<ol>
<li><p>No, Rice’s EFC was much higher.</p></li>
<li><p>Rice keeps merit aid a mystery and doesn’t make the Common Data Set available. It was the only school that didn’t give S merit aid, but after appealing and showing offers from peer (and higher ranked schools) Rice gave S more money.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Based on my sample size of 3 (number admitted from S’s high school) there was no rhyme or reason to their system of awarding merit aid.</p>