Financial Aid Advice

<p>I just got accepted to Johns Hopkins last week, and received my acceptance package in the mail this past weekend. I'm not sure if I can afford school with the gift they gave me. I live in a affluent area, but my family is not rich by any stretch of the imagination. Any advice on perhaps 'bargaining' or any good scholarship opportunities? (I know this kind of thread has probably come up hundreds of times, so I'm sorry)</p>

<p>Also, when you apply for financial aid, are you automatically submitted into need-based scholarships, or do you need to apply to those separately?</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>When you applied for admission, did you file a financial aid application? If you didn’t, you need to contact JHU and find out what to do.</p>

<p>I already applied for FA with admission. I received the estimate (before FAFSA) in the mail with my acceptance. I’m not sure if I will be able to afford it, even with the gift they already gave me. (also, I was released from the binding contract because I wasn’t accepted to BME, so I’m no longer obligated to go)</p>

<p>What are your parents saying? Are they saying that they can’t afford to pay what the school is expecting?</p>

<p>You don’t have any other offers right, to show them?</p>

<p>What are your stats? Are they high for the school?</p>

<p>Scholarships get applied to “need” so they won’t reduce your family contribution.</p>

<p>I’ve already been accepted to Georgia Tech. All other school’s decisions don’t come out until the spring. And yes. My parents can’t afford what the school is expecting as of now.</p>

<p>Stats are as follows:
SAT I (breakdown): CR-620 M-760 W-690
ACT: 34
SAT II: Math II-770 Chem-770 US-730
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.89
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 18/369
AP (place score in parenthesis): World(4) US(5) Chem(5) Calc BC(5)
Senior Year Course Load: Dual Enrollment Georgia Tech Calculus, AP Mircroeconomics, AP Physics B, AP Biology, Lit
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): a few High School Honors…?
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): FCA(officer 4 years) Baseball, NHS, Beta, 121 Tutoring, Science Olympiad
Job/Work Experience: Tutoring
Volunteer/Community service: A good bit
Summer Activities: Baseball
Essays: Pretty good?
Teacher Recommendation: Really good (from AP Chem and AP US teachers)
Counselor Rec: no clue
Additional Rec: none
Interview: Yes</p>

<p>State (if domestic applicant): GA
School Type: Public (1800+ students)
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Strengths: ACT, class rank, high school reputation.
Weaknesses: Freshman/Sophomore year grades. Leadership in EC’s
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Georgia Tech (Accepted)</p>

<p>Well, you have HOPE for GT, so JHU probably won’t care about that. </p>

<p>I’m surprised that you weren’t accepted to BME with an ACT 34 and good ranking.</p>

<p>Your aid wasn’t based on your neighborhood, it was based on your parents income and assets. Did they go over their app to make sure they put the numbers in correctly?</p>

<p>Do you just need a little bit more or a lot more? Schools don’t usually give a lot more, but sometimes you can squeeze a couple more thousand out of them if you have a good case.</p>

<p>Same question…how short on funds are you? If its not a huge gap you could get a job now work as much as you can during school and then work full time over the summer and should be able to make maybe 4000-5000. That could at least make up the difference of HOPE.</p>

<p>^^^</p>

<p>Making up the difference from HOPE probably isn’t the issue. For GT, all they have to pay for is room, board, and books…about $12k…and maybe use a student loan for some of that.</p>

<p>Besides, it’s very unlikely a student can save $5k for college each year. Students have to spend some of their earnings on day to day expenses.</p>

<p>For JHU, a private, the school may be expecting the family to pay a lot more.</p>

<p>In another thread, the student indicates family income is 100k, so JHU is probably expecting the family to pay $25k+ per year…a lot more than GT after Hope.</p>

<p>My parents bring in just over 100K. JHU is expecting 45K for my freshman year. GT would be about 10-12K with room, board, and books. I would need a good bit more to be able to go to JHU. I’m using my winter break for scholarship essays and working, and I’m already working to put money away for next year.</p>

<p>Your parents must have a good amount of assets.</p>

<p>I’m using my winter break for scholarship essays and working, and I’m already working to put money away for next year.</p>

<p>Look closely at those scholarships…if they’re only for freshman year, then they’re not going to be there to help pay for years 2, 3, and 4. </p>

<p>Many of the “multiple year” scholarships have deadlines that have already passed.</p>

<p>How much WILL your parents pay?</p>

<p>Do NOT decline GT unless you’re sure you have all money in place for all 4 years.</p>

<p>We barely have any assets. That’s the problem. And thanks for the scholarship advice.</p>

<p>Does your home have a lot of value.</p>

<p>If not, and your family doesn’t have assets and they don’t have their own business, then perhaps JHU made an error or your parents made an error on the FA forms.</p>

<p>Do your parents own a business?</p>