And this:
Oberlin is need aware for international students. This means your ability to pay will be considered when you application for admission is reviewed.
thumper1-
I will advice. I will apply with the aid request I have for now, and wait and see.
I have a few more questions. (sorry to bug you!)
- We will write $41500 for the tuition we plan to write for the first year. However, we will raise the amount we can pay by $1500 each year in accordance with the increase of the tuition itself. (My dad plans to have increased income next year…) Is it better to have constant numbers for every year?
- Also, is it better to say that the money will all come from savings, or from income?
thumper1-
Sorry I meant to write I will take your advice.
Yes, I am aware of that… is $41500 for the first year too low for Oberlin?
No one knows why they ask how much you can pay, because they don’t really seem to use that number.
If your parents have no savings, your father is close to retirement, and they don’t own their home, it seems utterly insane to me that they can or should pay that kind of money for your undergraduate education in the US. I’d put in a much lower number (half that).
intparent-
Oh… so the number is not really that significant?
I know it’s insane, but my father’s first priority is to get me into the college I love, and I appreciate him a LOT for that.
He doesn’t want financial circumstances to become a barrier for me, but I am, (like you) worried about my parents’ future - and this is why I am trying to figure out how to get aid, even with his high income.
Also, I should have made this more clear, but my dad is planning for work for years ahead, even after I graduate.
He is not close to retirement, as long as he holds his high position in the company…
I meant to say he may not be able to work for much longer, IF for instance, he becomes ill, etc…
How is it that you are so fluent in english? Are u japanese? Do u attend an international school? If so, does your school have any university admissions guidance?
GMTplus7-
I used to live in California for seven years when I was younger- I came back to Japan for middle school.
I go to a domestic Japanese school 
Yes, we have one, but she’s only done it for two years and doesn’t know much…
What do you want to study at Oberlin that is worth the high cost? What are your goals?
I want to study at Oberlin … for a lot of reasons,
but I should say that the main pull is music.
I am not planning to become a professional musician, but I want to double major in Music and Biology.
Those two fields are not commonly studied together, but in recent years, there has been a few researches conducted on the connection between music and the effect it has on life. I believe Oberlin will be the best place to do this kind of studying/researching, with so many sources around me.
Also, I have been playing the violin for fourteen years, and I love it and its my life… I couldn’t find anywhere else I will be as happy as I (probably) will in Oberlin.
@mocowolf55, I don’t see the merit in saying you can pay $40K in year 1 if you can’t in year 2.They will make their own decision as to what they think you can pay, so put in numbers that you think are realistic. They won’t make their decision about acceptance without running their own NPC.
Then what kind of job or grad school degree comes after Oberlin? What is your goal?
@collegemom3717 - Will they make the decision by looking at the expected salary in the future years?
@Madison85 I am not sure, truth said. I want to become a biological researcher, but I am not specific in what job i want to do, what degree I want - I am hoping to find out the specifics after I get in. The research I talked about in the previous reply is what I am currently interested in, and what I may want to do as an introductory research into…well, the kind of research I may be doing in the future.
Does the Japanese government offer any money for its citizens to study abroad? You should check. EducationUSA may even be familiar w Japanese policies on educational funding.
GMTplus7-
Nope, not the government…
There is one large fund, its called teh “Grew Bancroft foundation” but I was rejected.
So my only hope left is the financial aid and Reischauer scholarship :’(
All need based aid is awarded annually and is based on incime and assets for that application year.
Are you hoping to study music within the conservatory at Oberlin? If so, your acceptance will be based on your audition. When is that?
thumper1-
Oh, its awarded annually? So many things I don’t know… Thank you
No, I am not applying to the Conservatory, at least for now.
Some students apply to the Conservatory after they get into the college, so I may do that if I decide I want to go.
FYI! It is not easy to get into the conservatory once you are enrolled,
In addition, those majoring in music through the conservatory, and majoring in something else through the college take at least one additional semester to complete their degrees at Oberlin.
Why is it hard to get into the conservatory once you are enrolled? Because Oberlin conservatory takes almost all of its degree seeking students as incoming freshmen based on the strength of their audition. It is a very competitive audition process, with many talented folks taking the audition, and most not getting accepted.
The conservatory requires an audition for acceptance. And it takes four years to complete most degrees within the conservatory.
You might want to ask this question on the music majors area here. Someone there will be able to tell you, with certainly, about Oberlin conservatory, and whether the college students can audition as sophomores.
But you don’t get any sort of edge just because you are already an Oberlin student. Your audition would still need to be at the top of the audition pool to be accepted.
If you are planning on getting a BM degree, you should research what it takes to get accepted to programs that award this.
If you are looking at a BA in music, you would not have to audition at some schools…but your major would not likely be performance.