Hi there! I'm new to this forum and hopefully will be one who can one day offer thoughts and advice as an Aggie mom. I've posted on another forum and have found a great deal of information and support there. However, I know different folks see different posts, so perhaps someone here may have advice for me. We are from out of state, and my son is hoping to join the Aggie family this fall. As most of us know, the requirement to receive the non-resident tuition waiver changed last fall from $1000 to $4000 in competitive scholarships, and this change happened shortly after he (and of course many other hopefuls) submitted his application. He's been admitted into Engineering and Engineering Honors, and to date, he has $3750 in competitive scholarships ($2500 Lechner and $1250 Opportunity). I have no idea if this is common for other out of state applicants. By common, I mean, to have been given enough to feel that his application is notable, but perhaps not worthy of enough funds to receive the waiver. He said he feels that had he received no scholarships at all, maybe he should not be so hopeful, and truth be told, maybe it still isn't meant to be. He's just so close that he can touch it. I understand that things are much more difficult for those from out of state, because naturally, it's only right that Texas residents have first priority. Yet, I agonize for him, because I know how much he wants to be a part of such an awesome program and place. (Of course, there's a backup plan, but it pales in comparison to TAMU.) He's reached out to a couple of very nice people in the engineering department, but at this point, we have chosen not to reach out any further, for fear of being bothersome. I understand that it's a stressful time for them as they make these decisions with many wonderful and competitive applicants. We do understand there is a process, and like everyone else, we just need to wait and see what happens.The departmental scholarships will be going out soon (by end of February, is what we've been told), and all we can do is pray that a competitive departmental scholarship might put him at the $4000 mark. More than anything, I'm wondering if we're alone here in being so close. And naturally, if anyone has advice, I'm all ears. I never dreamed this would all be so emotional. We're just hanging in there.
Thoughts or advice when we're so close to the $4000 non resident waiver requirement
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Last: 7 yr ago by OldArmy71
Does Lechner not give automatic in-state tuition anymore? It used to.
Thank you for your response! Lechner is $2500 per year, which carried the waiver up until this year. The waiver requirement quadrupled last fall, so it went from $1K to $4K. He also received the Opportunity Award for $1250, so he's at $3750. Just under the required amount. 6% away. I feel like a broken record, but it's tough to see him so close. I sure wish there'd been a grace period of a year before it went into effect. But, I also understand that it's life! He's got a 35 ACT top 6% class rank, great EC's, tons of volunteer hours, and crazy hard work ethic. Personality, tenacity, and patience. He just wants to be an Aggie, and was born in the wrong state. We are relying on the waiver that seems just out of reach. Praying and crossing everything that can be crossed!
Sorry to hear that,the $1000 requirement for out-of-state tuition waiver helped me a lot during my studies at A&M, didn't know they changed it to $4000 until reading this post. That will affect lots of out-of-state kids...
Which department of engineering does your son get into? I know PE has their own scholarships and ECE as well. Did you try to talk to the department's office to see what they can do?
Another thing I know is some professors have fundings for scholarships too, to help their students not paying the out-of-state tuition, but since your son is a frenshman he may not know any of the professors yet, but it never hurts to ask and try, he can work in the lab as a volunteer to repay the favor. To make it qualify for competitive scholarships there're many other factors but the professors' decision & choice matters...
Which department of engineering does your son get into? I know PE has their own scholarships and ECE as well. Did you try to talk to the department's office to see what they can do?
Another thing I know is some professors have fundings for scholarships too, to help their students not paying the out-of-state tuition, but since your son is a frenshman he may not know any of the professors yet, but it never hurts to ask and try, he can work in the lab as a volunteer to repay the favor. To make it qualify for competitive scholarships there're many other factors but the professors' decision & choice matters...
Thank you so much for your response, LoveAussie. I'm new to this forum, so I'm unsure how to tag people. Anyway, yes this does affect a lot of out of staters. However, I also understand A&M has a responsibility to its Texas students as well. We understand it all, but it sure is difficult to be part of this first group of OOS families who were originally counting on the $1K to get us there.
His first choice major is ECE, and they are not giving ECE departmental scholarships to incoming freshmen this year, so his only hope is from the General Engineering. We made a point to visit again for Aggieland Saturday a couple of weeks back, and spoke to a couple of advisors, letting them know how close he is and asking what we can do. Some advice was to keep at it and contact as many people in the department as we could. However, others made us feel like this might be bothersome. No matter what, we don't want to hurt his chances, so we are just torn. It seems decisions are literally being made right now, so we're on pins and needles.
The thought of a professor being a point of contact sounds incredible, but like you said, since we don't know any yet, we are unsure of how to go about that. We recently found out that our son's chemistry teacher (she's only done this twice in all of her years of teaching, but she finds our son to be one of her most deserving students, due to the way he works and how he contributes so much to her classes) contacted a friend at LSU who contacted a professor at A&M. She believes in him and seeing him so close, she couldn't sit back and do nothing. That's how I feel at this point. We don't know if it hurts us to do nothing and wait or to continue to reach out. When our daughter goes through this in 6 years, I will be a college mom veteran, but for now, this has been one heck of a learning curve.
