<p>MITChris,
MIT Admissions people did an excellent job, very clever marketing! MIT’s Financial Aid Office I would rate as very poor, however.</p>
<p>D’s dream choice is MIT. EA at MIT, big scholarships at JHU, Harvey Mudd, Caltech, accepted but no FA packages yet from Cornell, U of M, very lucky young lady. MIT’s FA amount is, sadly, the worst of the lot so far. Despite some financial aid MIT is expensive. Our financial situation is complicated and subject to large changes. I tried to use the MIT calculator to create estimates for years 2, 3 & 4 but it has been “under construction” for months. I was able to use it last year but it did not apply at all to our situation: divorced parents, other student in law school maybe, outside need-based scholarship. I called the FA people several times, once last fall and they were pleasant then but this spring they were tired and sounded harassed. Our FA officer could not wait to get me off the phone and he said that our D’s EFC would increase “substantially” in years 2,3 & 4. I asked for an estimate several times and said that it was critical to our decision but was told that could not be done. We talked to another FA officer and were told the same thing. Other schools have given us estimates, why not MIT?</p>
<p>OK, we could buy a house or start her in business for the amount involved, I would at least like an estimate. I wish that I had nailed this down before applying since now D is very upset over the prospect of not going to MIT due to the financial unknowns. If I had known about this flying (paying) blind prospect of MIT’s financial aid I would have discouraged her from applying in the first place.</p>
<p>Please refer your FA people to check out Princeton’s financial aid calculator as a model. It even divides up the EFC between divorced parents according to income which is wonderful. (Some ex-spouses think they don’t need to pay or that everything should be 50:50 regardless of income). I don’t understand why MIT does not have a great on-line calculator, or a functioning one for that matter. Maybe if EAs were given FA statements in the fall it would help load-level the work for the FA Office in the spring. FA transparency would help a whole lot.</p>
<p>We are going to ask for a review but may accept HMC or Caltech offers instead. </p>
<p>Thanks for your great work. You did a great job and are very dedicated.</p>