Based on your own experience or information obtained from friends, etc., which schools are the most generous ones? For example, if you/your child get admitted to more than one school, which one offered a more generous FA package?
Our DC applied to Choate, Deerfield Academy, Hotchkiss School, Lawrenceville School, Loomis Chaffee School, Phillips Academy Andover, Phillips Exeter Academy, and Taft School (basically all Ten Schools except The Hill School and St. Paul’s). Besides the above eight schools, DC also applied to Middlesex and Blair, so any information about their FA package was also appreciated.
In my experience, it is whatever school wants the applicant the most. BS have more flexibility with their applicant mix and aid. Very different from FA in local schools.
After we went through a very a painful process for middle school I found out that in my area, local schools use aid almost exclusively for URM and really, not a lot of it. There was zero chance of acceptance with aid. I wish I had known that because it would have saved my kid from much heartache.
You can do a quick back of envelope — FA per (total) student at the school by going to boarding school review dot com and multiplying the %-age receiving aid by the average aid amount. It won’t tell you how they allocate, of course but a quick acid test – (%) X (avg amt).
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There is an older thread on here, where I think Publisher listed the top schools for endowment/student. That will also help. Just search the keywords.
And then, to really understand a school’s resources, calculate the endowment per student. These schools have different numbers of students.
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Thanks, @cinnamon1212 - I didn’t state that very clearly.
You did! I was just adding on to what you wrote! I think endowment size and endowment per student are important.
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Thank you all for the information. I totally agree that amount of FA budget and endowment schools have prominent indicators for their FA allocations for admitted students. The schools have their FA budget listed on their websites, and some even have an FA calculator (Hotchkiss) and award distribution based on the family income. I guess I am looking for more first-hand data from the families who received multiple admission offers with different FA offers in the same admission cycle, giving another important perspective about the schools’ FA offers. For example, if their FA offer is in line with their average FA amount listed on their website or more or less. I agree that if a school really wants a student to fill a needed spot for music, sports, etc., they may offer a higher FA offer.
This is why no one can really give you an objective answer that would apply to you, personally.
I agree. That’s why I tried to state in my op that “ based on your own experience…”. I know that everyone’s experience and applications are different. But still, it would provide (anecdotal) information to compare schools’ FA offerings. For example, Exeter offered us X, but Andover offered X+10 K, or by simply Exeter’s offer was better, etc.