<p>I believe many schools have programs that provide benefits to those students whom the admissions committee identifies as top applicants. Check out the Morehead Scholars program at UNC. I do agree that sometimes these merit programs are a way for the schools to diversify a particular class, and that they may or may not be based strictly on academic merit. There are so few recipients that I doubt that the general campus population is even aware of who the scholars are. I think that Johns Hopkins has a few select scholars programs, as do many elite schools. UVA has the Echols program, etc.</p>