<p>If you give every admit merit aid, you can boost yield and decrease admit rate considerably. Take a look a Cooper Union, with a sub 10% admit rate and a 78% yield rate that rivals Harvard. Wash U has also relied extremely heavily on merit aid to boost their statistics. Money can strongly influence students choices. The problem is merit aid takes away from the money the university has to help financially needy students. However some schools like Harvard can give more financial aid, even need-based so money is always a draw. Northwestern is doing a good job in trying to boost the amount they give in need-based aid and is expanding the number of special programs:</p>
<p>[Scholarships & Grants: Undergraduate Financial Aid: Northwestern University](<a href=“http://ug-finaid.northwestern.edu/topics/prospective/scholarships_grants.html”>http://ug-finaid.northwestern.edu/topics/prospective/scholarships_grants.html</a>)</p>
<p>Federal Pell Grant
Federal SEOG (Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant)
Illinois MAP (Monetary Award Program)
Northwestern University Scholarship
NU Appropriated Scholarship
NU Endowed Scholarship
Good Neighbor,Great University Scholarship
Founders Scholarship
No-Loan Pledge Scholarship
Debt Cap Scholarship
Fermi Scholarship
Argonne Scholarship
QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship</p>