<p>I’d like to whine about “preferential packaging”. Our EFC is just fine. The only problem is the colleges don’t have to honor it. Child one was a strong high school student and got a package that matched our EFC two years ago when she began college. Child 2, our B student, has been offered admit, deny deals. His packages are coming in at more than his sister’s did two years ago as a single child in college. It is though the schools are not going to even consider the sibling in college for him. Our daughter’s school, on the other hand is willing to meet the greatly reduced EFC for her next year. She is also a student they want to keep (great grades and school involvement). As I explained to my son, colleges are a business and they want to purchase what looks like a good prospect on paper. They are willing to take a risk on admitting him but not investing more than say 55-60% of the cost of attendance on him. I’m not angry and perhaps it is good for him to see what his lack of effort brought him. He can simply go to one of the state schools he was accepted to and, if he does well there, transfer.</p>