I got into 4 Ivy league schools, my #1 choice included.
The first three all sent back financial aid info that says I’ll have to pay $4,000-$6,000/year.
However, my number one choice says I’ll have to pay over $32,000/year…
My family brings in around $25,000/year so this must be a mistake, I assume…
What can I do? Is there any chance of working this out?
Call the school tomorrow and ask for an explanation.
On the bright side, you have 3 other affordable choices if it is not a mistake - congratulations!
What if turns out to be a comma shifted too far to the left?
@DmitriR that’d be quite a funny mistake haha
Something to consider when deciding (if you have already decided on a major) is how good is that particular department? When my eldest was looking for an undergrad and grad school she didn’t go with the schools with just the big reputations in general. (She turned down 4 programs that shocked many people) She went with the schools that were best known and respected in her field. I think looking at the programs you are interested in at each of those schools instead of being swayed by a general reputation would be something to consider. It has worked out wonderfully for my daughter.
But do call your first choice regarding aid. (I wouldn’t send an email, I would call.) Best of luck and congrats.
You can contact school number four and ask…but I do have to wonder. What is the matter with attending one of the other three that DID give you sufficient aid?
Here is your accepted list. Surely ONE of these is a fine enough school…and affordable.
I see Columbia, Brown, and Cornell. What is the fourth Ivy?
The Ivies are all Profile schools (except Princeton). The FAFSA info really is not important. The Profile info is. Are your parents self employed? Do they own a business? Do they own rental properties? Was your parent gross income significantly higher than their AGI?
@thumper1 - You’re overcomplicating things.
If three of the four all came up with the same number (more or less) and the fourth one is more than $25k higher (the family’s entire income!), it’s most likely the fourth one made a mistake. You call and ASK!!!
I was under the impression that if your family income is under $60K per year, you should be getting a full ride at the Ivies.
Different schools, even the Ivies, use different formulas with the financial info the family provides on the Profile.
Yes…call the college. They should be able to answer your question.
If this is your top choice, you can also tell them that you received a more favorable award from three other Ivy Schools. Be prepared to send them copies of your financial aid award. They might be willing to reconsider based on this information.
And no, I don’t think I’m over complicating things…because those things might make a difference. A $25,000 a year difference…well…that seems odd.
Presumably the student submitted the Profile to each of these schools at the same time (OP, is that the case?). If so, the numbers submitted would be the same…and the error, if there is one, could be at the college level.
And, yes, when you call, you can absolutely say that Colleges A, B, and C all offered you more than $25k more, so you are wondering if perhaps there’s a mistake. (And if they ask to see the other awards, send them!)
Oops. I also got into Dartmouth.
absolutely send an appeal letter to the FA office- the private Ivy’s are willing to adjust their FA offers to students admitted at “peer” colleges. Be sire to include copies of the other more generous FA offers.
The first step would to check for any glitch in the iDoc system. A document might have been screwed up at your favorite school.
Is this April fools?
If it’s a mistake, it’s the easiest fix for that kind of discrepancy. IF that’s really your first choice school, then get look for some obvious mistakes and then call the fin aid office. They will make good on it if it is indeed an error . Happens all of the time.
@marklondon It’s probably not a mistake, but you should definitely ask them to review your situation. My son got into three Ivys and Stanford, and the Ivy he got into EA gave him much less aid. Since it’s still one of his top choices, we’re appealing the award.
The mistake might not be a mistake. Such discrepancy usually comes from family situations that are unclear. Inasmuch as the federal EFC from the FAFSA will remain constant, the school might interpret a lacking response differently, and might have weighed the information of the non-custodial parent differently. It might be an admin issue of a waiver having not made it on time, or a belief that the parent who refuses to accept responsibility … should.
Either way, having more choices will make the discussion quick and dirty. If the school doesn’t budge, simply move to the second or third choice. Why fight when the options are solid?
im just curious, how did you get your Cornell financial aid package? I was also accepted but can’t seem to figure out where it is