<p>My family is one I would generally advise NOT to apply ED anywhere - as we would like to compare financial aid packages as it is a very important part of the decision. We will have need-based aid at CMC, but won't qualify for FAFSA aid. At a FAFSA only school our EFC is around 22k
S feels it would be OK to apply to CMC using ED since they are need-blind, meet 100% of need and have a "no-loans in your fin. aid package" policy.
At the meeting with admissions, the rep stated that the financial aid package is the same whether you apply ED or Regular. My S believes this. I'm not so sure. It just defies common sense to me. I am also worried that because of their generous policies, their determination of our EFC may be significantly higher than a school with less generous policies.</p>
<p>Does anyone have experience with CMC to help us make the decision as to whether ED is worth the risk?</p>
<p>The admissions rep also said that only one student in the past 5 years has been released from ED due to not being able to swing the finances. My S felt this meant their packages were good. I said it could also mean they did NOT release people without extraordinary circumstances.
Can you tell I'm a little scared? We've always viewed ED as the provence of the full-pay crowd (which we cannot be), and I am very leery to go that way. S, on the other hand, really loves the school and would like to maximize his chances.
Thoughts?</p>
<p>If they don’t have a EFC calculator online, I would work with the school to understand what your EFC is there. You are correct in assuming tht it could be higher than your FAFSA EFC, most Profile schools look at more factors.</p>
<p>If you’reOK with your institutional EFC, then go ahead and apply ED, the package will be the same as it will be RD.</p>
<p>My D1 is attending CMC. She did not apply ED since we needed to compare FA packages. I do believe them when they say the package will be the same ED or RD. I have found the financial aid director to be very helpful and clear about CMC’s policies. Is your daughter likely to be admitted? If she falls in line with admitted students why not apply RD? I don’t know how much benefit it would be to apply ED if she isn’t already a likely admit. Also make sure she applies by 12/1 - since that is the deadline for some very excellent scholarships! Good luck - we have had a terrific experience with CMC both academically and financially!</p>
<p>I am not an expert but my daughter was accepted ED at Pomona (which may or may not be similar). I totally understand your concern/hesitation as I was in your spot a year ago. Here is what I think:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Applying ED will definitely increase the odds of admittance (I had two daughters apply to Pomona with similar stats a year apart. The ED one got in. Of course there were other aspects which may or may not have affected the outcome, so we will never know if ED made the difference.) The admissions rate at CMC is very very low. ED will help. </p></li>
<li><p>The FA package from CMC will be exactly the same whether you apply ED or not. The bigger question is whether another school would have given you a better FA package. How are the other schools on her list known for FA? Merit Aid? It’s can be difficult to tell, but if CMC is at the high end of the typical awards, then it’s not a bad bet to apply ED.</p></li>
<li><p>Of course it’s not a great idea, but I believe you can be released from the ED agreement if needed based on FA. You can also try to negotiate/submit additional information. But remember, at the time of her acceptance (if it is an acceptance), you won’t know whether any of the other schools she may apply too (if you break the agreement) will turn out to give more. And you can’t go back to the CMC acceptance.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>If the ED college does not meet your financial need, you are not bound by the ED. Meeting financial need is a “material term” to the agreement. be clear about what you financial need is. You cannot just use the ED to shop around for better offers. If the ED college meets your financial need, you should withdraw your other applicatins and you will not only never know wat aid packages you will have received, but you will not know where else you might have been admitted. Do not let them scare you.</p>
<p>As a long time counselor I’ve seen thousands of aid packages from colleges. In my experience the true meet need schools give the same package ED and RD.</p>
<p>There is plenty colleges say that is not true, but I do believe the few schools that meet 100% of need for all in a consistent way are honest that you’ll get the same package.</p>
<p>I had the same experience as geo wally with Pomona. 2 kids applied, 1 got in ED, 1 waitlisted RD. Excellent aid for the ED kid - from this upper middle person’s perspective. I would agree CMC is probably similar. They wouldn’t have any reason to offer better aid packages to RD applicants than to ED applicants, because they’re getting the top tier kids either way. They’re not buying stats with merit aid (I don’t mean that to sound perjorative, because my older child’s college does that to great effect!). If CMC is the best of all possible colleges for your son, I wouldn’t hesitate.</p>
<p>Thank you for the responses. This is very encouraging, but I guess I am a skeptical sort. It was our experience a few years ago with older son that our dollar figure for “need” varied pretty widely among a group of eight private schools. My fear is that CMC will ‘meet 100% of need’ but will have an institutional formula to show that our ‘need’ is much less than perhaps another school - who might not have such generous policies. It will be an interesting discussion at our house over the next couple of months as visits finish up - to ED or not to ED? our whole family does feel that CMC would be an amazing opportunity - I’m just afraid that they would meet need leaving us with a higher than managable EFC, and we would be stuck. So ED isn’t just for those who can “full pay”?
And New England Mother – would you be willing to share some general info about your daughter’s app. numbers in terms of understanding who is a “likely admit” for RD?
Thanks</p>
<p>Could you call up the financial aid office and ask a counselor some questions that specifically address the parts of your application that may have caused an increase in contribution for some IM schools? One of my kids applied ED to Amherst-- was deferred (denied RD) but Amherst accidentally sent us the ED financial aid package and it was awesome. I don’t think it would have been better RD and I’m glad we took the plunge and kiddo applied ED because we weren’t left wondering if that (applying ED vs RD) would have made a difference.</p>
<p>ave you looked at the admitted students statistics?
[FAQ</a>, Applying to CMC, Admission, Claremont McKenna College](<a href=“http://www.claremontmckenna.edu/admission/apply/faq.php]FAQ”>http://www.claremontmckenna.edu/admission/apply/faq.php)
I know they weigh “leadership” pretty heavily. Also in our case I think coming from New England helped. My daughter was at the top in scores and grades and the (then current) Dean of Admissions heavily weighed her leadership activities (I found an interview with him that described his views on leadership and it fit my D to a “T”). We also visited and interviewed on campus. If your son’s (?) scores are in the range and he has significant leadership and good grades you can make an educated guess if he is likely to be admitted. Is this school a match or a reach for him? Again I want to remind you to apply by 12/1 to be in the running for merit scholarships</p>