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A few other posts on this Oberlin forum have eluded to disappointing financial aid offers. My daughter found this to be the case as well. She was accepted at 8 of 9 schools to which she applied, with some merit aid at most of them. While Oberlin did offer some aid, it was the school with the highest total cost of attendance that she applied to. The amount of real aid offered (vs. loans) was just insufficient for our family to consider. The only other school in this category was U. of Vermont (out of state). My daughter will be attending Dickinson thanks to a very nice scholarship. It's interesting to see the competition among these schools, and which will offer what for whom. I can only guess at the factors that are involved. But I think there's something to be said for going to a school that demonstrates that it really wants you. I think Oberlin was a top choice for my daughter, even though her intended visit was cancelled due to her schedule. I think maybe it worked out for best, but we won't know for four years, if ever.

By Legolas (Legolas) on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - 03:53 pm: Edit

I'd like to add here that in my case, I got rejected almost everywhere I applied(all my safeties, matches and reaches), except for Colgate and Oberlin. Colgate offered considerably less aid than Oberlin. Oberlin offered me nearly full aid, exactly as much as I had asked for through the forms. By the way, I'm an international so it might be that they're more generous for internationals.

By A2a2 (A2a2) on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - 05:53 pm: Edit

My daughter was accepted to Oberlin last year - and received no aid. But...Oberlin was hardly alone in this - she didn't get aid from Bowdoin, Bates, Hamilton, or Wesleyan. Kenyon offered a pittance. Wooster, Grinnell and Rochester were generous. We don't qualify for financial aid. Oberlin seems to be a school that offers very little merit aid - and they attract top students without it. Great school.