didn’t do much to advocate for them or steer them except in college admissions (because, budgets for 2 kids in college at the same time).

[mSooner]

FWIW, check out what Alabama offers. As much as it hurts my OU football loving heart to admit, it's a dang good deal

https://scholarships.ua.edu/freshman/out-of-state/

[NP78]

This thread really highlights an issue with Texas that those relocating don’t always take into account. While DFW and its suburbs provide many great K-12 options in safe communities, the higher education options in Texas have not kept pace with the population growth.

There just are not that many top tier/selective institutions in Texas relative to the population. It means a good, but not exceptional, student must either look at a second level institution that might not give a strong impression on a resume outside of the region (rightly or wrongly) or going to college a long distance from family which may not be ideal either.