<p>I am 100% certain that Northwestern is my #1 choice in my college application list which is why I am applying ED. However, everyone is telling me not to because of the COA (~$63,000). Can anyone help me out with my application about whether or not I should apply as ED? </p>
<p>Here are some stats so you can have a better idea.</p>
<p>My family's household income is about $25,000. My EFC is $0 (estimate). There are a total of 4 people living in my household (including myself) and one current college student. I am a Chicago resident.</p>
<p>I'm really stuck here because the deadline is approaching FAST. Northwestern is truly my #1 choice and I really want them to know that.</p>
<p>No, I do not have a non-custodial parent. My family also does not have any assets (low income makes savings impossible). </p>
<p>A lot of different people have been telling me that which has been making me second think my choice for ED. Because of this, I’ve been trying to research what is their average financial package like and various things like that, but I’m having trouble doing so. I would greatly appreciate it if you could point me towards the right direction. Thank you!</p>
<p>Average aid package doesn’t tell you anything. You need an estimate for your situation. Can your parents contribute any amount at all each year during college?</p>
<p>Do you have a competitive GPA and SAT/ACT scores for NU?</p>
<p>Thank you for the link! It was very helpful.</p>
<p>I believe they are pretty competitive. But I have seen NU threads where applicants with near perfect GPAs and ACT scores are rejected, and others with slightly lower scores are accepted.</p>
<p>Other than scores, I have a great list of extracurricular activities (i.e. clubs, jobs, research summer programs), my essays are phenomenal, and I am submitting 2 letters of rec from teachers in core subjects (Science and English). Also, one component NU takes into account during admissions is demonstrated level of interest which is another reason why I want to apply as ED.</p>
<p>Go for it. But remember that you can also get some RD applications done as well…make sure you apply to schools with excellent merit by the deadline to be considered (December 1, usually). If you get accepted to NU, you can withdraw those applications.</p>
<p>Does either your parents own their own business or work for themselves?</p>
<p>You state that there are 4 people in your family; who lives in your house- 2 parents and 2 children (students)
Do both of your parents work?
Are either of them disabled?
Do you own a home?
25k for a family of 4 is going to prompt a low income verification, which will ask how is your family meeting their day to day expenses.</p>
<p>Northwestern has very generous financial aid and a higher acceptance rate for Early Decision, so this could be a good choice for you. Even with the high COA, the amount your family has to pay could be lower than at your instate public, because the financial aid is better. NU’s Net Price Calculator has been very accurate for our family. Exceptions might be if you have non-custodial parent income or self-employment/small business income with lots of business deductions. For very low income students, NU offers a no-loan pledge scholarship to replace the subsidized loans. Run the NPC and see what it tells you.</p>
<p>For early decision, NU requires the CSS Profile. Check the deadline, but it is usually December 1. Your parents should start on that as early as possible, maybe today! It is a complicated form, and they will need to estimate 2014 income using their YTD info and last year’s info. You want it to be as accurate as possible, so that your financial aid award is not changed when the FAFSA and taxes are filed in early 2015. </p>
<p>NU will expect you to work during the summer and the school year to contribute to your costs. If you are not working now, you might consider looking for a part-time job and saving money. Even though your financial aid award will include books and other non-billed expenses, you won’t be able to access that money until after classes begin. You will need some savings for transportation, supplies for your dorm, computer, etc.</p>
<p>And, please follow Thumper’s advice and apply to other schools including your instate publics. Be sure you get those applications submitted in time to meet deadlines for any merit scholarships those places offer. Also, read the threads about scholarships for high-stats kids at schools like University of Alabama. If your stats are competitive for NU, you could get a lot of merit money from other schools. NU is not a guaranteed admit for anyone, so you need a back-up plan.</p>
<p>You say you are a Chicago resident. Do you attend a Chicago Public School? NU has a number of programs to assist students from CPS in applying to and attending NU, including application fee waivers and special scholarships that may reduce or eliminate student loans and student work contribution requirements. If it applies, someone at your school should be able to give you more information about those. If you are not in a public school, but live within the CPS district, you might want to check with NU to find out if any of the special programs apply to you anyway. </p>
<p>Run the NPC for NWU and for some other colleges you are considering. Say UChicago which has been putting an extra push into funding for low income students. If it looks about the same or less for NWU, and doable, go on ahead. If your package is that different from NPC to make it unaffordable, you can withdraw from the ED commitment. You can also discuss with the why there is such a difference betw NPC results and actual package and be aware that the same factors might kick in with the other schools as well, and you may have to reconsider your other choices, looking for ore affordable options.</p>
<p>I certainly agree with cptofthehouse’s advice to run the NPC’s and compare the results. If NU does come out with a significantly higher expected contribution than say, U Chicago, I would talk to the NU admissions or financial aid office. I’m not sure some of the benefits available to CPS students show up in the NPC, even though it asks for zip code. Both UChicago and NU are great schools with great financial aid, but one certainly might be a better fit than the other for an individual student.</p>
<p>Erin’s Dad - The OP is asking if she/he should apply ED to NU. OP wants to, but is being told not to (probably by people not familiar with NU Financial Aid) and is looking for more info before applying. Everyone here is telling him/her to run the NPC before committing. Always good advice, I think. .</p>
<p>@MOM2TX I guess I was being alarmist when I saw a student saying they wanted to apply ED and were low income, then saying thanks when someone supplied the NPC link!!! Only students who are extremely high income should consider ED without running the NPC - at any school. </p>
<p>IF NU gives you a good netprice on NPC, do ED. You won’t need to “compare” financial aid offers if NU gives you a very good FinAid estimate that you and your family will be 100% able and willing to make up. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get in and wont have to apply anywhere else.</p>
<p>How do you estimate 2014 income, itemized deductions, SEP IRA contributions if you are self employed? There could be a $10K-$40K difference from 2013 in income which would affect all the other line items. </p>
<p>You take the 2013 forms, make a copy and start making the changes. It’s not easy. With self employment, it becomes a crap shoot as to how a school will determine need anyways. NPCs are often not accurate for those who have a business. You can see how what kind of aid you would get had you had the 2013 income situation and you just have to guess how the differences would be with 2014. In such cases, you’d go through the same guessing game each year anyways as you have to refile for fin aid and it changes according to the differences in income and other financial issues.</p>
<p>Frankly, in such a case, I would not apply ED. Different schools may view the business differently and widely variant offers are possible, far more than in a straightforward situation. Unless your family knows what they will pay and everyone understands that the school is a no go if it cost more than that amount, and are willing to cut it loose, it can cause a lot of stress, and really provide no info on what other schools might offer. Without the business and other things that drastically affect aid, you can get a good idea of how a school that meets full need will view your finances that would be similar most likely to other such schools. Can’t do that many times with self employed because of the drastic differences in how that can be handled. You have no basis to compare or even negotiate which is possible with other offers on the table.</p>
<p>I understand the concern about applying ED if a parent owns a business or is self-employed because of differences in how financial aid offices assess need in those cases. At the same time, I know of two families - one where one parent was self-employed, the other where both parents were self-employed/owned a business - who found their ED financial aid packages from NU to be very fair.</p>