He would be thrilled to work in someone's lab or do whatever he'd need to do, if that meant he could get the waiver. He does not shy away from hard work and would be one of the most appreciative students the professors and staff have ever met. He was really born with the true Aggie spirit, and it's tough to know he may not get to be one. We've been told the competition is stiff. It's another reason he wants to be there. Being at the top is not his goal, but working alongside the best is. Thanks again for your support, and I appreciate all the advice we can get.
Add on comment: And the funny thing about this is that they could be planning to award something to him, for all we know. But the department has been very clear that it's very competitive. Our fear is that we do nothing, get to the end, and they say they are sorry, but all funds have been given out.
His first choice major is ECE, and they are not giving ECE departmental scholarships to incoming freshmen this year, so his only hope is from the General Engineering. We made a point to visit again for Aggieland Saturday a couple of weeks back, and spoke to a couple of advisors, letting them know how close he is and asking what we can do. Some advice was to keep at it and contact as many people in the department as we could. However, others made us feel like this might be bothersome. No matter what, we don't want to hurt his chances, so we are just torn. It seems decisions are literally being made right now, so we're on pins and needles.
The thought of a professor being a point of contact sounds incredible, but like you said, since we don't know any yet, we are unsure of how to go about that. We recently found out that our son's chemistry teacher (she's only done this twice in all of her years of teaching, but she finds our son to be one of her most deserving students, due to the way he works and how he contributes so much to her classes) contacted a friend at LSU who contacted a professor at A&M. She believes in him and seeing him so close, she couldn't sit back and do nothing. That's how I feel at this point. We don't know if it hurts us to do nothing and wait or to continue to reach out. When our daughter goes through this in 6 years, I will be a college mom veteran, but for now, this has been one heck of a learning curve.
He would be thrilled to work in someone's lab or do whatever he'd need to do, if that meant he could get the waiver. He does not shy away from hard work and would be one of the most appreciative students the professors and staff have ever met. He was really born with the true Aggie spirit, and it's tough to know he may not get to be one. We've been told the competition is stiff. It's another reason he wants to be there. Being at the top is not his goal, but working alongside the best is. Thanks again for your support, and I appreciate all the advice we can get.
Add on comment: And the funny thing about this is that they could be planning to award something to him, for all we know. But the department has been very clear that it's very competitive. Our fear is that we do nothing, get to the end, and they say they are sorry, but all funds have been given out.
Payment from professor wouldn't count towards the $4,000. It would be classified as an intern position and then lab assistant.
Was he National Merit? Most departmental scholarship application windows closed.
Was he National Merit? Most departmental scholarship application windows closed.
ZoneClub....good information to know about the professors. He applied for all scholarships by the deadline of December 1st, and the university scholarships went out on 1/24, but we were told that the engineering department scholarships were going out by the end of February. We're hoping it's not over yet.
Unfortunately, he was not NMS. To be perfectly honest, our school district has always put most of the focus on ACT or SAT. We did not grasp the importance of that test (in my ignorance, I literally thought the P stood for practice or preliminary), and it's one of the big regrets we now have. I don't want to take anything away from those who are NMS, but it is kind of a tough pill to swallow that being NMS carries so much weight, especially when so much else comprises a students' ability to excel, their character, work ethic, etc. He has a 35 on his ACT, but I am not sure that makes as much of a difference.
Again, repeating myself, but had he received nothing or very little, it wouldn't be as hard. But to be at $3750? All we can imagine is that they saw something in him and wanted to give them as much as they could without hitting $4000. And to then let it be up to engineering to decide if his application was strong enough? We're just speculating at this point. We're some of the most positive, upbeat people in the world, but the not knowing and the stress is challenging. Still holding out hope until the very end, though!! Thank you for your response! To be honest, any communication I can have at this stage helps the time go by until we know.
Unfortunately, he was not NMS. To be perfectly honest, our school district has always put most of the focus on ACT or SAT. We did not grasp the importance of that test (in my ignorance, I literally thought the P stood for practice or preliminary), and it's one of the big regrets we now have. I don't want to take anything away from those who are NMS, but it is kind of a tough pill to swallow that being NMS carries so much weight, especially when so much else comprises a students' ability to excel, their character, work ethic, etc. He has a 35 on his ACT, but I am not sure that makes as much of a difference.
Again, repeating myself, but had he received nothing or very little, it wouldn't be as hard. But to be at $3750? All we can imagine is that they saw something in him and wanted to give them as much as they could without hitting $4000. And to then let it be up to engineering to decide if his application was strong enough? We're just speculating at this point. We're some of the most positive, upbeat people in the world, but the not knowing and the stress is challenging. Still holding out hope until the very end, though!! Thank you for your response! To be honest, any communication I can have at this stage helps the time go by until we know.
Does the scholarship have to be from A&M? Can it be from an outside foundation? if so, we do multiple a year and still have dollars available.
