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I just got notice in the mail today (I live in arizona) that while I didnt win the full scholarship I am an alternate that is being considered for 1500 a year for only the 2004-2005 school year.
Does anyone know how likely it actually is to be chosen off of this alternate list and be granted money? (it says I will be notified in early fall/late summer).
Thanks!

By Cooljay687 (Cooljay687) on Sunday, May 02, 2004 - 09:40 am: Edit

What staes are you in?

By Cooljay687 (Cooljay687) on Sunday, May 02, 2004 - 09:40 am: Edit

state

By Plrscott (Plrscott) on Sunday, May 02, 2004 - 11:30 am: Edit

My daughter got the same letter. I went online to our state board of education and saw the names of the 4 winners from our district. One was a GED student. Eight of them in our state were reserved for GED students and 7 were given to GED students.
We were wondering the same thing.

By Jwtullis (Jwtullis) on Sunday, May 02, 2004 - 01:40 pm: Edit

3 people from my relatively small school in Alabama (600 or so people) applied for the scholarship. From what I know, at least 2 of us received it. Perhaps this was because we were simply more qualified than others in our area, or because not many applied. I'm not sure.

By Desrtswimer (Desrtswimer) on Sunday, May 02, 2004 - 04:38 pm: Edit

Our state has not updated its list from this year to reflect the winners. But looking from past years only TWO people in my entire school district (second largest in the state) have been granted this award, which im thinking is a little low. No one from my school won it last year, and only one was an alternate. But, there were 90 alternates last year!! *and i doubt 90 people were actually granted money* so im guessing my chances of being chosen off of the alternates list are slim?

By Parentofteen (Parentofteen) on Sunday, May 02, 2004 - 09:58 pm: Edit

My daughter received notification that she is a winner for NC! She will receive $1500 for each of her four years. Since she has received no financial aid at all, we are thrilled! It seems that the only scholarships (two small ones) she has received are those based solely on merit and not on financial need.

Good luck to those of you on the alternate list. I hope that some money will come your way, too. It's possible that some of the winners may not qualify when it comes to filling out the form that has to be submitted to the college's financial aid office. I do not recall the specifics of the form, but there are three conditions that must be met before the winner can actually receive the scholarship money. I'll look them up and report back when I get the chance.

By Dolce (Dolce) on Sunday, May 02, 2004 - 10:51 pm: Edit

Do only winners and alternates receive a letter in the mail?

By Garland (Garland) on Monday, May 03, 2004 - 09:07 am: Edit

Good question; we haven't heard anything yet. Do the letters come from your individual state? (and anyone hear from NJ yet?)

By Whatella (Whatella) on Monday, May 03, 2004 - 09:32 am: Edit

Son received Byrd scholarship packet from N.C. Dept. of Public Instruction 10 days ago.

It looks like the Byrd can be used for any college expenses, so even students with full tuition scholarships can use it. But there are always some kids who get everything covered and there wouldn't be alternates if there was never a need for them. Good luck!

By Soulofheaven8 (Soulofheaven8) on Monday, May 03, 2004 - 09:51 am: Edit

Anyone heard from NY?

4.9 GPA and 1580, I thought I had a good shot, but so far nothing yet.

By Desrtswimer (Desrtswimer) on Monday, May 03, 2004 - 03:30 pm: Edit

It looks like every state sends out their notifications in a different way. Today i contacted my state's coordinator and she said i had an 'excellent chance" and that they underaward the scholarships until the actual money comes through because sometimes the state promises them more money than they actually get.

So for all of you that got the scholarship:
CONGRATS!
and for all of you who are alternates:
dont give up hope because i would imagine many states underaward the scholarships because they dont want to give out too many and then have to take some back!! (due to this being funded by the federal government the amount of money the state gets varies.)
oh, the alternates list is also in order to if you want to call and find out where you are on the list that might be helpful also.

Thanks for all your quick replies and keep posting which states notifications went out so other people can know when to expect letters!

By Optimizerdad (Optimizerdad) on Monday, May 03, 2004 - 03:52 pm: Edit

Our D just got notified by mail that she's a winner of the Robert Byrd - we're in Chicago, IL.

By Seleucus26 (Seleucus26) on Monday, May 03, 2004 - 05:27 pm: Edit

isnt the byrd scholarship chosen at random from people who meet certain criteria (top of class, SAT of sumthin or higher)?

By Desrtswimer (Desrtswimer) on Monday, May 03, 2004 - 07:50 pm: Edit

Depending on each state it is done differently. some states just chose 75% off of your GPA and 25% off of your SAT score. My state (arizona) chose off of lots of things, including extra-curricular. Its a formula. but no its not random usually.

By Chasgoose (Chasgoose) on Monday, May 03, 2004 - 08:33 pm: Edit

I heard that I recieved it in Arizona today.

By Anotherdad3 (Anotherdad3) on Tuesday, May 04, 2004 - 01:00 pm: Edit

Daughter received her acceptance in Illinois on May 3.

