@pveg123 – if you have a financial aid award from Barnard which denies aid when other colleges have given you pure need-based aid – then contact the financial aid office on Monday to discuss your award. You can arrange for a financial aid rep to go over the award with you and answer questions. It is always possible that they made a mistake, or are waiting for more information before finalizing an award. You have nothing to lose by calling.
It is possible that Barnard considers some resource that other colleges aren’t counting – a common issue can be home equity or any sort of unusual income or asset. Barnard won’t “match” an award from a different college, but they can explain how they got their figures. Your FAFSA EFC would be the same for any school-- from there, each college uses its own formula as to what additional assets or income they might consider.
Rejected after being deferred ED! It sucks, but the blow was definitely lessened by acceptances to Bryn Mawr and Oberlin (with hella merit money for both) that I opened right beforehand. I guess I just gotta accept the fact that it wasn’t meant to be.
Call the financial aid office and send them your competing financial aid packages. They can review your status and perhaps change your award. This is something students are afraid to do but you’ve been accepted so they want you in the class. Call! You’ll be happy you did.
@Itstina2 My GPA when I applied was 3.7 UW and 4.36 W
I posted my stats and other extracurricular info in a chance me. Some stuff has changed since I posted it and I addressed all updates in my extracurriculars in the update letter I set Barnard when I was deferred.
Thank you @calmom and @anneabeau I will definitely call the financial aid office. Even if I don’t end up getting any aid from them an explanation as to why I’m not eligible would make me feel better
ACCEPTED (after being deferred ED)
GPA: 94 unweighed (my school says that this is equal to an unweighed 3.9)
ACT: 27
Major: English and literature
IB diploma candidate with very intense extracurricular involvement!
@calmom My daughter is deciding between Barnard (undecided major) and Medill (NU journalism). Her other interests include pre-business, psychology, sustainability, and music. Barnard will give her two more years to figure out her path in life (possibly including a more secure/lucrative career), whereas Medill will give her a platform to follow her journalistic passion to the fullest. In terms of personality, she is very independent, outgoing, and enthusiastic; she likes to move fast and embodies “work hard, play hard.”
She visited Barnard last summer and loved the campus (Columbia was her first choice) but has not visited Northwestern. She is unable to attend either on-campus admitted students event. Also, we are from the Bay Area, so I’m a little concerned about Evanston winters. I also feel that internship and networking opportunities are better in NYC. We have also heard that the quarter system is controversial.
Can you give us any words of advice on location, fit/campus culture, or post-graduation prospects at either of these schools?
@baywatch2023 --I don’t really know anything about Northwestern so I can’t help you with any sort of comparison. If Columbia was your daughter’s top choice (but she was turned down), then Barnard puts her at Columbia with access to all of Columbia’s resources, including social environment as well as academic – unless she would place undue importance on the fact that she was housed on the west side of Broadway. I just had a PM quite recently from a parent whose daughter is graduating from Barnard this spring and attending Columbia’s journalism school next year – so that path is certainly open. Students at Barnard can also work for the Spectator which provides a good opportunity for prospective journalists. My daughter also has a career in what is essentially broadcast (podcast) journalism, though she is on the business management end of things and that is something she stumbled into post-college.
@calmom Thanks for writing back! You make a good point about access to Columbia’s social resources and career opportunities. My daughter will talk to her college counselors and contact alumni of her high school at both NU and Barnard as well.