I would send an email requesting a phone conversation.
Any communication I would suggest the following script…
Your school is my top choice. I am prepared to accept an offer (move to ED2) but am extremely sensitive to cost and would likely receive merit aid at some of my other (albeit not first) choices.
Would it be possible to see if I would be eligible for merit aid so I can properly consider switching my application to ED. I truly hope CWRU can be competitive so that I can attend and contribute.
Thank you for your consideration and once again CWRU is my first choice but I need to make sure that it makes financial sense.
I have read in many places one cannot break the ED contract without consequences but here read often how users have said one can if FA is not good. But then I read ED is binding no matter the FA. This conflicting message is truly confusing.
The communication I suggested above would allow you to have visibility of FA provided to you in advance of ED2 commitment under the promise you would need it to commit. CWRU appears yield sensitive and wants quality students to help build a class around. I don’t no how they would respond but it is not an unrealistic response/request if they are pushing ED2.
They are pushing you to apply ED2 so a discussion about merit if you are high stats is independent of EFC. The worst they can say is no and then you can remain RD and will have displayed continued interest.
This is all however predicated on your willingness and desire to attend per your prior comments.
Case has pure merit available, for which your EFC is not relevant. Take a look at their common data set and you’ll see the percent who receive merit who do not have need. It’s an exciting number. I can speak from experience that a high EFC did not bar my student from receiving a large merit scholarship from Case. As someone who did not let my child apply ED due to financial concerns, I hear what you are saying, but it is worth some research and an inquiry as suggested above.
@spc Here is a great article about turning down ED acceptance because of finance…
“After all, the most prominent entity in the field — the National Association for College Admission Counseling — offers up crystal clear language that schools can (and do) use in their early decision agreements: “Should a student who applies for financial aid not be offered an award that makes attendance possible, the student may decline the offer of admission and be released from the early decision commitment.””
According to the website, EC2 decisions are to be given two weeks after submission, starting Sun Jan 9th. That seems next to impossible given that it was over the holiday break. Anyone think that will really happen? I indeed submitted mine during this time frame.
Also, I already submitted the FAFSA and CSS back in November, yet Case claims that they have not received them yet. Does this happen to everyone that there is a bit of a time delay?
No. Regarding the FAFSA and CSS. Did they ask you to have someone complete an additional parent form and that is what they are missing? If no check with them about the financials. As for the January 9th and every two weeks thing. Yes it is possible. Some of the ED2s turned things in well before and then changed them to ED2. Those may have already been reviewed and some were for sure since they were deferred from EA. Tge actual ED2 due date is 1/15 so others will still be coming in. They can certainly stagger the process. Plus school stuff has more time to get there. So if you submit your stuff by 1/15 and the other stuff comes in slowly from schools then the two week counter for that application could go all the way until 2/15 the last date for case to reply.
Thank you for your response. It turns out for some reason, there was a delay for Case to receive the FAFSA and CSS information. Even though I submitted them last month, it took a day for them to finally showed up in my portal. Thanks for your helpful information.
The Lovely And Talented, aka the wife, is making reservations to take #1 son to Case for an admitted student event in February. The plan is to sit through classes, see some dorms and tour the Thinkbox.
There are many events for admitted students. They sent an email to admitted students with a link. If you missed the link, just go to the Case website and you can find it a list of events there.
I like the cluster of freshman dorms a lot. Close to the football field and fraternities. See if they have ac in freshman dorms. They did not in fall of 2017. The newer upperclassmen dorms that surround the stadium do have ac. Even though CWRU isn’t a big sports school, I really like that whole part of campus. The whole place can be charming and a little gritty at the same time. Little Italy is another gem that is a short walk away. Plan lunch or dinner there. Have a great time those who are visiting!
Wondering in our house too though it looks more nuanced than that - everything says Saturday January 9th except one paper that says 8th. But then it says starting with whichever date two weeks from when the application is complete. It looks based on everything they have out that a school actually has to send a mid year report to make an application complete and those tend to come out at the end of January making the 2/15 date more correct like most other schools and ED2. Sending along first quarter grades might not make an application complete so that means homeschoolers, international students and those schools with December mid year reports would be the only candidates that could be receiving things this weekend.