<p>Harvard's announcement today is sure to cause a stir in the admissions offices of Princeton and Yale. In the past all, three offered similar financial aid (with Yale being the weakest of the three), but after today, Harvard will clearly be the most generous. Princeton did away with student loans some time ago, but the packages still remained comparable. Now, for a student from an upper middle class family, going to Harvard would be a LOT more affordable. </p>
<p>Let's hope that Yale responds with a similar proposal so that students whose families are in these income brackets will be able to choose a school based on what is the best fit, rather on the one that is most affordable.</p>
<p>I have to say, wearing a marketing hat for a moment, this was excellently timed Public Relations work by Harvard. Instead of the whole week being focused on their peer institutions' early action speculation and buzz, they are going to dominate the college news this week. They knew better than to release it next week, which would compete with the coverage of the admit outcomes.</p>
<p>Definitely smart timing, and a good way to get mindshare from students and families who may otherwise only focus on their 'competitors' for the next 3 months.</p>
<p>I think Yale will be forced to respond. The questions are - how soon and how much?</p>
<p>Will they repackage SCEA financial aid offers or will they delay sending them out?</p>
<p>I don't see how Yale cannot respond. They would lose too many accepted students to Harvard. I know it would have affected our family's decision. Even though our child is very happy at Yale, the difference over four years would be substantial. </p>
<p>This is Harvard's way of compensating for a loss of applicants to Yale SCEA! Haha, this prospect will probably make a lot of accepted Yalies reconsider applying to Harvard RD instead of matriculating to Yale directly.</p>
<p>If it is any consolation to those of you who have been anxiously awaiting your decisions from Yale, I guarantee that this news has sent the admissions people scurrying around, trying to set up last minute meetings with the president and trustees. Right now, they are as nervous as you are.</p>
<p>i applied SCEA to yale
i have given only 2 sat subject tests.
so i can`t apply to harvard any way
will this tell my yale officer that this student is not obviously applying to harvard and therefore shows great interest in yale.</p>
<p>I infer from the above posts that the admission officers now will be on look out for scea applicants who will readily accept the offer and not think of going to harvard.
so do i have a better chance or am i thinking too much??!</p>
<p>Um, is it possible to somehow tell the admissions officers at Yale that financial aid really isn't a problem for me and that I will definitely go to their school if they let me in? I would never consider Harvard over Yale.</p>
<p>I think it's a little late for adcoms to go back and look at each EA applicant and try to figure out whether they'll ditch for Harvard. Besides, they have a trick up their sleeve yet.</p>
<p>Wow. That sort of commitment to attracting the absolute best and brightest regardless of financial situation is seriously impressive on Harvard's part. I would bet that a large portion of those students who declince Ivy League admission offers are from middle class families too wealthy to qualify for significant financial aid but too poor to foot a $200,000 bill without significant financial struggle. Harvard will steal a LOT of applicants this way.</p>
<p>It will be very, very interesting to see Yale's response.</p>
<p>I seriously hope and hope that I can get something from yale soon to help dent the cost, as my parents, though able, will not be funding any part of my education.....i hate that gap between calculated need and actual need...</p>
<p>But don't entertain any illusions that Yale adcoms are now going to go back through the SCEA pool and look for hints as to who would choose Harvard over Yale. Sure this news makes Harvard much more attractive to many right now, but this SCEA season at Yale was already all about trying to weed out the Harvard-Princeton lovers from the bunch. I'm sure quite a few slipped through, but the point is Yale has already separated them out to the best of their abilities.</p>
<p>^"I know Princeton has good aid, but not this good."</p>
<p>actually, princeton enacted two of the three "components" of harvard's new reforms more than five years ago. thus, this from today's prince:</p>
<p>"Princeton's Director of Undergraduate Financial Aid Robin Moscato noted that some aspects of Harvard's new policy follow in Princeton's footsteps. 'These are things we did in 2001,' she said of the decision to replace loans with grants and to no longer use home equity to calculate financial aid. 'We are glad to see Harvard joining us on that,' she added."</p>
<p>"All EA awards will be repackaged in 2008 once the actual costs for 2008-2009 are announced and they will all be recalculated if there are any changes in our needs analysis and/or packaging policies."</p>
<p>In other words, you're going to get a nice financial aid offer.</p>