<p>I'm applying to GW, but i'm still not sure if i want to do RD or ED. it is my number one school, but i'm worried if i do get in ED and i can't pay for it. first off, should i ED or RD? can i get out of ED because i can't pay for it?</p>
<p>the thing is, i know for sure i'm going to get money from financial aid, but i'm not sure how much. my dad makes less than 20K a year, we're on food stamps, section-8 programs and some other government programs. my mom doesn't work and i have other siblings that are in comm. college and they don't have to pay for anything because of FA. is there any chance that they would give me a full-ride based on what i've my family's current situation? also, i have zero money saved for college and i'll be paying/taking loans in my name. i'm not gonna get help from my parents.</p>
<p>please help...i'm stressing so much over this and i can't stop thinking about it. </p>
<p>I’d encourage you NOT to apply to GW ED. In your situation you really need to compare financial aid packages. GW is not bad with aid, but it’s not among the really good aid schools. “Full rides” come in all shapes and sizes. They can include big loans or small loans. Student loans and parent loans. Lot’s of work study or a little. A big number from summer work or a small number.</p>
<p>If you have the stats for GW you’re hopefully also considering schools that meet 100% of need. Wait until April to see what several offer.</p>
<p>I agree with Waverly. A lot of people will tell you, “You can get out of an ED agreement if they don’t offer you enough financial aid.” While that’s true, it’s not all you should be worried about.</p>
<p>If your family’s income is that limited, you should be looking for the best value in college education that you can find. That means you should apply to many colleges and universities, and compare the FA packages you are offered. If you apply ED, your choice is basically binary: is this enough aid, or isn’t it? But if you apply RD, you can look at many offers and ask yourself, which one offers me the best combination of opportunity and price?</p>
<p>i’m also applying to american university, umcp and vcu as my safety. do you think they’ll take into consideration if they know that my parents are not going to contribute money for my tuition and everything else?</p>
<p>You may need to rethink your list. American also does Not meet need nor do the public Us on your list. What state are you from? What is your GPA/rank? SAT?</p>
<p>Is either VCU or UMCP the in-state option for you? You may want to add at least one additional in-state option, or an OOS option with guaranteed merit aid that for your stats.</p>
<p>You will only be able to take out 5500 in a federal student loan in your name for your freshman year without a co-signer. If your parents apply for a Parent PLUS loan and are denied I believe you will be able to take out an additional 4000 in federal loans in your name without a co-signer. You may also qualify for a pell grant for 5500 and some additional state or federal grant or loan money, but likely not enough to cover the cost of tuition, room, and board at a private school or an OOS public without significant aid from the school itself. This does not mean that those schools on your list are necessarily out of financial reach for you (if they offer you the aid you need to attend), but having more than one school on your list that you can afford and that you know is an academic safety school will guarantee that you have options and choices when your acceptances and financial aid packages arrive.</p>
<p>Take a look at that. The Net Price Calculator is GWU-specific and will give you a good insight into how much you will receive in need-based financial aid. </p>
<p>Comparing your situation to my situation, you could probably go for very cheap.</p>
<p>I vote for RD. D1, an NMF, interviewed at GWU last year with some of the admissions people. GWU used to offer a large guaranteed merit scholarship to NMFs, but they no longer guarantee it. D1 asked how many NMFs do not receive a big merit scholarship offer from GWU. She was told that if she wanted merit aid, she should apply RD, not ED. </p>
<p>Another family friend applied GWU RD. He got bigger RD aid offers elsewhere, but GWU was his number one choice. He successfully negotiated a larger offer with GWU, and is now a happy freshman.</p>
<p>i live in va, so i’m qualified for instate tuition for vcu. i have a 3.9GPA, but we’re not ranked. i talked to someone who works at GW and she said that if you ED but you didn’t get enough money to pay for it, you can back out. And, the acceptance rate of GW ED is almost twice as high as RD. what are your thoughts?</p>
<p>The acceptance rate for ED is higher, but it’s not going to help you if you get in and don’t get a good financial aid offer. </p>
<p>Do your homework. Run the net price calculator. Go ask people on the GWU forum and on the parents forum about their experiences with need-based aid from GWU, especially during ED. Give your GPA and test scores for context. Search back on the GWU forum to last year, and see what you can glean about financial aid. Then you can make the best decision possible.</p>