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Unweighted GPA: 3.7
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Scholarships for Regular Decision applicants?

I'm applying to colleges Regular Decision and I'm curious if you can still get scholarships if you apply this way. Are there any disadvantages to applying RD when it comes to financial aid opportunities?

a year ago

Yes, you can still get scholarships as a Regular Decision (RD) applicant. In fact, most colleges and universities offer merit-based scholarships to both Early Decision/Action and Regular Decision applicants. However, the process and amount of aid available may differ slightly between the two groups.

One potential disadvantage of applying RD when it comes to financial aid is that some institutions may award a larger portion of their aid to Early Decision/Early Action (ED/EA) applicants, as they demonstrate a strong commitment to attending the school if accepted. This means that while you can still receive scholarships as an RD applicant, there might be less money remaining in the scholarship pool, and you could potentially miss out on some opportunities that were awarded to ED/EA applicants.

Additionally, sometimes schools have priority deadlines for certain scholarships, so even if you are applying RD, if you want to be considered you'll need to submit your application closer to the early round. Plus, some external scholarships, which are not associated with the colleges you are applying to, may have deadlines earlier in the application cycle. To maximize your chances of securing these opportunities, it's important to be proactive in researching and applying for scholarships well in advance, regardless of your admission round.

Another key point is that financial aid packages offered by the colleges themselves may vary. While colleges try to meet the full demonstrated financial need of all applicants, applying RD could sometimes result in a slightly less generous financial aid package than an ED/EA applicant with a similar financial situation might receive, since some money has already been accounted for. Note that at schools with especially generous financial aid policies, there won't be any difference between the ED/EA and RD packages.

In summary, while there may be some disadvantages to applying RD in terms of financial aid opportunities, you still have a good chance of being considered for scholarships. To maximize your opportunities, start researching and applying for scholarships early on, and be thorough in completing financial aid paperwork. Best of luck with this process!

a year ago

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