Leveraging Full Tuition Scholarships for aid at T10s?

[wazir]

Hello all,
I'm fortunate to be accepted to Duke and Einstein, and was previously leaning towards Duke as I am expecting to pay full price for either school. However, with Einstein going no tuition, it has become very appealing. I'm still having a hard time turning down Duke though because I am considering competitive specialties like ortho. Does anyone know if a T10 like Duke matches offers like this? I know on the website it says they don't match need based or merit aid, but this seems a little bit different. How should I email the financial aid office to ask about this?

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[Rachapkis]

You can try your luck with Duke. They may have some extra money that they would be willing to throw your way, but it is far from a given. That said, unless money is not much of a factor in your life, I would opt for the free tuition. Relative to Einstein, Duke will not make that big of a difference in your ability to match into competitive specialities.

FWIW--I recently had experience with someone who had a Geffen Scholarship at UCLA and tried to leverage it for scholarship funds at Penn. That person was not successful at prying loose additional funds.

 

[wazir]

That's the plan! As it stands now, I prefer Einstein, but if it were possible to cut the COA a bit I'd have to consider Duke for sure.

 

[pablo213]

That's the plan! As it stands now, I prefer Einstein, but if it were possible to cut the COA a bit I'd have to consider Duke for sure.

I agree with @Rachapkis. I have heard that highly ranked schools usually only match aid from similarly ranked schools, but I don't think it would hurt to try.

 

[wazir]

I agree with @Rachapkis. I have heard that highly ranked schools usually only match aid from similarly ranked schools, but I don't think it would hurt to try.

Yeah thats what I figured. Do you know who I should email? The financial aid team as a whole or someone in specific?

 

[It’s Over!!!]

I can promise that you will not be the only person to ask. Certainly worth a try!

But I would think a full tuition offer at Wash U or NYU would be more likely to work at Duke than Einstein would (at least for this first year before Einstein jumps up in whatever is left of the US News rankings).

I'd be interested to hear historically what success people have had negotiating aid at T5-10 schools by disclosing offers of substantial merit aid they've received from other top schools that are known to be generous (like, NYU, Wash U, and UChicago). If those people were unsuccessful, I'd imagine the huge influx of requests from people holding Einstein A's this year are also unlikely to succeed.

Best of luck and congrats on at least two amazing choices!

 

[wazir]

I can promise that you will not be the only person to ask. Certainly worth a try!

But I would think a full tuition offer at Wash U or NYU would be more likely to work at Duke than Einstein would (at least for this first year before Einstein jumps up in whatever is left of the US News rankings).

I'd be interested to hear historically what success people have had negotiating aid at T5-10 schools but disclosing offers of substantial merit aid they've received from other top schools that are known to be generous (like, NYU, Wash U, and UChicago). If those people were unsuccessful, I'd imagine the huge influx of requests from people holding Einstein A's this year are unlikely to succeed.

Best of luck and congrats on at least two amazing choices!

Yeah that's definitely true, they're not peers atm so I wouldn't expect it by any means. Would make the choice of going to Einstein easier, even lmao.

 

[pablo213]

Yeah thats what I figured. Do you know who I should email? The financial aid team as a whole or someone in specific?

I would assume the fin aid office, but I'm not 100% certain.

 

[It’s Over!!!]

Yeah that's definitely true, they're not peers atm so I wouldn't expect it by any means. Would make the choice of going to Einstein easier, even lmao.

Agree. I'm interviewing at Einstein in late March and while I realize that I am almost certainly interviewing for a spot on the WL where there will be little to no movement or an R, I would seriously consider Einstein over Hopkins and Chicago which are the two I'm most seriously considering now. And JHU was my dream school all along and UChicago a very, very close second! We are talking about a lot a money even for doctors!

 

[It’s Over!!!]

I would assume the fin aid office, but I'm not 100% certain.

I know UChicago has a video on this. Contact your undergrad premed people and see if they have any advice or tools to help.

For what its worth, I believe the video said it goes to the financial aid staff or director and that you should not feel bad about it. It is expected. Happens all the time. Just be appreciative and respectful and emphasize that managing debt is a major decision factor for you having grown up in your specific family circumstances--whatever that may be. Avoid sounding entitled or to be making demands or threats obviously.

Good luck!

 

[wazir]

I know my undergrad has a video on this and so yours also. Contact your undergrad premed people and see if they have any advice or tools to help.

For what its worth, my undergrad I believe said it goes to the financial aid staff or director and that you should not feel bad about it. It is expected. Happens all the time. Just be appreciative and respectful and emphasize that managing debt is a major decision factor for you having grown up in specific family circumstances--whatever that may be.

Good luck!

That's super helpful, I'll def do that. Gl on your interview, you got good choices regardless.

 

[It’s Over!!!]

Here's the video I'm talking about. Hope I summarized it correctly--watched it a long time ago.

 

[wazir]

Update: they said no 😞

 

[gobills123]

Sorry to hear. Did Duke send out your aid yet? Or still waiting to see what they give

 

[wazir]

They have not, but they basically said they do not match need or merit aid. They did say they'll be "aware" of other options, whatever that means.

 

[LizzyM]

As I've said before, most schools make more offers than they have seats and at this time of year there is extensive nail biting as we wait to see if we'll hit our target, under-enroll and need to go to the waitlist, or God forbid, have over-enrollment to the point that we have to bribe people to postpone a year (that very, very rarely happens). So, hearing that you'll go elsewhere if you don't get more money is likely to result in "Congrats on the other offer! Have a nice life."