Curious if these were way off from the NPC?
My husband is self employed so the NPC doesnāt really work for us. Our Hamilton COA was about $10K over our FAFSA EFC. We knew it might come in a bit above that, but Hamiltonās was the highest COA of colleges that meet need (& Trinity the lowest COA being about $12k under our EFC).
ETA: When we talked to someone in Hamiltonās financial aid office, she seemed to suggest that the way they included pre-tax contributions to retirement accounts (401k, IRAs) was less āfriendlyā to middle class families than the way some other schools included those items.
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It is about $8k more expensive than the NPC indicated. For what itās worth, the offer from Colby is about $10k less expensive than the NPC indicated, so I guess it can go both ways.
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Our Hamilton offer also included loans which Colgate didnāt, so I think Hamilton is about 14k over our EFC and the NPC. Colgate is about 2k-3k under.
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For anyone following the Hamilton financial aid appeal sagas, we heard back today. They āacceptedā the appeal in that they reduced my sonās aid about $5k a year. This is still a few thousand over what we had told them we needed for it to be possible for him to attend (as well as $8k over EFC), and many thousands over what other āmeets full needā colleges are offering, therefore my son has decided he wonāt be attending.
Hamilton has great academics. Good luck to those attending and applying in the future.
We are supposed to hear back tomorrow. I expect weāll hear something similar. Thanks for sharing.
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We heard back and were pleasantly surprised. They came down significantly enough that it is on the table.
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Iām happy for you. This also makes sense, as I believe the difference in COA for your daughter was less than $10k, correct?
@aw2137 and my S23 were both looking at differences in COA that were larger than $25k each year.
Iām sure sheāll find the place that works best for her!
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Did they acknowledge error or say why they did it (match a peer) or did without comment ?
No, it was over 10k
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There was not an error. They chose to re-evaluate and adjust from what their typical formula calculates. Thatās why it never hurts to appeal, especially when you have another offer from a very comparable school. They did not specify that they were āmatchingā the other offer but had asked us to include it.
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Congrats. Thatās great for others out there in a similar boat.
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can you expand on difference in school personalities ? my DD has both Colgate and Hamilton in her final 3 and re-visited both for accepted student days but is still undecided. Impressions were Colgate slightly bigger, a little more ājockyā with D1 sports, Greek life a little bigger driver of social sceneā¦anything else ?
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This post includes brief comments on Colgate and Hamilton in the context of comments on other liberal arts colleges: Struggling with D21ās List. ED & ED2: Amherst, Hamilton, Wellesley, Vassar - #7 by merc81 .
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Our D was a recruited athlete, but early on in the process was recruited by, and considering, both schools. She eliminated Colgate from her narrowing list fairly early on. They both might be LACs and in close proximity, but VERY different vibes. D ultimately committed to Hamilton for many reasons. Hamilton campus is very large- the biggest NESCAC campus- and she loved the beautiful, spread out feel and campus. She also preferred the surrounding area around Hamilton a bit more- major stores/restaurants not too far, and it felt more suburban, whereas Colgate felt more rural/isolated. Based on the students she knows who go to Colgate and the athletes she met, she personally felt them to be a little more one-dimensional. She found Hamilton to have a much better āmixā of students. On every single visit to Hamilton we were approached by students/staff, asking if we needed assistance, could they pet our dog, etc. By far the most welcoming campus we visited, and we visited a lot. Not sure if that helps, but we spent a lot of time comparing schools during her recruiting process! Good luck!
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Hereās a brief comparison from a professor who has taught at both schools:
I think youāve hit the common differences. I think I also commonly hear that Colgate might have a more āpre-professionalā vibeā¦not really sure what that means but I think thatās a bit about the school having a strong alumni connection in finance and business for kids looking for that. For my DS, more sporty and a bit more active Greek scene is a feature, not a bug. Thatās the reverse for other kids. He liked that Colgate felt a bit bigger, he liked the access to a more active sports and spirit culture and he also liked that the campus was compact and connected to the town (as small as it was). Weāre from CA so itāll be a culture shock for him Iām sure but heās excited. We met students at both schools and they all seem really happy.
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My son has committed and is looking at orientation trips in earnest now. Some of the trips have contact info for more information, some do not. Who can he contact for more information about the mountain biking trip or sea kayaking trip? Or does anyone have experience with either of these and can answer questions? Thanks!
Perhaps Hamiltonās Director of Outdoor Leadership can assist you?
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Any update on waitlist decisions for Hamilton?