By Hill (Hill) on Tuesday, May 04, 2004 - 03:20 pm: Edit

In PA you have to be in the top 5% of your class, have a 3.6 gpa and score at least a 1250 on your SAT's.

By Flashbackfl (Flashbackfl) on Tuesday, May 04, 2004 - 10:31 pm: Edit

In Florida the process isn't over until the 15th of May! (per the state)

By L_J (L_J) on Wednesday, May 05, 2004 - 09:23 am: Edit

in nebraska they use ACT scores and give one to the top score in each educational services unit (of which there are 13) and then distribute the remainder equaly between the three congressional districts

By Lsandin (Lsandin) on Wednesday, May 05, 2004 - 01:51 pm: Edit

Is this something that you have to apply for? If they consider Ec's I would guess that you would have to or how else would they know? (just wondering for next year!)

By Optimizerdad (Optimizerdad) on Wednesday, May 05, 2004 - 02:59 pm: Edit

I'm reasonably sure that no student has to expressly apply for the Robert Byrd (e.g. by filling out an application). I know our daughter didn't have to, in IL. Unfortunately, the criteria for selection of candidates & choice of actual winners seems to vary considerably from state to state. Some states use a lottery on the pool of selected candidates; some others allow each high school to nominate a max of (say) 2 candidates. You may want to go to the website of your own state's Dept. of Education and see if they have posted information specific to your state.

For example, here's a website that describes the procedure for NY state:
http://www.highered.nysed.gov/kiap/scholarships/rcb.htm

You can also do a [Message Search] within CC for 'Robert Byrd', for more info.

By Dolce (Dolce) on Wednesday, May 05, 2004 - 03:52 pm: Edit

Here in Indiana a student definitely has to fill out an application. I don't remember what all was required in terms of letters of rec, or essay or anything.

By Whatella (Whatella) on Wednesday, May 05, 2004 - 04:04 pm: Edit

LSandin, ask your guidance counselor how the Byrd works in your state. In NC each school is allowed to nominated 1 per 100 seniors. I think the students who were nominated from my son's school all asked about it on their own initiative (I know he did -- his guidance office is overwhelmed and is "self-service")and were given an application. The app required test scores, GPA, class rank, and transcript for analysis. No essay, no EC, very easy to apply.

By Chasgoose (Chasgoose) on Wednesday, May 05, 2004 - 05:08 pm: Edit

That was the same as the application process in Arizona.

By Jwtullis (Jwtullis) on Wednesday, May 05, 2004 - 08:32 pm: Edit

Same in Alabama as far as process. All I know is 3 people were able to apply from our senior class (130 ppl.).

By Ndcountrygirl (Ndcountrygirl) on Wednesday, May 05, 2004 - 11:10 pm: Edit

North Dakota required an application with a few short essays, transcript, and a letter of rec. Anyone can apply, but everyone knows the winners will have a 30 or above ACT score and lots of leadership ecs.

...haven't heard anything yet, keeping my fingers crossed!

By Flashbackfl (Flashbackfl) on Thursday, May 06, 2004 - 04:33 pm: Edit

Nominated at my school in Florida...

By Glamourbaby19 (Glamourbaby19) on Thursday, May 06, 2004 - 06:25 pm: Edit

Texas? Anyone? Anyone?

By Angstridden (Angstridden) on Thursday, May 06, 2004 - 10:43 pm: Edit

Parentofteen..where is your daughter going to school?
What other merit scholarships did she win?
congrats on the $1,500

By Parentofteen (Parentofteen) on Friday, May 07, 2004 - 11:12 pm: Edit

Duke. She won another scholarship through her dad's place of employment(a large corporation that gives one scholarship per plant location) - also worth $1500 per year for four years.

She hopes to hear from other scholarships very soon. Thanks, Angstridden, for the congrats. She is feeling a bit guilty that her parents will have to take out such major loans to fund her education. For her part though, I must say that she has applied for no fewer than twenty scholarships (most with essays) over the past three months. We are so proud of her for putting forth that enormous effort and still keeping her grades up.

By Dolce (Dolce) on Saturday, May 15, 2004 - 10:25 am: Edit

I'm bumping this up to see if anyone else has heard anything. At what point in time do you just give up and apply for more loans?

I typed a lot more, then realized I was kind of rambling into a whole new topic, so please see also my new thread entitled "timeliness of scholarship notification."

By Pres (Pres) on Saturday, May 15, 2004 - 04:43 pm: Edit

Heard from Missouri.

By Athlonmj (Athlonmj) on Saturday, May 15, 2004 - 10:48 pm: Edit

Can you guys post your stats so I can gauge the scores/rank/GPA that is needed to obtain this scholarship?

By Plrscott (Plrscott) on Sunday, May 16, 2004 - 01:18 am: Edit

It's not true in my area of the state that one must have a 30 on the ACT to be a winner. My daughter has above 30 on her ACT, a 3.9 GPA, and lots of ECs and community service, but she qualified as an aternate. Another girl in town who is from this area, has an uncle who is a well known author, etc. won from our area. Her grades and test scores do not compare to my daughter's.

