<p>My son received an unsolicited mailing from a well-respected, but not elite, university offering to waive both the application fee and essay. This is the third unsolicited fee-waiver he has received, but the first to waive the essay as well.</p>
<p>Why would a college do this? I know the fee waiver is probably intended to increase the number of applicants, but why would they waive the essay? And do they offer these waivers to lots of students, or just a few? National Merit is the only reason I can think of that they would contact him specifically.</p>
<p>Because, yes, they want to increase apps, and because they know the essay is the sticking point for most kids. Apply someplace and not have to write an essay??? Sure, I’ll do it.</p>
<p>Ds has gotten a couple of these from schools he’s interested in (one very interested in, one we haven’t visited, but it’s like his favorites, so he signed up for their local presentation in a couple of weeks). Ds is Commended, not NMSF. I assume it’s based off PSAT/SAT scores and/or AP scores.</p>
<p>My DD got a couple of those in the last two days as well. They were from schools where she had visited and decide against applying - but the admissions office has no way of knowing the latter. </p>
<p>She actually thought about it for one of the schools - as it was very little effort and essentially a slam dunk admit (with an answer promised in 2 weeks) - but decided it still wasn’t a school she wanted to attend. She likes her safety and doesn’t see a need for another safety.</p>
<p>My son has received a number of these too. At the bottom of the emails it says they received his information from ACT on which he scored extremely well. My question would be, among candidates with comparable stats, but some have essays and some don’t is there an equal chance of being accepted? I wouldn’t think so and I think it’s all stats padding.</p>
<p>My D has also gotten some that say they were based on info from the ACT. Some of these are good colleges that are generous with merit aid. What I wonder is whether the chance of merit aid goes way down if a applicant doesn’t do the full essay. It makes me think they award merit aid very much by stats, and not so much a big picture evaluation of the candidate.</p>
<p>D has received more than six of these so far. Her SATs and ACT were good, but not stellar. She’s receiving waivers from schools both below and well-above her match-range. Some of the schools were colleges or universities that she had contacted for information when she was a sophomore and junior. Others appear to have gotten her mailing information from the Sage program or our 529 savings plan. (D is opening and reading all of the “junk mail” that she gets from schools, since sometimes the fee waiver is mentioned in tiny print hidden inside.)</p>
<p>D has applied to three of the schools that waived their application fee. If it were not for the waiver, two of the schools might not have been on her radar. </p>
<p>I am guessing that some of the schools want to beef up their applicant and selectivity numbers (US News anyone?). Whatever the reason, it’s a help and does encourage students to take a first or second look at schools.</p>
<p>To me it’s a very good reason to apply to a school that otherwise might not be of particular interest. Heck, if it’s free, and there’s a chance for good financial aid, and you’re filling out applications anyway, why not?</p>
<p>My son is applying to all three of the colleges that have given him fee waivers. Coincidentally, two of them were already on his list. The third is getting a second look because of the waiver.</p>
<p>I had posted this on another thread…but what if S has a 3.3 GPA w/2000 SAT? I would think that an essay would certainly be helpful. S’s been getting these offers, too. I know its from his SAT. One of the schools is on his list and I’m hesitant for him to apply this way w/o an essay. What do you all think?</p>
<p>Where does a 3.3 (assuming uw) GPA and 2000 SAT fall in the school’s past acceptance range? Bottom 25%, 50%, top 75%? You can generally find that on the school’s website. How are his ECs, outside activities? I’d probably make my son do the essay but that’s why I’m annoying.</p>
<p>My son has gotten a few of these. One of his colleges (not a VIP addp) he had sent his app, his scores and his transcript and received a note back from the college saying that there was no need to send his essay or GC recommendation. This was the college his older brother attends so I’m assuming that they “know” enough at this point (and I pay the tuition bills on time LOL) to make a decision. I’m guessing when son gets the essay completed he’ll probably e-mail it because he’ll be “nervous.”</p>
<p>In 2006, DD got a bunch of these. Many not only waived the essay and application fee, but also guaranteed an admissions decision within a few weeks. DD wasn’t interested in any of the schools so she passed.</p>
<p>DS got one from a school he was planning to apply to anyway. Not having to do the essay made the application a breeze. In his case, they also didn’t want letters of recommendation. Basically all they wanted was a transcript and the application. Since he was applying there anyway (and was doing the early audition date in December), he did the early application for free with little fuss or muss.</p>
<p>I have to say…neither of my students came even close to NM anything. They still got some of these offers.</p>
<p>Yup, the most recent one here (Colorado School of Mines) guarantees a decision within 21 days. And as stressful as this process is turning out to be, I welcome that.</p>
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<p>Thank you, that answers one of my original questions.</p>
<p>By the way, Colorado School of Mines looks REALLY COOL. It’s not on my son’s list, but I’m starting to secretly hope he goes there. :)</p>
<p>Colorado School of Mines was a second choice for a very smart engineering student we know. He chose another school…but it was a close decision for him.</p>
<p>My son also received some “VIP applications” last year. He didn’t write any real essays, but had to submit a “writing sample” or very short essay in two cases. He was accepted to all of them, and had good merit aid offers from a couple. The most generous was Tulane, and it would have reduced the cost of college by 50%. I thought that maybe they were being so generous because Katrina caused their applicant pool to go down. Tulane is a very good school, and it wants students with good standardized tests scores to apply. I think it might be a very good opportunity.</p>
<p>I got a VIP application from Tulane as well, and seriously considered applying. It gets good reviews and generally meets my criteria. I probably won’t because I’m incurring a lot of fees by sending SAT scores and transcripts, but if it didn’t cost me $12 to $22 a pop I’d definitely do it.</p>
<p>Tulane and University of Denver are the ones that seriously tempted me, but I’m not the one applying to college. New Orleans is such a great city, and the Tulane campus is gorgeous. I just don’t have a lot of info about what the student body is like, so I’m not going to push my D to apply. Still, the merit aid looks like it’s within reach, so that’s appealing.</p>