Angelyn Ansah, a 17-year-old from New Jersey, applied to Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania as a “reach.” She was shocked to receive acceptance letters from both Ivy League schools on Ivy Day. Despite the excitement of being accepted to these elite institutions, Ansah faced the challenging decision of where to attend college for the next four years. Financial aid played a critical role in her decision-making process, as she did not want to accumulate student debt.
Due to technical issues and delays, some students did not receive financial aid offers along with their acceptance letters, creating additional stress and uncertainty during the college decision-making process. Ansah’s acceptance letters from Penn and Princeton did not include financial aid information, making it difficult for her to determine the actual cost of attendance at each school. While she had other options, including Rutgers University, Howard University, and the University of Maryland, being accepted to two Ivy League schools narrowed down her choices.
With her options narrowed down to Princeton and Penn, Ansah prayed for a sign to help her make her decision. When Princeton offered her enough grant funding to cover her costs and adjusted her aid offer to include federal assistance based on her FAFSA information, Ansah saw it as a sign. While waiting to hear from Penn, she eventually committed to Princeton before the May 1 deadline, as Penn’s financial aid package did not arrive in time.
The FAFSA delays had a significant impact on Ansah’s decision-making process, as the financial aid package from Penn could have potentially changed her decision if received earlier. Despite the challenges she faced, Ansah is grateful to be committing to Princeton and offers advice to future college applicants to be patient and trust that everything will work out in the end. Her experience highlights the importance of financial aid in college decision-making and the impact of delays and uncertainties in the process.
