In recent years, many colleges and universities have created financial aid programs that provide scholarships to students with high school records of excellent grades and outstanding standardized test scores. Each college sets its own criteria with respect to who will be considered for an academic scholarship. Given the wide range of requirements, students often ask, how do I increase my chances of getting a merit scholarship?

Do all colleges offer academic merit scholarships?

No, while many colleges offer these scholarships, others do not. The decision about whether to offer these kinds of scholarships rests with the institution. The majority of institutions offering these scholarships are private institutions. A number of states like Louisiana, Georgia and Florida sponsor merit programs for students attending public institutions. The best way to find out whether or not a college offers academic merit scholarships is to talk with someone in the financial aid office or to review the financial aid section of their admission publications and web sites.

How do colleges determine who gets their academic scholarships?

Each college sets its own admission standards. Some colleges accept only a small fraction of the students who apply while others accept almost all of their applicants. Since the purpose of academic merit scholarships is to recognize a small number of outstanding students who apply to the college, the requirements to win a scholarship will vary depending on the selectivity level of the individual college. In other words, a particular applicant may be awarded a merit scholarship at one college but not another.

What do the colleges usually look at when considering a student for an academic merit scholarship?

In general, colleges look at the same criteria that they consider in the admission process.  However, when evaluating a student for the purpose of consideration for a merit scholarship, the institution is trying to identify the very strongest students in its applicant pool. A college will typically look at the student's:

• high school record including grade point average, rank-in-class and the types of courses completed.

• standardized test scores including the SAT, ACT, SATII and AP examination scores.

• record of extracurricular and extra curricular activities.

• teacher and counselor recommendations.

• and the essay, if required.

Okay, but what do I do to increase my chances of getting a merit scholarship?

There are several things that you can do to put yourself in contention for an academic merit scholarship.

Take a strong program of courses in high school - As a student, you will have some choice about which courses you will complete in high school. The best way to position yourself for an academic merit scholarship is to pursue the most difficult academic schedule your school has to offer. Take Advanced Placement or honors courses if they are available. Enroll in as many math courses as possible and achieve good grades in all of these.

Score as high as you can on the ACT or SAT - The task here is to get the best possible score. Oftentimes, this will mean you need to take the test more than once. Many students experience an increase in scores each time they take the tests. You will become more familiar with the format of the questions and more comfortable with the testing procedures each time. Generally, this means you will be less nervous and in a better frame of mind to score well. A number of organizations offer test preparation courses that sometimes help students to improve their scores.

Most colleges and universities in the U.S. accept either the ACT or the SAT but check the schools you plan to apply to for specific testing requirements.

Pick the right college - This is a major factor.  Let's suppose that you are in the top 10 percent of your class, have a strong record of honors or Advanced Placement courses and standardized test scores that put you in the 90^th percentile nationwide. Although you may have an outstanding high school record, your chances of winning a merit scholarship are greatly diminished if you apply only to the most selective colleges in America. At the most selective colleges, all of the students in their applicant pool will have outstanding high school records, well-above-average scores on standardized tests and virtually all of the applicants will rank in the top 10 percent of their graduating class. So, while you may be competitive for admission at these institutions, your chances of winning a merit scholarship will be pretty small. On the other hand, if you apply to schools with less competitive admission standards, you may be one of the best applicants in their pool of applicants. By comparison, you will be at the top of their pool.  Your chances of being awarded a merit scholarship will increase significantly.

So are you saying that if I am a really good student I should apply only to less competitive colleges?

The prospect of receiving or not receiving an academic merit scholarship should not be the determining factor in your decision about which college to attend.  It's simply one factor.  Depending upon your particular financial situation, it could be a very important or not so important. The most important factor, however, is whether or not the college offers what you want, provides a level of academic challenge that is appropriate for you, and can provide the academic support you need to be successful. 

A college choice based solely on price is probably not a good college choice at all.