BEWARE THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE. Below is my experience with them today.
Kellogg posted the new cost of attendance online. Not surprised that they raised the tuition by a bunch, and not anything else. So I called the FinAid office to ask them exactly why they think that cost of living isn't going up by more than $350 a year, and I talked to one of the rudest and, let's say, NOT-the-sharpest-knife-in-the-drawer, people ever.
Point 1: I asked why computer costs went down by $700 this year.
Me: "How is that computer costs are $700 cheaper this year? I mean, it's going to be more than $1800 to get a laptop, printer, docking station, monitor, etc."
Her: "Costs have actually gone down for computers. They used to be $3000."
Me: "Really. Well I find it hard to believe that everything costs $700 less after just one year."
Her: "Well there's $1200 for the computer and a little extra there. Your printer is not going to cost $600. But you could choose not to get a printer."
Me: "Umm, do you really expect people to go through business school without printers?"
Her: "Well you don't need a $600 printer!"
Me: "I'm not saying that. I'm saying that that's a huge chunk to take off for cost after only ONE YEAR. How are we supposed to buy all that equipment with just $1800?"
Her: "Well it's your choice but you don't need a $600 printer."
Me: "I'm not going to argue over minutia with you."
Point 2: I asked why the transportation cost didn't go up at all, considering the increase in gas/oil prices. (Side note: I'm lucky enough not to need plane tickets to see family, but I was just asking this because I thought in principle it was kinda crazy.)
Me: "You do know that transportation costs more now than it did last year. Gas is almost $4 in Chicago and Evanston."
Her: "Most students are able to find $100 round trip tickets for anywhere in the U.S."
Me: "Umm, I'm sorry, what? $100 for a round trip ticket?"
Her: "Yes. We survey our current students. That's what we've found."
Me: "Are you kidding me? You said
$100 for a
ROUND TRIP ticket, right?"
Her: "Yes."
Me: "Do you know how ridiculous that sounds? And where exactly can I find these $100 tickets?"
Her: "I don't know."
Point 3: Room/board went up only by less than $300.
Me: "So you do know that Evanston apartments are very expensive, even the not-so-expensive places. They are flat out raising rents by $100-$200 a month, I've actually SEEN that on paper."
Her: "Well we take a survey from our students and come up with an average cost."
Me: "I just find it incredibly hard to believe that Kellogg thinks that food and rent costs are only going up by $300 or so for 9 months - I mean, things are getting very expensive very quickly. I live in downtown Chicago, but Evanston is MORE expensive, and increasingly so."
Her: "Well that's what we came up with. You're going to have to live on a budget."
Me: "Excuse me? This is not about living on a budget, this is about Kellogg being more reasonable. Tuition costs are going up 6.5%, but our living expenses only go up by 2%?"
Her: "Well our costs have increased."
Me: "Ummm, and ours don't?"
Her: "So what's your point?"
Me: "WHAT?!?!"
***silence***
Me: "My
POINT is that I'm not about to drop $140,000 on this without some due consideration from Kellogg as to the increasing cost of living. I wish I had known this new cost of attendance and FinAid's general attitude before I made the decision to come here and had other options."
Her: "Well you still do."
Me: "WHAT?! You know, I'm very excited about Kellogg as a school, but I'm extrememly disappointed in the FinAid office."
Her: "Well you can always go somewhere else."
Me: "What's your name?"
Her: "*****."
Me: "Well *****, I'd like to speak to someone else."
Her: "They're all on lunch breaks."
Me: "Well then I guess I'll have to call your supervisor later."
Her: "Thanks for calling the Kellogg School of Management. Bye."
Now, I'll say that towards the end, my tone was not very nice, but I couldn't believe how rudely I was being treated. I plan on following up with the supervisor.
03 Apr 2008, 16:47
(I'm still getting a kick out of the $100 round trip planes tickets anywhere in the US.) But mostly, I just wanted to warn you guys that if you get a particularly ornary lady on the phone, hang up and call back later!! 
Kry - don't be afraid to call them about that, I called them about random questions before and they were very nice. 
Should have applied to Ross. 
