Hi guys! I have been lucky enough to be admitted to Yale, but unfortunately the aid they’re giving me just isn’t enough. I want to appeal, but I’m not sure if I should call or contact them using this: https://www.sis.yale.edu/sfas/sfs/contactus/index.html
This is what they said to use in order to appeal awards, but I’m just afraid they won’t get back to me in time. I’m on a tight schedule because I leave for Europe on the 13th, and will only have today and Tuesday if I need to call them. Should I use that website and then just call right after? They’re open until 4:30. Or should I just call now and they’ll let me know if I need to send an email or something?
I did find this number on their website (203-432-2700), but they said to use it if you want to request review of your aid, like if your family situation changed or something. A bit changed, but I just want them to match an offer I have elsewhere. What should I do? Any help is appreciated!!
Is the elsewhere another Ivy, Stanford or MIT? If not, you may not get much more.
According to your other threads, you have been accepted to Harvard, Yale and BU. Congratulations! If the aid you hope they will match is from Harvard, I would,say go for it. If it’s from BU…not so sure.
Email them immediately. Your email shoild state that Yale is your top choice, but the financial aid is somewhat short. You hare hopeful they can review this so you can attend Yale.
To be honest…Yale has extremely generous need based aid…it is surprising that theirs would be lower than a peer school.
@thumper1 Yes, it’s Harvard! Thank you 
So I should email, and not bother with the website above? And no calling?
I’ve never done this…but we appeared in person when we asked…and we had the other offers in hand.
You could try to call first…to see what their procedure is.
How much more do you need? Is it $2000 or $20,000. That could make a difference too.
And seriously…what’s wrong with Harvard??
I would let them know that Y is your top choice, but it’s not affordable. Then mention that H gave you XXX and offer to fax it to them
Mentioning that you need more money and need it urgently because you are leaving for Europe next week is a sub-optimal strategy. Just saying.
Yale expects an answer by the end of the month (as do all of your other colleges) so don’t expect them to be able to turn around a financial aid review in a day or so.
Did the European telephone system suddenly stop working?
@blossom that’s not my strategy LOL. I just need to contact them before then. As long as they have a response by the time I come back, there’s no issue.
@thumper1 I’ve decided to use the link they provided, and I’m about to call them right now. I need at least 7000 more. And please respect my decision to attend Yale… I’ve gotten enough heat about it as it is 
Different people have different fits, and I just fit at Yale better than I would at Harvard. Thank you for the help, though (and everyone else, too)
Why can’t your parents call them after the 13th? Or are they on the same itinerary as you?
You “need” 7000 more? Or you “want” 7000 more?
Lily- you need to do two things.
1- Thank the person on the other end of the phone both for admitting you, and for giving you the generous aid spelled out in your package (whether you think it’s enough, need more, want more-- not relevant). Thank this person for the generous aid.
2- Thank the person on the other end of the phone for considering your appeal for more aid to make their package competitive with or closer to the package you got from Harvard.
I know you’re in a hurry, but your posts are suggesting an air of entitlement which I’m sure is inadvertent. So just to make sure that the person on the other end of the phone doesn’t pick up on this… make sure to be grateful and to express your gratitude.
Then go off to Europe.
You may or may not get more money from Yale but it sounds like you’ve got a good plan B.
I went to Brown and received a slightly better offer from Princeton. I sent Brown the information and their reply was that they would understand if I decided to go to Princeton!
I also knew some students who got better financial aid from Harvard because Harvard did not consider home equity whereas Brown did. When they appealed, Brown replied that it was their policy to consider home equity. They would not match Harvard’s offer as that would mean that some FA candidates were treated differently.
^ Home equity is considered in Yale’s calculations, they are clear about that. For some families it seems to make a real difference.
Not sure about private school tuition for siblings, maybe someone else knows? That seems to also vary with a few elite schools taking it into account and most others not.
As for the turnaround time, it is not like calling and getting an answer on the spot. Yale uses a report generated by another financial service, and numbers have to be recalculated and another report generated. Then you get your answer.