<p>I've been accepted to Columbia University into the class of 2018 through the Early Decision program. After being accepted to Columbia, I withdrew my regular decision application to Harvard, because I assumed that I'd just be going to Columbia and that was that. My (divorced) parents are underwhelmed by the financial aid package offered by Columbia, considering the fact that it is already difficult to get by. Harvard would likely have a much better financial aid offer, so I've contacted Harvard, and they said that if I can get Columbia to send Harvard a letter "saying that Columbia ‘releases’ [me] from the binding agreement," my application to Harvard can be re-instated and I'll be reviewed as an applicant to Harvard's class of 2018.
My question is: would this process of Columbia letting me off the hook from the ED contract mean that I would have to sacrifice my acceptance to Columbia in order to be reviewed as an applicant at Harvard? I don't want to risk my place at Columbia in order to apply to Harvard, and then get rejected from Harvard and have nowhere to go.</p>
<p>Yes, assuming C will let you out of the ED agreement, you must choose between keeping C at a high cost or taking a chance on H which may be more affordable if you are accepted.</p>
<p>Why did you accept at C and withdraw other applications before you saw the FA package?</p>
<p>Yes. You apply RD if you want to get to see all your acceptances and compare financial aid packages! Once you see your financial offer and ask Columbia to be released from ED the acceptance no longer stands. Now you take your chances but you are in a tricky situation should you not get a Harvard acceptance. And that is a huge uncertainly. </p>
<p>Why do you think the offer would be so different? I wouldn’t think the family contribution would necessarily be so different between these generous meets needs colleges, of course we do see reports of differences sometimes. Does the Net Price Calculator indicate a difference?</p>
<p>I wouldn’t be surprised if Harvard offered more than Columbia. Ive heard of offers between HYP differing by over $10K and those three are often more generous than the other Ivies. Over and over again it is stated on CC by experienced parents that you should not apply ED if you are going to want to compare financial aid offers. Assuming there is no major difference between what Columbia offered you and what their net price calculator estimated was your costs, your parents should have made their objection to the “underwhelming” FA package before you submitted the ED application. If you are good enough to get into Columbia ED and your parents were not satisfied with need based financial aid, you should have been able to get into a lower tiered school with merit money as this may be even less expensive than Harvard. Given Harvard’s incredibly high SCEA admit numbers this year, their RD admit rate may be in the 3% range so you are taking a big risk turning down Columbia ED in hopes of more money and an acceptance from Harvard. If your parents will not pay Columbia’s expected contribution, then you have no choice but that brings you back to Entomom’s question as to why you accepted the spot in the first place?</p>