<p>So I recently got the package, and let me tell you, it’s not pretty. It’s about 6% less than the FAFSA EFC, which I find somewhat weird because the FAFSA doesn’t consider assets and we don’t own a house. If you included student expected contribution, it’d just about meet the FAFSA. I know Bowdoin isn’t a “super-aid” school like HYP et al, but I’m quite shocked at how much they were expecting. But that’s besides the point. </p>
<p>(Please don’t yell at me about not looking at the NPC – I did with our financial estimates, and the price turned out fine. But those were estimates, and my family didn’t completely know how much we made/how much we have until literally a week ago when we filed taxes. And we underestimated when we ran NPCs.)</p>
<p>What I want to know is this:
- How does everyone else’s packages compare to their FAFSA EFC?
- Will appealing do any good, assuming I didn’t screw up on the CSS (we are in a little of a funky situation, so I feel that talking to someone might help them better understand it)?
- How do other top LACs stack up to Bowdoin in terms of aid?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>In our case, taking into consideration that Bowdoin’s aid package doesn’t include any loans, it was by far the most generous. </p>
<p>@JoBenny Which schools (specific names or a description of their fin aid policy) did you compare to? </p>
<p>I just ran the NPC like an hour ago using current financial info and got like a discrepancy of about 15k/yr, which is basically the difference between affordable and unaffordable. We don’t have any assets or anything not in the NPC, so I don’t see why it’d be such a big difference. Once admissions into all colleges start rolling out, I’ll probably give their financial aid office a call (I presume they’re overworked at the moment).</p>
<p>Since you have an “early write” and Bowdoin is presently on Spring Break, this actually might be a good time to call…</p>
<p>@itsallgood1 I presumed that the fin aid office would be busy figuring out the packages for other admitted students (idk and maybe even the non admitted because I know some college do that). But if you think that now may be a better time, I’ll give a call on Monday. </p>
<p>I would call sooner rather than later – the financial aid office will only get busier when all the decisions go out in a week or so. You’re an early write, which means that Bowdoin is strongly interested in you . . </p>