I'll follow up with the business school to see if anyone over there have any ideas if it must be given by the university.
If he isnt PES then you can call the honors office and discuss it with them.
Also, contact Luke Altendorf. He is the head of the MSC. Tell him the situation, and report back. I have some minions that may be able to make a call or two and get him funded. John Sharp doesnt want this kid to go OOS over $275.
I'll follow up with the business school to see if anyone over there have any ideas if it must be given by the university.
If he isnt PES then you can call the honors office and discuss it with them.
Also, contact Luke Altendorf. He is the head of the MSC. Tell him the situation, and report back. I have some minions that may be able to make a call or two and get him funded. John Sharp doesnt want this kid to go OOS over $275.
Thank you for taking an interest in this! From what we understand, the scholarship must be from A&M and be competitive to count toward the waiver. Believe me, that if you know something we don't know, we'd be more than grateful to hear about it.
He isn't PES (does that mean President's Endowed Scholarship? I just found another PES and don't want to confused them.), and somehow that was one that we thought he might get. He received Lechner for $2500/yr and Opportunity for $1250/year. In response to a letter we sent them showing them he'd received full tuition at another school, they offered the Aggieland Bound award for another $2000/year, but since it isn't competitive, it does't count toward the waiver. Talk about a roller coaster!
By honors, do you mean university honors or engineering honors? He did get accepted to EH, but can other departments help? It seems everyone we ask just tends to say "general engineering scholarships are being awarded by end of February, but keep in mind that this is a very competitive process" so it makes us worry that reaching out is bothersome and might hurt him. I'm not a helicopter parent and don't want to do anything to cause any harm. Just hoping to help.
I will absolutely reach out to Luke Altendorf, and I appreciate the name. Do you recommend that my son contact him instead? That might hold more weight, but I don't know. He's in school all day, which is why I'm the one doing a lot of communicating, but perhaps he should call or email him? Your thoughts are welcome.
Trust me. I know so many feel their kids are the greatest. He is not perfect, nor does he deserve anything he hasn't worked for. But, he needs A&M, and I feel A&M would love him as much as he would devote himself to A&M and all it embodies. His teachers stay amazed at his unyielding work ethic and patience as he works and learns or helps others learn. When you can roll the intelligence and work ethic all in one person, you really do get the best of both worlds.
Being a rookie on this forum, I think I only get one more post until tomorrow, but I don't know for sure. I do have messenger on here though, so feel free to touch base by PM if you don't hear anything from me after this post. I'll keep you posted as well. This situation has given new meaning to "so close, yet so far!"
He isn't PES (does that mean President's Endowed Scholarship? I just found another PES and don't want to confused them.), and somehow that was one that we thought he might get. He received Lechner for $2500/yr and Opportunity for $1250/year. In response to a letter we sent them showing them he'd received full tuition at another school, they offered the Aggieland Bound award for another $2000/year, but since it isn't competitive, it does't count toward the waiver. Talk about a roller coaster!
By honors, do you mean university honors or engineering honors? He did get accepted to EH, but can other departments help? It seems everyone we ask just tends to say "general engineering scholarships are being awarded by end of February, but keep in mind that this is a very competitive process" so it makes us worry that reaching out is bothersome and might hurt him. I'm not a helicopter parent and don't want to do anything to cause any harm. Just hoping to help.
I will absolutely reach out to Luke Altendorf, and I appreciate the name. Do you recommend that my son contact him instead? That might hold more weight, but I don't know. He's in school all day, which is why I'm the one doing a lot of communicating, but perhaps he should call or email him? Your thoughts are welcome.
Trust me. I know so many feel their kids are the greatest. He is not perfect, nor does he deserve anything he hasn't worked for. But, he needs A&M, and I feel A&M would love him as much as he would devote himself to A&M and all it embodies. His teachers stay amazed at his unyielding work ethic and patience as he works and learns or helps others learn. When you can roll the intelligence and work ethic all in one person, you really do get the best of both worlds.
Being a rookie on this forum, I think I only get one more post until tomorrow, but I don't know for sure. I do have messenger on here though, so feel free to touch base by PM if you don't hear anything from me after this post. I'll keep you posted as well. This situation has given new meaning to "so close, yet so far!"
ZoneClub may mean the Honor program. I do remember Honor program also offers scholarships, it comes with separate application process, need to fill out something and submit few essays stating whatever they asked you, you probably can check it out. Your son is qualified for the Honor program if his ACT or SAT score is above certain threshold. If your son get the scholarships he is required to live in the Honor hall (dorms for honor students) for his freshman year.
Yes, the professor's payment won't count for the waiver, but they do have scholarships available, several of my friends got it and waived their out of state tuition during their junior and senior years and we are all international students. I always got the department scholarships so I don't know how exactly this kind of thing works...
I also graduated from ECE and I can't say enough good things about the department! I got tremendous help from lots of the professors there including finding my first internship, doing research program, I really hope your son can become a fellow aggie!
