Securing a full-ride scholarship—which covers complete tuition, housing, and fees—typically requires far more than just a high grade point average, though maintaining a near-flawless 4.0 cumulative GPA is usually a baseline expectation for consideration. Merit-based full-ride institutional scholarships or prestigious national programs also evaluate rigorous standardized test scores when submitted, exceptional leadership, extraordinary extracurricular achievements, and stellar personal essays to select elite recipients from massive applicant pools.