<p>I am a National Merit Scholar and qualified for full tuition at Drexel. However, I applied Early Action (and was accepted to) MIT, and it’s where I’m going in the fall. </p>
<p>A few reasons why:
- MIT is need blind, so applying won’t hurt. If the application fee will cause financial hardship, most of the time they are happy to waive it.
- An MIT (or other top-tier school) experience is, in my opinion, one that I can only get at MIT. Are there other wonderful, lesser known, cheaper schools? Absolutely. Can they offer a great education? Yes! But in the end, MIT has a wonderfully unique atmosphere (and it makes a great addition to resumes!).
- Some students ended up paying less than they expected (i.e. their EFC was greater than they thought it would be. This happens because MIT calculates EFC using their own system, called the Institutional Methodology, meaning your EFC can vary from school to school.) Some students ended up paying more than they expected. When asked why they chose MIT, many said that they consider the expense “an investment” for the future.
- MIT has some amazing opportunities that could be unavailable elsewhere. MISTI (google it) is the first one I can think of off the top of my head. It’s basically an all-expenses paid internship in a foreign country! You even get a stipend. The UROP program (Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program) also means that you can research in a lab for credit or cash. It’s not a co-op, but it’s close. </p>
<p>Basically what I’m saying that it doesn’t hurt to apply. I’ve used MIT as an example here but you can substitute it with any school that meets full need-based aid. You may be pleasantly surprised when comparing aid packages at the end!</p>