By Desrtswimer (Desrtswimer) on Sunday, May 16, 2004 - 03:51 am: Edit

Athlonmj,

It's way different in every state. I'm sure from state to state the stats of the people who recieved this award would vary, and would not be a good gauge of who would win this scholarship. Just like the acceptances/rejections for schools like harvard vary all across the spectrum, so do all our states for winners and alternates.
Obviously just like anything else you want decent SAT scores, good class rank, and EC's.

By Star69 (Star69) on Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 02:40 pm: Edit

Anyone in NJ heard yet?

By Grace226 (Grace226) on Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 02:55 pm: Edit

or NY?

By Dolce (Dolce) on Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 10:54 pm: Edit

Here's an update that will be of interest to students in Indiana, and may be relevant to other states as well. Yesterday I emailed the office that handles the Byrd schol for Indiana. Below is the copy/paste of the response I got back:

"The Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship is a federal scholarship, and we
must wait until we get notification from the government. As yet, we
have not received the notification.

We will let students know whether he or she received the scholarship, or
whether he or she did not. Hopefully, by the middle or end of June, we
can announce winners of the scholarship.

If you should need additional assistance, please contact our office."


I wonder why students in some states already know that they've won the scholarship, but here in Indiana, the state office has not even been notified by the federal government? Oh well, at least I didn't find out that the Indiana winners were notified weeks ago!!

By Desrtswimer (Desrtswimer) on Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 11:21 pm: Edit

I think this has to do with what my state is doing with alternates.

The federal government tells each state how much money the government will give that state for the scholarship each year. Of course, until the money is distributed, nothing is guarentted.

My state choses to under award by 20 scholarships the amount given before it gets it federal money (arizona). Apparently some just chose to wait until they have their money and then distrubte all at once.

This means i should find out in June if i get money (because i am an alternate) yay!

By Angstridden (Angstridden) on Wednesday, May 19, 2004 - 12:27 pm: Edit

Parentofteen..that is an enormous effort! My gosh Duke is so pricey I am sure the $ will help!
My daughter won two tiny scholarships so far and I am thrilled. Every bit helps.

By Libroschico (Libroschico) on Thursday, May 20, 2004 - 05:59 pm: Edit

Just found out today in Ohio...

By Soulofheaven8 (Soulofheaven8) on Thursday, May 20, 2004 - 07:09 pm: Edit

I'm NY, still haven't heard yet.

By Anxiousmom (Anxiousmom) on Friday, May 21, 2004 - 12:03 pm: Edit

DD found out yesterday in Texas

By Sillystring7 (Sillystring7) on Saturday, May 22, 2004 - 06:26 pm: Edit

Anxiousmom --

Would you mind telling us how your daughter was notified that she had received the scholarship? My daughter was nominated by her school, but we haven't heard anything (so I am assuming it's probably a "no go.")

By Anxiousmom (Anxiousmom) on Saturday, May 22, 2004 - 09:18 pm: Edit

DD received a letter in the mail from the Texas Higher Education coordinating board. (Or something like that - letter is upstairs and I'm too lazy to go get it!)

By Concerneddad (Concerneddad) on Sunday, May 23, 2004 - 11:35 am: Edit

Nothing heard in Oregon yet

By Mattman (Mattman) on Monday, May 24, 2004 - 05:58 pm: Edit

Anyone get something from Tennessee? I got mailed a letter that I was not chosen for the Ned McWherther scholarship which is by the same state group that does the Robert C. Byrd one.

By Flashbackfl (Flashbackfl) on Thursday, May 27, 2004 - 04:44 pm: Edit

We are not finding out until July in Florida...

By Pinkstilettos (Pinkstilettos) on Thursday, May 27, 2004 - 09:14 pm: Edit

I'm in MD and it says I was selected and will recieve the scholarship once the chairman has followed the appropriate procedures.. does that mean I still need to go through another process? Anyone in MD know about this? And is the full award $1500 a year for four years?

By Quain (Quain) on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 02:47 pm: Edit

Here in Washington State, the scholarship selection is just beginning. Weird. Does anyone know what categories are judged on? SAT/GPA and extracurricular? Can people who won post their stats?

By Sirelio (Sirelio) on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 04:26 pm: Edit

In maryland it's a "randomized computer selection"

Schools submit the top 1% of their students and then a computer picks....

However, this is bad for those of us who come from good schools with lots of high performing people, as relative idiots from podunk could still get the scholarship over people who are more qualified.

By Evekarma (Evekarma) on Sunday, May 30, 2004 - 12:34 pm: Edit

Anyone heard from Pennsylvania?

By Ellemenope (Ellemenope) on Wednesday, June 02, 2004 - 10:59 am: Edit

Have heard ZIP in CA.

