Last year my son received merit scholarship offers from three schools including UMich SMTD. we made a spreadsheet comparing the three programs side by side, including costs (tuition, boarding, travel), opportunities (studio and orchestra), potential for another degree or major, comments from current students and recent graduates, etc. He then wrote emails to these schools (studio professor and admission officer) appealing the offers. He knew that the professors knew each other and where he was applying to, so in his emails he laid out the three offers, summarized our comparison, and stated his “wishes” (customized for each school). It took three rounds of back and forth discussion before he made his decision on April 27th.
My son’s experience shows that merit scholarship can be appealed, and that the process took time. I’m by no means suggesting his approach was the best. He and some friends worked together to come up with their negotiation strategies. By the end of April, they were all happy with their decisions.
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