Yes, the professor's payment won't count for the waiver, but they do have scholarships available, several of my friends got it and waived their out of state tuition during their junior and senior years and we are all international students. I always got the department scholarships so I don't know how exactly this kind of thing works...
I also graduated from ECE and I can't say enough good things about the department! I got tremendous help from lots of the professors there including finding my first internship, doing research program, I really hope your son can become a fellow aggie!
Thank you so much for all this information! He was accepted into Engineering Honors last Friday, but he didn't submit his application for it before the December 1 deadline, only because he wasn't aware of the details of the program last fall. I don't know if that makes a difference in scholarship opportunities for honors students or not. From the website, that's kind of how it looks. He did not apply to University Honors. We really just have so much to learn! Can he be part of both Engineering Honors and University Honors at the same time? And if so, is that common to do so? He has a 35 on his ACT, and 1470 on his SAT. He did better on the ACT, so that was the only score he reported.
We actually heard from someone else today that the engineering departmental scholarships are actually going out in the next few weeks now. We were originally told end of February, but it might be a little longer.
I love hearing current and former students share how much they love the engineering department, especially the ECE. I feel like he would thrive in that environment. Here's hoping he can one day call himself a fellow Aggie!
How do y'all feel about reaching out to different people in the departments? Do you think they find it to be bothersome? Or, do they just see us as doing everything possible to try to get there and expressing our interest? He and I have both emailed a few times with certain advisors, and some suggest staying in front of everyone, while others give us more standard responses, which make us doubt reaching out further. The last thing we want to do is have his name out there so many times that people say "Oh, there's that kid who keeps driving us crazy. Next!" Haha! When I consider the fact that there are thousands of applications, and I know that it is easy for them to start looking alike, I don't know what else to do. I really do appreciate the honesty and great suggestions found here in this forum.
In hindsight, I do wish his first essay (Essay A) had been a little different. I let him do it all himself, with just a little grammatical editing, but I'm not sure the content was all that strong, considering what I know about him personally. His other essays (B, C, the engineering one, and the one for engineering honors) seemed very good and gave a great representation of who he is. Essay A was the first college essay he had ever written, and I think it took him getting into the groove before he really started sounding like himself in the ones to follow. The fact that I'm overthinking all of this is an understatement.
Now, I'm rambling. I believe this makes five posts in 24 hours, so I'll be soaking up and reading anything anyone has to say, and I will respond as soon as I can. Thanks again, everyone! The Aggie spirit is so unique and so contagious!
We actually heard from someone else today that the engineering departmental scholarships are actually going out in the next few weeks now. We were originally told end of February, but it might be a little longer.
I love hearing current and former students share how much they love the engineering department, especially the ECE. I feel like he would thrive in that environment. Here's hoping he can one day call himself a fellow Aggie!
How do y'all feel about reaching out to different people in the departments? Do you think they find it to be bothersome? Or, do they just see us as doing everything possible to try to get there and expressing our interest? He and I have both emailed a few times with certain advisors, and some suggest staying in front of everyone, while others give us more standard responses, which make us doubt reaching out further. The last thing we want to do is have his name out there so many times that people say "Oh, there's that kid who keeps driving us crazy. Next!" Haha! When I consider the fact that there are thousands of applications, and I know that it is easy for them to start looking alike, I don't know what else to do. I really do appreciate the honesty and great suggestions found here in this forum.
In hindsight, I do wish his first essay (Essay A) had been a little different. I let him do it all himself, with just a little grammatical editing, but I'm not sure the content was all that strong, considering what I know about him personally. His other essays (B, C, the engineering one, and the one for engineering honors) seemed very good and gave a great representation of who he is. Essay A was the first college essay he had ever written, and I think it took him getting into the groove before he really started sounding like himself in the ones to follow. The fact that I'm overthinking all of this is an understatement.
Now, I'm rambling. I believe this makes five posts in 24 hours, so I'll be soaking up and reading anything anyone has to say, and I will respond as soon as I can. Thanks again, everyone! The Aggie spirit is so unique and so contagious!
Personally, with respect to reaching out, I do not think that is being a bother (within reason). Especially if your son is the one initiating contact ( difficult to do while he is in school, I know, but email is great for that). Wherever he ends up (hopefully Aggieland) he will find that the ability to reach out in a constructive easy- to-interpret missive will be much appreciated. So this is a good skill for him!
I cannot speak to the waiver as our family is in state, but best of luck to him; with perseverance such as his, he will go far.
I cannot speak to the waiver as our family is in state, but best of luck to him; with perseverance such as his, he will go far.
I bet the Corps of Cadets has scholarships available that would help your son.
I will most definitely encourage him to continue reaching out, and in his own way. I've found myself taking the lead and being his voice over the last few weeks, only because his days and evenings have been so full between a heavy course load, the FRC robotics build season (he's captain), and more. But the build ended Tuesday night, so he will likely work on some letters this weekend. Now, to determine the best places/people to reach out to. 
