<p>If a student is accepted EA, do they get offered merit scholarships at that time or in the spring when the other acceptances come out?</p>
<p>It varies. Some school send them quickly, others don't.</p>
<p>Do read the fine print carefully because Weenie is right. Some schools do come right out and say what scholarship drawbacks there are to applying early. U of Miami, for instance, makes it clear that you can be accepted early, but you will not know if you got certain juicy merit awards until later. But other schools skirt the issue.</p>
<p>"Do read the fine print carefully because Weenie is right. Some schools do come right out and say what scholarship drawbacks there are to applying early. U of Miami, for instance, makes it clear that you can be accepted early, but you will not know if you got certain juicy merit awards until later. But other schools skirt the issue."</p>
<p>Where did you find this information? In something I recieved from U of Miami about scholarships a few days ago, it says: "If you're selected for a merit scholarship, your acceptance package will indicate the scholarship you have been awarded." It also says that scholarships are highly competitive and students are encouraged to apply early.</p>
<p>I'm not doubting you, just wondering where you've seen/heard this.</p>
<p>My info may be dated since it's been a few years since my son applied to U of Miami in Florida. The issue came with Early Action with UMiami. If you apply ED, I believe you get an estimate of financial aid that you will be getting if your estimated FAFSa was within ball park, and you get early dibs on the scholarships. You get all of this in December, I think. But for EA, you did not get word until ....around February. That's a bit late to use EA as a stress reducing financial safety since if the word is not good, February is late to be considering other schools.<br>
I don't think I worded my comments correctly so I can see the confusion. What I wanted to say was that for EA, many times you won't get your scholarship or merit packaage until the ED decisions are made. If you need financial aid or if merit money is essential to your decision making, applying early is not going to give you your answers any earlier. You just know you are in. You cannot do what those kids who are not worried abut the money can do---just end the app process when an acceptable early accept comes in.<br>
Emory, I remember, did not name those with the Scholars Awards until long after ED acceptances. So, yes, you would get your financial aid package, but you would not know if you got any of the Scholars money, which is Emory's prestigious and generous merit program. It's not wise in general to apply ED if you need or really want money, but with Emory, it's particularly dicey, because of the lateness of being told if you are an Emory
Scholar. NOw Emory may have fixed this by now, but There may be other schools who work that way. If you are early in applying, you are not going to know till the end if you were selected for some of the top awards, and your financial aid award will not include that info and will have to be adjusted for it.
Actually Miami was a little better than some schools who don't give you any finanacial aid info for early action until the RD letters are sent out. They actually make ED and EA announcements of merit earlier than for their RD folk. Whether they hold out for RD apps and make it more advantageous one way or the other if you have your eye on that school, I don't know. The only two kids I know who got UM merit money, did not apply early. But that is too small of a samplling to come to any conclusions.</p>
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Emory, I remember, did not name those with the Scholars Awards until long after ED acceptances. So, yes, you would get your financial aid package, but you would not know if you got any of the Scholars money, which is Emory's prestigious and generous merit program. It's not wise in general to apply ED if you need or really want money, but with Emory, it's particularly dicey, because of the lateness of being told if you are an Emory Scholar.
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<p>Cptofthehouse, confirming your point, it does not make any sense to apply ED anywhere but Emory if one is also nominated and applying for the Emory Scholars Program (ESP). The reason is obvious an ED acceptance anywhere else would bind that student to matriculating at that school, far in advance of the naming of ESP semi-finalists. Further, Emory is clear in stating that if attendance at Emory is contingent upon receiving a merit scholarship, do not apply as an ED candidate at Emory either. If in addition to receipt of an ESP award, there is further demonstrated need, the student is also eligible for other need-based financial aid.</p>
<p>It all comes down to the same thing--there is a risk to applying ED if you need that money because you don't know what you are getting in $$ amount of composition of the package before having to make the commitment. EA is not a risk that way, but again, if you want to compare packages, you are going to have to keep all of your other pokers in the fire to the bitter end unless you are happy with what the early response is. You still should have your other apps in. Actually Miami is pretty on the ball in giving out Merit award info as early as it does, even thought their EA accept is later than most schools'. Many times you do not know what you are getting from EA until RD acceptances and packages come out.</p>