<p>I was already accepted to Johns Hopkins and Northwestern and was given somewhat disappointing financial aid packages (I really can’t complain due to my family’s somewhat middle income level).</p>
<p>I heard that the Ivy League is generally pretty generous at giving financial aid… is this true?</p>
<p>I believe Northwestern meets 100% of demonstrated need, doesn’t it? Some of the Ivies have policies that limit or eliminate loans, and also reduce the cost of attendance to the %age of your family’s income. The policies vary by school. </p>
<p>You need to look at your EFC. If it is excess of the cost of attendance, even at the Ivies, you are not likely to get a ton of need based aid. AND the Ivies do not give merit aid at all.</p>
<p>Like most of the ivies, Northwestern uses both the federal and insitutional methodology in awarding institutional aid and meets 100% demonstrated need.
<a href=“http://ugadm.northwestern.edu/commondata/2006-07/h.htm[/url]”>http://ugadm.northwestern.edu/commondata/2006-07/h.htm</a></p>
<p>If you feel you have a “disappointing package” because of your parents income and assets, that is not going to radically change no matter what school you attend. Even Yale states that they just eliminate the first $200,000 (for high income family who is house rich, this may not do much for your cause).</p>
<p>Depending on your family’s financial situation, if your family is middle income, has money in the bank , investments and large amounts of home equity, barring sshools that have eliminated loans the FA package you received from Northwestern may not be that far off the mark from the packages you can expect to recieve from the ivies (should you be admitted).</p>