<p>Is anyone else still waiting on a financial aid package? FA office verbally confirmed timely receipt of all our documentation, however the “where am I…” portal does not reflect that correspondence has even gone out. </p>
<p>On a related note, how long has the renegotiation process taken anyone? A little nerve-wracking given it’s only 3 weeks out from decision day.
Thanks</p>
<p>So, I’ve gotten my initial offer from CMU, and it’s terrible. How do I contact them for renegotiation? Do I have to fill out a form or just mail them my other offers with a letter?</p>
<p>We sent in the reconsideration of financial aid request on Monday last week. Haven’t heard back yet but our first fax wasnt received so we had to resend it on Thurs afternoon.<br>
If anyone already heard back about their reconsideration request I’d love to hear about it too!</p>
<p>I realized I had made a pretty huge error on FAFSA and refiled last Thursday. Called the office today and they said they receive updates on Tuesdays and Thursdays but the lady hung up before I had a chance to ask if she was referring to FAFSA or FA packages (is it just me or are the people at admissions a bit gruff).</p>
<p>@cervidae - we had the same “gruff” experience, but I imagine it’s completely crazy there now. Are you willing to share your EFC/Offer info? If not, I totally understand – I simply have NO idea what to expect. (Our EFC has been between 5900 and 7900 at other schools – we’ve gotten other school FA packages ranging from very generous to “really???”). At any rate - would love to hear about your negotiation attempt…and good luck. I suspect I might be engaging in the process myself.</p>
<p>@darthmom
My initial EFC was 67k and I got a 5500 loan. My new EFC is 35k though (made a HUGE errror in calculating assets). A friend got I think around 9k. I don’t know her exact EFC but I think her family makes around 90k a year.
I got an automated email reply from them today so I think I’ll call again at the end of the week if the new package doesn’t come out. I really dont want to negotiate after the new package, but I’m hoping WUSTL might be a bargaining chip of sorts if it comes down to this.</p>
<p>Just spoke with CMU office- they said that the form stated not to expect to hear an answer back before 4/19/13. I didn’t remember seeing that on the form- I thought it said a week after submission? Oh well either way seems like we all will have a bit of a wait for news on fin. aid negotiations!<br>
PS: The woman on the phone was very nice but did sound young- maybe I got a student worker 
!</p>
<p>PA-C…what form are you referring to? We still haven’t received anything in the mail, but I can see the letter online.</p>
<p>“If you are really wanting to attend CMU apply ED, especially if you need a lot of financial aid.”</p>
<p>Not good advice. CMU guarantees to meet full need for those who apply ED, but it’s using their own formulas and they do include self help in there. There is no guarantee that it would be a competitive offer. They are willing to do a pre read, which is generous of them, and something I highly recommend and if the amount is something that a family feels is doable and not worth seeking other schools and their aid packages, then maybe ED is the way to go. But be aware that there is a wide amount of variance even from colleges that use the same methodology for determining need and that guarantee t meet full need. CMU uses its own methodology so there is no telling what one’s package from them will be. The NPC can give some indication as well as the estimate and you can compare that with how your student would fare at like colleges. If money is a concern in the college picture, then a lot of work goes into taking that ED chance because you cannot compare offers.</p>
<p>Mommydearest13: At the bottom of one of the forms you receive in the mail with the hard copy of the financial aid offer there is a form to complete to receive reconsideration of financial aid offer. It’s a tear off portion.</p>
<p>I should have added that if you apply ED and the financial aid package does not truly work for you (with solid reasons) then you could get out of the binding agreement. From others it seems that CMU has been very close to their estimates when the accepted ED applicants received their aid packages. </p>
<p>As a general rule, applying RD and then comparing packages is the way to go. But CMU is one of the few that appears to target ED more favorably - note that they acknowledge that ED will not participate fully in review process but they will meet full financial need.
Yes, that could include loans/work study. See below: </p>
<p>We have been open about our willingness to review financial aid awards to compete with certain private institutions for students admitted under the regular decision plan. Unlike most institutions, the university states these principles openly to those offered first-year admission under the regular decision plan. While early decision students are not eligible to participate in this aid review process, we will meet their full demonstrated need as calculated by the university.</p>
<p>We use statistical modeling as an aid in the distribution of limited financial aid dollars. It is a strategic tool that helps us pursue our goal of increasing the quality of the student body while using our resources as effectively as possible. This modeling takes into account a students intended college major, academic and artistic talents, non-academic talents and abilities, as well as financial need. This approach to awarding financial aid is unique to Carnegie Mellon and has not been developed with the aid of any outside consultants.</p>
<p>So only, only if you are sure that CMU is your first choice, apply ED. If you really want to compare packages then of course do RD to your choices.</p>
<p>D applied ED and filled out CMU Early Estimate form. FA package was very similar to this estimate. Grant money given in addition to work study and the standard fed loans. I would encourage anyone applying to CMU to fill out Early Estimate regardless of application timing. This way you would know the best choice to apply or not.</p>
<p>Has anyone heard back yet about reconsideration of fin aid from cmu?</p>
<p>No, but they said this week.</p>
<p>I received my second package within a little under a week. Not sure if it has to do with anything, but it was due to an error in FAFSA as opposed to a negotiation situation. I’m hoping to have another go at negotiating though (WUSTL has been really slow/not particularly good at contacting me).</p>
<p>^ wow cervidae that’s a really fast response! You were lucky!</p>
<p>We also had a correction type situation…they had it fixed online the next day.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any experience of receiving 10,000+ after renegotiating an aid package? I know it says “this process is not for students who need more than $10,000 in additional grant funds in order to attend Carnegie Mellon,” but I hold an amazing competitive offer from a top-ranked private institution (not need-based, but merit/scholarship) and I need at least 15K min to attend. Any comments?</p>
<p>We just got our answer back on “where am I in the process” website. We had requested 10k additional due to having a $40,000 merit scholarship offer and another 18k+ offer from a peer school. </p>
<p>CMU gave son an additional 5k.</p>
<p>We are glad to get anything additional but they did not match our other offers.</p>
<p>@PA-C
If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly was the total amount CMU offered?</p>