<p>I wanted to apply as a repeat 10th graders to most of my boarding schools, but I might need financial aid if I repeat (I wouldn't need it or not as much if I just applied as an 11th grader). I feel like this might be rather unlikely because my family has an income over 250,000 and our cost of living is not so high.
The reason I considered repeating was somewhat due to the fact that I might get in easier, but that was a very small component of my reasons. First, junior year is the hardest and most stressful and I didn't know if I could handle integrating into a top school on top of all that. Second, I thought because everyone had been together for 2 years fitting in and making friends would be significantly harder. Lastly, I want to become a part of the community and obtain leadership positions, which I thought would be pretty hard for someone who hasn't been around so long.</p>
<p>So if any of you have anything to say about financial aid for upper middle class or transitioning junior year, I really need your insight! I need to figure out to which grade I will apply soon and that depends on all the reasons I have listed.</p>
<p>I would say just apply for 11th grade. Dont be afraid of having a tough junior year because honestly, if they accept you or even waitlist you they know you will be able to make it through. You will have to work Hard but you will make it through.</p>
<p>…my family has an income over 250,000 and our cost of living is not so high…So if any of you have anything to say about financial aid for upper middle class</p>
<p>I never knew financial aid could be available to those in such circumstances. We live in a high cost of living area on a much lower income and I would have anticipated paying full fare should my son be accepted…I have to admit, your post is an eye opener to me. When I plug $250K into family contribution calculators, it tells me that your expected family contribution is about $68k per year. Anyway, I would bet you would stand a better chance of admittance as a 10th grade repeat…and if you paid for the tuition.</p>
<p>Weatherby, do not use the generic family contribution calculator. Use the ones on some schools’ website (e.g. Exeter, SPS) instead. You’ll get relatively more accurate figures.</p>
<p>helloel, I’m not 100% sure but I don’t think the schools will determine your financial need based on for how many years you are attending the school. Your family’s financial need will be determined by income and assets. In other words, if your family’s financial situation isn’t changing, you won’t be able to make a case to the school that because you are attending the school for 3 years you need FA. And, the advantage you’d gain in admissions as a 10th grade applicant would be easily cancelled out by your need for FA. That said, if you have determined that it’s to your best interest that you apply to 10th grade then you should go for it. Money shouldn’t play a role in this decision. After all, if you can’t get in or get in as an 11th grade but find yourself struggling, what’s the point of being able to afford it?</p>
<p>Weatherby: yes DAndrew is right you should check the exeter calculator it is more accurate. For example it told me the families with an income of over 200,000 who applied for FA received an average financial aid grant of 20,000 dollars. I wouldn’t need a full coverage. They take into consideration other siblings and their education costs as well.</p>
<p>DAndrew: What I meant was that repeating a year was not originally financially planned, so I would need financial aid. Where I go to school now doesn’t cost near as much as boarding school and my parents didn’t anticipate me having one extra year of high school which adds up, an extra 45,000 dollars. So schools wouldn’t understand that?</p>
<p>I checked the Exeter calculator. Hypothetically, I’d get $29,433 FA (family of 3 with income of $160-180k) whereas I’d only get $21,167 FA with a lower income of $140-160k. In any case, this thread is helpful. I never expected to be able to qualify for aid and simply expected to pay.</p>
<p>helloel, note the difference between financial need and your family’s budget for your secondary education. Schools usually consider the former but not the latter in making FA decisions.</p>
<p>Weatherby, FA decisions, just like admissions decisions, are made with various factors taken into considerations. There could be “special circumstances” that justified higher level FA for familes with higher income.</p>
<p>Oh, it’s not a budget. Sorry I’m not being very articulate. I was trying to explain why paying for 2 years of boarding school would be doable, but 3 years would require aid for the first year. We simply wouldn’t be able to afford to spend $135,000 before college as opposed to $90,000.</p>
<p>helloel: Financial need is mainly based on your family’s disposable income for the year, so if you say you can afford for two years but not the 3rd even though your income level is stable, it’s a decision not a circumstance. Makes some sense?</p>
<p>I would say apply as an 11th grader. Just from experience, it seems like people who attend prep school for only two years have a good mix of education systems and are less likely to get burned out. That said, 11th grade is probably the most difficult grade to enter because of the work that is expected and because most of your classmates are pretty well settled already.</p>
<p>Yeah, I would be extremely worried about the integration. Do you know of any schools that have large numbers of new 11th graders? That would certainly make the process much easier.</p>
<p>I’m in the same dilema, and am particularly worried about adjusting to such a different academic scene when you’re expected to jump right in with such majorly hard work in junior year. Advice?</p>
<p>Yeah I am particularly worked about that too along with socially adjusting. Anyone who has a been a new 11th grader or knows one feel free to add about your experience!</p>