Comparisons
Going Merry vs. Wonaride: here's where we stand
We're the people building Wonaride, so this is our case for it. We won't dress it up as an independent ranking or award ourselves five stars. The useful comparison is what we're choosing to build, who funds it, and how much of it you can use today.
The business model is the biggest difference
Going Merry became part of Earnest through an acquisition announced in 2021. Wonaride is student-built, with no college or VC funding, and our model is paid student subscriptions. We don't offer loan products and don't plan to add them. We prefer that relationship: if the product isn't worth paying for, we need to make the product better.
Earnest's September 2021 acquisition announcementWe're building around the work after the match
Finding an award is only the start. You still have to gather facts, answer prompts, and work out what's missing. Wonaride's direction is to cut that repeated work so you can complete more eligible applications. You'll still need to confirm your information and make decisions about what gets submitted. We don't think an application tool should quietly speak for you.
Judge the preview as a preview
Today you can browse the public scholarship catalog and try the app's profile and application flows. The activity shown in the preview is demo data; it doesn't submit real applications. That's a material limit, not fine print. If you need to submit an award today, use the sponsor's official process. Don't buy into a feature just because we want to build it.
Browse the public scholarship catalogYour work should be useful outside the app
Whatever platform you choose, keep copies of your answers, documents, and confirmation receipts. You shouldn't lose your application history because you switch tools. Our practical test for a service is whether it helps you finish an actual task. A large match count on its own doesn't pass that test.