As far as the Corps goes, this would honestly be something he's never experienced (never took part in ROTC or anything like that). At the same time, I think it may be too late for that to help him for the upcoming fall season. This is truly a wonderful forum with informed contributors. I refuse to stop saying "thank you" to all who've taken time to share with us.
As far as the Corps goes, this would honestly be something he's never experienced (never took part in ROTC or anything like that). At the same time, I think it may be too late for that to help him for the upcoming fall season. This is truly a wonderful forum with informed contributors. I refuse to stop saying "thank you" to all who've taken time to share with us. Those are really strong scores. I'd be surprised -- and frankly disappointed -- if A&M didn't come through with enough scholarships to bring a student of that caliber to campus.rvhappynow said:
He has a 35 on his ACT, and 1470 on his SAT.
I put three kids through A&M recently out-of-state, but they qualified in-state for 75% of their school years due to a combination of NMS eligibility and the previous $1,000 scholarship threshold for out-of-state differential waiver.
I don't think it's too late for your son to contact the department and let them know politely that he's considering A&M and would really like to attend, but needs a little more help. One of my sons had to be politely aggressive pursuing his scholarships because they had an administrative "screw up" and initially overlooked him.
I hope your son gets over the $4,000 threshold, and I'm curious to hear how it turns out.
I am almost certain that it is not too late to think about the Corps of Cadets. I personally know people who joined the corps and received scholarships after the academic year had already started! There are many cadets who have no experience in JROTC in highschool before joining. In my freshman class of 35 only 1 of them participated in JRTC in highschool. When I attended school from 07-11 if you were out of state but joined the corps you Paid in state tuition so I'm sure they have lots of experience with situations like these. Keep in mind the corps of cadets has scholarships separate from ROTC scholarships. Your son can receive a Corps scholarship and have 0 military obligation if he decides not to contract. You don't have to decide to sign a contract with a military branch until your a junior. Many cadets do not join the military after graduating. A&M is one of the few schools in the country with this experience. COL Hawes is the Assistant Commadant for recruiting and is active on the military board on this website. General Rameriz the commandant is also active on the military board. Here is a link with their contact info if you want to ask them questions directly.
http://corps.tamu.edu/staff/
http://corps.tamu.edu/staff/
Three kids through A&M! Wow. And from out of state. That is quite an accomplishment! Thank you for the boost of confidence, and he is going to spend some time this weekend deciding the next best course of action. He did compose a really nice letter that he emailed to an advisor a couple of weeks ago. However, that letter was not directly answered. Instead, it was forwarded to a senior advisor who responded and nicely reminded him that the awards had not gone out yet for incoming freshmen, and the competition was tough. That email made him start questioning if he was doing the right thing by reaching out. I still have yet to hear of any other incoming freshmen in a similar position. Most we've heard about (of course, forums are a small sampling) either got the full $4K or got nothing at all from the university's main scholarships. We wonder if his position is unique. This first year of it being $4K is probably tough on all, including the decision makers.
Jock11 Thank you for this great information. I will definitely pass this on to him and let him decide if the Corps would be something he may want to pursue. It's always seemed to be out of his comfort zone, but I'll for sure pass this on.
I was recruited by a corps member during my freshman student conference. Decided not to do it. One of the great regrets of my life. It is NOT too late to be in the corps.
If you don't mind me asking, what was it that made you regret not joining? The more info we can get, the better. We are interested to learn all we can about everything related to A&M, even if it isn't something he pursues. And, we should hopefully get some scholarship decisions this week, so we're anxiously waiting.
If I can restart from my freshman year, I would join the Corps of Cadets too (btw I'm female). For military schools such as West Point, their goal is to train their students to battle, but for A&M, the goal is to train their students to become a strong, independent person.
Most of my friends in Corps of Cadets didn't join military after graduation (they become engineers), but never heard any one of them regret what they did. Also according to my friends, there are several students every year from other military school got transferred to A&M cause they got injured in the training and cannot continue, A&M is more mild in terms of training.
But I totally understand it's outside your son's comfort zone, for someone who never have cadets experience or who never know someone have cadets experience, the idea indeed sounds a little bit scary.
Most of my friends in Corps of Cadets didn't join military after graduation (they become engineers), but never heard any one of them regret what they did. Also according to my friends, there are several students every year from other military school got transferred to A&M cause they got injured in the training and cannot continue, A&M is more mild in terms of training.
But I totally understand it's outside your son's comfort zone, for someone who never have cadets experience or who never know someone have cadets experience, the idea indeed sounds a little bit scary.
Thank you for the input and the understanding that this may be an intimidating idea to a student who is completely unfamiliar with this idea and lifestyle. I've been learning more about it, and it does sound incredible, but again, probably out of his comfort level, especially having never seen it in person. I'll bet there are a lot of people, like yourself, who finally got to see it firsthand as a freshman, but then it was too late to make the decision later. He may end up feeling the same way. I do have a great deal of respect for those who choose that path!
