<p>“Harvard seems to have shifted its financial aid focus to lower income students at the expense of people in my situation”
Yes. It’s almost like they want help high-achieving students who have not had the same opportunities as their peers of higher income families and could never otherwise afford a first class education. How absolutely awful of them.</p>
<p>Colleges will not view you as having financial need, especially given that amount in savings. Not spending that money on college is viewed as a CHOICE for your family, regardless of what you/your parents actually intend to do with it. Colleges will give their aid to students who don’t have that choice so as already mentioned, you would be better looking for merit money.</p>