Giving up a top LAC for a full ride?

momrath
Tue, 23 Feb 2021 05:35:02 +0000

@plsdontbetaken
I’m not that familiar with U of Richmond so can’t make a comparison with Swarthmore. Many of the other schools on your RD list appear to be more similar to Swarthmore (or Brown) culturally and academically, but since you can’t expect to receive comparative aid figures for a month or two, it’s difficult to make an informed decision. Ultimately, though, you’re likely to have more options than choosing between a school that you don’t particularly like and a school that you can’t afford.

So let’s see how Swarthmore responds to your request for an increase. In the meantime, you should communicate the same financial update to your RD schools.

Few colleges (Wesleyan is a notable exception) publish complete data on international admissions. Any LAC the size of Swarthmore will typically admit only a handful of internationals (as few as 10 to 15) during their ED rounds. The number of those admitted who receive substantial aid varies widely, but compared to some of the other LACs on your list, Swarthmore’s total aid to internationals is on the low end of the range. For example, Grinnell’s total spending on aid to non-resident aliens was $8.1 million (2016-17), Amherst’s was $9.2 million (2019-20), Swarthmore’s (2019-20) was $4.5 million. This year, COVID may impact these numbers, making an unpredictable situation even more opaque.

The fact that you were admitted EDII to Swarthmore with a relatively generous aid package indicates to me that you are indeed a competitive candidate at Swarthmore and will be at other schools as well. To me, it would be reasonable to ask Swarthmore for additional time to consider their final package. You might even ask them to hold the offer until the RD decisions come out (though I doubt that they would agree). But even a week or two might help you and your family analyze your options.

Good luck and let us know the outcome!