As far as the departmental scholarships go, we are just holding tight and waiting for something positive to happen. I only THOUGHT waiting on the final ACT and SAT scores to come back last fall was a painful wait. Haha! That was a piece of cake compared to this. I'll keep y'all posted once we know something, one way or another. Please keep your fingers crossed with us! I pray nonstop for the peace to accept whatever comes his way.
As far as the departmental scholarships go, we are just holding tight and waiting for something positive to happen. I only THOUGHT waiting on the final ACT and SAT scores to come back last fall was a painful wait. Haha! That was a piece of cake compared to this. I'll keep y'all posted once we know something, one way or another. Please keep your fingers crossed with us! I pray nonstop for the peace to accept whatever comes his way.
Thank you again to everyone who suggested we continue to reach out. My son sent a couple of nice emails letting the department know how serious he would take this opportunity if given the chance. They are possibly scratching their heads and asking themselves who the heck this kid is, and why does his name keep coming up. Haha! He's just a great kid who is ready to join up with the Aggie family and work his tail off to prove he's worth our efforts to get him there. Now, we wait. The hardest part. Anyway, I just had to say thank you again, and I appreciate the encouragement to reach out. I'll update once we know something for sure. Have a nice weekend!
I have a long story to tell if you want full details, but long story short, I was in the same spot back in the fall of 97 as an out of state resident trying to make it to A&M, knowing I needed out of state tuition waved through a $1,000 scholarship. I made an extra trip to A&M, explained my situation to The President (Ray Bowen) during his open door hours. I walked over to financial aid and explained myself to a financial aid advisor, whom I am forever indebted to, and kept in contact with them weekly between the months of November and mid January. As weeks passed, and no scholarship in sight I was getting more and more depressed about the situation. The Tuesday before my school started, I made what I thought was going to be the last phone call to financial aid. Once again, I was told "I'm working on it but don't count on it."
Friday rolls around and I get a phone call telling me I have a scholarship and out of state tuition waived. Instead on starting back at school on Monday, I was driving to College Station to start school the following week.
Long and short of my story...if your kid wants to go to A&M don't be afraid to have him/her beg and tell as many people in charge at A&M the sob story of needing $250 more to qualify for a waiver. It doesnt hurt to contact the President, department heads, professors, financial aid, etc. Make sure it come from your child. None of what I did involved my parents and I am very introverted . The worst they can say is no. It may not work, but if A&M means that much to your kid then they need to show a lot of initiative to get there.
Best of Luck.
Friday rolls around and I get a phone call telling me I have a scholarship and out of state tuition waived. Instead on starting back at school on Monday, I was driving to College Station to start school the following week.
Long and short of my story...if your kid wants to go to A&M don't be afraid to have him/her beg and tell as many people in charge at A&M the sob story of needing $250 more to qualify for a waiver. It doesnt hurt to contact the President, department heads, professors, financial aid, etc. Make sure it come from your child. None of what I did involved my parents and I am very introverted . The worst they can say is no. It may not work, but if A&M means that much to your kid then they need to show a lot of initiative to get there.
Best of Luck.
JHUAggie-
Thank you for your post! You can feel free to share the long version of your story to me anytime! But the short version was so very encouraging. I love your tenacity, and it reminds me of my son! I do worry that I've been more involved than I should have, and I hope that hasn't hurt him in any way. He is very independent and takes charge of pretty much everything around him. However, as we are coming up on the end of his senior year, all of his responsibilities are hitting him at the same time. So, I've at least been somewhat involved, mainly just checking with the department to find out when they'll be making final decisions and that sort of thing, because it keeps changing. This has been so stressful, and after he reached out to a few people, he really started worrying that he might be hurting himself by staying at it. Some folks email back with positive comments, while others are straightforward with no emotion (or worse, forward his emails on to another senior advisor without commenting), and it makes him nervous that they're suggesting he back off and let them follow their normal procedures to make these huge decisions. The letters asking for help have been from him though, and they've been presented more along the lines of saying how badly he wants to be part of their great program, how hard he plans to work, and pretty much just nicely asking if this is an unusual position to be in. It's such an odd number, or at least it seems like it is. I dream about $3750 and $250 all the time.
We've become a little preoccupied with numbers, finding things out that we really didn't realize before he fell in love with A&M. In January, we found that only 3.8% of students are from out of state. And only about half of those have the waiver. And of those who have the waiver, so many are NMS, which he is not. When they went from the $1K to $4K requirement after he applied last fall and then now just increased out of state tuition by about $6K per year, we can't help but worry that the opportunities for out of staters are much more slim than they once were. Like I said in one of my first posts here, he's an Aggie at heart. He was just born in the wrong state. Thank you again, and I just might encourage him to go ahead and send more letters??? Or, should we wait until departmental decisions are made (should be anytime now)? I do think he's politely made himself known with at least a few advisors in engineering, but not really with any other people like the President. Is that something we should wait to do if the department doesn't come through? We don't want to upset anyone when maybe it's going to work out for him already. Then again, what if we wait and they say they are out of money or out of allowable waivers to award? That, my friends, is our number one fear.
