<p>applying to a LAC in ED though needing a lot of financial aid?</p>
<p>Can't they just reject me if they see I can't afford?</p>
<p>When applying ED you commit to attending the college regardless of the fin aid package that you will get...</p>
<p>The main problem might be the algorithm used to determine your family contribution. A college might get a wrong impression of how high your financial need really is due to their algorithm and subsequently admit you with not enough fin aid.</p>
<p>I was admitted to BMC with an expected contribution from income (I'll neglect savings here) of $10,000. After e-mailing back and forth with the fin aid office they lowered it to $3,000 because they did not take the higher tax rates in Germany into account.</p>
<p>Unfortunately many colleges will not consider international fin aid appeals because their international fin aid budget is too tight. That's why it is recommended not to apply ED so that you can compare fin aid packages.</p>
<p>But can't the institution(I'm looking at Colby/Bowdoin) just reject me if they see that I'm only able to contribute $5000?</p>
<p>How will the school know how much money you are able to pay? Don't you fill out finaid materials after being accepted?</p>
<p>Not always. In some schools, you send the app by Nov 15th and then send the financial aid forms(if you're applying for fin aid). We're always talking ED.</p>
<p>I'm not very sure though. Please somebody prove me wrong!</p>
<p>They might reject you, but then again they might not. Most schools "gap", even for domestic students, and leave it up to you to come up with the difference. Even if they do meet your full need, they determine how much the "need" is, which could vary greatly from your definition. For example, you say you can only afford $5000, but their calculations might say that you can afford $15,000. Most schools are not very generous to internationals, they state that up front, and they accept them anyway, leaving it up to you to scramble and find the money.</p>
<p>If you are worried about this, contact the admissions and financial aid office of your ED school and ask about the likely scenario.</p>
<p>(And yes, you do file your FA papers at or about the same time as you file your application. That doesn't mean that the FA office discusses it with the admissions office, though - two separate processes.)</p>
<p>How do they calculate the amount I can afford?</p>
<p>For example, I supply statements from the respective employers of my parents citing the numbers and their combined annuity doesn't exceed $20,000.
How much would they expect me to pay? $19,000?</p>
<p>"Can't they just reject me if they see I can't afford?"</p>
<p>The people that accept or reject you often work in a different office from the ones who make the financial aid determinations. The left hand doesn't necessarily know what the right hand is doing.</p>
<p>Frankly, many schools have "need-blind" admissions. Like Scipio said, your application will be adjudicated w/o finances being considered. That being said, it might be wise for you to actually speak with an admissions officer to discuss the scenario where a) you are accepted 2) the reality of your fin aid situation and 3) what options exist if at the end, the aid package they offer you is still too burdensome to your family -- how do you back out of an offer if it really can't be accepted. </p>
<p>Emphasize that you'd like to go ED because they ABSOLUTELY are your FIRST CHOICE SCHOOL and you'll do everything humanly possible to attend. State this VERY CLEARLY when communicating with them.</p>
<p>Good luck to you</p>
<p>"And yes, you do file your FA papers at or about the same time as you file your application."</p>
<p>What schools do this???</p>
<p>Virtually all of them. They can't wait until you're accepted because then you can't make your decisions to attend. </p>
<p>For RD decisions, you generally send the FA papers in February or so, when you have all your and your parents' tax information available. For ED decisions, you update the applications you filed in November. </p>
<p>The easier question is "which schools don't"?</p>
<p>kk19131: All of the ones on my list.</p>
<p>I was quite confused for a second.... And to think, I applied ED.... :rolleyes:</p>
<p>
[quote]
For example, I supply statements from the respective employers of my parents citing the numbers and their combined annuity doesn't exceed $20,000.
[/quote]
Do you have any savings are investments (like property)? These items would raise your expected contribution too.</p>
<p>Good luck with your applications whenever you decide to apply. I recall ColbyAdmissions saying that this past admission cycle only 8-10 out of about 900 international applicants who needed fin aid were admitted.</p>
<p>T26E4, only very few colleges are need-blind for international students (HYPM, Williams and Middlebury are the only ones I am aware of). At every other college your financial status is one of the most important criteria when evaluating an international applicant.</p>
<p>No property at all.</p>
<p>I don't think it's that tough. According to CollegeBoard:</p>
<h1>Number of enrolled international undergraduates received aid: 127</h1>
<h1>Total amount awarded : $5,264,948</h1>
<p>Am not sure what academic year they're referring to, but anyway chances are it's not older that 1 year. And I wouldn't expect such a sudden drastic change.</p>
<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=202370&page=9%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=202370&page=9</a>
Look at post #124</p>
<p>A possible explanation of the discrepancy:</p>
<p>Many colleges treat Canadians like domestic students for fin aid purposes (I am not sure about Colby). ColbyAdmissions might have referred to non-Canadian international students while Collegeboard counts Canadian students to the international population as well.</p>