<p>I'm not a parent but I was told to post here to get more help. =)</p>
<p>I'm applying to Northwestern early decision, and I've heard that they'd force me to attend even if I can't pay...but how am I supposed to produce money that just isn't there?</p>
<p>Furthermore, if I really have to withdraw all my RD applications as soon as I find out that I've gotten in (but BEFORE I find out how much financial aid they're offering!!!) wouldn't that really screw me over if I can't afford it? Then I can't go to college at all...</p>
<p>What a college thinks an applicant's family can afford and what the family thinks it can afford are often two different things.
If the applicant refuses to attend the ED school, obviously the school cannot force the applicant to attend, nor would it want such a reluctant student. However, it can share the name of the applicant who broke his or her word (that, if accepted ED s/he would attend) with other schools. Other schools may well be unwilling to accept a student who breaks his or her word.</p>
<p>This is the deal with ED. You apply, you get in, you accept. You do not apply to other schools, and if you did, you are bound to withdraw all your RD applications. You know this beforehand and you accept to apply under these terms. If you don't like them, keep in mind that no one is forcing you to apply!</p>
<p>sondosia - You HS Guidance Counselor should have discussed this issue with you. In fact, it should have been the first thing the GC addressed when you indicated you were applying ED.</p>
<p>What I'd suggest is going back to the GC and discussing the situation. After all, the GC is really your the high school representative. If your ED application must be withdrawn, it would be MUCH better if the request was jointly made with the GC.</p>
<p>It's getting tight on timing, but it might be wise to have your ED application changed to RD status. That can usually be done.</p>
<p>First rule of ED application: if you need financial aid, and cannot be comfortable letting the ED school (and not your family) decide what that need is and how to fill it, and/or you need to compare aid packages from different schools, you should not apply ED.</p>
<p>The ED schools I'm familiar with do not force students to attend if they can't afford it. They will grant a release from the ED commitment to attent a lower-cost option, such as a state university.</p>
<p>I would not withdraw my other apps until I had received the financial aid offer.</p>
<p>On the flip side, you owe the college a good faith effort to attend. You shouldn't use a trumped-up fiananicial issue to weasel out of a commitment you made applying ED.</p>
<p>You aren't supposed to apply ED if you're going to need more financial aid than you're relatively positive you're getting. That's not what it was set up for. It's set up for when you've made the DECISION to attend the school, period. Not that you'll go if you get enough money. Most won't mess you over if you can't pay but people, if you're going to be depending on financial aid don't apply ED.</p>
<p>I'm with jmmom, change your NU application to RD if you can't or won't follow through. Did you read the paperwork you and your parents signed? As a would be journalism major you need to check the facts. </p>
<p>You don't get to apply early to NU and then wait to see if Harvard gives you more money. A little research should have told you Harvard will likely give you more if you get in, so maybe you should apply to all RD.</p>
<p>It's unfair to your high school to not honor an ED contract, future NU applicants are bound to suffer as colleges hold schools responsible for making sure their students know the rules which is why your counselor had to sign the agreement too.</p>
<p>This is why my girl didn't apply ED even though she knew her first choice college. It made for some apprehension while waiting for RDs. She did get better financial offers from her second and third choices but in the end she opted for #1 with less aid. She is probably going to finish college in 3 years so it will balance out in the end.</p>
<p>You need to change your app ASAP to regular decision. Colleges know how terrible the economy is now, so will be understanding if you CHANGE your ED app to RD and cite finances as the reason. Northwestern isn't known for generosity with aid, so if $ is a concern at all, apply RD. Remember: It's the college, not your family, that deterimine whether the aid the college offers is sufficient or whether you have financial grounds to back out of an ED acceptance.</p>
<p>Just a note to other posters--not all ED applications require a signature of parent or GC, or a contract of any kind. When my S applied ED, all it required was checking a box on the application.</p>
<p>I think IDad has it right. Colleges expect a good faith effort to accept the FA award. My S's school said it would work with the student, but that its expectation was that the student would accept what they offered, or, if the family felt it was really impossible, only decline for a truly cheaper alternative like local state school. Also, many ED schools are transparent with aid; it's possible to do the online calculators and get a very good idea what aid would be offered (I could always guess within a thousand with S's school). If that number doesn't look doable, then don't apply ED. If it does, then accept it. If you get a truly different number in the aid package, contact the school to reconcile this.</p>
