Will Duke match a merit offer?

I really like Duke, but it would be very financially difficult to attend. My parents can afford to pay 37k per year, so if I wanted to go to Duke, I would have to borrow ~130k total in loans (we don’t qualify for financial aid). I got a generous scholarship from Rice (25.5k per year); is there any chance that Duke would match that? Maybe it would help that I got a likely letter from Duke and was named a provost scholar. I realize this is probably a long shot, but feel like it would be worth a try to ask.

What is the cost differential between Rice and Duke? I think it would be very unlikely that Duke would match, and honestly I (and probably every other member on this forum) would tell you to go to Rice. $130K in debt is insane.

@yonceonhismouth Duke would cost 280k total, and Rice would cost 150k total; the cost differential is about 130k (basically what I would be taking out in loans). 130k in debt is pretty insane, so I would go to Rice over Duke in the (very likely) scenario that Duke can’t offer anything.

You can always try, if it doesn’t work, Rice it is!

Can anybody else offer some input or suggestions? Is there a certain way or time (maybe during Duke Devil Days) that I should ask?

@ambitionsquared - I am in a very similar situation. I contacted my AO and the fin aid office. They don’t match offers, definitely not the merit ones. But no hard trying. Go ahead and email or call your AO and the fin aid offices. Keep us posted. Good luck.

ASK NOW. If they don’t match it, the diff. between duke and rice is not worth 130,000 in debt lol

@ambitionsquared - what did you decide? Just curious.