<p>@BigGreenjen -- Thanks!!! I think my family is pretty much in the same condition!! Hope Dartmouth feels so too .... Thanks! It was comforting!!</p>
<p>Remember that ED is a big commitment as you are saying if you are admitted you will attend regardless of the FA package given. Being an international student if yo back out of ED because the $$ is not right you will really not have any choices as far as a plan B for school.</p>
<p>sybbie,
Most early decision agreements allow international students to back out if insufficient financial awards become an issue. However, an international student can't back out of early decision at Dartmouth because Dartmouth meets 100% of all students' (including international students) financial need.</p>
<p>adrivit,
Just know that when you get into Dartmouth, Dartmouth will make sure you can attend without taking any loans. Only students whose families have no (or very low) income pay nothing.</p>
<p>Of couse he can back out if the FA is not sufficent,most schools allow you to back out of ED to attend the mosre affordable option; your local/ state university system. Since OP is an international student, he does not have this as a back up option. Op also needs to know that should he be admitted and backs out of ED at Dartmouth, this chances are nil as far as obtaining admission to any of the other Ivies, MIT/Stanford or Dartmouth's peer schools becasuse he backed out of his Ed agreement.</p>
<p>As I stated before, just because a school meets 100% of your demonstrated need does not mean that everything is free (usually the monies that Op will get will cover, tuition, room & board and not books, health insurance, travel home, skiing or PE, entertainment, toiletries or other sundry items)</p>
<p>MOst of the students who have very low pay nothing FA packages are U.S> Citizens/Permanent residents who are eligible for Federal funds (pell grants, AAGs, etc) and possibly some other outside scholarships.</p>
<p>I am not going to back out!! I can always take loans from the universities which can be repaid later, can't I? That does not bring my family in the picture ....</p>
<p>adrivit,
International financial aid candidates are treated the same way as domestic financial aid candidates at eight of the wealthiest schools: Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Dartmouth, MIT, Williams, Amherst, and Middlebury. My friend, who is an international student, attends Dartmouth, and he told me a lot about it. If you get into Dartmouth as a financial aid candidate, then you can't take out a loan from Dartmouth because Dartmouth will give you grant to cover the cost of almost everything if need be. The only loans Dartmouth gives are for laptop and half of your health insurance (it automatically pays the other half of your health insurance cost if you applied for financial aid). sybbie719 is right that financial aid doesn't cover skiing, toiletries, presents you buy for your relatives, designer suits, etc. That's reasonable though. You can't expect to live like a royal while in college.
There is one thing you need to know. If you apply for financial aid at Dartmouth, which is one of the wealthiest schools in the world in terms of endowment per capita, and get in, you and your family will not have to worry about money.</p>
<p>Thanks!!!! Yipeee!!!!</p>