<p>I think there is a much more common problem of people NOT taking the stated tuition into account. Everywhere you turn, you read articles telling you that there is financial aid available and don’t let cost stop you from applying. </p>
<p>To us full pays, those articles can feel like a kick in the teeth, so maybe it just seems like there are more of them than there actually are. </p>
<p>But even so, I do think there is a popular conception among top students - and their teachers and parents - that schools like Penn will be affordable if only their kid can get in. For many top students in the Philadelphia area who consider themselves upper middle class, Penn will in fact be more than a 100k more expensive than relatively pricey Penn State.</p>