<p>Now that is interesting. My son didn’t apply to either Harvard or Yale, only Penn and Princeton. In order from most generous to least generous for him and the left over billed amount (from tuition, room, and board), again, based on middle income (under 80K for family of 5)</p>
<p>Vanderbilt- billed amount we would have owed $900
Caltech- $1400
Princeton- $5500
Penn- around 8K with loans in package
MIT- 9K with loans in package
Harvey Mudd - around 10K with loans in package</p>
<p>^^ I have a junior at Harvard and a sophomore at Yale. As I mentioned, for our family, Yale’s FA has bested Harvard’s for the past two years – we are currently paying Harvard $19K per year for tuition, room and board, and paying Yale $14k per year for the same – and both schools are looking at the exact same data. FWIW: Yale’s FA also bested Princeton’s FA (where my son was also accepted) by about 1k per year. </p>
<p>Last year, Harvard sent out a survey to parents about financial aid asking what they could improve. I answered “transparency.”</p>
<p>Thank you very much for sharing your experiences. I really appreciate it! Btw, my MIT Educational Counselor (EC) called me today and confirmed that Harvard’s financial aid packages tend to be much better than MIT’s…</p>
<p>I don’t have complete evidence but I think Harvard gives the best financial aid, certainly better than the next lower tier of schools (I have a daughter in one of those).
Regarding the above housing, River vs Quad angst my son was irrationally disappointed when he was assigned to a Quad house but he spent three good years there and looking back now sees the whole River vs. Quad debate as silly. Try to give your kids some perspective but I know it’s difficult - after all they’re just kids. My son will be starting at Harvard Business next fall and I asked him where he will live on campus - he maturely says “I don’t care, it won’t matter”.</p>
<p>I’m just checking in to see if everyone who participates on this thread is safe and sound. My prayers go out to all the families involved and to the entire city of Boston.</p>
<p>Guitars, thank you. I haven’t participated on this forum, but I lurk from time to time. My daughter was at the scene of the bombing. She was terrified but not injured. Then before she could even start to feel safe again, the anxiety surged again with the events of Fri. Its been a tough week for her and all of Boston. I have to say that Harvard has been incredibly supportive, from her house proctor, residential dean, and professors who took it upon themselves to contact her, besides all her friends there. Despite others’ experiences or perceptions of Harvard, I have found it to be a warm, nurturing place in almost every area of contact. Now also having exposure to mental health services there, that was also a positive experience for her.</p>
<p>Quick question. Does Harvard’s term time work and summer contribution go up every year. I know Yale is 4250 freshman yr and will go up to 6300 sophomore and then up again junior. But I’m not sure about Harvard any parents with past info? Thanks</p>
<p>My daughter did the Harvard Program in Munich last summer and loved it so much she is there right now for an internship and her spring semester. However, I’m not sure if you need to have taken German to get into that program. She had two semesters the year before she went. Regarding Venice, but not that particular program, she has known friends who loved Venice and others who tired of all the travel via water after a while. The charm apparently wore off.</p>
<p>Term time and summer contribution did go up between freshman and soph years and but I am not sure about for Jr. year. I think the assumption is that after freshman year, kids have more time in the summer to earn money as compared to the shorter summer period in high school.</p>
<p>A brilliant parent on the HS 2013 list recommended we pick up gift cards to restaurants (etc.) to send to our children throughout the year for birthdays, etc. I’ll be in Cambridge next week. I’d love some suggestions for gift cards for my entering freshman.</p>
<p>Also, is HSA the best spot for dry cleaning? More specifically, I’m looking for the cleaner that best launders men’s shirts. Thank you!</p>
<p>Hi to everyone here. I agree that all students receiving aid should have skin in the game, but I don’t know how much it will be for Harvard. I have to say. Yale does a great job of clarifying this issue. Is there a place on the website that spells this out?</p>
<p>Eastgrad – this is a great idea. Not sure if they have gift cards, but would look into Darwin’s, La Crema, Au Bon Pain, Cardullo’s, JP Licks, Burdicks Chocalates , Insomnia Cookies, Dunkin Donuts, Market Place ( ? name – grocery, deli), Zoe’s, Grafton Street to name some of the places we’ve been in the past year. Crimson Cash is accepted at some of these places, but I’m not sure which ones. Don’t know about dry cleaning.</p>