<p>curmudgeon and st2 ............i just about fell off my chair this morning when i read your posts:) it's a good thing i wasn't drinking hot coffee but an iced latte instead! your posts brought a smile to my face and the warm memories of all our many merit aid conversations. i couldn't have found a couple of more sincere, helpful mentors in our search for merit aid for my d. as cur and st2 know........my d ended up selecting a need based school but did receive merit aid offers from multiple schools (many tens of thousands of dollars). i had many, many questions on merit aid, financial aid, college selection, etc. and they and others here on cc helped immensely. my d's list of schools included both public and private. she was looking for the right fit for both academics and to continue to play her sport at the collegiate level. undoubtedly, offers of merit aid from some schools played a role in her considering them when she otherwise, likely, would have not. as a national merit finalist, she received offers of full rides or full tuitions at a number of schools across the country. offers of merit aid to pay partial tuition were received from a number of private schools. i did get the feeling though at those particular private schools that the larger awards went to students that either had more "need" or who had higher test scores, etc. it's my understanding that schools will offer the highest merit aid awards to the students that they most wish to enroll. to celloguy - I do not agree with your position on merit aid. Why should the dollar amount of merit aid that my d or anyone else's child receive be based solely on need? If it's aid based on need...........call it need based aid...........do not call it merit aid. </p>
<p>The "larger picture" is that parents and students do shop around and compare financial aid packages. When they are receiving lesser amounts of merit aid at one school over another..........this means that they will consider dropping that school from their list. In my d's case, the privates that offered the lower amounts of merit aid.........were dropped and not in the final lists of schools that she considered. There is indeed competition among the schools to attract top students............and awarding merit aid is a way to help schools to compete in a competitive arena where there are many, many schools hoping to enroll the very top students from across the country.</p>