@Guppie, it’s not quite that simple. To play in the merit/talent sandbox at Tisch, you have to be also designated to have financial need that NYU financial aid can work to gap if they can. Once you are need designated, then absolutely the more “meritorious or talented” you are, the more they are are likely to respond accordingly. But if you are not deemed to have need by NYU’s metrics, they will not point the discretionary merit or talent awards away from people who do have need even if you have equal or better grades or talent. “Need” is the membership card. After that YES discretion comes down to merit and talent.