<p>Nightingale, there are different levels of preferential, but academically, the higher in the applicant pool the better. Some colleges give good packages only to a very small percentage -- for example, I think NYU offers full tuition scholarships to the top 5% of the applicant pool, but while students may be offered merit aid with far less, NYU is notorious for its weak packages for the bulk of the student body. Some colleges are more generous with aid, of course... but generally I think you would want to be in the top 20% of the applicant pool if you expect a substantial offer ... if the offer is based on academics alone. So basically, it's not 1 in 1000 -- more like 1 in 20 getting the full-tuition/full ride offers, and possibly as many as half at some schools getting at least some merit aid or improved packaging. </p>
<p>Of course many colleges also use merit aid and preferential packaging to attract students who they want to recruit for other reasons, so if they want to increase diversity, they may offer very generous aid to URM's and students from underrepresented states; if gender balance is a problem, boys may get good packages at some LACs and girls may get better packages at engineering schools; and colleges that are unable to give direct athletic scholarships (like D3 schools) may nonetheless give preferential financial aid to recruited athletes. </p>
<p>I read today that one reason that Randolph Macon Woman's College has opted to go co-ed is that they have been giving financial aid to more than 90% of their students, and they simply can't afford to give that much money away any more.... though I'll bet that males who apply this year can expect good packages, since they are essential to help the school make the transition to co-ed. </p>
<p>The average SAT at Providence College is 1203, and the average at Assumption is 1077, so your co-worker's son's scores definitely put him at the top of the pool for both college, especially for Assumption which was likely a rock-bottom safety for him (assuming his grades were also strong).</p>