My Key Takeaways: Schools find that leveraging precision-guided discounts based on the quality of applicants (e.g.,
merit scholarships) more than need-based aid attracts above-average students. Now, private
equity-backed, financial aid optimization firms aggregate data for subscribed universities to
help them determine tuition and aid offers. This data—which dictates marketing efforts and
tracks an applicant’s relative engagement and interest in the school—likely plays a role in
admission.
