<p>is there a difference b/t not applying and applying but not getting anything (i.e. having no chance of getting it either way?)</p>
<p>I still don't get it. What stimulus money is reducing the cost?</p>
<p>$4,500 tax credit.</p>
<p>I also think that these "need-blind" schools would rather pick low-income students that can also bring other types of diversity. For example, a low-income first generation URM is probably looked upon more favorably than just a URM, or just a low-income student, or just a first-generation student. This way, they can kill 3 birds with one stone; they will still be able to boast about enrolling a certain % of first generation, low-income, and URM.</p>
<p>Just my 2 cents. What do you guys think?</p>
<p>Our kids are going to state schools. The state budget was cut meaning a sizable increase in fees. The Governor decided to use the stimulus money to make up from 66% to 80% of the higher education budget cut so the increase should be a lot smaller. That, combined with the tax credit means that net cost declines for us even though the state higher education budget was cut substantially.</p>
<p>oh my god. This is awful. </p>
<p>Thank god for a full ride to UCLA, UCSD, etc. </p>
<p>My family's efc is 0 and I did get accepted to Claremont Mckenna though.. idk about FA package so far. </p>
<p>What makes me angry however, is I know plenty of upper middle class kids who moan and whine about "being too rich to attend college" and hire financial aid planners so they look like they need more aid. These are people who shell out 2000 dollars for brand name jeans. It's ridiculous. Low-income families actually NEED the financial aid money, and grew up without any of the privileges they have had.. yet all they can do is whine.</p>
<p>Well i got into to Pomona and had a EFC of 0 and they have offered to cover basically everything and including the Cal grant A, which they didn't include, everything is covered. But then again, i read a post that Pomona was doing well money wise so maybe they can afford it.</p>
<p>The very top colleges with large endowments will still be giving out massive financial aid and remain need blind except (in some cases) for waitlists, transfers and internationals.</p>
<p>Schools with smaller endowmwnts are the ones that will be much more need aware, so yes, at those schools checking the applying for aid box hurts.</p>
<p>"It's ridiculous. Low-income families actually NEED the financial aid money, and grew up without any of the privileges they have had.. yet all they can do is whine."</p>
<p>The full-pay students pay for the tuition of those that receive need-based aid. That said, it's pretty awful to see those that receive need-based aid whining about those that are paying for their need-based aid.</p>
<p>not to be bitter or anything, but my case may be proof</p>
<p>this girl and i have almost identical sat +gpa scores, and we both kinda dropped a bit first sem w/ a couple of B's</p>
<p>i'm sure my essay + ecs were great</p>
<p>cept she gets accetped, and i get waitlisted to amherst.</p>
<p>our biggest diff?</p>
<p>she didnt apply for FA,</p>
<p>i'm us citizen applying for a lot of aid. efc 0 or sth of the like. </p>
<p>its hard to take, but i mean, waht can you do?</p>
<p>^Sunshine, I am sorry about your waitlist at Amherst. Considering how competitive our admission's cycle is, even a waitlist is something to be proud of, imo.</p>
<p>Although I could not say that your FA had nothing to do with your admission's decision; I do not think it was the sole factor. There is a lot of subjectivity within college admissions, and we as applicants, are not good judges on how our essays, recommendation letters, ECs, ect might be view by the Adcoms.</p>
<p>Personally, I was very scared about decisions from the selective, private universities that I applied to who promises to be "need-blind" and to meet 100% of need. I also have a pretty low EC, and my essays that I submitted indicated indirectly what socioeconomic bracket I belong in. I was accepted to three of these school, one even offering to pay up to $300 to let me visit the campus one of their accepted student events. </p>
<p>I do think these schools might be more stingy with FA; however, I still believe that they will continue to enroll and support some socioeconomic diversity. A smart, hardworking, and high achieving low-income student will still get accepted with good FA. With that said, it is obvious that low-income student have a much more harder time to appear "competitive", especially compared to the upper-income bracket applicants.</p>
<p>it is obvious that low-income student have a much more harder time to appear "competitive", especially compared to the upper-income bracket applicants. </p>
<p>That is certainly not true at the Ivy's. It is much more difficult for an affluent student from the Northeast to stand out in the applicant pool than it is for a low-income student. Those schools would much prefer to accept the low-incoome student.</p>
<p>Why should one kid get grants, and the other get loans? After 4 years, both graduate with the same degree, and both are 22 years old. Both hopefully get their first job at the same salary, yet one has a huge loan payment and the other doesn't. Just doesn't sound American to me.</p>
<p>Colleges feel that they should be remaking society via wealth redistribution.</p>
<p>
[quote]
