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<p>Yeah, grants always have a need-based element. But I learned this year that merit is also considered in some grant awards – both in whether or not to award grant-aid in the first place, and in deciding how much to award. The colleges I spoke to about my son’s awards said that he received his grant awards based on merit and need. This concept was news to me. Bottom line: grants CAN exceed a college’s calculated “need.” Other than sharing that there was a merit-based element, the colleges I spoke to were hesitant to share specifics about how the awarded amounts were calculated. Intriguing.</p>
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<p>I totally agree. I actually used the term “dream school” loosely. My kids also did not really have a “dream school.” They had their first, second, and third choices that tended to rotate around and trade places a lot as their senior years progressed. Sometimes a particular school took a steady first place towards the end of the process. (Oberlin for one; USC for another, etc.) But they were never really locked in to any idealized “dream school.” I strongly agree that a dream school can just muck things up. In my opinion, you can more effectively minimize college costs, and maximize scholarships, if your student is not totally locked on to one idealized college.</p>
<p>Sounds like you and your son are right on track, sbjdorlo!</p>