Cornell is my top choice but I am worried about the amount of money they will give me. I am applying to other schools that Cornell matches the aid of (Ivies, Stanford, Duke). Which of these schools would likely give me more money than Cornell? My parents make 140k a year, and most of our money is in our house with very few savings. I know Harvard and Stanford would give the most, especially because they don’t calculate home equity, but which of the Ivies and/or Duke should I also apply to to maximize my chances of saving money?
Run the NPC Net price calculators on these schools and see kind of estimates you get.
MIT, Princeton , Yale, and Vanderbilt are very generous. In years past, Vanderbilt gives the most financial aid of any university in the USA. You need an ACT of 35 or 36 most years, to get into Vandy. . For the others you need to have some hook, that goes beyond normal high school accomplishments. Vanderbilt is getting harder for admission but still easier than the others. If you have a Jewish heritage or Asian heritage, Vanderbilt may be anxious to admit you, as they want to diversify. Nashville is really a great city too. (for sure way nicer than Durham NC, but Duke
has other advantages beyond the town).
Cornell won’t match Vanderbilt’s aid package.
My financial situation was very similar to yours and Cornell offered me ~$20k/yr in grants.
Stanford is also very generous with grants.