Haven't posted in these forums before but I guess I have something to contribute here. I received scholarships from NY and Temple so I spent a considerable amount of time trying to decide between the two. I did not base my decision solely on scholarship, but it did factor in quite heavily. My main concern was that it seemed Temple scholarships dropped substantially after the first year... so I gave Dean Martin a call. Essentially Temple scholarships are front loaded. The top 10% of the class years 2-4 get an average of $8000 and the top two students in the class get around $11,000-12,0000. So, even though my offer from Temple was extremely generous, I would have to be in the top few students to keep it. On the other hand, NY gave me a little less but guaranteed the same amount over four years if I maintained a certain GPA with the option of getting more if I excel.
We will be going to school with many exceptional students all gunning for the tops spots in the class and top financial aid awards. I think I'll do well but I can't go ahead a guarantee that I'll be in the top 10 (out of ~100) and even more so, the top 2.
Again, Temple is very generous and I'm sure some of you will kick ass and keep what you are given. For me, I'm more comfortable with a slightly lower guarantee and then working my butt off to try and get some more.
Hope this helps.