<p>@TomsRiverParent, the Vandy link exactly illustrates why some kids might have more applications than you think necessary. There are many of us in the “donut hole” who will qualify for little or no need-based aid, but can’t afford to pay full-freight. Here’s what Vandy’s link says about Merit Aid:</p>
<p>Merit-Based Gift
Received by 429 (52.3%) of aid recipients
Merit-Based Gift 126 (7.8%) of freshmen had no financial need and received merit aid, average amount $20,968</p>
<p>Vandy’s COA approximately $61,500. The average merit award leaves an annual COA at $40K. That’s still out of reach for many of us. So if you have a high stats kid (or are a high stats kid), you may still have a shot at attending if you apply for and get one of the very few but very generous scholarships that bring that cost way down. That’s why some kids apply to more than 10 schools. </p>