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<p>With (something like) 17,000 applications and ~1,000 admits, do you really think this is feasible?</p>
<p>I have to second what simplelife said about the website. Can’t believe I missed this in my first post, but I can’t tell you how many times I was browsing other colleges’ websites thinking (in my frustration) “WOW, if they can’t make a website simple enough and organized enough, why should I even go here?!”. MIT’s website is perfect in terms of graphical attractiveness, elegance, and organization. Easy and fun to browse.
And I’ll second the kindness thing as well, though I’m sure for many that goes without saying 
But it definitely was a contributing factor to why I loved MIT so much.</p>
<p>I’ll end with one thing that really made MIT my #1 choice as a college: very simply, it’s easy to get attached to, because you guys are so open, mostly through the blogs and your (successful) attempts to make the process easier and less intimidating. Makes one feel like he’s already part of the community.</p>
<p>I also love all the science references in the blogs. Awesome. Sense of humor = win. </p>
<p>With other colleges, all I could ever find was a set of instructions, and then a closed door until D-day. Thanks, but no thanks.
MIT = WIN.</p>
<p>Ah. Still wish I were accepted though. This is probably proof that you have the best ‘personality’ of any college out there. With others, I wouldn’t care, so long as I’d already been accepted into a good college (which I have), so there. I officially declare MIT the awesome-est college, and I dare anyone to refute this claim.</p>
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<p>The ideology underpinning Student Financial Services is that no admitted student should have to turn down MIT because they cannot afford to go. Yes, it is likely to hurt to afford it, and yes, SFS may calculate what the family can afford differently than the family can, however, if you are genuinely unable to afford MIT based on your award package, then you really must talk to SFS. This is particularly true if either:
- Your family financial circumstances are quite complex, particularly with international students
- Your financial aid award is substantially different from what you were expecting based on the indicative financial aid calculator on the SFS website.
- Your income last year is not indicative of your income next year (be that due to one time windfalls, or upcoming changes in a family’s financial circumstances.</p>
<p>SFS do make mistakes, although not often. Keep in mind that they need to turn around aid packages for 20,000 students in about 6 weeks. Now MIT will not negotiate financial aid offers nor will they match another school’s offer, but they are very willing to discuss with you your circumstances, particularly if you think you cannot afford to go.</p>
<p>Students are assigned to a financial aid counselor based on name. See [MIT</a> - Student Financial Services](<a href=“MIT Student Financial Services”>MIT Student Financial Services). If youre appealing your financial aid award, talk first to your financial aid counselor. After this initial conversation, SFS may ask you to complete a supplemental form such as a Parents Estimated Annual Year Income Statement or a Monthly Cash Flow Statement.</p>
<p>Basically, if you can convince them that they got it wrong (which does not happen often, but does happen), then they are more than willing to adjust the financial aid award.</p>
<p>Better transparency into the process for transfers would be really helpful. Going from “we received your application”, “your application is complete” to radio silence for a month and a half adds a great deal to the anxiety of the process. I understand that most of the admissions office is focused on CPW and freshman decisions for much of the period, but an occasional “we’re still working on reading transfer apps” would make things more friendly.</p>
<p>Might I also add that CPW was well-organized (except for the last night, when I assume everyone was trying access the online schedule and the site crashed <_<). The online schedule (when it was accessible) was pretty helpful, and there wasn’t information overload. Everything was neat and tidy and accessible. </p>
<p>Not going to bash names, but for other schools’ preview weekends, I can’t even find a phone number. Everything is just all over the place. Coupled with a million other things to do/attend, I have half the heart not to go.</p>
<p>also, this may have nothing to do with it at all, but thanks for making CPW the past weekend. SO SO SO many other colleges are the upcoming weekend, and it’s just a logistical nightmare for so many people.</p>
<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>
<p>Hi Snowdaymom - </p>
<p>First, I apologize for the experience you’ve had. And yes, the calculator has been broken for quite some time. We have nothing to do with it unfortunately. FinAid is a completely separate shop from us. I am told it will be up by the end of the summer in compliance with new federal law. </p>
<p>Definitely ask for an appeal. I know a number of students who were able to have their packages refined after new material came to light. </p>
<p>The other thing I would say is - [IBRinfo</a> :: Help is here!](<a href=“http://ibrinfo.org%5DIBRinfo”>http://ibrinfo.org) is a lifesaver. If MIT is really her home and best match, federal direct loans + IBR are the way to go. Please note that I would say this regardless of where she wants to go. As someone who is still paying off student loans, it is definitely worth it if you can find a place you’d love to be.</p>
<p>Chris,</p>
<p>Everything about MIT application was great for me , except for my interview which was done by phone! As a non-native speaker it was really difficult for me to express myself over the phone for such an important and stressful event. During the interview, I felt that my EC was very busy and in a rush and wanted to finish the interview ASAP.</p>
<p>Also, I didn’t receive the decision-out notification email. After one week of waiting, I called my friend and he told me that the decision had been out for one week! (he had received the email). </p>
<p>It would be great if we could send the teacher evaluation forms online(like common application). I had to spend about 200 USD to mail them. </p>
<p>Thank you for listening to us.</p>
<p>Chris, honestly I believe the admissions officers did their best in helping all of us with our applications and feeling mit like home. :)</p>
<p>Speaking as an international student whose native language is not english, I would love to if one of the admissions bloggers next year was a non-native speaker, so that we could see how she/he views the MIT world!</p>