<p>calmom, she stated that there are ~5K Stafford loan. I am sure you know the most subsidized Stafford is $3500 for the first year student. Therefore there are at least $1,500 unsubsidized loan. A decent package would have at least Perkins to cover that parts.</p>
<p>Rocket will get her Yale acceptance on April 1st but her aid package won’t be as “generous” Yale does not, ever (as I understand it), give an aid package that reduces EFC. Need based aid only from the IVYs, no merit.</p>
<p>Isn’t Yale a “no loan” school?
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<p>And dadII-- still waiting…</p>
<p>DadII, Rocket’s award is about as good as any college other than the elites is ever going to give. Again, the subsidized Staffords are to be expected.</p>
<p>When you make a statement suggesting that a students should look at Yale rather than Union, it just shows that you are pretty naive. That’s like telling a bank teller that you don’t think her job pays enough, and suggesting that she get a job as bank president instead. Union is a great college, but most of its students are not competitive for Yale or other elites (Union SAT CR range: 590-670). </p>
<p>I don’t know what other schools Rocket may have considered or applied to, but its safe to assume that Yale would be unrealistic. Rocket is to be commended for making a smart decision in targeting a school that would admit her and where her stats would be strong enough to attract a strong need-based award.</p>
<p>Seriously DadII, do you not see that you are insisting on throwing wet blankets on a thread intended to celebrate the harvest?</p>
<p>I can just imagine you giving a bridal toast …</p>
<p>DadII – she also said that she is being awarded aid that is $2000 better than her EFC - she has the option of turning down the unsub. Stafford, and if she does she still has 100% need met. Basically the school is meeting her EFC and also offering a loan to help her come up with her share.</p>
<p>calmom, your safe assumptions re: Rocket are misplaced :). But your points supporting Rocket are well stated.</p>
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“and with a litttle more negotiating she could have had a 4 carat diamond and a better honeymoon…”</p>
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<p>Oh, good grief. Spending money on a school that admits 7% of their applicants is the better plan for FA? </p>
<p>Congrats, R6L!!! I’m so proud of you!</p>
<p>Dad II, may I respectfully suggest that you take your comments to the Financial Aid forum? I’m sure those who frequent that forum will learn from your wisdom.
This thread, however, is entitled “The Cheer about the Financial Aid Package” and not “Throwing Cold Water on Celebrations by Successful Financial Aid Applicants.”</p>
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<p>This reminds me of a woman who, when seeing the bridal gown of a mutual acquaintance, asked aloud whether it was bought in Filene’s Basement.</p>
<p>YALE??? The OP is rejoicing that she has been accepted AND will actually will be able to afford to go to UNION college and you think you are being helpful to suggest that students interested in UNION should apply to YALE INSTEAD because they offer better FA??? Right… and how much financial aid will the 94 % of students who end up being REJECTED BY YALE actually get from YALE? ZIP…
DADII, open your mind and yank your TOP TIER blinders off , if you truly want to be helpful to the vast majority of students who will NOT be accepted at the richest, most generous colleges. Otherwise your “go for the big-bucks” advise is going to fall on deaf ears. You TRULY do NOT have a clue about what to advise a NON-IVY league caliber lower income student!.</p>
<p>Pug said it best, and is bears repeating-</p>
<p>“Oh, good grief. Spending money on a school that admits 7% of their applicants is the better plan for FA?”</p>
<p>Rocket did not intend for this thread to become all about her. But to wrap up the Rocket digression, from other threads I know she has picked a well thought-out range of schools all known for the high quality of their education (if different selectivity factors) to ensure SHE will be in a position to choose her best match/affordability option. And yes, from her other posts highly-selectives like Smith and Scripps and Bama (neuroscience merit) and Yale are match ranges for her. And it must be a sweet feeling to put the anxiety of affording college aside and knowing it is now only a question of ironing out where the adventure begins :)</p>
<p>So to bring us back to the purpose of this thread: to Rocket and all others with good FA news to share here, keep building that harvest bonfire! Its time the enjoy the fruits of your labors!!</p>
<p>I’m glad to learn that Rocket has stats strong enough for Yale … but Yale is not a “match” for anyone. If she gets accepted to Yale she will be able to compare awards, and we can assume that Yale will be generous. IF. </p>
<p>That doesn’t change the fact that Union has given her a great financial aid offer, which is definitely reason to celebrate.</p>
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I just played the game of looking at Rocket’s other posts – it seems that although she is waiting on Yale, she posted “I already got into my first choice, i’m just curious how Yale feels about me”. So I guess if she does get accepted to Yale she’ll be turning them down anyway.</p>
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<p>Agreed. </p>
<p>R6L is an amazing applicant and is competitive for Yale, but… you can’t say anyone WILL get into Yale. Really, you can’t.</p>
<p>Also, I don’t think need-based FA is some to congratulate someone for. Getting in? Yes! Merit aid? Yes! Having a stellar set of accomplishments while being from a low-income family? Yes! </p>
<p>But need-based FA itself… is not an accomplishment, per se. Yes, it’s probably more of a change to be competitive for top schools when one has limited family resources, especially as a result of family illness (I think rocket has posted about that in the past), and that’s something to be noted… however, there are plenty of life challenges that don’t necessarily show up in one’s EFC.</p>
<p>The premise of this thread is simple: a place for those happy with FA/award packages (and we all know that each college calculating its version of EFC and/or merit awards is “black box”) to share and celebrate. </p>
<p>Is it really impossible at CC to have a thread dedicated to simple joy, without the compulsive parsing apart of colleges and qualifications? </p>
<p>The reasons why WCs are better than LACs are better than Ivies (or mix that order any way you wish) are all ably dismembered elsewhere.</p>
<p>Hey, did that bonfire over there just go out? A shame if this thread is doomed for lack of oxygen in the CC atmosphere.</p>
<p>Re post #55:
R6L got what SHE considers generous aid at her 1st choice school. That is reason for her to celebrate–and for us to congratulate her. The thread is not about accomplishing anything except the ability of R6L to attend her 1st choice school.
If you do not feel like joining the chorus, that’s up to you, but don’t rain on our parade. Sheesh.</p>
<p>I seem to recall this happening, by the same parties too, in the WHINE thread.</p>
<p>Oh my goodness!!! I really did not want this to all become about me, I promise</p>
<p>I really just wanted a place for everyone to just be HAPPY…sorry for any grief I’ve caused.</p>
<p>I just want to say a special thanks to pmk!!! Glad to see you back on the boards!!</p>
<p>Rocket: you know I am a big fan and I am so thrilled that the FA you’ve received is going to enable you to go to one of your dream schools (no matter which one it is !)</p>
<p>While I understand your angle DadII, you have to understand that different FA packages are going to make different families happy. One that might make you throw it in the garbage might make another family dance in the street. And this should be the thread where we all can dance in the street 
There’s tons of other threads on here with specifics about how FA at different schools work, and I trust and hope that someone looking for info on FA at x school would look at more than this thread.</p>