<p>One of the most common reactions I get when I list the schools to which I'm applying is, "do you really want to be surrounded by all that wealth?" It's a valid point, one that I wonder myself. When talking with an Andover admissions officer, he told me and my mom that a full ride covers everything from tuition to a prom dress to summer trips. And I've heard that students won't know you're on financial aid unless you tell them, but this seems a little unrealistic. I guess what I'm getting at is what it feels like to be from a family that makes less than $20,000 a year. Is anyone out there in my boat? Does anyone have any input on what it's like?</p>
<p>The schools you’re considering give a LOT of financial aid, and the income spread will therefore be very large-- there will be students on total scholarship (including books, travel, instrument lesson money), all the way up to the super rich–with plenty of people in the middle. We are one of those in-the-middle families (big decision to go, have to make some sacrifices but no aid). My son says there’s very little class awareness-- he says he really doesn’t know who’s on FA and who is not, or how much people get, and there don’t seem to be class-based cliques or anything. The one area I can see it really mattering is OFF campus-- where and how people spend their vacations, whether you can take advantage of some of the amazing trips the schools offer (plenty of people won’t be able to–in fact, you may qualify for aid for summer trips while other kids NOT on full FA won’t be able to afford to go), or even, to some extent, where kids go on weekends. But on campus it doesn’t seem to be so obvious and, like I said, while there will be some very rich families, you’ll find a really big range. Look at the percentage of kids on FA at the various schools, and you’ll probably feel better. And realize there are also a lot of kids who are full pay but definitely not rich. Oh-- and try not to assume everybody who DOES have money will be unfriendly and awful.</p>
<p>At Lawrenceville, you usually can’t really tell whether or not people are on FA, and no one really cares. Also, most people, even the Full Pays, are very frugal with their spending–well, it obviously depends on the clique you hang out with (especially at Deerfield, which has a preppy reputation), but from my experience, most people don’t act rich/don’t own an xBox etc.</p>
<p>The only disadvantage I can think of is that if the food at the cafeteria sucks, you may not be able to eat out with your friends (if they wish to).</p>
<p>MBV-- really? My son’ sat Deerfield. He says you absolutely can’t tell who is on FA or not. Let’s not make too many assumptions here, especially about schools you don’t attend.</p>
<p>I don’t attend Deerfield, but that doesn’t mean Deerfield doesn’t have a preppy reputation…</p>
<p>FA is not a topic that is discussed among students. But when students board together, there’s no getting around that the stuff students have or don’t have in their dorm rooms speak for them, especially for girls regarding clothing. The school may outfit the very poor students some appropriate clothing, but not a entire closet full bursting with designer clothes and shoes. Boys tend not to care as much about clothing, and even the very wealthy ones do not accumulate clothes the way girls do. </p>
<p>Suburban middle class kids in America live in socioeconomically self-segregated communities, so they are not so aware of class difference. Kids from urban communities where extreme-rich zipcodes are adjacent to extreme-poor zipcodes are more aware.</p>
<p>DS reports that at his school many of the recruited outreach students are angry, band together, and socialize w socioeconomic peers. Without fail, every year there is a graduating senior who has a public outburst about how bitter he/she is about the prep school experience. </p>
<p>Apparently, this is common at not just DS’s school:
<a href=“For Minority Students at Elite New York Private Schools, Admittance Doesn’t Bring Acceptance - The New York Times”>For Minority Students at Elite New York Private Schools, Admittance Doesn’t Bring Acceptance - The New York Times;
</p>
<p>
This is not a Deerfield issue, but an issue at MANY prep schools. Read my linked article in post #6.</p>
<p>^Yes, but also bear in mind that much of the “pressure” felt by the less wealthy kids (at least at my school) is self-imposed. As long as you can get over that self-awareness, you’ll be fine. People won’t segregate you for not having the money atm to eat out.</p>
<p>However, I’m speaking from the perspective of a guy, so I can’t speak for girls, who are definitely more fashion-conscious.</p>
<p>
True, it may be self-imposed, but people cannot help the way they feel. I know the insecurity poverty brings. I grew up poor.</p>
1 Like
<p>Are there still Student Work Programs, and if so, are these for the FA students?</p>
