<p>Here's my scenario:</p>
<p>I'm one of a small number of students in the running for a four-year full-ride merit-based scholarship to any school in the state.</p>
<p>I especially like school A in my state, but I prefer school B in a different state. The thing is, schools A and B are each other's top competitor for student admissions; they are selective to highly selective.</p>
<p>My question is: if I win the scholarship to school A, is it likely that I can bargain with school B for a higher merit-based finaid package, using the scholarship to their top competitor as leverage?</p>
<p>How closely, if at all, would they (in general) try to match the full-ride?</p>
<p>Thanks for your help with this hypothetical question.</p>
<p>The answer is that it is worth a try, and School B just might cough up a better award if you tell them the situation and let them know you want to go there, but the award is the sticking point. I have heard that this has happened. There are successful negotiators. I know that if I were an adcom who accepted a kid, I would understand his predicament exactly with that merit award, and if he sounded sincere about really wanting to come to my school, I would certainly do what I could to work out something for him. But I am not the adcom at School B, and we don't know enough about their particulars to guarantee anything.<br>
In my experience, such negotiation has netted some additonal funds, but usually in form of loans, and without a bonanza. The only time I know that any real changes were made occurred when something was overlooked or a mistake was made in the financials which resulted in the discrepancies. I have never heard of a full merit award being coughed up. So I would guess that it would depend on how much of a package School B has already given you. i would guess that if B were less selective, they would have given you a pretty generous merit/need award already if you are the calibre to get the full fide from School A, so the difference might not be great. But if School A is less selective, and School B did not give you that much, I doubt that you would get much in money from School B. They would reexamine the financial sheets to see what else could be squeezed out in the name of need, they may be able to come with a small grant, but my guess is the rest would be loans that may or may not be a good deal for you, given you have a free ride at A.</p>
<p>school a is ranked 26 by U.S. News for LACs, school B is ranked 36, for the record. one problem I see is that the scholarship is not affiliated with school A--it's from a statewide non-profit organization--would that be reason for school B to not increase awards? I'm almost guaranteed to get NO need-based aid (my parents are a doctor and an engineer), if that changes anything.</p>
<p>Thanks for your help cptofthehouse.</p>
<p>Anyone else heard of price bargaining? Especially at Wihtman College?</p>
<p>Lets look a your preferred school; Whitman</p>
<p>When it comes to merit based aid they offer the following:</p>
<p>the only scholarship that covers close to a full ride and is not based on financial need is </p>
<p>*The Eells Scholarship *
Awarded to an entering scholar who demonstrates high academic achievement, the Eells scholarship covers tuition and fees for four years, and includes a research grant. </p>
<p>It looks as if they only offer one of these scholarships.</p>
<p>The other scholarshipthat you may be eligible for is the</p>
<p>*Whitman Achievement-based Scholarships *
Whitman awards renewable, four-year merit-based scholarships, ranging from $6000 to $10,000 to entering students who have excelled academically </p>
<p>You state the the scholarship that you have a chance to receive is based on the fact that you are a state resident (which would not be transferrable) . Should you get the state scholarship, you would be using it toward tuition at school "A" or any other school in the state. My question would be is this a hard and fast rule that you could not use the money or get a smaller portion of scholarship aid should you decide to attend out of state.</p>
<p>I don't think you are in a real position to "bargain" because it is not like you were awarded this scholarship directly from the college where you may have had a better chance (but the scholarship in question is an outside scholarship). I think hat the people that you are going to have to do the most bargaining with are your parents. Have you spoken to them about the possiblity of walking away from a potential $170k in order for them to shell out $170 (on the off chance that you don't snag one of the big scholarships)?</p>
<p>so let me get this straight
if you attend school A- you will recieve a state affilated scholarship
You would prefer to attend school B, but you would like them to make up the difference in your aid package, re: the state scholarship.</p>
<p>Well its worth a try but I wouldn't count on it.</p>
<p>Usually bargaining is involved when you really can't afford the EFC, and submit other relevant expenses to illustrate that- or a school that is comparable is offering a nicer package but you prefer school A and want to give them the chance to offer similar package.
However, since the one school isn't even offering the scholarship, it actually comes from teh state, I don't imagine that school B will make up the total difference, perhaps a little if they really want you. ( and they offer merit- and it probably will be non renewable)</p>
<p>Whitman does apparently offer merit aid for academics, minority status art/drama- but frankly- USNEWS ranking not withstanding- I would rank Whitman higher than the 26th position
If you are especially noteworthy in any or all of those criteria, I would stress to Whitman that it is your first choice- but if you have two professional parents, with professional salaries to match, I wouldn't push it too hard.
Will you be receiving a National Merit award?
You may be getting enough merit aid so that you don't even have to bargain
<a href="http://www.whitman.edu/content/financial_aid/types-of-financial-aid/whitman-scholarships%5B/url%5D">http://www.whitman.edu/content/financial_aid/types-of-financial-aid/whitman-scholarships</a>
:D</p>
<p>I think you should give it a go, as you sincerely want to go to the school not covered by as state scholarship, but as Emerald states, "wouldn't count on it". I know that our state gives some money that can only be used in state. If the amount is small, a comparable out of state school just might scrape up the differential, but with parents with high EFCs, a few thousand is not going to make a difference for you. For kids who are strapped for every dollar, $2k of grant money is very important. So they may be able to come up with a small amount and some in house loans to sweeten the pot. I think if you get in and tell them your predicament, they will try to come up with something, but a full ride is unlikely. But then we are counting chickens right now when there are only eggs in the nests, aren't we.</p>
<p>sybbie719 to answer your question, the full ride scholarship and school A are not interdependent, the scholarship is from a statewide non-profit looking to keep academically talented, community-minded leaders in my state (basically to ensure a good future for my state). I could go to school A with or without the scholarship, or I could get the scholarship but not be accepted to the school etc. They don't have scholarships for OOS.</p>
<p>And I know how hard it would be to turn down $170k (School A is an awesome school, too! I basically need a change of scenery, and some space; this school is a ten minute drive from my house). I'd actually feel guilty to turn it down (assuming I even get it)...both to the foundation and to my parents... I'll have to hope and pray for the Eells.</p>
<p>EmKitty: I am not a N. M. Scholar, and the thing is my parents' savings don't seem to match their salaries, unfortunately. Thanks for the advice though.</p>