That is certainly not true at the Ivy's. It is much more difficult for an affluent student from the Northeast to stand out in the applicant pool than it is for a low-income student. Those schools would much prefer to accept the low-incoome student.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Evidence for this, especially in light of the news article cited in the thread-opening post? </p>
<p>Here is some commentary from the last few years on how low-income students fare in college admission: </p>
<p>BW</a> Online | July 7, 2003 | Needed: Affirmative Action for the Poor </p>
<p><a href="http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ffp0621.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ffp0621.pdf</a> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ff0615S.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ff0615S.pdf</a> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.tcf.org/Publications/Education/carnrose.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.tcf.org/Publications/Education/carnrose.pdf</a> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.tcf.org/Publications/Education/kahlenberg-affaction.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.tcf.org/Publications/Education/kahlenberg-affaction.pdf</a> </p>
<p>A</a> Thumb on the Scale | Harvard Magazine </p>
<p>The</a> Best Class Money Can Buy - The Atlantic (November 2005) </p>
<p>The</a> Harvard Crimson :: News :: Recruiting a New Elite </p>
<p>Cost</a> Remains a Key Obstacle to College Access </p>
<p><a href="http://www.jkcf.org/assets/files/0000/0084/Achievement_Trap.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.jkcf.org/assets/files/0000/0084/Achievement_Trap.pdf</a> </p>
<p>Promise</a> Lost: College-Qualified Students Who Don?t Enroll in College (IHEP) </p>
<p>Colleges</a> reach out to poorer students - The Boston Globe </p>
<p>It surprises me when in discussions like this one people seem surprised to discover that wealthier people have big advantages when applying to colleges. The wealthy always have the advantages. It is not fair and we should all work to change it. But, it should not be a surprise.</p>
<p>This is a reply to "darling"...</p>
<p>Listen, sweetie. You are coming off pretty bitter. More bitter than someone with 2 full rides needs to. </p>
<p>Our family could be described as "upper middle class", and there is NO WAY that my daughter can afford to attend any of the 7 small LAC that accepted her. And, no, there is not a single pair of $2000 jeans in my house. Try cheap Gap jeans and t's. That is all I buy for my kids. </p>
<p>Try acquainting yourself with the dilemma of families that truly make too much $ to get need-based aid, yet don't make enough $ to pay private school tuition after food, clothing, shelter, transportation, medical care, insurance, etc. is paid. </p>
<p>My daughter will be attending a great state school with other upper-middle class kids like herself. All the rich kids and all the poor kids will be attending pricey private schools. On the backs of the middle class. </p>
<p>[Moderator edit: personal insults are not allowed by the Terms of Service]</p>
<p>"The wealthy always have the advantages. It is not fair and we should all work to change it."</p>
<p>Why is it not fair?</p>
<p>Why should we change it?</p>
<p>Do we want to kill the incentive to try and accomplish something in our lives? I grew up in a poor single-parent minority family and have some sense of accomplishment as do the rest of my siblings in that we've climbed out. The opportunities were there and we took advantage of them. Part of the growth and character development was in working through adversity. Our kids haven't had to go through what their parents went through in terms of adversity but they have their own challenges and we certainly tell them about how tough life is in the real world.</p>
<p>"Listen, sweetie. You are coming off pretty bitter. More bitter than someone with 2 full rides needs to."</p>
<p>No kidding.</p>
<p>"And, no, there is not a single pair of $2000 jeans in my house."</p>
<p>Where do you get these $2,000 jeans? I've heard of $200 jeans. I have two pairs of jeans and they're both from Wal-Mart. I've been wearing these two pairs daily for the last three years. </p>
<p>"My daughter will be attending a great state school with other upper-middle class kids like herself."</p>
<p>That's financial reality for those in the middle. Private schools would like this demographic to load up on debt to subsidize others and many probably do but it is risky.</p>
<p>Thanks for the affirmation!</p>
<p>"My daughter will be attending a great state school with other upper-middle class kids like herself. All the rich kids and all the poor kids will be attending pricey private schools. On the backs of the middle class. </p>
<p>So, raise a toast to your callow self. Congratulations. "</p>
<p>PianoMom - I would be careful about calling someone callow when you make the sweeping gereralization above. Our kids are both attending small private LAC's, but we are neither poor nor rich. But we have saved assiduously over the years so that our kids could attend the schools they and we feel will most benefit them. My wife and I both drive ten year old cars, don't own any big screen TV's, don't eat out a lot, etc. Our kids also work to contribute. Yes, we are fortunate that we had some extra money over the years to invest for them, but we made choices to make that possible. Our kids are not going to college on the backs of anyone other than themselves and their parents.</p>