The standard advice is to NOT apply ED if you’re unsure about financial aid. I think you should apply to a school that offers Early action, like Yale, UChicago, Harvard, etc. If you don’t get in EA, than you can apply to Dartmouth or any other school.
This advice especially applies to you since your parents make over $100k.
@nerdking It’s true that there’s a difference in the acceptance rate between ED and RD. What I’m suggesting is that you choose a different college to apply to EA. There must be other colleges besides Dartmouth you’re interested in.
I believe the point is that if you apply ED, you have NO negotiating power. You cannot ask Dartmouth to give you more to match an offer from another school. For example, D was initially offered 0/nada/zilch, but then they matched Harvard.
@f2000sa Yes, it’s binding for international students. If a student violates his ED contract, the college can share this with other colleges and which leads to all sorts of trouble. The Ivy League does share this kind of information along its colleges.
@nerdking Your aid is $30k after “self help”. Don’t count so much on self help, especially as an international student. Appying ED isn’t something you should do unless if you’re sure that you can can afford a college comfortably. Applying EA might be a better option. Be careful with ED.
I too am considering applying ED to Dartmouth. I’m in a unique situation where I’m classed as an international though I live in America (since we don’t have green cards yet). I will need quite a bit of financial aid - I’m currently on a (second)* gap year because I couldn’t afford college the first time around (I only applied to a few schools, not realizing I wouldn’t be eligible for student loans at any of them) and my family had to travel around Europe with my dad’s job.
Basically because my family’s residency status is up in the air I need to apply to somewhere that will be able to give me enough financial aid to go, because even the cheapest local colleges would be unaffordable without student loans. I’d have the same problem in my home country (England) because I’m no longer considered a resident there. Because of this, ironically some of the Ivies would probably be the only way I’d be able to afford college (or Amherst, which I hear is need-blind and meets full need as well).
Question is, should I apply ED to Dartmouth, and would it actually increase my chances of acceptance? I think I’m a competitive candidate grades and extracurricular-wise (originally I planned on going to U of Michigan but it was unaffordable). I’m going to be applying to about 15 schools, both big and small, but there are next to no colleges in my state (Michigan) that have anywhere near the financial support system I’d need to go to college, except for a few odd scholarships.
*Note that I’ve been off school for over a year now and am starting a second gap year. I’ll be applying from Ireland as that’s where I’m staying (with family) for the next few months before going back to America in December, however we still have our American visas and our house there and everything (we lived there for 7 years and still no green card). As for the “what I’ve done during my time off”: travelled, had an internship with a film website/magazine (still going), and taken classes.
So, ED or EA? If I had no financial problems Dartmouth would still be a top choice - but I’d probably be going to Michigan right now if that were the case anywhere. I’m going to apply to 4 or 5 of the ivies, but I think I’d have the best chance at Dartmouth. If I’m accepted ED but they can’t give me the financial aid I need, I’m allowed to reject the offer, right? But wouldn’t they give me the financial aid that I need, because they say they will meet every student’s need?
what constitutes other assets Are we talking about real estate other than your primary residence? Are we talking about a farm? Is your dad self employed or does he own his own business?
If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then the net price calculator will not be accurate in determining your need.
If you are applying EA to HYP, you cannot apply ED to Dartmouth because they are all single choice early action, which means you can only apply to them; you cannot apply to any other early programs.
I think we’re pretty normal. My dad is just employed in a firm. He has no other business and no we do not have a farm. We do own an apartment that we don’t live in but that’s the only place we have. The only reason we don’t live in it is because it’s in another country.
Would the net price calculator be pretty accurate then?
rhe apartment that your family owns In another country and does not live in is an asset. The value of the asset if fully paid or the equity ( cost - any remaining mortgage) must be placed on your financial aid forms.
Any rental income from the apartment, while your family is not living in it is income that also must be placed on your financial aid forms.
Based on what you just wrote, the net price calculator is not going to be accurate. In telling you your family’s net price