<p>I’m cheering along with all of you-it’s great to see so many success stories! It’s also good to see that many schools still have robust FA budgets.</p>
<p>We have high EFC, so S2 is relying only on merit money. (Actually, one school included a grant of $810 next year, since I will have 2 in college for one year) It’s not a direct correlation, but there is a strong relationship between the scholarship offers and SAT ranges at the colleges. (Lessons to Jr.s and parents that need merit money: 1. Study/practice for SAT/ACT and 2. Apply to a few schools below your range)</p>
<p>So far, he’s gotten a nice range of merit offers, making it a difficult choice for my son. (Less cost for undergrad means we can help him with grad school.) But I’m thrilled he has these choices!</p>
<p>I’m looking forward to being able to post here – I wish art schools didn’t take so much time to send out their aid packages! Here’s to hoping the thread doesn’t get completely derailed before we get award letters!</p>
<p>Well, with the first two aid packages in, it’s maybe not quite a “cheer,” but at the very least a big sigh of relief. Goucher and Rochester have both posted their aid awards, and they’re nearly identical from our point of view, i.e., the bottom line is nearly the same. The self-help components are exactly the same ($3.5K sub/$2K unsub Stafford, $1.2K work-study). Rochester awarded about $8.5K more in institutional grants, and Goucher $2.5K more in merit aid; this comes out to $6K more “free money” from Rochester–which is almost exactly how much more it costs to go there. So the bottom line is around $16.5K out of pocket in both cases. It’s more than we can come up with just by scrimping, so there will have to be either be new income sources or new debt in our future, but it’s manageable. Certainly a smaller gap than I had been fearing. </p>
<p>Just want to clarify a couple of things here.</p>
<p>First of all, I DID congratulate OP for the award (#12) and thank OP
.<br>
In other words, I am not trying to rain on anyone’s parade rather than making these threads more helpful to the class of next year, same as OP’s stated purpose.</p>
<p>As some of the posters also pointed, a shout of “extremely generours” FA w/o any details does not really help anyone.
</p>
<p>In the absense of detailed data, I was trying to point out that, based on what I have seen, the package may not be as “extremely generours”. If OP likes the package, she could cheer all she wants. I merely gave a couple of examples of what will be universally agreed “extremely generous” package.</p>
<p>As to the reference to Yale. Again, some poster made the connection already that it came from the fact OP applied there. In one of the dicussion with OP in another thread, I learnt that she is an 100% Ivy caliber outstanding student with. So, my comment was that for such as highly qualified low income student. the limited application fee may be better spent for a truely generous university such as Yale. I personally do not know Yale that well, nor will I ever encouage any one to apply there.</p>
<p>Lastly, I want R6L to know that we are of low income too. Both of our children is/will be benefit greatly from generous need based FA from the best private colleges. I understand the feeling - yes I got an offer that I could go to a great college. So, please cheer on. With your spirit, you should not really care if it rains a little or not, right?</p>
<p>As part of the Union FA package celebration, I note Union can boast of two 2010 Thomas J Watson fellowship winners. And I believe the same 2010 achievement for Hendrix. Quality college options indeed!</p>
<p>bigtrees: Yet again…the negative comment first then you move on. I think you sound like a very bitter person. So sorry, someone or something has done you wrong.</p>
<p>littlefalls: these FA threads seem to grow negativity like kudzu. I don’t think it’s always meant badly. I think the best thing to do is let it pass and just let the positive voices talk louder.</p>
<p>The problem is that because of different family circumstances, aid can be quite variable at colleges. So the fact that YOU got a great package from a particular school doesn’t mean that someone else would.</p>
<p>Also a student’s stats can play into aid packages…2 kids with the same need can get different packages because 1 student has much better stats…</p>
<p>So, it might help when mentioning school and aid, to also include stats… :)</p>
<p>I do not wish to hijack Rocket’s thread…and truthfully…I’m thrilled that financial aid package. What a wonderful thing for college!!</p>
<p>Dad II…your daughter goes to Stanford…some folks here might not realize that need based financial aid for students at Stanford includes families…like yours…with incomes in excess of $100,000 a year. Stanford and a select few other schools have these VERY generous need based financial aid packages. BUT the reality is…most schools (and most people for that matter) do not view folks with incomes in the $100K range per year to be “low income”. Sorry…but they just don’t.</p>
<p>Now…if your child happens to be fortunate enough to get accepted to Stanford (or Harvard, Yale, and the others with these generous packages) as Dad II’s daughter did…that is wonderful. And congratulations to his daughter on her fine academic record and her acceptance to such a fine school.</p>
<p>BUT…most schools just don’t offer need based aid to folks with incomes in that range where the EFC would be about $20K to $30K per year…a whole lot different than someone with an EFC of $0.</p>
<p>“…something 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>How is this not congratulatory?</p>
<p>Btw, congrats R6L… in case you missed me the first time.</p>
<p>**We-eee-eeel…
You know you make me wanna (Shout!)
Kick my heels up and (Shout!)
Throw my hands up and (Shout!)
Throw my head back and (Shout!)
**</p>
<p>(BTW, given that college determinations of EFC is a blackbox art, receiving a FA package with a lower than anticipated EFC component IS something worthy of cueing up the Isley Brothers)</p>
<p>nightchef: perhaps you are right…I also just realized that our negative friend is not a parent…so I will cut some slack for immaturity. MOVING ON</p>
<p>In our “good” packages, here are the factors that made them “good”. I have two kids-one an outstanding student (AP scholar with something-can’t remember, national merit, stellar GPA, 2 sports, musician, etc) that was a choice applicant, the other a B student with a slightly above average SAT and some sports/music involvement. Here’s my advice for those who want a good package:
Be in the upper 25% of the applicants to the school (need based requires this too as I have sadly learned with child two-the average applicant-your need will be met according to a SAT/GPA grid-better scores, more need met with grants).
Have a unique skill that the school wants (I do think DIII schools can make sure the need based aid is met with a potential athlete with stats lower than the 25th %ile-they don’t admit this but it is interesting how the schools that wanted child for a sport completely met need with primarily grants, not gapped packages).
If you are a musician not planning a career in music, choose a school that has a need for your instrument and does not have a conservatory or school of music full of good musicians associated with it. You will be valued more. Also check to see if there is a shortage of your instrument.
Study for the SAT/ACT-schools are buying your score in order to up their average.
Don’t feel bad about state schools. You can go to a top grad schools from a state school!
If you are the older child, work hard in college. Some schools will increase aid for top students and are more likely to meet the full EFC with scholarships and grants. Our older student continues to excel in college. Her school is increasing aid as a result of brother being in college next year. This helps the family a lot. Once in college, top students continue to be rewarded with summer internships and special opportunities.
Apply to schools with healthy endowments. These colleges can afford to be generous.
If you need a lot of money, apply to match schools. You may get in a reach school but they will often assume you should be content with simply the honor of being accepted.
Don’t take it personally. You are a commodity being purchased by the college. Colleges have to stay in business and need to make sound purchases. My younger child, sweet as he is, simply did not have a lot that some colleges were willing to pay for.
Remember, state schools can and will get you to what you need.</p>
<p>Congratulations to everyone who got great packages.</p>
<p>Finally, cause to cheer just a little! D looked on her student account at her in-state school’s website and a $7200 non-federal grant award was posted! WOOHOO - that will cover more than half of the tuition, fees, room & board - so we’re getting there. Her FA counselor at this school told us that she should get her official awards letter during the first week in April. Here’s hoping for more!</p>
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