S20 has been interested in Richmond on and off since the beginning of his college search. For months we have gone back and forth in discussions about it, sometimes it pops to the top of his list and other times it sinks back down. We visited. It’s probably a low reach or perhaps a high match for him, hard to tell. There are things he really likes about it and things he is less sure of. He sent his transcript a couple of weeks ago.
Anyway, the deadline was Jan 1 and he deliberated for a while and decided not to apply. Moved on, completed a couple of other 1/1 applications and now he is finishing some final 1/15 applications.
Then he got an email yesterday saying the deadline is extended to next Monday.
He thinks it is a sign that this school might really be for him and he should apply. I am more cynical and think that they are just trying to increase their number of applicants so they can reject more of them.
Any thoughts? Would admissions take him seriously at this point, or would they laugh about the guy who sent his application after the deadline because of an email?
Usually when schools extend their deadlines, it is all about trying to court more applicants so they can hit their targets or ultimately post lower acceptance numbers.
@TimeFlies2 , my son expressed interest in several universities that he ended up deciding not to apply to. However as application deadlines passed, nearly every one (private schools, not publics) has emailed an extension offer. Some have extended the deadline more than once. Because some of these are reach schools for him, I don’t think the AO is actually holding a spot for specifically for him.
I might think differently if it was obviously a personally written offer, but nearly every offer seemed a generic mass mailing. I put more stock into personal contact. For instance, Some universities’ admission officers have engaged my son in dialogue and asked/answered questions and offered to explain a scholarship opportunity or extend a deadline for that. That is a personal touch. Most of the schools haven’t reached out like that.
Good luck.
@EconPop Oh, I didn’t think it was personal for him. I figured it was algorithm driven by the fact that they have his transcript. But he’s actually thinking of applying because of it. Since it’s reach-y for him anyway, I wonder how much it would count against him that he applied so last minute. Only way to know is to do it and see. He finds the Richmond essays particularly agonizing for some reason.
Thought of something else funny. His friend told him that if you visit Richmond they will waive your application fee. Somehow we missed hearing about that when we were there, but it is on the website. So maybe he’ll be REALLY nervy, send the application late and ask for a fee waiver. 
I think he should request the fee waiver. It never hurts to ask.
@TimeFlies2 I don’t think it’s nervy to ask for a fee waiver if they extended the deadline. We took the visited-campus fee waiver and felt no qualms about it! Look at it this way: they may have extended the deadline in order to get on-the-fence kids like your son to apply. So the fee waiver could be just the last thing to push him to apply!
Wait, what is the exact date that the deadline is extended too? I was given a fee waiver when I visited there, so I’m thinking I might as well toss an app in there.
@TimeFlies2 I have a fake Common App account. I set it up just so that I can see what the supplemental questions are this year since our D may apply next year. I also received an email asking me to still apply and that they extended the deadline LOL!!! So, anyone who added Richmond to their CA acct likely got that email.
My S applied ED II. Anyone else? Just not sure if they really announce all the way in Feb or if it could be sooner.
My DS applied RD…can’t seem to find much info on here for RD kids. Thoughts on acceptance since they offer ED 1 and II and EA? I know the deadline was also extended.
@cathlicmom3. I think on their website they detail last year’s acceptance from each of the pools, ED versus EA versus RD if that helps. No idea why they would extend as I know a bunch of people who were great candidates from our area were rejected EDI.