Thank you for your post! You can feel free to share the long version of your story to me anytime! But the short version was so very encouraging. I love your tenacity, and it reminds me of my son! I do worry that I've been more involved than I should have, and I hope that hasn't hurt him in any way. He is very independent and takes charge of pretty much everything around him. However, as we are coming up on the end of his senior year, all of his responsibilities are hitting him at the same time. So, I've at least been somewhat involved, mainly just checking with the department to find out when they'll be making final decisions and that sort of thing, because it keeps changing. This has been so stressful, and after he reached out to a few people, he really started worrying that he might be hurting himself by staying at it. Some folks email back with positive comments, while others are straightforward with no emotion (or worse, forward his emails on to another senior advisor without commenting), and it makes him nervous that they're suggesting he back off and let them follow their normal procedures to make these huge decisions. The letters asking for help have been from him though, and they've been presented more along the lines of saying how badly he wants to be part of their great program, how hard he plans to work, and pretty much just nicely asking if this is an unusual position to be in. It's such an odd number, or at least it seems like it is. I dream about $3750 and $250 all the time.
We've become a little preoccupied with numbers, finding things out that we really didn't realize before he fell in love with A&M. In January, we found that only 3.8% of students are from out of state. And only about half of those have the waiver. And of those who have the waiver, so many are NMS, which he is not. When they went from the $1K to $4K requirement after he applied last fall and then now just increased out of state tuition by about $6K per year, we can't help but worry that the opportunities for out of staters are much more slim than they once were. Like I said in one of my first posts here, he's an Aggie at heart. He was just born in the wrong state. Thank you again, and I just might encourage him to go ahead and send more letters??? Or, should we wait until departmental decisions are made (should be anytime now)? I do think he's politely made himself known with at least a few advisors in engineering, but not really with any other people like the President. Is that something we should wait to do if the department doesn't come through? We don't want to upset anyone when maybe it's going to work out for him already. Then again, what if we wait and they say they are out of money or out of allowable waivers to award? That, my friends, is our number one fear.
I don't know how it would be possible to upset anyone by sending them an email, letter, phone call. Worst case scenario you are either going to be ignored or told no. If you are ignored and send a follow up message and are ignored again, then I wouldn't pester them by contacting them again.
Back in '97 I took the approach of how bad do I want it. If he doesn't come up with the $250 are you going to look back and wish you did more? I didn't want that thought hanging over my head. I guarantee you it will mean more if he's making the calls, emails, etc than if those messages are coming from you. It'd be fine if you are doing the legwork, but he has to show the initiative rather than depending on his parents to get him where he wants to go.
Back in '97 I took the approach of how bad do I want it. If he doesn't come up with the $250 are you going to look back and wish you did more? I didn't want that thought hanging over my head. I guarantee you it will mean more if he's making the calls, emails, etc than if those messages are coming from you. It'd be fine if you are doing the legwork, but he has to show the initiative rather than depending on his parents to get him where he wants to go.
You're so right. Luckily, most of my correspondence has been for specific reasons (transcript stuff, finding out dates, etc.), but of course I've thrown in the fact that we're anxiously waiting and hoping for the best. He's definitely one to take charge of his own education and responsibilities, so I hope they can see that, despite him having an anxious parent. Haha! It's our first rodeo with this, so we're all learning what's appropriate and what is not.
When he visited during Aggieland Saturday a few weeks ago, a new fire was lit under him, especially after having an amazing visit in the EIC with students and the director of the facility. They were kind enough to let him hang back and take a closer look at what it has to offer, and he had some great conversations with them. He just feels like he's home when he's there, and as a parent, that's the greatest feeling. Knowing that when he leaves here, he'd be leaving for his next "home" makes you know he's chosen the right place. Let's just hope they give him that chance.
He recently applied to and was accepted into Engineering Honors as well, so maybe that will be one more step in the right direction. He's working on another letter now and is trying to decide the best recipient for it. Just hoping it doesn't get forwarded on and responded to by the same folks again, because he'd like to reach new people. I think that is why he slowed down the communication. Everything is so intertwined in the department, that he thinks his letters keep going to the same advisors, which we know must be bothersome. And when he calls, people tell him the same two names of people to talk to. After your first post, I mentioned the President or professors, and he is wrestling with when it's appropriate to go that route. Now, or after awards are released? Your thoughts?
When he visited during Aggieland Saturday a few weeks ago, a new fire was lit under him, especially after having an amazing visit in the EIC with students and the director of the facility. They were kind enough to let him hang back and take a closer look at what it has to offer, and he had some great conversations with them. He just feels like he's home when he's there, and as a parent, that's the greatest feeling. Knowing that when he leaves here, he'd be leaving for his next "home" makes you know he's chosen the right place. Let's just hope they give him that chance.
