<p>In the beginning of my college search my dad and I plugged all our info into Princeton's financial aid calculator and it came back as $0 need (He doesn't make too much to qualify, but we've saved and aren't in debt). So I promptly took all schools that didn't give merit-based aid off my list. But now everyone is saying that the financial aid process is about negotiating after you've been accepted. Has anyone had this experience? Was taking all the Ivies and other "Top 20" schools off my list unwise? Thanks!</p>
<p>rprensner…if your family’s EFC is greater than the cost of attendance at a school that gives only need based aid…in my opinion, you can “negotiate” until the cows come home and you will NOT see an increase in need based financial aid. These schools award need based aid to students who do NOT have the financial resources to have an EFC that exceeds the cost of attendance.</p>
<p>I’m sorry…but if your family savings is THAT high, and your family income is THAT high, you will not likely qualify for need based aid.</p>
<p>At some of the MOST generous financial aid schools, you would only be required to pay 10% of your family’s income if it’s less than (I think) $150,000 a year. AH…but the challenge is to get accepted to these schools which accept less than 10% of those who apply.</p>
<p>Who is this “everyone” who says that negotiating after you get accepted is the way to go?</p>
<p>The MOST important thing you can do for yourself right now is sit down with your parents. Find out how much they can and WILL pay for your college education annually. That is the number that is important. Look for schools where the costs match that…or where you will get merit aid (some schools have a formula that they use for merit aid awards) that will bring the cost to something your family can afford.</p>
<p>Again…if your EFC is in the $50,000 range…I seriously doubt you can “negotiate” for need based aid. Where is the need???</p>
<p>OP, Thumper is right. You had the right idea in looking at schools that award merit aid.</p>
<p>There are some schools out there that will negotiate. But I can assure you that the Ivies will not. I wouldn’t expect any negotiating with any top 20 school. You have more leeway with schools that do offer merit money as they have more flexibility with institutional funds.</p>
<p>When visiting Harvard, Penn, and MIT pretty much all of them said the same thing that they will negiotiate. But the thing here is leverage. e.g. Harvard said they will negiotiate financial aid with their “peers” in a sense like if you get into Harvard and they want you to pay $15,000 a year whereas you also get into lets say Yale/Princeton and they only want you to pay $10,000 a year, then you can contact Harvard and explain this to them and they will most likely go lower for you</p>
<p>That’s surprising.</p>
<p>It’s one thing to “negotiate” when your family has demonstrated financial need. Very often, that “need” is calculated and aid awarded differently from these schools that meet full need. BUT the OP clearly states that the Princeton Finaid calculator said their need was $0…meaning that the family was able to foot a $50,000 plus bill. That being the case…they have NO NEED…there is nothing to negotiate when you have NO NEED (and your parent contribution exceeds the cost of attendance at the school).</p>
<p>Sorry…this student would have to demonstrate NEED in order to have any negotiations leverage. Right now, the OP says…no need.</p>
<p>Peer schools will often make aid adjustments based on what the others offered you. They always have. They need to be real peers though, Dartmouth and Brown will not try to match HYPS.</p>
<p>But as Thumper says, when you don’t have demonstrated need, there are no packages to negotiate.</p>