<p>The problem is that the universities do not feel the need to push a package for you if you dont qualify for FA based on parental income and you applied for a binding decision. The schools try to choose full pays during the early rounds as much as they can so they can hold on to the grant money for the regular rounds.</p>
<p>Call up the Duke Financial Aid office and explain the situation. They might adjust the aid package a certain amount but you really put yourself in a bind by committing to a school that your parents can easily afford but are unwillingly to pay for.</p>
<p>Duke has a few named scholarships but very, very few. If you’re still asking about the age-old question of whether it’s worth going into huge debt for an elite school rather than going debt-free to your in-state public school, you have to weight the expected payoffs and experiences, long term, with the risks and costs. Having gone to and graduated from Duke engineering when I myself could have gone even beyond full ride to my in-state public school, I will say that I wouldn’t trade my experiences there for anything, period, and it has led to me where I am now. But I also don’t have $200,000 in debt…is it worth that in debt? Hmm…probably not, to be perfectly honest. It’s such a monumental risk to take, and if you’re going to continue in graduate school, you’re going to go farther down the rabbit hole. That’s not considering future mortgages and other real-life stuff that will require you to go into debt. I’m obviously a huge Duke fan since it’s my alma mater but, loyalties aside, I’ll be the first to tell you that you better think long and hard about decision, especially when considering programs that Duke might not necessarily be world renowned for. p.s. what kind of school would eliminate their comp sci program? That’s kind of, um, like the fastest growing sector in…the US? I’d like to know who thought that was a good decision</p>
<p>@UltimateFrisbee
That is why I’m so uncertain! I want to go into computer engineering and UF just tried to completely eliminate it from their school… (They ended up not). </p>
<p>Also, I thought Duke’s computer engineering program was pretty well-known…</p>
<p>
[NRC</a> Rankings Overview: Computer Sciences - Faculty - The Chronicle of Higher Education](<a href=“http://chronicle.com/article/NRC-Rankings-Overview-/124721/]NRC”>http://chronicle.com/article/NRC-Rankings-Overview-/124721/)</p>
<p>The only private universities that are definitively more highly regarded than Duke for Computer Science are Stanford, MIT, Princeton, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Harvard, and the University of Pennsylvania. I’m afraid that I’m not knowledgeable on the difference between Computer Science and Computer Engineering however.</p>
<p>Computer engineering is clubbed more with Electrical and probably more on the hardware side.</p>
<p>This topic was discussed recently on the Parents Forum. The situation there is a little different, but a lot of it will apply to you as well. Bottom line No one can MAKE you go to Duke, but there might be consequences if you break the ED contract. </p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1413563-how-binding-early-decision.html?highlight=ed+contract[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1413563-how-binding-early-decision.html?highlight=ed+contract</a></p>
<p>And I am sorry, I dont want to sound like I am scolding you, but the reasons you gave for applying ED are very unconvincing. The few merit scholarships that Duke has are awarded in spring (late March?).
^^ This is straight from the Dukes ED Application instructions.</p>
<p>In any case, keep us posted on your decision. Duke is a great school, but IMHO its not worth $200K in debt.</p>
<p>Could everyone stop being mean? Try imaging how they feels instead of yelling at them for something they can’t change. If you have nothing helpful to say than shut up</p>
<p>Umm…did you not consider any of the previous posts helpful? Sigh…</p>
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<p>I don’t like calling people out over message boards, but seriously, the last two pages have incredibly helpful information and also bring up the fact that if you know you have serious financial constraints (parents won’t pay) even though you are supposed to pay 60k/year based on the Duke FA Calculator, you shouldn’t apply ED and back out. It’s different if you were supposed to get a lot of need and didn’t or had a family emergency, but that wasn’t the car here. You need to chill out. A lot.</p>
<p>In the big picture of things, I don’t think you will upset too many people if you choose not to attend Duke. If you hadn’t applied ED, does that mean one more person might have been selected? Nobody knows! If it was me, I would ask my parents to pay for your whatever it’s going to cost to go to UF and then bank the rest for your graduate school education or as a nest egg to get you off to a great start. That’s sort of what my stepmom did for my stepsister.</p>
<p>Here is an article from Duke’s website stating difference between ECE and Comp Sci:</p>
<p>[Computer</a> Science vs. Electrical and Computer Engineering | Duke Pratt School of Engineering](<a href=“http://www.pratt.duke.edu/undergrad/cs-vs-ce]Computer”>What's the Difference Between Computer Science and Electrical & Computer Engineering? | Duke Electrical and Computer Engineering)</p>
