Princeton Net Price calculator - How accurate is it?

Hey fam! So, I'm trying to get a good sense of what I'll really end up having to pay if I get accepted into Princeton. Has anyone used their Net Price Calculator and can confirm if it's reliable? Does it include stuff like books, meals, and personal expenses?

The Net Price Calculators provided by schools like Princeton are generally quite reliable for students who have less complicated financial situations. This means if you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, your parents are married and both live in the U.S., they have typical forms of salaried income, and you don't own any businesses or properties, the calculator should give a fairly accurate estimate of what your family would be expected to contribute.

The accuracy, however, can decrease if your situation is more complex, like if your parents are divorced or if they have non-salaried income like self-employed income or rental properties. It might not fully capture the complexities of your financial situation in these cases.

As for your question about if it includes expenses for things like meals, books and personal expenses--yes, it does. The net price is calculated as the total cost of attendance (which includes tuition, room and board, books, personal and miscellaneous expenses, and travel expenses), minus any grants and scholarships you're expected to receive. It might not perfectly represent every single cost you'll encounter, but it should give you a fairly solid approximate idea of what you might be expected to pay.

Remember, though, that this is only an estimate. The actual financial aid decision will be made by the Financial Aid office once they've thoroughly reviewed your entire financial aid application.