By Caramelapple (Caramelapple) on Wednesday, June 02, 2004 - 05:53 pm: Edit

same here ellemenope but i wouldnt expect to hear for awhile because our deadline was so late compared to other states, i think.

By Sarasote (Sarasote) on Wednesday, June 02, 2004 - 06:04 pm: Edit

how do u qualify for this scholarship?

By Simba (Simba) on Wednesday, June 02, 2004 - 07:46 pm: Edit

Different states have different rules. Let me tell you how it works in Texas. You will get general idea. Congress allocates some $$ to each states based on # of house members. In TX they qually devide amongst # of congressman. Each school in each of the congressional district nominates 5 students. The final decision is based on SAT score, GPA and class rank. In TX they double dip on GPA (class rank and GPA are connected).

By Quain (Quain) on Wednesday, June 02, 2004 - 11:45 pm: Edit

In Washington State, the scholarships aren't even due yet (due 6/4).

By Medusa2003 (Medusa2003) on Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 06:57 pm: Edit

Missouri simply asked for class rank, GPA, and ACT score last year. Daughter received Byrd with 3.95 GPA, top 3% of class, and 35 ACT. Not sure how each of the three factors were weighted but selection wasn't random. I believe that some states require essays, recommendations, and lists of extracurricular accomplishments and some randomly select winners among those who meet some minimum class rank, GPA, standard test score criteria.

By Star69 (Star69) on Saturday, June 05, 2004 - 12:08 pm: Edit

Just heard in NJ -- 208 awards. Congrats to all who received!

By Hsseniorpa (Hsseniorpa) on Saturday, June 05, 2004 - 12:33 pm: Edit

i'm from PA and haven' heard yet, in PA winners are chosen by county from a random lottery

By Garland (Garland) on Saturday, June 05, 2004 - 01:54 pm: Edit

Yes, we just heard in NJ also. Very exciting, congrats to all!

By Crnchycereal (Crnchycereal) on Saturday, June 05, 2004 - 03:24 pm: Edit

Also heard in NJ. Both my brother and I got it.

By Sillystring7 (Sillystring7) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 11:56 am: Edit

Texas must be tough. My D had a 4.0 unweighted, including a total of 11 APs. Tied for first in her class, SAT of 1520 and did not get the Byrd $$. In fact, never heard a thing either way.

By Scion (Scion) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 01:06 pm: Edit

california anyone??? and how do u get ur school to nominate u? i mean, what if they dont know about this scholarship? that sounds dumb, but...

By Sjparent (Sjparent) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 05:31 pm: Edit

Scion,

My D received from California. They just mailed it and if you are selected you should receive it in a day or two. My D called them to find out. She mantioned 900 scholarships were awarded($1500/year renewable for four years)in the state this year.

Good luck.

By Caramelapple (Caramelapple) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 05:43 pm: Edit

what were your stats for CA?

By Sjparent (Sjparent) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 06:06 pm: Edit

SAt I 1580, SAT II 800/780/770, GPA 4.67 .

By Simba (Simba) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 08:01 am: Edit

Sillystring7:

You wrote:,"Texas must be tough. My D had a 4.0 unweighted, including a total of 11 APs. Tied for first in her class, SAT of 1520 and did not get the Byrd $$".

This is really strange, but let me give some explanation. In Texas, every congressional district get about 20 slots. Your daughter does not compete with every one in Texas, but only in your congressional district. Also, is 1520 a single sitting total or combination of multiple tries? If I am not mistaken, only the first try is valid.

By Transcriber (Transcriber) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 09:39 am: Edit

We also heard here in Southern NJ on Saturday 6-5-04 - 1,500 X 4 years. 208 winners across the state. Congrats everyone!!!

By Sillystring7 (Sillystring7) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 10:41 am: Edit

Simba:

It was a single sitting (she took the SAT only one time, in sophomore year). I know she was nominated by her school, which nominated two people. She filled out the form, submitted it, and we never heard anything back either way.

By Soulofheaven8 (Soulofheaven8) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 10:43 am: Edit

Nothing yet in NY.

By Jrc007 (Jrc007) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 02:19 pm: Edit

I'm in NJ; I got it ($1500/yr x 4).

By Useatoothbrush (Useatoothbrush) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 04:00 pm: Edit

Anyone know what the deal is for Washington state?

By Nervous (Nervous) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 04:10 pm: Edit

got it in NY

By Bluxx7 (Bluxx7) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 05:06 pm: Edit

Hey Nervous~

How did you find out? Did you find out via the school, mail?

I haven't heard any news either way.

Thanks in advance = )

By Soulofheaven8 (Soulofheaven8) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 07:10 pm: Edit

yeah, when did you get it and how?

Bluxx7, how are your stats? I'm NY and I've yet to hear anything either.

By Quain (Quain) on Tuesday, June 08, 2004 - 09:28 am: Edit

Useatoothbrush, the Washington State one was due 6/4. Did you apply?

