<p>It's probably too late at this point to appeal and get an answer before May 1st, but here:</p>
<p>My dad made almost no money this past year (laid off, then self employed). NU is giving me just under 20k in grants and a few loans and work study here and there (another 7k).. it still means my parents and I are responsible for 27k of tuition. This is quite alot for us. On top of that, my brother is at an ivy league school, which costs quite a bit as well (although they are offering a whole lot more aid to him than NU is to me!). Is it reasonable to appeal and hope for at least a little more? UC Berkeley gave me around the same amount, but that's pretty much all expenses covered. For me, NU trumps Cal by a ton, so I'd really like some help here to get to NU, my top choice of college.</p>
<p>Definitely appeal; it doesn’t hurt. I’d send the deposit to Berkeley first if I were you. 27k/yr debt is a lot!!</p>
<p>wouldn’t sending a deposit mean i’m committing to Cal?
also: would it help to include info on berkeley’s offer of aid to me with my NU appeal, or would that be laughable since berkeley’s a public school and considered lower caliber?</p>
<p>also: if I commit before my appeal is considered, would it hurt my chances of getting better aid since NU would then have no worry of losing me as part of their yield?</p>
<p>You may have a case to be exempted from committing to Cal if the FA changes. I am not sure. But if you don’t do anything, you can lose the spot for both schools and then you’ll be screwed. That’s why it’s prudent to send the deposit to Cal by the deadline. You should just send the appeal like <em>now</em>. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t send Berkeley’s number to them cos it just validates NU’s calculation. If I am not misunderstanding you, Berkeley and NU have the same offer and they match. The only reason why Berkeley is cheaper for you is because you are in-state, right?</p>
<p>yes i am in-state 
However, EFC from Yale (where my brother attends) last year was 17k, under pretty much the same circumstances, if not worse now that both of us are attending college next year. But NU would probably reason that those calculations are only so because Yale has a much larger endowment right?</p>
<p>also: i plan to send my deposits SOMEWHERE before May 1st; too scared to risk anything. NU is preferable by far and I understand the value of such an investment; I’m just worried about how long I’d spend paying back for such an education, so it’s just easier on my parents and me if i get the aid.</p>
<p>no…EFC shouldn’t technically depend on endowment. EFC is about you and should have nothing to do with the school though reality can be different.</p>
<p>yes, i wouldn’t risk that much $.</p>
<p>Definitely appeal. That’s strange that you only got ~19k in grants.</p>
<p>i sent my tuition deposit to NU. in the process of appealing now, but they told me i’d be getting my new statement after May 1. meh.</p>
<p>quick clarification on sending deposits: you only send deposits to ONE school, and thus officially commit as part of your SIR right? It’s not like you can send deposits to more than one school and then tell all but one that you won’t be registering after all? i’ve been trying to tell my father it doesnt work like that…</p>
<p>Not sure about the deposit question, but it definitely does help to appeal. My father has been unemployed for over a year and I believe that had a significant impact on my aid. With the appeal, NU is now less expensive out-of-pocket for me than my state school. But that can’t be said for everybody. Appealing this close to May 1st might mean that there is not enough money left to make a difference. However, you can always apply for aid next year which, given your financial situation, might result in more aid than you were given this year. Also, it would not be wise to include other school’s aid packages. I called the financial aid office and the person I spoke to said Northwestern does not match packages, so to be on the safe side, I hope you didn’t include it.</p>
<p>I wish you the best of luck.</p>