@MYOS1634 I live in the US currently and Davidson happens to be on the way to some other place I need to be. A $20k family income is like average in China, slightly below average if you live in the city. It’s probably more like $50k in US by purchasing power parity (PPP). Most house value in China has increased by 300% in the last 10 years. Many Chinese parents sell their house to pay US college tuition for their kid. I am pretty sure all colleges know those facts.
@SternBusiness The thing is that most colleges just rejected me since I am an international student with such financial need. During the application process, the more financial need I demonstrate the less likely I will be admitted, so maybe the fact they did not understand my entire need helped me to get in? Anyway, Davidson is the only college one out of 25 colleges I applied to that offers financial aid to me. Others give me merit aid: Randolph-Macon offers me merit aid for full tuition. Both Colorado College and U of Rochester give me $10,000 in merit.
I doubt they may revoke the decision if they find out that they did not evaluate my financial need correctly and I need more money than they thought. They probably won’t revoke the decision, but still, I do not have much power in asking for more aid. I don’t know if other international students have successfully done so.
They already have all the paper works when I applied. Instead of sending an email, could I ask the financial aid office directly on Monday, the day I visit?
(Btw, if an admission officer from Davidson happens to read this thread, he will figure out who I am by now. :P)