<p>servin: if you love Vandy, stay open hearted to all your colleges and reevaluate in April. You do not know yet what you will be offered, if anything, from Vanderbilt and you are likely going to have other great options. There are many many deserving students at Vanderbilt without the Ingram or other merit money who are just as amazing as merit scholarship winners. The entire class is very able across the board. </p>
<p>best wishes in your college search and outcomes, and I am sorry for all those hopefuls who were not awarded a scholarship. As much as I think we would have felt the same way about the lower number of Ingrams this year, keep in mind that many merit scholarship programs send home finalists without winning: the Jeffersons, the Emory Scholars program, the Moreheads at Chapel Hill. Being a finalist says a lot about your references and qualifications. May your record lead you to a great outcome at Vandy or elsewhere.</p>