<p>My Northwestern and Cornell packages have an EFC difference of nearly 10000. Is this natural? Should I submit an appeal?</p>
<p>Schools use the Profile info differently, so it’s not unusual and, unless there are extenuating circumstances (ie. job loss, serious illness, etc.) it’s probably not going to merit an appeal. But you can certainly ask them to explain what influenced their EFC calculation - perhaps one shields a higher amount of home equity or other assets than the other. Please add to our collective experience by letting us know too!</p>