We Knew We Could Get a Better Offer
My parents and grandparents all went to college, and both my parents have PhDs, so it was always assumed I would go to a good college. My parents and grandparents contributed to college savings accounts for years before I started college. The year I was applying to college, my parents were getting divorced and my dad had lost his job, so finances were rocky. Yale’s initial offer didn’t take that into account and they estimated our family contribution at over $50,000, which was obviously impossible. We knew we could get a better offer, especially since Princeton had been much more generous. After many phone calls, we got an award letter that reflected our situation much better. I got a campus job at the end of freshman year, which took 6-8 hours a week until first-semester junior year, when I left that job to take a more flexible job as a research assistant for a professor. While my first job was sometimes enjoyable, it often took away time from my schoolwork, social life, and extracurricular activities.
In many ways, my grandparents and parents’ story is typical of the white middle class experience in America, and they’ve been able to save money over the years. My family’s savings have been a safety net for me that has allowed me to take advantage of opportunities that I otherwise couldn’t have. For example, the summer after my freshman year, I got the Barry Fellowship to travel to Morocco for an unpaid internship. The Barry Fellowship was incredibly generous, but it did not cover the Student Income Contribution. Because I could cover the SIC with family savings, I was able to accept the fellowship and go to Morocco, and I learned a lot and benefited immensely from my time there. Additionally, my grandparents have been helping me to pay my rent for my off-campus apartment, which allows me to work fewer hours during the semester.
In many ways, my grandparents and parents’ story is typical of the white middle class experience in America, and they’ve been able to save money over the years. My family’s savings have been a safety net for me that has allowed me to take advantage of opportunities that I otherwise couldn’t have. For example, the summer after my freshman year, I got the Barry Fellowship to travel to Morocco for an unpaid internship. The Barry Fellowship was incredibly generous, but it did not cover the Student Income Contribution. Because I could cover the SIC with family savings, I was able to accept the fellowship and go to Morocco, and I learned a lot and benefited immensely from my time there. Additionally, my grandparents have been helping me to pay my rent for my off-campus apartment, which allows me to work fewer hours during the semester.
