<p>I'm a senior and I've been very eager to apply to Emory University after visiting the campus and learning more about the programs offered there. I'm aiming for a Nursing Degree and I know Emory is a great college to pursue that career and further my education.</p>
<p>However, my parents (mom especially) are concerned that the financial package that they will offer should I apply Early Decision will not be enough for it to be actually affordable. I've heard that ED applicants are offered a larger sum of financial aid, but they still are worried. Is there anyone who has applied ED know how much they actually were offered and how much they had to pay to attend? </p>
<p>I was also wondering if I should really apply Early Decision, because my mom has been really upset with the idea of me going that far and fly out to Georgia for college (we live in Illinois). She's been telling me to apply to Loyola and UIC, as they are also great nursing schools, but she doesn't like the idea of having to withdraw those applications should I get accepted ED because she likes comparing options. But I know that should I apply regular decision to Emory, the financial package and acceptance rate will be much lower and more unlikely that I'll have a chance to attend Emory. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>I believe that financial aid is need based (based off your parents tax records and some other factors) so why would it matter if you apply early or not? You say that you’ve “heard ED applications are offered a larger sum of financial aid”, but that doesn’t mean what you heard is true. I think this is the case for schools with limited resources. They might only have a set amount of financial aid for the incoming class and the kids who apply early get first crack on financial aid before regular decision rolls around. I don’t think that this is the case with Emory. I would find this out before making your decision. This article should help give you a better idea of how applying early affects financial aid decisions:
<a href=“How Early Decision Affects Financial Aid | HowStuffWorks”>http://money.howstuffworks.com/personal-finance/college-planning/financial-aid/early-decision-financial-aid2.htm</a></p>
<p>Here is a relevant quote from the article:</p>
<p>“However, if money is going to be a major factor in your decision to attend a school, early decision might not be a viable option. For example, Wake Forest University recommends that prospective students who will require financial aid apply regular decision in order to compare financial assistance packages in the spring. Both their merit-based and need-based financial aid decisions aren’t made until April. Wake Forest even encourages students who have applied early decision to change their admission program to regular decision if they haven’t given enough thought as to how financial aid will affect their ability to attend the university.”</p>
<p>Also here is a list from the NYTimes of the net price (after financial aid) for low to middle income families of attending certain colleges with over a 75% graduation rate around the country.</p>
<p><a href=“The Most Economically Diverse Top Colleges - The New York Times”>The Most Economically Diverse Top Colleges - The New York Times;
<p>^What he said.</p>
<p>Financial aid should theoretically not be affected by applying ED, but different schools interpret need differently. So if money is an issue you would likely be better off having a few different options. From reading CC for the last two years it’s clear that for need-based aid the packages can vary widely from school to school.</p>
<p>When we visited Emory last February we were specifically told that if you need financial or merit aid you should not apply ED. </p>