@iwannabe_Brown
Yes, I was pretty shocked at the price difference, too. But I guess it makes sense given how much more money Williams has per student compared to that of Brown (and the fact that Williams has that money to support just undergrad whereas Brown has to support PhD students/med school students/engineering students/AND undergrad ).
I think unless you apply and got admitted by both schools, you won’t know the actual FA will be. The Net Price calculators from the web sites are just an estimate. I believe the cost for Brown and Williams will be comparable and it won’t be that much of a difference. So, this discussion is just academic, not a reality.
You apply ED of a school because it is your first choice, not because all the reasons that have been discussed here.
^actually, the difference makes sense in that Brown doesn’t compute equity in the same way as Williams and since OP’s family has their house fully paid it’d count more at Brown than at Williams.
I agree you should apply to the school that’s your first choice.
For what it’s worth, for some people, Williams > Brown. So, forget about prestige… it’s good in any case.
It does not make any sense. Based on this web site:
http://www.thecollegesolution.com/will-your-home-equity-hurt-financial-aid-chances/
Williams hit home equity harder than Brown, so the net cost of Williams should be higher than Brown.
I had Brown at 3X v. Williams 1.5 but the formula may have changed. Will run a NPC with 70K income/300K equity and 70K income/0 equity, will post results below.
Ok, family of 4, 300K equity, 70K wages
Williams with 300K equity = $7,230 net cost (before any loan or work study; after work study, family costs: $4, 980.
Williams without 300K equity = exactly the same
So I’m wrong and the website also…
Well, this could be the basis for an appeal, if the equity is the only factor AND if OP got into both.
Brown with 300K equity: $11,080 net cost (family costs: $8,180)
Brown without 300K equity: $5,600 net cost (family: $ 2,700)
Interestingly, the quick calculator on the Williams website provides a range of $3,000-15,000 with a likely net cost including student contribution of $9,200?!
Williams is actually known for giving super-aid like H, P, and S. that may acct for the difference.
<<<
The biggest advantage may be your father gets to brag that his child attended an Ivy.
<<<
Yup…and dad is grabbing at straws…
@YoLolololol FAFSA may determine you to be Pell eligible because they don’t count some things that CSS does.
While CSS doesn’t affect Pell, it could affect what a school expects your family to pay.
Do your parents have home equity or a business? Do they take business deductions?
Keep those 40.000 to medical school.
Williams!! Hands down not even close.
Especially if the end goal is medicine UG is essentially meaningless.
We only have home equity and no business. I’m so confused about this financial aid process. I thought net price calculator was supposed to be pretty accurate. The Williams admission officer I talked to said that the net price calculator is 90% correct for people of my income.
I will also have two siblings in college when I enroll and one of them will graduate by my sophomore year in college.
Our income is about 40k right now but it will probably be around 60k next year.
When we ran net price calcs for Williams and Brown we had similar outcomes. Not that Brown isn’t generous, just Williams and a handful of peers LACs are exceptional. Did you attend the Amherst and Swarthmore fly-ins?
Posters on this website can help you brainstorm about how to convince your parents that you don’t need to go to an Ivy to be successful. And not incurring debt for undergrad is an especially important piece of advice for low income families.
College will be expensive. Books and supplies, miscellaneous odds and ends, room furnishings, transportation money… Even a paid internship often requires supporting yourself until that first paycheck. There are grants and funds you can apply for…but often you still start off paying out of pocket just because the paperwork takes so long to catch up.
Please keep us posted.
@momcinco
Thank you so much everyone for being so supportive. I really really appreciate it!
I will attend Amherst and Swarthmore’s fly-ins soon.
I will be off to Rice’s fly-in tomorrow.
Since you like Brown, I would think you will like the open curriculum at Amherst. Also, Amherst has a no loan policy. Did you run the NPC for Amherst?
I did run the NPC for Amherst. It was about the same as Williams. And yes! I really like the open curriculum at Amherst.
Basically Williams/Amherst/Swarthmore’s net prices were all about the same.
I think the Williams NPC might be inaccurate? I don’t think it takes home equity into account, so I think if I receive my actual financial package later, it’s going to be alot higher than what the NPC says. Should I call Williams financial aid office and ask?
I think I saw someone on the Williams board in this forum last year who was able to break ED contract because his actual aid was much lower than what the net price calculator said (and he also had a high home equity).
Can anyone provide insight into this?
Thank you so much.