<p>Hello everyone, I applied EA to harvard and I am deciding whether I should apply to other colleges. Like many of you here my first choice is harvard, and if I get accepted I will definitely go, but I am totally clueless about financial aid and how it works. My question is if hypothetically I get into harvard EA, how much of a difference would it make in the financial aid i would get from harvard if I apply and get in to other schools I am considering such as stanford, upenn or princeton. I dont want to withdraw all my other applications and miss out on a ton of aid.</p>
<p>Applying to other colleges has nothing to do with financial aid. You need to follow the directions for financial aid that each college has and make sure that you meet all of the deadlines. You need to fill out FAFSA for starters and then Profile, given the type of schools on your list. Other colleges may have their own financial aid form as well. You also need to get moving on this as some schools (though not the ones you mention) have early bird deadlines for the more juicy scholarships. Since Harvard does not have a binding ED, you can have multiple applications out there as long as none of them are EA or ED. You can then compare financial aid packages in April when you have all of your acceptances. If you feel that your first choice, Harvard is skimpier than some of the other schools, you can call their financial aid office and discuss the matter. You will have a basis of comparision if you do not withdraw all of your other schools apps upon getting accepted by Harvard. So by all means, you should have other applications out.</p>
<p>Also, though I am sure that you have a phenomonal profile, strong stats and great resume, I recommend that you also pick some schools that are not as selective as the ones you have mentioned. These schools are often called lottery tickets or crapshoots, and for good reason. Many kids with really terrific credentials do not get in just from the sheer volume of top flight applicants, and the schools internal needs and goals. Also, if you know you will need money, unless you have carefully done a financial dry run to get your EFC and likely numbers from your list of schools, you may want to apply to some schools where you will be eligible for merit awards. None of the schools you mention give merit money and sometimes their definition of need and yours may differ. I suggest looking at Vanderbilt, Emory, Tulane and see if you have time to apply for some of their generous award packages.</p>
<p>thank you VERY VERY VERY much
that answered my question beautifully</p>
<p>just curious, I sometimes hear the phrase "negotiating financial aid" or something to that effect, so what you are saying is that negotiating has nothing to do with getting offered better packages from other colleges?</p>
<p>jamimom...what do you mean by some schools have early deadlines for the better scholarships....when i apply to schools...aren't i just applying for acceptance...i haven't found any individual scholarships associated with schools that i have to apply to....then again i've only done apps for ivy league and top tier schools...can you name some schools that have these scholarship deadlines? i would appreciate it alot. Thanks.</p>
<p>sabin...you can probably negotiate financial aid with some schools that you are overqualified for and would love to have you...you cant negotiate with the ivy leagues or probably most other top schools...you can easily be replaced lol...its like an old-style factory system</p>
<p>Ohio State for example, has a Dec. 15 deadline if you want to compete for the full-scholarship they offer.</p>
<p>And, I have heard stories about people negotiating with Ivy league financial aid offices. Once they accept you, they don't want to lose you! They like high yield numbers.</p>