<p>Hey there! I'm a rising senior, and I'm applying to a number of schools next year, including Peabody, for viola performance!</p>
<p>I noticed on both the Johns Hopkins and Peabody websites that there were net price calculators. Filling in my data, I was stunned: according to the calculators, JHU's price would be 7k, and Peabody's would be 47k! I looked at my package, and at Peabody, I would receive a grand total of 1,500$ in grant money.</p>
<p>Can anybody confirm that Peabody is much stingier than JHU as a whole? Even public universities would give me so much more in pure financial aid!</p>
<p>I’m always amazed at what universities/conservatories “think” people can afford. Our kids never qualified for much financial aid based on income, even though we cannot afford the full price of a private university. What I’ve noticed is that different universities set different income thresholds. It has more to do with THEIR finances and available money to give out, than it does with your financial situation. Hence, many conservatores, lacking large endowments from alumni, have little or no money to give out as financial aid.</p>
<p>My daughter will attend Peabody because she received a large scholarship. She was offered no other financial aid other than two small student loans, which she declined. I understand that some students who were accepted as double majors (music and a JHU major) were offered money from JHU.</p>
<p>We felt as you do about NEC, where my daughter was accepted. She received some scholarship money, but no other grant money, although we can’t afford to send her there without it.</p>
<p>Not all public universities have financial aid to give out. My daughter was offered only $300 from our local state school.</p>
<p>Look at Peabody’s discussion of financial assistance.
Peabody financial “assistance” is based on four factors (in no particular order).</p>
<pre><code>The needs of the school for ensemble balance as determined by the Dean and the Ensemble Office.
The performance level of the applicant as determined by averaging the audition ratings given by the faculty.
Other factors that may present themselves as the application folder is evaluated.
Available funds.
</code></pre>
<p>Most of their assistance is merit… DD had to decline Peabody due their lack of financial assistance. They are not known for being overly generous for most.</p>
<p>My son applied as a dual degree student to JHU/Peabody. He was awarded a very large merit/academic scholarship from JHU and a very small merit/music scholarship from Peabody. We do qualify for some need-based aid. Peabody “awarded” him loans, while JHU awarded him an enormous grant (and no loans) that would have made the JHU/Peabody combination almost free for him - far, far below our EFC determined by FAFSA. The problem was that my son was not positive that he loved the academic (JHU) part of the dual degree program, so we had to think long and hard about whether he should attend JHU/Peabody. If he were to drop the JHU part of the dual degree, he would have lost the academic scholarship and the grant, making Peabody alone unaffordable for our family. He ended up declining the JHU/Peabody combination and is attending a school where the scholarships/grants awarded are good regardless of his major/degree. Good luck.</p>