Okay now that all that has been cleared up (although more input on my chances/ my supplement is always welcome), does anyone have anything to say about yale’s astrophysics? I’ve read about trips to chile and puerto rico but I couldn’t really find anything specific. Also about the resume and the bargaining thing
You probably have a higher shot at Yale then most who apply there. But hey - if things don’t work out with Yale, you’ve still got Harvard.
“I’m planning to bargain with the school I decide on and ask for more financial aid”
I’m pretty sure this is not how it works at this level.
@albert69 haha, true! Thank you 
@NickFlynn It isn’t? I’ve read that after you get your financial aid package you can appeal to the school and say that “x school is giving me this amount of aid” and then that school will match it… is that really not true???
That is the case at a lot of schools, but I don’t think that is how it works at Harvard or Yale.
Can confirm it does not work that way at the Ivies. I know of a girl who last year tried it with Columbia–no bueno. She was trying to leverage them against UPenn, which gave her a full ride. Soooo she just went to UPenn LOL.
^ It may not always work, but you can certainly try. There have been instances where there has been significant movement.
@NickFlynn @proudterrier aw frick!! then cornell is an exception?! In this article (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/05/your-money/paying-for-college/for-many-families-college-financial-aid-packages-are-worth-an-appeal.html?_r=0) it says “Cornell instantly corrects itself if you’ve got higher need-based aid offers from other Ivy League schools or M.I.T., Duke and Stanford; it will match that offer, no questions asked.”
can you appeal in general? Like if you have financial changes or something and not just comparing to other schools?
@renaissancedad can it hurt? my mom is afraid they’ll take away my acceptance for asking. also what instances are you talking about?
You can appeal your financial aid decision.
I’m curious as to why you think Harvard won’t be giving you enough aid?
@NickFlynn wait so yes it does work? and I’m just trying to think ahead, you never know what’ll happen. also as long as it doesn’t hurt me to appeal I don’t see why I shouldn’t at least try to ask for more aid, regardless of whether it’s “enough” or not
@lilypippili, you can always appeal your financial aid package if your circumstances have changed, and you can document those changes. Your acceptance cannot be rescinded because you appeal a financial aid offer - all they can do is say no, and if you end up somewhere else, so be it.
The 2003 book The Gatekeepers followed an admissions officer at Wesleyan College, and looked at the admissions process in detail. One of the students who was featured was a talented African American woman who got accepted pretty much everywhere. She ended up at Yale, but their initial financial offer was considerably lower than at some other schools. I believe both Harvard and Yale upped their financial aid packages to her after her mother showed the variation in need-based packages.
It’s not uncommon to see wide discrepancies in aid packages. Mine (a long time ago) varied from some student loan packages to 50% tuition. Fortunately the latter was at my top choice, and I never had to appeal. Again, all they can do is say no, knowing pretty well that they are likely to lose you if someone comparable offers a much better aid package.
You can appeal for various reasons (circumstances change, there is some additional hardship in the family that isn’t properly accounted for on the forms you submit, etc…)
If you just go in and just ask for more aid without specific reasons, or even worse, try to use another colleges offer to “negotiate” - well, I don’t expect that will go well for you at Harvard or Yale.
That’s my understanding - and that is different from what goes on with other schools.
@renaissancedad thank you for all that information! That was the initial impression I had of the whole appeal process, so I’m glad I wasn’t completely wrong. Would you say it’s worth it to apply to other schools JUST to see if they’d give different financial aid packages? Obviously if I get into Yale I’ll have Harvard to compare with, but my dad also wants me to apply to UPenn and Tufts (even though he knows full well if I don’t get into Yale I’m going to Harvard). Would it be worth it or is that stupid? I already have the apps written and everything so it doesn’t require any extra work on my part, I just think it’s a waste of money
@lilypippili first, congrats to you for getting into Harvard. But, you have to realize, there are a lot of people who didn’t make into early decision/action schools including Harvard. And I’m pretty sure you are aware of the fact they they are not really happy right now. Although I understand that you are really excited for your acceptance in Harvard and wanted to talk about it, come on… what’s going to return to you? There aren’t a lot of people who are going to congratulate you at this point and people are really sensitive and mad at you because you know, more than anyone, about the true intention of this post. If you deny it, there’s nothing I can do because you are lying to yourself. But you shouldn’t have posted these types of post in “What are my chances”.
@NickFlynn I’m very confused, @renaissancedad is saying the complete opposite of you… I’m sorry, I just think you have the wrong information because there are numerous threads on collegeconfidential where people discuss negotiating financial aid packages… where are you getting your information? Do you have prior experience with this?
@NJCCNJ I’ve already explained myself too many times… read through the prior posts, I didn’t come here to brag or talk about my acceptance, I was asking for advice about Yale. It’s true that people didn’t get in and I’m very sorry about that but I honestly don’t think that should affect me, this is a college forum where people from a range of academic standing ask for advice on colleges, and that’s what I’m doing. Thank you for congratulating me, and I’m sorry that I came off the wrong way 
@lilypippili what is it that you are trying to ask in this post?
Hey, like I said already, lots of colleges will try to match an offer if they want you badly enough. From what I understand from reading about it, there was a time when this definitely went on at the Ivies, but that is not the case any longer. Hey, I’m perfectly open to the idea that I might be wrong about it - so, go ahead and give it a try if you get the chance.