Easing into the New Year and Scholarships
December was quite a month -- in the past, it was reasonably relaxed the two weeks before Christmas, but introducing early action this year made sure that there was no slack time. It was pretty frenzied till that Thursday at 4:30, and everyone remained task oriented till 3 p.m. on Friday when we opened a few bottles of champagne to toast meeting the early action challenge and the advent of the holiday season. I was determined not to do any work during the holiday break (other than serving as chief bottle and dish washer at home). My wife and I welcomed in the New Year at our home with the Director of Admissions at UW and his wife (yes, we not only get along, but we are friends :-)
Of course, the work load at this time of year is unforgiving and we had to hit the ground running upon our return January 2. The counselors have begun reviewing those completed regular decisions in hand, some of us have also been involved in the preliminary review of Sullivan Leadership Award program applicants. This coming Saturday, January 12 is another command performance for the entire staff with concurrent student and family member programs for ~280 admitted applicants competing for the Sullivan Leadership Award. Friday I was working on ordering names and addresses of students who had taken the PSAT who will be graduating in 2009 (later this week I will work on 2010 as well). The admissions process now -- if you include "recruitment" -- is a 16 to 28 month process. And, the beat goes on...
Big news, approved last month, is an increase in our freshman merit/no need (i.e. need is not factored in their determination) scholarships. After the Sullivan Leadership Award (full tuition, room, and meals for all four years) our top scholarship -- the Presidential Award-- will be equal to $18,500 (or as our colleague competitors would say $74,000). The next award, our Trustee Scholarship, is now equal to $15,000 a year (or $60,000) and our Campion Award is equal to $11,000 ($44,000). I need to offer one caveat: at Seattle University if you get a scholarship you must attend full time and maintain a 3.0 grade point average to retain (read keep) a merit scholarship, which is the reason we list the amount per year in our letters. I am pleased, however, to share that very very very few people fail to meet the criteria for the renewal of their scholarships. The new Presidential amount is equal to ~70% of our current tuition (actually 69.8%, but who's counting? Also, in the interest of truth in advertising tuition is certain to increase this year, as our operating costs -- energy, employee health care benefit costs and salaries, will increase due to the relentless cost of inflation.)
Our transfer scholarships also increased. The Transfer Trustee Award is now equal to $16,000 per year; the Loyola Scholarship to $14,000 per year, and the Washington Articulation Scholarship to $11,000 per year.
At Seattle University our scholarships aren't automatic discounts determined at the point of admission (except for the transfer Washington Articulation Scholarship.) After an entire cohort has been reviewed and applicants are selected for admission we then, several weeks later, review the most noteworthy applications again to determine whether to offer those students scholarships -- scholarship consideration is highly competitive. We will be reviewing the early action freshman cohort at the end of January to make scholarship offers. Accepted regular admission applicants will be reviewed for scholarship consideration the first week of March. Comprehensive financial aid packages that factor need and include other gift aid as well as self help will be sent ~the third week of March to those who submitted completed admissions applications and the FAFSA by February 1.
Anticipating the questions of some, we expect to complete the Sullivan Award determinations the first week of March. This weekend will be round one of the competition; we expect to have 45 finalists chosen by the end of January, and round two of the Sullivan competition is scheduled for Friday, February 29. Yes, alot is going on in the coming couple of months.
So what was the qualification above about the Washington Articulation Scholarship? Said scholarships are available to transfers who have or will complete associate of arts or associate of science degrees from Washington State community colleges immediately prior to entering Seattle University who have cumulative grade point averages of 3.5> (You cannot receive one if after receiving an associate's degree you entered another baccalaureate institution; sorry.) They are also the only scholarships that are available to students entering winter or spring as well as fall quarter. (The all other scholarships are limited to accepted applicants commencing fall quarter.)
Besides eating (and cleaning) I did get in some reading during the break (actually I am always reading something, but haven't shared anything here recently.) My son bought me a fun collection from the New Yorker "Secret Ingredients: the New Yorker Book of Food and Drink". On a more sober note I also read a fascinating study of the Mormons by Jon Krakauer Under the Banner of Heaven. Presently I am reading Patrick Symmes The Boys from Dolores, a study of those who attended the Jesuit high school in Cuba attended by Fidel Castro.
I finished my Sullivan Award applications last night. Tomorrow, on to regular decision applications.