By Useatoothbrush (Useatoothbrush) on Tuesday, June 08, 2004 - 12:49 pm: Edit

Yeah, Quain, I submitted an app. We had to qualify or be nominated or something for it, right? My counselor told me I was the only person from my school who was "selected", whatever that means. There wasn't really much to the app, though. I could use $1500 a year. You know when we find out?

By Wandering (Wandering) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 07:05 pm: Edit

I got a letter in today's mail saying that I was selected for the scholarship. I'm in California. I imagine those of you in the state who haven't heard yet will find out soon. I had forgotten about even applying for the scholarship, so it was a nice surprise. Best of luck to everyone.

(I guess for reference, I can say that I have an unweighted 4.0 and a 1510 SAT, from my one and only sitting... I don't like tests. I'm not including these stats to 'brag,' because frankly in this group I'm chopped liver.)

By Touky (Touky) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 07:17 pm: Edit

I got it in new york today in the mail. it's based purely on a score consisting of GPA and SAT. highest scorer in each county wins.

By Cooljay687 (Cooljay687) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 07:42 pm: Edit

touky, what were your stats and what county???

By Quain (Quain) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 07:49 pm: Edit

Hey Useatoothbrush,
I have no idea when we find out, but it should be this month.

By Soulofheaven8 (Soulofheaven8) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 08:14 pm: Edit

Touky: did the mail come directly from the source or via your school?

By Soulofheaven8 (Soulofheaven8) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 08:16 pm: Edit

...and are you sure about it being sorted by county? because there would seem to be a big discrepany in population/competitiveness among the NY counties.

If so, how many winners from a county?

By Touky (Touky) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 09:51 pm: Edit

i had a 99.667 gpa (according to the byrd program's different gpa system) and a 1600 sat.
I'm from Albany county, and I received it in the mail directly from the source (i think state dept).

And yes, I'm sure that it is sorted by county. I think the discrepancy among counties is the point. As in a student from poorer areas wouldn't get washed out by all the Westchester kids and would have a chance to win. Or something like that.

There are 62 counties and approximately 400 winners in NY...so 6 or so per county?

Quote from NY State Dept. of Education:
SELECTION PROCESS

Applicants will be ranked within their county of legal residence based on a final ranking score composed of 75 percent for their GPA and 25 percent for their SAT test score.

By Medusa2003 (Medusa2003) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 09:59 pm: Edit

I was under the impression that Byrd scholarships are allocated by congressional district which have roughly equal populations throughout the United States. However, there are often differences in the relative competitiveness of different congressional districts. Similar to National Merit, it is easier to bag a Byrd some congressional districts like it's easier to become a National Merit Semifinalist in Mississippi or West Virginia than in Massachusetts or Maryland. I think that there are roughly 15 - 20 winners per congressional district.

By Dinofloss (Dinofloss) on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 03:22 pm: Edit

I got it in NY- sent directly to my house.

By Bluxx7 (Bluxx7) on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 06:01 pm: Edit

I just found out I got in. I'm from NY. I also got a letter sent directly to my house.

Kudus to everyone else who got in!

By Soulofheaven8 (Soulofheaven8) on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 06:57 pm: Edit

Thanks for the info guys!

I think I might have lucked out in that I'm from Westchester. I have about a 98.0 unweighted GPA and 1580 SAT, but that's probably not much in Westchester County. Well, maybe I might still hear within the next couple days.

By Aparent4 (Aparent4) on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 09:48 pm: Edit

D got it today.

By Singme2heaven (Singme2heaven) on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 03:40 pm: Edit

In Illinois, at least, scholarships are distributed by county, but the number of scholarships per county varies with population. Half of the 220 scholarships go to Cook County. There are also a few at-large scholarships. The full breakdown is on the state financial aid commission's website:

http://collegezone.com/informationzone/6012.htm

By Concerneddad (Concerneddad) on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 - 08:37 pm: Edit

My son found out today that he got it! (Oregon)

By Jwtullis (Jwtullis) on Saturday, June 26, 2004 - 10:37 pm: Edit

Has anyone else heard anything about these scholarships after they've sent in the various acceptance materials (I know they probably differ state by state)? I live in Alabama, and it's been probably 2 months since I sent my state dept. of education a copy of my coll. acceptance letter and my personal letter of acceptance of the scholarship.

Let me know.

By Dolce (Dolce) on Tuesday, June 29, 2004 - 12:06 am: Edit

sure would love to hear one way or the other. indiana residents were supposed to hear by mid to late june---well, tomorrow is june 30 and still no letter either way.
i guess "no news is good news"---we're still being hopeful!
anyone else from IN waiting to hear (or have already heard?)

By Useatoothbrush (Useatoothbrush) on Wednesday, June 30, 2004 - 09:39 pm: Edit

Notified today. Washington state. <3

By Kas260 (Kas260) on Thursday, July 01, 2004 - 10:51 pm: Edit

Still waiting in Indiana. Glad I'm not alone!