He recently applied to and was accepted into Engineering Honors as well, so maybe that will be one more step in the right direction. He's working on another letter now and is trying to decide the best recipient for it. Just hoping it doesn't get forwarded on and responded to by the same folks again, because he'd like to reach new people. I think that is why he slowed down the communication. Everything is so intertwined in the department, that he thinks his letters keep going to the same advisors, which we know must be bothersome. And when he calls, people tell him the same two names of people to talk to. After your first post, I mentioned the President or professors, and he is wrestling with when it's appropriate to go that route. Now, or after awards are released? Your thoughts?
Update. We saw on College Confidential that for sure one incoming freshman received a departmental scholarship from the College of Engineering. It showed up in his portal yesterday or Thursday evening. So, they are rolling out. Nothing here so far. But, things are starting to happen!
We heard today that the Engineering Department is now starting to work on the out of state students, so maybe that is why we haven't heard anything yet. Now that we have a better idea on the timeline, it gives us a chance to breathe while we wait. My son took your advice and reached out to a few people in the department, and they were all kind enough to respond to his emails. The answers were fairly neutral, but understandably so, since decisions are currently being made. We saw it as a good thing, just to be heard. At least his fear of his application falling through the cracks was eased.
If, after the awards are given out, he doesn't receive the waiver, he decided that he will make a quick visit to College Station to speak with whomever might listen to him, and if that happens, I will reach out to this group to ask for suggestions on where to begin. In the meantime, we will be patient and keep our hopes up. Thank you all again.
If, after the awards are given out, he doesn't receive the waiver, he decided that he will make a quick visit to College Station to speak with whomever might listen to him, and if that happens, I will reach out to this group to ask for suggestions on where to begin. In the meantime, we will be patient and keep our hopes up. Thank you all again.
I admire your son's persistence and your support of him.
Got my fingers crossed for you -- good luck!
Got my fingers crossed for you -- good luck!
Just curious as to what plan B is?
Good question! He has an in state and an out of state option (aside from TAMU), and each has its own strong points. His heart lies with TAMU, so he will hold out hope until he has no other choice but to commit to one of the others. He's got a great attitude about life and, although moving on in his heart will take a little getting used to, he will make the best of his situation and give his very best, like he always does. He'd likely apply to grad school at TAMU after getting his Bachelor's. Hopefully, the time to be an Aggie is now, but better late than never if that's the way it ends up going.
Given the little I know from what you've written, you might look in to the Craig and Galen Brown Foundation scholarships. These will more than qualify you for in-state. Craig is a great guy. His goal is to bring the best and brightest to A&M. Not being a NMS will hurt, but a 35 ACT score will get his attention. Look in to it.rvhappynow said:
Thank you for your response! Lechner is $2500 per year, which carried the waiver up until this year. The waiver requirement quadrupled last fall, so it went from $1K to $4K. He also received the Opportunity Award for $1250, so he's at $3750. Just under the required amount. 6% away. I feel like a broken record, but it's tough to see him so close. I sure wish there'd been a grace period of a year before it went into effect. But, I also understand that it's life! He's got a 35 ACT top 6% class rank, great EC's, tons of volunteer hours, and crazy hard work ethic. Personality, tenacity, and patience. He just wants to be an Aggie, and was born in the wrong state. We are relying on the waiver that seems just out of reach. Praying and crossing everything that can be crossed!
http://www.brownfound.org/
As for reaching out to professors, they may sympathize, but they're not in a position to help. Regarding the President, this was his decision and its purpose is to increase revenues from tuition. His will not be a sympathetic ear, so I really wouldn't waste your time there either. The Student Financial Aid Office still will be your best resource, and I would be absolutely stunned if they didn't guide you to the Brown Scholars program. If you run in to road blocks with the Brown Foundation, you might want to have your son reach out to Craig directly. If he's as bright and determined as he seems, he'll figure out how to do that. Craig would not react negatively to that kind of thing.
Such great insight. Thank you! I'm not sure if we misunderstood, but I thought this scholarship was for National Merit Semifinalists and Finalists only. He'd gladly reach out to anyone that might be interested in giving him direction, but would this help if not NMS or NMF? We're not even sure how to begin contacting Craig, but I'll pass this information on to him and have him see what he can find. He's captain of his robotics team, and we leave tomorrow for competition, so time is tight for the next few days. However, he's determined and will make the time to make a new contact, as he realizes that this is a life changing situation. I appreciate your response and will share this with him first thing tomorrow morning.
Edit after talking with son this morning: He said the TAMU site lists being NMS as a requirement, but on the foundation site, it's more of a suggestion, so perhaps there's hope here. He will contact them for sure, hopefully today once he locates the contact info. He now plans to ride with me in the car to the competition, separate from the team, so he can look for contact have a quiet place to work on a letter. Thank y'all again.
Edit after talking with son this morning: He said the TAMU site lists being NMS as a requirement, but on the foundation site, it's more of a suggestion, so perhaps there's hope here. He will contact them for sure, hopefully today once he locates the contact info. He now plans to ride with me in the car to the competition, separate from the team, so he can look for contact have a quiet place to work on a letter. Thank y'all again.
The Galen Brown's and the individual that runs the Terry Foundation are from the same area of Houston. I'd reach out to both. PM me for their contact info.
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