<p>*Coach asked what were S’s top 3 schools and when he heard about the full-tuition at #3 he told my H and S to march over to the admissions office and talk to the staff. They did (so proud of son AND H for doing this - sounded like S led the conversation and did a great job!) and the staff person gave us a course of action that seemed somewhat positive for doing a package appeal *</p>
<p>ooohhhhh…wouldn’t that be awesome!!! Fingers crossed!!! :)</p>
<p>Just bumping to see if there’s an update.</p>
<p>Now that you shared what college was your son’s #1, did you share what #2 was? So, any news?</p>
<p>Update!</p>
<p>Looks like I will be sending in deposit for school #2 today and son seems very happy/content overall. He was disappointed that school #1 did not offer a penny more beyond the merit even after an appeal and a couple of phone calls - it was just too much of a stretch and full of loans. </p>
<p>School #2 “repackaged” their fin aid and offered additional $$$ making it also very affordable w/likely no loans the first year and affordable loans in coming years, if that. He will be in the honors program (they have called to personally invite him) and will be able to play a sport (the coach calls him weekly to keep in touch) and the math department has also been in contact - he feels WANTED there! If graduate school is in his future, he will not be tied down $$ wise and maybe could consider school #1 for Grad school - or elsewhere! 
</p>
<p>Husband still would like to squeek that full tuition out of school #3, but the offer from school #2 is not far behind and definitely worth what we will pay in the end. </p>
<p>Thanks for all your advice and tips in “handling” the negotiating both at home and at the schools!</p>
<p>Congratulations!</p>
<p>It sounds like all three of you handled that very well - and school #2 appears to really value your son. Congratulations.</p>
<p>Well done.</p>
<p>Congrats!!! Best wishes for your son!!!</p>
<p>Hello- I just found this thread, and read some of the beginning, and the end. Thank goodness your son gets to go to #2. I was starting to get POed at your H. My goodness, your S sounds like someone to be so very very proud of! Valedictorian athlete who wants to teach! You must be so proud. I was going to write some scathing thing about you sitting your H down and making him understand what a great kid he has…</p>
<p>I’m smiling cause I just read the beginning and the end of this thread. Glad to see a happy ending come to a deserving kid! :)</p>
<p>Thank you very much for the update, and congratulations to your son! It is great that College #2 wants him and has let him know that.</p>
<p>Congratulations to you for your great choice. I think that the sister issue cannot be minimized. If you can COMFORTABLY afford one of his top choices, how can you not provide him the opportunities you provided his sister? Even between loving siblings, that seems like it could be a major bone of contention. I’m glad you made the fair choice!</p>
<p>Just for the record, sister’s school was a good bit less than #1 would be. It was just too big a gap.</p>