<p>I am an international student. I qualify for a lot of need-based aid, more than I really need because my family has been saving for a long time. I don't want that to decrease my chances of getting into my top-choice school (NYU) by applying for need-based aid. I would need at least 8,000$ in grants per year in order to afford it. I am hoping I will get that in merit-based scholarships, since it is not a huge amount.
My question is. If I don't apply for need-based aid, and get accepted but with no scholarship and therefore cannot afford it, will I be punished by the college and not be able to attend any other colleges? I know that if you can't afford it, the ED binding commitment is broken, but I don't know if that has to be proven by having applied for need based aid so they get info on all your financial information.
If so, is there any way I can apply ED and let them know I need 8,000$ in order to attend their school without applying for need-based aid so that they do not think I need more than that in order to attend and therefore reject me unnecessarily?
Thank you </p>
<p>You appear to be overthinking your options. If you apply ED and do not apply for financial aid then the ED acceptance is binding. If you need financial aid apply for it.</p>
<p>You do know that NYU has the worst financial aid, right? That includes US students and internationals. Early decision means just that-you are telling the university that you are absolutely going there regardless of financial concerns. If you are an international student, you will be very limited for any funding options because you don’t qualify for US federal funding/loans. Apply for financial aid, but be aware that NYU is horrendous for offering aid. Check the other posts here on CC and ask about NYU’s poor financial aid.</p>
<p>All I read was “I qualify for a lot of need-based aid,” “NYU,” and “international student.” Expect to pay 60k/year for NYU with extremely little aid if you happen to get lucky.</p>
<p>The Net Price Calculators at each college/university website that give estimates for financial aid packages do not work for international students. You have no way of knowing how any college/university will evaluate your financial situation. If you think that you would need some financial aid, apply for it.</p>
<p>Don’t apply ED if you need aid. Apply RD or to places with Rolling Admissions so that you can compare all of the financial aid offers that you do receive before making your decision.</p>
<p>If you have a financial need and the school does not meet all need, you should not apply ED to that school at all. It would be just a waste of money and time.</p>