<p>The schools that I am familiar with have jobs for all students. Makes no difference whether you’re on FA or not.</p>
<p>At my children’s two schools, they did not feel a lack or exclusion because of our fairly low socioeconomic status. In my interactions with other parents, I see what seems to be a wide array of financial situations. Some families that I’m pretty sure are full pay, are very down to earth. I see many kids with mac books while D lugs around her $300 laptop but she hasn’t felt any snobbery from others about it. </p>
<p>When she was having some technical difficulties her roommate did call her laptop crap, which if you’re used to a top of the line mac it would be and I would say that was insensitive on the roommate’s part. But D took it with a grain of salt and luckily loves her laptop! D is very down to earth too.</p>
<p>There can be financial divides, racial divides, immigrant status divides…we all just need to keep working on these issues.</p>
<p>
We heard that long, long ago, the FA students at Deerfield had to wait on the tables for sit-down meals–cringe… Now all students have to take a turn doing it.</p>
<p>All schools are making a great effort to socially integrate students of all economic means.</p>
<p>Then what is this?</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.exeter.edu/documents/16_17.pdf[/url]”>http://www.exeter.edu/documents/16_17.pdf</a></p>
<p>What are student work programs??</p>
<p>@MBVLoveless I think they’re just “chores” students are assigned.</p>
<p>@everyone Thanks! You’re all making it seem less scary, and Daykidmom had a good point about qualifying for aid that the middle class couldn’t afford. The only problem I have with FA percentages is that anyone who receives a grant counts toward this list, whether it be 500 kids with $500 scholarships or 5 kids who get full rides.</p>
<p>Stargirl, often times the school’s website will report how many millions of dollars in FA they award. You can divide this pot of money by the number of kids receiving FA to determine the average grant. Some families will get more than the average and some will get less.</p>
<p>Student work programs are not assigned chores. They are voluntarily-elected opportunities for older students to earn some pocket money. </p>
<p>Some schools do have assigned chores (Loomis comes to mind). All students are required to participate, and the students do not get paid for it. It is their contribution to the community.</p>
<p>@GMT Thanks! I’m going to do some math now… 
And thanks for clarifying work programs, I was mistaken.</p>
<p>I just looked at the Andover website, and 13% of students are on full scholarships this year. That’s about 146 kids. (1,129 x .13 = 146.77) I hope I did that right! :)</p>
<p>These are some numbers I calculated last year:</p>
<p>$433,000,000 $807,836 $8,400,000 $44,776 1.9% 536 35% St. Paul’s
$310,000,000 $378,510 $10,100,000 $42,525 3.3% 819 29% Lawrenceville
$430,000,000 $720,268 $8,550,000 $38,707 2.0% 597 37% hotchkiss
$200,000,000 $660,066 $5,212,025 $37,394 2.6% 303 46% St. Andrews
$305,000,000 $819,892 $5,100,000 $37,053 1.7% 372 37% groton
$160,000,000 $426,667 $4,100,000 $36,444 2.6% 375 30% middlesex
$992,000,000 $926,237 $17,350,000 $36,000 1.7% 1,071 45% exeter
$72,000,000 $271,698 $2,850,000 $35,849 4.0% 265 30% Cate School
$175,000,000 $269,231 $7,900,000 $35,747 4.5% 650 34% Loomis Chaffee
$283,000,000 $327,546 $10,000,000 $35,073 3.5% 864 33% choate
$785,000,000 $686,789 $18,157,000 $33,799 2.3% 1,143 47% andover
$167,000,000 $383,908 $4,400,000 $33,716 2.6% 435 30% Episcopal High
$111,386,300 $464,110 $2,181,350 $33,663 2.0% 240 27% The Thacher School
$386,000,000 $612,698 $7,300,000 $33,107 1.9% 630 35% deerfield
$191,781,485 $327,272 $7,045,000 $32,492 3.7% 586 37% taft
$109,000,000 $298,630 $3,400,000 $32,121 3.1% 365 29% St. George’s School
$248,000,000 $616,915 $4,700,000 $29,229 1.9% 402 40% woodberry forrest
$278,000,000 $499,102 $5,000,000 $22,442 1.8% 557 40% peddie
$78,564,745 $239,527 $3,868,300 $21,840 4.9% 328 54% Emma Willard</p>
<p>the column headers:
1 endowmwnt
2 endow/ student
3 FA budget
4 FA budget/ FA student
5 FA budget/ endow
6 # students
7 % receiving FA
8 school</p>
<p>These are last years numbers, but at least you get an idea of where the money is</p>
<p>My family pays full tuition and at school you don’t know who is on financial aid and who isn’t. Who gets it is not something anyone thinks about, cares about, or judges you on because everyone is bringing something to the table and contributing athletically, academically or artistically. Everyone lends and borrows clothes. Friends are friends, and family money (or lack of it) isn’t important AT ALL. There are some girls who are on f/a who talk about it all the time but that is the only way anyone knows they are, not that it changes what is great about them in any way.</p>