<p>I don’t want to be mean. I don’t like when people are mean to each other on threads. I think it is important to be realistic here. I am not aware enough of the financial aid picture to know exactly what could have been known ahead of time, but something I just thought of might be something to think about - are you 18 yet? Can’t you declare yourself as no longer a dependent of your parents and then the financial aid is given to you without their assets coming into play?</p>
<p>Again, I have no idea how it all works, and have no idea how calculators work when parents HAVE assets but won’t use them… And you did receive something from financial aid with the decision, just not an amount that is do-able? (just clarifying that FinAid DID send something, not that no package whatsoever arrived?) And I’m guessing this lack of aid was due to the info your parents had to put on the CSS Profile? Duke claims to meet 100% of need, though I guess it all depends on how they perceive/asses that need? All good things to talk to FinAid dept about. I can only imagine what a stressful time this must be for you right now and I really hope it all works out for you.</p>
<p>^ if the above is possible, we will all encourage our kids to emancipate. I don’t believe colleges accept this from seniors in high school.</p>
<p>In OPs case, her admission might have been largely depedent on being a fullpay. FA candidates are treated differently in ED rounds and not admitted as freely.</p>
<p>OK… I re-read your “explanation” post and had another idea… Did your parents decide they would not be willing to pay AFTER you applied ED? Maybe that can be your “extenuating circumstance”?</p>
<p>Well, I was only suggesting it as a maybe because of this particular circumstance. </p>
<p>Do we need to begin questioning whether OP would’ve gotten in or not depending on ability to pay? That seems to large of an assumption to make. If it is in fact true that FA ED applicants are treated differently. it is one of those “unspoken” things. Colleges deny the truth in it. BTW - my son got in as a FA candidate.</p>
<p>They only admit so many full FA candidates in ED round and hold the money for later. Deferral is not considered a rejection. Most schools admit FA candidates in early round via QB although I am not sure if Duke is in QB. </p>
<p>OP has two choices - enroll or reject admission. Trying to emancipate this late in the game - I am sure plenty of people have considered it but schools dont buy it. The planning should have started at least an year or two early.</p>
<p>Ok…
Looking back on everything that was said on the post I do regret applying early decision. I feel bad that I’m starting my adult life “reneging” on a commitment. However, my parents and I honestly felt like I would get some sort of merit based grant in our package. (Notice I said grant and not scholarship, because I know scholarships are awarded later in the year). We were under this impression because my family-friend said that was how it worked when he went to college. </p>
<p>Now, about 20 years later I don’t think colleges offer too many merit based grants anymore. My mom and I have a theory that they are so busy paying for everyone else’s financial aid (because they cover 100% now a days ) that they don’t have enough money left over to give to the “richer” student no matter what their credentials look like. </p>
<p>If I would have known this, I wouldn’t have applied early decision, but that’s the hindsight bias for you. </p>
<p>Now, as for filing as an independent, you have to be married or have a kid or be 24… lol. I already googled it. </p>
<p>@my3gr8boyz
I never thought about it that way… My mom is talking to my “personal guidance counselor” (fancy right?) tomorrow, and I’ll tell her to bring that up. </p>
<p>Also, pretty much all of the top tier colleges boast “need-blind” acceptance. So I don’t think I got in because I didn’t qualify for financial aid… Unless they’re doing that behind closed doors. </p>
<p>Thank you guys for all of the help, and you can keep on posting advice if you want. I truly appreciate it. You definitely made my decision making process less stressful. If you guys care, I will keep you posted on my decision when it is made.</p>
<p>Hey Sandrose, I just made an account so I could let you know you are not alone. I was also accepted to Duke ED, offered no financial aid, have parents who can but will not pay full tuition (though I appreciate what they are willing to pay), and will be facing a reasonable amount of debt (not as much as you). </p>
<p>I don’t know what to do. It is just so tough. I’m right there with you in this being some of the most stressful, emotional few days</p>
<p>To everyone else, I would ask that you cut the guy a break. Sure, applying ED may not be the most thoughtful choice, but I know from experience, when you really want to go to a school and paying seems possible (especially when your parents have the money), they you’re going to do everything to get accepted including applying early</p>
<p>Today many top high school students have to make a choice. Spend the family lifetime savings to attend their dream school, take on debt they can never pay off or attend the state flagship with a merit scholarship.
As a result the top private colleges are full of wealthy and low income (need aid) students. The middle and upper middle class students end up at the state flagships. In situations like your’s where the parents are felt to be able to pay and will not (or can’t) most fin. aid dept.'s will tell you they are sorry and ask you to “step out of the line”.</p>
<p>Colleges do offer some amount of merit aid, you just have to be a good enough student to get it. This is including state schools. The Ivy’s, I don’t think they offer merit aid unless something changed.</p>