Argh yeah I saw some of those posts too but it seems like decisions came out sooner the past two years.. but who knows how it'll turn out this year. Especially considering PhD decisions haven't been sent out yet :/ I don't know if I can keep my sanity much longer - the anticipation is completely destroying my productivity haha.
I applied for their Merit-Based fellowships as well as Grad Student Researcher and TA fellowships. I went to their prospective students day in November and it sounded like they give out a fairly decent amount of aid for merit so I think there's some hope! That's a bummer that you're out of state - although I think you can be eligible for in-state tuition after your first year which would definitely help! And yeah, living in SB is definitely expensive BUT it's basically paradise. I have friends and a sibling who live there and they all absolutely love it.
Bren is the only Masters program I applied to so I REALLY hope I get in haha! Are you a graduating senior this year or already out of college?