By Kas260 (Kas260) on Friday, July 02, 2004 - 08:57 am: Edit

Any other states (other that Indiana) still waiting?

By Sdkid (Sdkid) on Monday, July 05, 2004 - 10:08 pm: Edit

My daughter got her letter in the mail on Saturday July 3rd. We are in South Dakota and had about given up.

By Kas260 (Kas260) on Tuesday, July 06, 2004 - 01:16 pm: Edit

I sent an email concerning Indiana's Byrd scholarships and received a reply this morning. They said they are still waiting on the Federal government to release the funds and are hoping to be able to notify Indiana residents by the end of July.

By Dolce (Dolce) on Tuesday, July 06, 2004 - 08:12 pm: Edit

oh my, not until the end of july! i've already been eagerly checking the mailbox everyday for over a month. i guess i can chill out for 2 or 3 weeks. thanks for the update kas260.

By Catsom (Catsom) on Monday, July 12, 2004 - 04:03 pm: Edit

I just received notification today in the mail. Florida takes one nomination from each high school by multiplying your unweighted GPA by your highest SATI combined score. My scores: GPA 3.96, SATI 1490

By Isacc (Isacc) on Monday, July 12, 2004 - 08:57 pm: Edit

congrats catsom
for florida did it say exactly how much per year
times four years..did u find a web site with florida info on winners

By Optimizerdad (Optimizerdad) on Monday, July 12, 2004 - 09:15 pm: Edit

Isacc:
I think the amount is determined by the federal government, and is $1500 for the 2004-2005 academic year (I've seen this figure for awards made in 5+ states, in the posts above). In principle, this could change on a yearly basis, but I don't think changes are too likely.

By Isacc (Isacc) on Saturday, July 17, 2004 - 06:52 am: Edit

received mail stating won the byrd scholarship
now what happens?

By Optimizerdad (Optimizerdad) on Saturday, July 17, 2004 - 12:00 pm: Edit

Isacc:
You inform the financial affairs office of your college_of_choice (by phone/e-mail/hard-copy) that you've won the Robert Byrd scholarship. For our daughter, WUSTL responded with a revised statement of financial aid, showing the expected annual $1500 contribution from the Robert Byrd and reducing the net amount billed to us. Hope this helps. I'd advise you to talk to the folks at the financial affairs office, just to be sure.

By Isacc (Isacc) on Saturday, July 17, 2004 - 03:56 pm: Edit

thank you optimizerdad(great name..are you always looking on the bright side or are you a cheap and stingy?)

By Isacc (Isacc) on Saturday, July 17, 2004 - 03:56 pm: Edit

thank you optimizerdad(great name..are you always looking on the bright side or are you a cheap and stingy?)

By Optimizerdad (Optimizerdad) on Saturday, July 17, 2004 - 08:52 pm: Edit

Well, neither - I'm an applied mathematician, and I develop optimization algorithms for a living...

(..so my name wasn't based on 'optimist' or on 'miser' :-)

By Isacc (Isacc) on Sunday, July 18, 2004 - 12:42 am: Edit

optimizerdad..whew what an answer!
where is your d headed to
my s headed to dartmouth from spacecoast of florida

By Optimizerdad (Optimizerdad) on Sunday, July 18, 2004 - 07:27 am: Edit

What a coincidence - our older D just graduated from Dartmouth, and yes, we're still paying off the loans we took out for her tuition.

Our younger D is headed for WUSTL this fall. We got smarter this time, child scored a full-tuition Moog merit scholarship there. So on average, we did OK...

By Simba (Simba) on Sunday, July 18, 2004 - 09:00 am: Edit

It seems you did develop an optimized algorithm for college cost !!

By Optimizerdad (Optimizerdad) on Sunday, July 18, 2004 - 09:32 am: Edit

Ha. I wish.

A truly optimized college_cost algorithm would include:

1. Find a college that allows you to add on outside merit scholarships to in_house scholarships, instead of reducing in_house scholarships by these amounts (WUSTL is one)

2. Find a college with merit scholarships that cover full-tuition + room & board + books (WUSTL only covers full-tuition, but I'm not complaining).

3. Get your son/daughter to apply for as many outside merit scholarships as possible. The applications for National Merit and Robert Byrd are relatively easy - there are at least 10 to 20 others out there. My D hit a wall after applying to 8 or so, and we could *not* get her to apply for the rest. Frustrating, but hey - she scored on a couple, so again I'm not complaining.

4. Any others? Additions to this list are welcomed...

By Simba (Simba) on Sunday, July 18, 2004 - 12:19 pm: Edit

I hear you. However, does applying to outside scholarship work?...They are like lotto. Would it be unoptimized efort???

By Optimizerdad (Optimizerdad) on Sunday, July 18, 2004 - 12:38 pm: Edit

I agree with you, it seems to be a crap_shoot. However, it's a judgement call as to which scholarships are worth applying to. Our younger D applied to 8 outside scholarships with a total worth of $52500 across all four college years. She got 3 of them (National Merit, Robert Byrd and one other) for a total of $18K. A couple of the outside scholarships involved were > $10000, a couple were < $1000 - most were in the $1000-$2000 range.
I personally think it's worth it, if you look at the possible returns compared to effort involved.

