Appeal for scholarship?

QuietType
Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:27:59 +0000

Succesful appeals at Pitt, and AFAIK, they are few and far between come based on:

1. Direct comparison of bottom line cost at a peer institution (Pitt does not care how much money school X offered, they want to see and compare your out-of-pocket costs.)

2. They compare peer institution offers - think public AAU universities.

3. Major to major admissions. If you were admitted to Pitt Engineering and you were admitted to Comparison U as a liberal arts major, Pitt does not consider that equivalent.

4. Do your homework, saying that you need or want more money is a non-starter. Saying that you need more money since it’s more affordable to go to a peer university gets their attention.

5. Needless to say, the higher your stats and other hooks (URM, geographical desirability, etc,) the better your chances of an appeal.

6. Pitt wants you to enroll at Pitt. Creating the perception that you are looking at Pitt solely as a safety or a back-up school won’t help.

7. Hey, you can always ask. Just don’t expect to get an increased scholarship.