Does anyone think these are worth going to? S has been accepted into 7 of 10 schools so far. If a school only offered
say 5k merit and you don’t think you will be able to afford it, would you go? Would you go and bring up more money? He has been offered merit from 5k per year up to 24k per year. The school that offered 5k is probably his #1.
I’d recommend going to those! It is a great way to get to know the college if you are on the edge, get to know some potential classmates, and really see the vibe and what makes a college stand out. A couple that I went to even have overnight options. I don’t think the accepted student receptions are the place to bring up financial information, that is probably best done with the financial aid office and working it out with them.
Do you mean the admit days/weekends at the school or the local receptions put on by alumni? Either way, if the school is unfordable after a phone call to FA, I see no reason to attend unless you just enjoy the social aspect.
Have you reached out to the financial aid office of his first choice school? The receptions are not the place to review financial aid, but they are useful for getting answers to more general questions.
I meant unaffordable. 
I agree with @nw2this, figure out ahead of time which schools you can afford. Don’t let your kid start bonding with a school if it will end up not being an option.
To answer your first question: yes, once you have the financial aid offers settled, these things are absolutely worth attending.
At some point you have to accept that some schools just aren’t going to work financially. If you’re at that point, there’s no reason to spend any more time on them…just gives the student the opportunity to “fall in love” with it and find other schools lacking in comparison.
Receptions are not the venue to discuss specific financial aid issues. If you aren’t happy with the aid, call the school now to address this.
Worthwhile for getting a sense of student vibe and who your potential future classmates are. We attended three, and each was both distinct and representative. Definitely not the place to negotiate financial aid (typically a big crowd, and no fin aid office reps), so don’t go if the school is already impossible for you.
@nw2this @Otterma I somewhat disagree with what you say–if an applicant gets accepted to a school that is a far distance away and has not visited, he or she should visit the school if it is a top choice even if the costs of the school is somewhat unaffordable. I say “somewhat” because if there is a very large disparity between the cost of attendance and what the family can afford, it’s not worth visiting. But if the cost differential is such that some additional aid from the school can bridge or lessen the gap, it may be worth it to still attend the accepted student reception. First, the student --upon visiting --may not like the school and therefore makes the decision easier-- there will be no regrets or “what ifs”. Second, if the student has not yet visited the school he or she or the parents are in no position to “negotiate” more aid with the financial aid office —it might help if the student/parent can say we visited the school, loved it, and truthfully say that the student would defintirely attend if the financial aid office can help out. This approach does not always work but sometimes it can. And if the student really considers the school a top choice he or she should visit with the understanding beforehand not to fall in love but rather go and see and take a risk–nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Thanks for the advice to all. Next question is if #1 school ( Marist) has offered a 5k per year merit scholarship and say Quinnipiac has offered 24.5k per year and my son’s interest is communications, does anyone think Marist will match? I think they are comparable schools. Was just wondering the dramatic difference in merit aid. Even applied early action to Marist.
@trackmbe3 - I see what you’re saying. I guess it depends on the individual student in these circumstances. Some are pragmatic with a “yeah, let’s go for it and see what happens” attitude. Other kids would not want that kind of uncertainty, especially coming at the end of an emotionally draining application season.
@bpd196 - Your chances are higher if your son’s stats are at the top of the applicant pool but you never know. A lot depends on how their financial aid budget is looking at this point. Even if your kid’s stats are in the middle, the school might be willing to offer more money if they’re concerned about their yield this year. On the other hand, if they feel like they’re going to have a great year in terms of yield, then they may not budge even if your son is on the high end.
Historical precedence will be useful here. Hopefully someone familiar with Marist can weigh in.
It sounds like you need to call the FA office at Marist and ask.
@trackmbe3 Above, I said after a call to FA. So, I was assuming the family found the school unaffordable after trying to negotiate.
Do you get better results from negotiating FA in person vs. by phone?
If the school is a really strong possibility, a student should go. It’s when the school really tries to sway you to attend. It’s usually a big rah rah session but in a good way. Our family attended one or two and it made a huge impact on all of us. One in particular was amazing!
My daughter and I went to an accepted students reception for the state school that was her only choice. Her cousin attended the school and had told us that any student who went to a reception and asked about campus employment was guaranteed a job. The financial aid officer not only offered her a job in his office but also told us he had a scholarship meeting the next day and would see that she got the one available math scholarship. She was a B student in HSand we REALLY needed the money sonit was well worth our time and driving time to attend.
@bpd196 I don’t have direct personal experience with Marist but I know someone who was accepted this Fall. They did contact the financial aid office and did receive some additional financial aid at Marist. They did update the admissions department with some additional achievements they had received since submitting their app. Hope that helps!