By Dolce (Dolce) on Sunday, July 18, 2004 - 10:58 pm: Edit

optimizer,
would you mind listing some of those 10-20 other outside schol's you referred to? my son applied for byrd, national merit, 2 locals, and 1 other, but that was pretty much all he found.

By Optimizerdad (Optimizerdad) on Monday, July 19, 2004 - 08:27 am: Edit

Here's the ones I can remember. Bear in mind that a lot of them are location/gender specific. *DISCLAIMER* These are just scholarships I found while web-browsing - I make no claims/guarantees as to their being genuine.

o AXA Achievement Scholarship
o National Alliance for Scholastic Achievement
o Chicago Roofing Contractors Association
o Elks
o FISCA scholarship program
o Making It Count scholarship
o President's Freedom
o TextBookX
o Tylenol
o US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce
o MENSA
o Riceland
o Illinois Sheriff's Association
o National Technical Association
o Career Fitter
o Wells Fargo
o Sammy 'Got Milk' Scholarship

By Isacc (Isacc) on Monday, July 19, 2004 - 07:46 pm: Edit

opt-dad

did your eldest have a good experience at dartmouth and what is her next step in life

By Optimizerdad (Optimizerdad) on Monday, July 19, 2004 - 08:11 pm: Edit

Isacc:
She really, really loved it - actually made paying for the tuition seem worthwhile. She plans to spend the next year in Italy at a research lab, then return to the US to start on her MD/PhD in genetics.

By Dolce (Dolce) on Monday, July 19, 2004 - 09:24 pm: Edit

optimizer,
thanks so much for that list. there were many i had never heard of, and will be ones to look for when kid #2 and #3 go through the college process.

By Isacc (Isacc) on Monday, July 19, 2004 - 11:56 pm: Edit

opt dad thanks so much for the d update ..i am encouraged my s made the right choice with dartmouth..he has already made tons of friends online as dartmouth is known for its closeness among students and alumni..as far as scholarship
we got a 1/4 of the 43000 from dartmouth, 1500 from byrd and the rest loans..we only have 1 child and i never really wanted that 160,000 dollar yacht anyway

By Catsom (Catsom) on Sunday, July 25, 2004 - 03:53 am: Edit

Isacc, sorry on the long reply. Florida (like other states, right?) is 1500$ per year for four years. It was nice to get right at the end here because it gave me some bargaining power with MIT to reduce my student summer contribution, coincidentally also 1500$, before reducing my financial need.

Also, I noticed a discussion of outside scholarships? A list of ones that I won may help you verify legitimacy:

2000$ Best Buy
2000$ AXA Financial
1000$ Local AFCEA Chapter
2000$ American Physics Society
60000$ Rensselaer Medal (unused book award)

Finalist:
0$ Prudential (Extensive app, but worthwhile, up to 10K+Trip to DC)
0$ Lucent (This program looked like it'd be fun, 5K+Week at Bell Labs)

However, the real gems are local scholarships, and they add up. I received $3025 in addition to the above from my Girl Scout Council, the local Optimist club, BrightHouse (formerly Time Warner in this area), and my school system. These you just have to keep looking for because they are generally poorly advertised. Visit your guidance counselor often about them. ^_^


..I became somewhat obsessive with scholarship apps at the beginning of senior year. That really is the time to do them, before apathy sets in. Then again, seniors also keep incredibly busy with college apps and maintaining those ECs.. So it is tough, which makes those who *do* apply have a better chance!

By Texas137 (Texas137) on Sunday, July 25, 2004 - 02:04 pm: Edit

Catsom - congratulations on your initiative. It obviously paid off with all those scholarships. Would you mind saying if any of them are based on merit only, w/o URM status or financial need? I know Lucent is merit only. What about the others? I'm particularly interested in the physics one. I tried to find it on the web, but only found things for working physicists or for URMs.

By Catsom (Catsom) on Monday, August 02, 2004 - 04:20 pm: Edit

It's hard for me to claim financial need because my family actively invests in real estate. Though I had this cleared up at the school level once the time came (selling a house isn't exactly all profit), I had been too new in the game to know how to do this for 3rd party scholarships.

That said, the scholarships I sought out were largely service-oriented, but also took into account my academics. The ones I got of those were Best Buy and AXA (which was cool because AXA gives you those goofy big checks... it's against my wall, i have no idea what to do with it).

Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) - Merit (nice because it was generally for students of math, science, or electronics.. no military intentions necessary)

Prudential - Strictly service. Focuses on one main project.

