Certainly – geographic hook
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Regarding a potential ED advantage, The Atlantic at one time wrote this in terms of SAT scores based on the results of a Harvard/Kennedy study:
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“At one time”? When was this time…and what college(s) does it refer to.
Also, I think if this conversation is going to continue, there needs to be a new thread about the advantages or not of applying ED.
If you would like, I can start a new thread…or you can.
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A little googling looks like Atlantic article was published in 2001? I did not read the story so I am not sure when the study took place.
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When looking for my two children, ran dozens and dozens of NPC’s. Vassar was not as low as Colby/Amherst/Swarthmore, but it was pretty good, in line with Wesleyan, etc. I’m very puzzled by your experience.
I brought this up in the beginning of the thread and was told I’m off base, etc.
The only way to know is to go on the Vassar website and redo it.
Others did bring in a home equity sheet - and it does appear that Vassar includes a lot more home equity than others - so it could be the reason as others mentioned.
But on the surface it does seem odd and it’s at least worth a re-review.
I think the definition of what denotes a “hook” has evolved a lot over the past decade, and varies from school to school. It’s no secret that Williams values participation in organized sports, but that they also value participation in music and visual arts is less understood.
My observation is that selective small LACs also give admission preference to applicants who can offer a some combination of the talents and diversity factors that the school most values (plus whatever level of academic achievement that the school expects).
Diversity factors are themselves are dizzyingly diverse: gender, race, religion, economic status, first generation, geography, life experience. When you layer on the need to support various extracurriculars like sports & outdoorsy activities; music, visual art, theater; community and political involvement, being able to check more than one box is in itself a hook.
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I think it was @merc81 who introduced MyInTuition to the College Confidential ecosystem.
Here are the NPC URLs for Vassar, Wesleyan and Swarthmore:
Estimate Your Cost – Student Financial Services (vassar.edu)
Wesleyan University - Net Price Calculator (studentaidcalculator.com)
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In Post #80, I gave the MyInTuition breakdown for Vassar, which was $54k to $83k. Even if everything broke in our favor using the more advanced, tax-return based NPC, I don’t see how Vassar could possibly be in our price range absent significant merit aid. Still, there are plenty of other strong options and we’re ultimately likely to apply to 8-12 schools, so preliminarily cutting Vassar from the list isn’t that tough.
Vassar does not offer merit… so if you have enough other options hitting the NPC target and your student’s priorities for major and fit, that sounds like a good decision.
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So, this is not true?:
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It’s true, but perhaps the confusion is that I used the term “NPC” in the broadest sense when the calculation have been exclusively based on MyInTuition. I’ve never run the tax return-based NPC for Vassar. In any event, I’m not sure how it matters, at least concerning Vassar. See Post #108.
Original poster has moved on from Vassar and that’s fine, agree that cutting colleges at this point makes sense for whatever reason. However, in case others read this thread in the future - under the rules for home equity linked above our Vassar cost should have been about $7000 above our federal EFC. Instead, including the student share, it came in about about $2500 above our federal EFC (can’t remember the federal EFC exactly, but it’s not more than $2500 above). So there obviously is some leeway with how things are calculated. I assume the NPC is more accurate than MyIntuition but that doesn’t explain a huge discrepancy. Again, I’m not trying to convince the original poster and don’t mean to take this too far off-track, but it definitely makes sense for any applicant to run the NPC for any school they are interested in. In general Vassar is known for fairly generous financial aid, and our experience certainly bore that out. Sorry it didn’t for the original poster!
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I agree but if I’m OP and I had interest in Vassar, why not take the 10 mins and fill out the Vassar NPC - just to make sure. What if it ends up the dream school? If the results come out similar, then move on.
But up to OP of course.
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I’ve already referenced this thread as a warning about Myintuition once in another thread. Perhaps, it should be a thread of its own.
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Out of OCD/parental guilt for not having a million-dollar 529, I probably will run another 70 NPCs on several colleges using the more elaborate inputs, but not until I get my 2022 tax returns next year. Among other things, I changed jobs earlier this year, so my 2021 returns aren’t of much help. Still, I can’t imagine that Vassar’s MyInTuition is that dramatically off.
Anyhow, I really do appreciate everyone’s input here. It’s very helpful.
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Have you run the NPC for U of Richmond? They meet full need (though I don’t know where they’ll fall on the generosity continuum), and also offer art-specific scholarships: Scholarships & Awards - Art & Art History - School of Arts & Sciences - University of Richmond There is also the option to cross-register at VCUArts, if that appeals.
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I am not an expert in this by any means but will still throw my 2 cents into this discussion with the hope that others can add more substance.
Have you looked into the portfolio requirements for any of the schools you are interested in? And has your child done anything to begin putting a portfolio together? The whole portfolio review process can add additional stress to the application process, one that I wish we thought about earlier in the process.
I highly recommend attending a National Portfolio Review event during junior year as it will give you time round out your daughter’s portfolio to what each school wants to see - and how. My D did not attend one until September of senior year but really wished she had done so earlier. It worked out in the end as the reviewer accepted her portfolio and she didn’t have to resubmit it with her application. The whole “system” of uploading it was stressing her out.
Good Luck!
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The 2022 tax return info will be used for the 2024-2025 academic year? Is that when your student is starting college?
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