<p>You definitely won't be required to withdraw other apps before you get the FA award from Northwestern. Normally it comes with or very soon after the acceptance.</p>
<p>The Common Application Early Decision form requires a parent and counselor signature and a definite committment. The majority of applicants are now using the common application form.</p>
<p>Sondosia-You want the advantages of ED without the cost associated with it. Change you application to RD asap so you can compare financial offers.</p>
<p>When you apply ED, you KNOW the costs of attendance. You are agreeing to attend the school if that school's financial aid package (by the SCHOOL's calculation) meets your need. No school will require you to attend...not for any reason. But if NU meets your financial need as they calculate it, your "out" will not be as easy as just saying no. You still are obligated to withdraw all other applications once accepted. The ED school, NU, can and very well might share your name as an ED acceptance. Peer schools are not schools to which you will be able to apply. As noted above, you could go to a public university in your state, perhaps. </p>
<p>ED is a contract between the applicant and the school whereby the school offers you a binding acceptance EARLY with the expectation that you will attend. </p>
<p>I agree with others...if it's not too late, get your application changed to RD...if for no other reason you will be able to compare costs of attending at multiple schools where you get accepted. If finances are a significant consideration, that is a good thing to be able to do.</p>
<p>"Remember: It's the college, not your family, that deterimine whether the aid the college offers is sufficient or whether you have financial grounds to back out of an ED acceptance."</p>
<p>This is flat out wrong.</p>
<p>"The ED schools I'm familiar with do not force students to attend if they can't afford it. They will grant a release from the ED commitment to attent a lower-cost option, such as a state university."</p>
<p>Sondosia, no school can force a student to attend. Period. End of story.</p>
<p>"Remember: It's the college, not your family, that deterimine whether the aid the college offers is sufficient or whether you have financial grounds to back out of an ED acceptance."</p>
<p>"This is flat out wrong."</p>
<p>No, it's not wrong. While it's true that there's no college that will try to force a student to honor an ED commitment, it still is the college, not the student's family, who determines whether the financial aid offer was sufficient for the family.</p>
<p>If the college feels that the financial aid offer was sufficient, it can blacklist the student by letting competing colleges know that the student failed to keep an ED commitment. In most cases, those competing colleges will not offer such a student admission. Typically students who back out of ED for reasons the ED college doesn't agree with end up having to go to public universities (which tend not to be concerned with whether students kept their ED commitments to other schools) or to much less competitive colleges.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The school can come up with any offer it wants... the family gets to decide>></p>
</blockquote>
<br>
<p>I think we actually all agree. The SCHOOL determines the financial aid need and offer. The FAMILY determines whether that fulfils THEIR criteria and decides whether they can afford the school with the aid given...or not.</p>
<p>However, in the case of ED...this should not even be a question. When a student applies ED, that student KNOWS the costs of attendance. They are signing a contract saying they agree to an early decision acceptance if they are granted one. </p>
<p>The bottom line is that the student cannot be forced to attend the school...and no school would force a student to attend. BUT if the student hopes to apply to competing schools and hopes that their financial aid offers will be better...they likely will NOT get that opportunity if they back out of their ED acceptance.</p>
<p>And...unless the family feels quite confident that they will be able to shoulder the costs with the aid the school provides... the student should not (in my opinion) apply early decision.</p>
<p>Thumper1,
"However, in the case of ED...this should not even be a question. When a student applies ED, that student KNOWS the costs of attendance."</p>
<p>No. The student doesn't know the cost of attendance and won't until the financial aid offer is received.</p>
<p>How many kids do this? In reading other posts, this appears to be a student who is fully aware of the situation now, yet anxiously awaits the ED decision having applied to other schools that offer better aid. Will schools go easier given the economy or expect that this will be just another casulty of the downturn?</p>