<p>Not sure how to read this but have to admit the fine print toward the middle of the article has me starting to feel more positive about having D accept her Early Action nod from Yale. If Yale adopts a plan with a graduated cost structure based on income until the full freight threshold is reached, I think they will absolutely have my D matriculating. </p>
<p>Yale</a> Daily News - In aid policy, Yale can still take lead</p>
<p>mammall:</p>
<p>First congrats to your D. Second, whatever Yale will offer by way of financial aid is still very much in the works. It may well be announced soon, but in the meantime, if financial aid is of concern to your family, I would advise that your D apply to other schools as well (including Harvard!). Good luck, and congrats again.</p>
<p>mammall, Yale's financial aid is due for an overhaul for middle class families. Last year, of the selective schools that DD was accepted to (HYPSC), Yale had the stingiest initial financial aid offer.</p>
<p>On the one hand, there is thousands of dollars at stake, so it pays to be careful. However, it is hard to imagine Yale not responding to Harvard on this. They can afford it, and failing to come up with something similar would lose it many students who might have gone to Yale instead if the money worked out. </p>
<p>Of course, Yale could come up with a plan that is competitive with Harvard overall, but does not work as well for your family.</p>
<p>At this point she has little to lose by keeping her options open at least until Yale announces what it is going to do.</p>
<p>Absolutely agree with you both. She will finish out her last few college and scholarship applications over the holiday and look over the options in the spring. I do hope these schools understand fully the position families like ours are placed in when their income rules out financial aid but there is little accumulated wealth or job security to support taking on the massive financial commitment demanded. There's also a pyschological angle. Even if Yale's new financial aid formula only provided D a small fraction of the overall cost, we will feel much better sending her there. I liken this to the tax structure. The highest incomes are taxed at the highest percentage -- not an absolute amount. So those earning $1 million pay a very different tax bill than those earning $250K, even though both are in the highest bracket. One size simply does not fit all who fall over a certain income threshold. The same approach should apply to tuition.</p>
<p>What a wild ride this has turned out to be -- making the list, applications, recommendations, deciding on an EA target, and the finances -- all such thorny issues to sort through. But also thrilling. Wouldn't miss it for anything.</p>
<p>mammal - Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>When is Princeton going to get on this train?</p>
<p>Yale has been planning a January announcement for a while - no doubt Harvard knew that. This probably presses them to at least match them or close to it. But there are some valid points in the article about the flaw in Harvard's plan and about the fact that excellent schools like U Chicago could not match that kind of aid.</p>
<p>Because of harvard new need based aid policy, I know a lot of students who are admittted for 2012 at Yale and similar places are now apllying to Harvard. Yale is a really very nice place, but this financial aid if not revised can create a problem for them.</p>
<p>MSMDad - our daughter was in a similar position last year. While the offers from HYP were all generous - Yale's was third. The difference in the three was not enough to figure into her decision. This year, however, could be different for the class of 2012 unless Yale really does make dramatic changes. </p>
<p>For those of us who already have kids attending Yale - we are of course hoping that the new packages meet those of Harvard. Wouldn't that be nice!</p>
<p>
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excellent schools like U Chicago could not match that kind of aid
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</p>
<p>Chicago didn't used to offer such great aid, but it should be able to now. </p>
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When is Princeton going to get on this train?
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</p>
<p>Princeton beat Harvard to the draw for two of the three elements of the Harvard announcement. Princeton was first to announce that it wouldn't consider home equity an asset for calculating the expected family contribution (I think the first students admitted under that policy have already graduated), and it was the first to announce a no-loan policy. (The students first admitted under that policy graduate soon.) It may be that Princeton already matches Harvard pretty closely in what percentage of family income is expected from families that have an estimated family contribution greater than zero. Check the Princeton estimator </p>
<p>Princeton</a> University | Princeton Financial Aid Estimator </p>
<p>to see what it reports. My family would come out fine by Princeton's policies.</p>