<p>Is it inappropriate to tell an RD school of the merit award already received from an EA school?</p>
<p>What if they ask you directly- like “So where else are you looking? And what kind of offers have you had?”</p>
<p>Do you tell them? or sidestep it? or what?</p>
<p>If they are still in consideration and their offer could make or break the deal, you should tell them.</p>
<p>first of all congratulations.</p>
<p>I think that it depends on the school. </p>
<p>If the “other school” is a peer school or a school that overlaps in students, then yes, you could tell them (be careful as it could also come back to bite you and be a reason for a school not to take you as they may feel that you have already been admitted to a "good"school)</p>
<p>If the other school only gives aid based on need, they will not care too much about merit money (as they are not offering any). If other school is an “elite” school it may not matter much as most of their students would “qualify” for merit and they already know that they are going to deny or wait list a vast number of students who would be gret merit candidates/recipients at other schools.</p>
<p>I know that this time of year is really march madness (and I’m not talking basket ball), but I think you should just let the process play it self out.</p>
<p>Well, I didn’t think school people would ask!!
The RD school does overlap, but is clearly “better” academically. They both give merit awards, and the merit award would make a difference.</p>
<p>I just feel uncomfortable with the whole conversation. I feel lucky and I don’t want to lose any good opportunity. I just didn’t know what to say.
I told the RD school about the great award at the “lower” school - but now I’m afraid they’ll think I’m going there and not treat me the same way. I might go to the RD school if the merit award was enough (doesn’t have to be the same - just have to be able to afford it). But the “lower” school opportunity is good too, I TRULY don’t know yet - as all the facts aren’t in!
Now the stress is UP again!</p>
<p>Ok, we did tell “the other school”. My S received nearly double the amount of merit aid at one school. Both schools were equal in academics and had a similar sticker price. My son did get a merit award, work study and a subsidized stafford at the other school, but it would have still cost much more to go there than the school with the more generous merit offer. The result was that the other school offered more merit money (something between the original offer and what more generous school offered), but they also raised the gpa to keep it from a 2.8 to a 3.0. Additionally they changed the stafford to unsubsidized, and took away the work-study offer. I did not feel any better about the second offer, so he did not attend. We did not have anything to lose b/c he was not going to attend with the first offer either. Had they offered a bit more merit aid and kept the gpa the same, and kept the subsidized stafford (I did not care about the work study too much), then we could have allowed our S to attend.</p>
<p>this is way too complicated</p>
<p>I agree. The entire financial aid, merit aid, real cost vs. sticker price is all such a pain.</p>
<p>orjr,</p>
<p>Congrats on your acceptances. It sounds like you’ve already taken the plunge, but for others, one delicate way to broach the subject is to express enthusiasm for the school, mention the competing offer, and then ask whether they ever “reevaluate” students’ financial aid packages. FA officers get this all the time, and will not think less of you. Once they admit you, they <em>want</em> you as part of their yield for next year.</p>
<p>One EA offered no merit $. They said to let them know the amount of the other merits and grants she received because they knew that the schools she applied to had lots of money for merit. Before we could do that, they sent fin aid forms with a grant for slightly more than the other’s merit and grant combined.
This whole fin aid is confusing and I don’t see it getting any better for the next 4 years.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies. I just sent a note to the guy at the RD school again, assuring him that money isn’t everything and I’m still REALLY interested in that school. I hope it helps!
I’m not talking to any more admissions people until after April 1st !! (I hope!)</p>
<p>if you are asked about the other offers in an interview, could you just say your parents are reviewing that, and you are focusing more on choosing schools that fit your major, such as their school?</p>
<p>THAT would have been a great response! I wish I had thought of it! The whole thing makes me nervous - what’s it OK to say, and not. But hopefully it’s pretty much finished now.</p>