How Differentiation Unlocks Merit Scholarship Opportunities

For college-bound families, standing out in the admissions process is key to securing merit scholarships. By focusing on factors that differentiate students, families can better position themselves to maximize financial aid offers. The same attributes that lead to merit scholarships and successful aid appeals also illuminate what sets students apart during the college admissions process. For example, participating in unique extracurricular activities or research programs, such as economics and business research projects, can highlight a student's initiative and intellectual curiosity. Additionally, exploring extracurriculars colleges prefer in applications may offer strategic insights for building a strong application.

Merit scholarships are based on academics and are available to families of all income levels. Merit scholarships are free money that families do not need to repay. While colleges provide the vast majority of merit-based scholarships, $7.4 billion in private scholarships are also awarded annually. In addition to GPA and test scores, students can stand out by highlighting the below merit factors.

Top 6 factors for successful merit scholarship appeals to secure more aid from colleges. Merit scholarships are free money based on academics that are available to families of all income levels.

1. Academic Excellence

2. Distinguished Student Achievements

3. Recognized Talents

4. Student Body Diversity

5. Athletic, Musical, or Artistic Skills

6. Legacy or Developmental Connections

While some factors—like having a 40-inch vertical leap—may be out of reach for most, the first three are highly attainable and can have the greatest impact. Colleges evaluate how valuable each applicant will be to their campus and future alumni network, making the competition for merit aid and admission seats fierce.

1. Academic Excellence: Raising the Bar

Your academic credentials are the foundation of your college application. Colleges want to know if you'll raise their admissions standards. High GPAs, strong test scores, and high-class rankings not only improve your chances of acceptance but also boost your appeal for merit scholarships. These factors play a significant role in college rankings, which admissions officers monitor closely.

2. Distinguished Achievements: Standing Out in the Crowd

In addition to reporting the GPA, test scores, and class rank of the incoming class, colleges also track the number of national merit scholars, valedictorians, and class presidents. These leadership roles contribute to the college's prestige and are thus sought out by applicants. STEM and scientific awards, debate and Model UN recognition, and Eagle Scout status are all great ways to differentiate when many high-achieving students already have high grades and test scores.

3. Recognized Talents: Showcasing Your Unique Abilities

Finding recognition beyond the classroom helps students stand out and highlight what they can contribute to a college’s community. This can include winning a prize, getting an honorable mention from a corporate-sponsored event, receiving media attention, or a student publication. Endeavors beyond the classroom are key when so many competitive students already have awards from their high school.

Building A Narrative Around Your Passion

Pursuing a passion creates a narrative that can help students gain admission to honors colleges, learning communities, and co-op programs. The faculty access these programs provide is often more meaningful than the merit scholarships students often receive. Further, this mentorship can help students navigate and pursue internship and postgraduate opportunities. A less reported but much-loved benefit is preferential scheduling that helps students avoid 8:00 am classes.

Exploring Additional Scholarship Opportunities

In addition to institutional merit aid, many states offer programs that reward academic excellence. Examples include Florida's Bright Futures, Georgia's HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarships, Louisiana's TOPS, and Tennessee's Hope Scholarship. States like Arkansas, Kentucky, New Mexico, South Carolina, and West Virginia also provide merit-based aid.

As college costs rise and tuition discounts become more common, families are increasingly focused on merit scholarships. According to a NACUBO study, tuition discounts now exceed 50%, meaning most families pay less than half of the stated tuition rate. Many families seek visibility into their merit possibilities so they can consider this in their college search. As costs increase and colleges increasingly link merit scholarships to early admissions, merit insights can provide students with an important lens in their college search. Financial aid can be on a first-come, first-served basis, so a proactive approach is important.

Families seeking to combine private scholarships with merit aid provided by the college are encouraged to review its scholarship displacement policy. This policy indicates if the college will replace their merit aid with the private scholarships secured by the student. This can result in the student’s total merit aid level remaining unchanged even after they win outside private scholarships because the college’s merit aid is reduced dollar for dollar. Policies range from no displacement to full dollar-for-dollar displacement. For insights on maximizing scholarship and aid opportunities, consider exploring extracurriculars colleges prefer on applications, as these activities can often strengthen both merit aid eligibility and private scholarship prospects.

Polygence partner GradBetter.com offers seniors a free award comparison service to see how their merit offers stack up to students with similar academic profiles. This comparison allows students to gauge whether they have a strong case for an appeal, potentially leading to increased merit aid. Additionally, GradBetter offers merit and need-based student factors to highlight, complete with email templates and practical tips, to help students effectively request higher awards.

For underclassmen, GradBetter’s data-driven platform offers personalized merit estimates based on GPA and test scores, bringing transparency and cost visibility to the college search process. With rising college costs, understanding how merit awards can be maximized is crucial for families looking to make the most of their investment in higher education. Curious about what you can achieve? Learn more about Polygence’s Research Mentorship Program today!

Sources:

1. Total private scholarships: Hanson, Melanie. “Scholarship Statistics” EducationData.org, January 14, 2024, https://educationdata.org/scholarship-statistics

2. NACUBO discount rate study: https://www.nacubo.org/Press-Releases/2023/Tuition-Discount-Rates-at-Private-Colleges-and-Universities-Top-50-Percent