<p>As an international, i didn't apply for financial aid when i applied to Smith last year, so i don't have a very good idea of how generous the college is towards internationals in terms of financial aid. It's not need-blind towards internationals right? </p>
<p>In particular, how does Smith's financial aid packages compare to that offered by Wellesley and Mt. Holyoke?</p>
<p>Any comment is appreciated, cos' I need to get back to my friend on this one (she's an international from China). Thanks!</p>
<p>Wellesley probably offers the best fin aid packages I think. I just recently saw a statistic saying that Wellesley meets about 90% of international students' demonstrated need on average whereas Smith and Mt Holyoke only meet around 80%. Wellesley's fin aid packages seem to contain the smallest loan portion as well (their website says that you won't have more than about $12 K of debt upon graduation). Smith's packaged loan for internationals increases by $900 every year (blur said that her loan for the first year is $3000), and Mt Holyoke's by $1000-$2000 per year (which is really vague and makes a huge difference over 4 years).</p>
<p>Note: I have not (yet?) received a fin aid package from either of them; read my post accordingly.</p>
<p>Hey barium, I think wellesley, smith and MHC all meet 100% of the demonstrated need based on their calculation. Usually, the EFC as determined by the school will be higher than what people expect. I guess it is the case for most people at most school.</p>
<p>Curious Kid: I got quite a decent financial aid package, although my EFC was much higher than what I had expected. One think to note is that at Smith, the amount of grant aid for international students remains the same each year. So your EFC, loan and work-study will increase to cover the increase in tuition fee. At MHC and Wellesley, financial aid is reviewed each year and grant aid can increase accordingly.</p>
<p>blur, this is kind of a personal question and you really don't need to answer it if you don't want to, but how much did you offer to pay and what amount did Smith come up with?</p>
<p>"It's not need-blind towards internationals right? "</p>
<p>Being "need blind" and "meeting 100% of demonstrated need" are two entirely different animals. Being "need aware" says that if they cannot meet your need, they will not accept you. All three schools claim to meet 100% of demonstrated need as they determine it. (the key is the last phrase)</p>
<p>Well, internationals are asked what they expect to contribute on their fin aid applications. If I would offer to pay more than I would have to (according to the EFC formula), Smith most likely won't say "no thanks" and would thus not meet 100% of my formulaic demonstrated need.
Though I guess that in reality most intl self-estimated EFCs are lower than their final EFCs as determined by the college.</p>
<p>Don't feel picked on...domestic students are also asked what they can expect to pay. I'm going to be up to my eyebrows preparing taxes and filling out the FinAid docs this week...all this is much on my mind.</p>
<p>Oh yeah. The family's guess isn't an EFC...it's what they think they can afford to pay. Often any gap is filled by parents taking out loans. </p>
<p>There are two different types of EFC's...Federal and Institutional. The Federal is based on the FAFSA. The Institutional takes into account all the additional info on the Profile. Smith uses the Institutional, as does any college that asks for the Profile.</p>
<p>I am not joyous about what we pay. But I consider it to be, after home and health, the best justified expenditure we could make. Karma. But there are many many schools that I could not say this for and if D had been forced to attend her Safety I think I would be more than a little ornery about it. Fortunately, she saved me that fate. :)</p>
<p>I am glad that Smith worked out for you so well. May I ask which other schools your daughter considered?</p>
<p>
[quote]
The family's guess isn't an EFC
[/quote]
Sorry for mis-using the term EFC. What I actually meant: When a family says that they think they can afford to contribute $20,000 a year even though their EFC would "normally" be only $18,000, which figure would colleges use when making their fin aid packages?</p>
<p>"Don't feel picked on...domestic students are also asked what they can expect to pay. I'm going to be up to my eyebrows preparing taxes and filling out the FinAid docs this week...all this is much on my mind."</p>
<p>I can only speak for ourselves. Each time we have put in what we as a family we can afford to pay, the award has resulted in our paying less than that amount.</p>
<p>Different points of the economic spectrum, Mini. Plus from everything I've ever read, you've probably been much more consistently prudent than we either have been or are, thus affecting the <em>relative</em> amount of what we can afford now.</p>
<p>As I said in one of the disputes//////// discussions in the Parents Forum about whether it was reasonable to take out loans or not for one's off-spring's education, you either pay for it up front or you take out loans and pay for it after the fact. And if this diminishes D's eventual modest inheritance by so much, we think the education at Smith is one of the best things we can bequeath her.</p>
<p>(Still looking for the zealous Smith parents.)</p>
<p>
[quote]
And if this diminishes D's eventual modest inheritance by so much, we think the education at Smith is one of the best things we can bequeath her.
[/quote]
Yeppers!!!! Still no zealousness around RI. I'll keep looking.</p>