Can you pit similar colleges against each other for more merit?

[Anonymous]

Say Tulane offers $25k merit and Case Western offers $20k. Both have roughly the same starting tuition. Can you go back to Case and say they’re your
top choice if they’ll match Tulane, and you can show them the letter?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Say Tulane offers $25k merit and Case Western offers $20k. Both have roughly the same starting tuition. Can you go back to Case and say they’re your
top choice if they’ll match Tulane, and you can show them the letter?

Yes, this is fine to do.

[Anonymous]

Yep. Call your admissions officer. Most schools will consider merit aid appeals based on a competing offer from a “peer school”. They can vary widely on what they consider to be a peer school.

Remember they will be looking more at net price than scholarship amount.

[Anonymous]

Can you do this with state schools as well?

[Anonymous]

Good topic. Should this be discussed between student and school or can parents initiate? We are writing the checks. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

You can ask but don't expect them to raise their offer significantly. Thousands kids willing to take your kid's spot. And schools deal with this kind of requests all the time.

[Anonymous]

Yes it's fine. For 5K though you're being kind-of a pr*ck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes it's fine. For 5K though you're being kind-of a pr*ck.

LOL. I hate to say it but OP is...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes it's fine. For 5K though you're being kind-of a pr*ck.

LOL. I hate to say it but OP is...

It's probably $5,000 per year so that's $20,000 over four years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes it's fine. For 5K though you're being kind-of a pr*ck.

LOL. I hate to say it but OP is...

It's probably $5,000 per year so that's $20,000 over four years.

Which is not a small amount!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It's probably $5,000 per year so that's $20,000 over four years.

Don't assume the money will repeat every year unless they tell you that. Lots of schools give the best package to freshmen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes it's fine. For 5K though you're being kind-of a pr*ck.

Said by a rich person. That’s $20k!

[Anonymous]

This depends on the school. Where my DC attends, they specifically say that merit awards from other schools will not be considered in the reevaluation process. DC asked to be considered based on a change in financial status (fewer work hours resulting in less income) and was denied.

[Anonymous]

If you’re respectful about it then yes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This depends on the school. Where my DC attends, they specifically say that merit awards from other schools will not be considered in the reevaluation process. DC asked to be considered based on a change in financial status (fewer work hours resulting in less income) and was denied.

That’s unfortunate. Does your DC are receive need-based aid? I received additional aid when this happened in our family when I was in college, though my aid package was a mix of merit and need.