Am I naive in believing that Ivys offer NO athletic or merit aid?? As a full pay family, I would expect NO aid from them, even if recruited for a sport, and thus base our decision to apply (or NOT) based on that information. However, once again, I’ve heard in Canada of a student getting a big scholarship (athletic! …no, academic! …well… they were asked how much they could pay & were told the school could work with the number given by the parent! Really!!!) for a major sport at one of the top Ivys. No way the family involved would qualify for need-based aid. But, the kid is going there for that sport. So, my question is: is this just the latest version of the “if they want you, they’ll make it work for you” fantasy story (where people have zero awareness that these schools don’t offer athletic or merit $, & let’s face it, it’s always about “someone they know”)? Is it possible that the finances of international parents are not subjected to the same scrutiny as US families?? (How much can you pay, haha?) Maybe family IS full-pay but wants to brag about a scholarship? Or, obviously most likely from the school’s perspective, DOES qualify for need-based aid, but can’t admit THAT. Or is not disclosing full financial picture to the school. Is this really how things work? You may wonder, “why do you care?” I’d like to make sure I am understanding the ground rules correctly as it pertains to our own decisions re where to apply.
There’s a current thread that asked the exact same question, so I will refer you to that, and join that conversation as necessary.:
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/athletic-recruits/2149415-no-secret-athletic-money-ivy-league-p1.html