APS Physics (Sorry, above I made a typo.. It's the American *Physical* Society) - Minority scholarship. One year renewable. Great because I can only claim with proof 1/8 Alaskan Native status, and most minority scholarships require 1/4. Merit (but again, being a URM does help for science and tech scholarships.. even if only a partial like me). [ http://www.aps.org/educ/com/scholars/index.cfm ]

Rensselaer - Merit/ Nicest to counselor

Optimist - Essay contest. Awarded from local clubs, but local yields regional yields national. Prizes on all levels. I actually didn't win anything, but the local group liked my essay and decided to write me a personal check. It was nice of them. Apply for this

Girl Scouts - Merit, mostly service

Brighthouse - Service nearly exclusively

By Dolce (Dolce) on Tuesday, August 03, 2004 - 12:27 am: Edit

Hey hey hey!! Just found out s won the Byrd in Indiana! I emailed today to ask when applicants would be notified (had previously been told mid-June, then end of July, and here it is August and still had no word). Anyway, she emailed back right away and said s was a winner, and that acceptance forms will arrive on Wed or Thurs this week. So Hoosiers, be watching your mailbox!

By Kevin10930 (Kevin10930) on Tuesday, August 03, 2004 - 07:42 pm: Edit

Congratulations Dolce! Hope we both get one after our LONG, LONG wait.

By Dolce (Dolce) on Wednesday, August 04, 2004 - 12:12 am: Edit

I hope so too! Be sure to let us know! Even though it was frustrating waiting so long, in a way the timing was perfect for us. We had just bought s a laptop at Bestbuy that day, which was one more large expense in a string of major expenses we've had to deal with. So hearing about the Byrd helped soften the blow of the laptop purchase--the scholarship will basically offset that cost.

By Kevin10930 (Kevin10930) on Sunday, August 08, 2004 - 10:37 am: Edit

Dolce,
Finally got my letter Saturday! I recieved a scholarship too. Guess it was worth the wait. Good luck.

By Dolce (Dolce) on Sunday, August 08, 2004 - 03:36 pm: Edit

Hey, congrats!! Glad to hear you got it too!

By Kevin10930 (Kevin10930) on Monday, August 09, 2004 - 08:18 am: Edit

Where are you from/headed? I'm from Ft Wayne Canterbury headed to Princeton.

By Dolce (Dolce) on Monday, August 09, 2004 - 06:16 pm: Edit

Brownsburg's Bethesda Christian School, to Baylor.

By Ecnerwalc (Ecnerwalc) on Tuesday, August 10, 2004 - 05:58 pm: Edit

jtullis, where are you from?

By Jwtullis (Jwtullis) on Tuesday, August 10, 2004 - 09:19 pm: Edit

Gadsden, Alabama.

Why?

Ah, nevermind; I see you're from Anniston.

Let me guess, is it Donoho School? (not sure about the spelling).

By Ecnerwalc (Ecnerwalc) on Friday, August 13, 2004 - 11:33 pm: Edit

Yeah! How did you know?

By Desrtswimer (Desrtswimer) on Saturday, September 04, 2004 - 12:54 am: Edit

I know that this thread has died, but in case anyone is dying of curiosity (which I doubt you are but nevertheless,) I received notification that I was chosen as an alternate winner last night :-) (I was the original poster in case you forgot)

This makes me extremely happy so I went out and bought a pair of boots (hey im going to chicago i need them!) and it helped offset my laptop purchase yesterday :-)

By Suprmodl29 (Suprmodl29) on Sunday, September 05, 2004 - 09:02 pm: Edit

when do apps come out for this year?

By Autiger (Autiger) on Thursday, September 09, 2004 - 05:24 pm: Edit

Does anyone know when the money for the scholarship will be sent to individual schools? I sent in my college info back in May or June, but I haven't received any info since then. My school (in Alabama) has not received the money yet, either.

By Garland (Garland) on Thursday, September 09, 2004 - 08:54 pm: Edit

I'm trying to figure out the same thing...anyone from NJ got any feedback?

By Jwtullis (Jwtullis) on Thursday, September 09, 2004 - 09:45 pm: Edit

I actually am from Alabama as well, and I e-mailed the scholarship coordinator for our state. She replied, telling me that the money does not come in until about mid-October and that our schools would then be mailed the checks. Perhaps this info. generally applies to those in other states as well, though I'm not sure. If you want to check with your individual state coordinator, you should be able to find a name and number at this site: http://www.ed.gov/programs/iduesbyrd/contacts.html. Simply open the word or pdf document and look under your state. Hope this helps.

By Garland (Garland) on Friday, September 10, 2004 - 10:53 am: Edit

Thanks a billion!! I emailed the NJ contact and will hopefully hear soon.

By Dallasasian (Dallasasian) on Monday, September 20, 2004 - 05:45 pm: Edit

I found out about this scholarship from this board and I was wondering, if I'm from TX, should I just go to my conselor and ask her for more info? When is the deadline for application? Thanks.

By Over30 (Over30) on Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - 11:15 pm: Edit

This says each school in Texas can nominate one student.
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/opge/formfund/Byrd/