I graduated high school last year but decided to take a gap year to learn Chinese in Taiwan. Unfortunately, this means I have to reapply to college, and I chose to apply to my state university and Vanderbilt. I chose to apply early decision to Vanderbilt because out of all the schools I have visited, I always felt it was the perfect fit for me. I love the campus, atmosphere, and classes and would love to study economics there (I think I would like to go into investment banking or corporate law though I am not 100% certain yet). I did the financial aid calculator and because I live with my mom and do not get much support from my dad, the EFC according to the calculator on their website is very low and affordable. I have test scores and a GPA that are well within the range and my counselor has been in contact with her friend who is an admissions officer and she says I have a very good chance of getting in. I’m certain Vanderbilt is my dream school, and put a lot of thought into it before I chose to apply early decision. However, recently I’ve been talking with my grandmother and she made a lot of valid points that are making me question if Vanderbilt is the best decision. I fear I may be making an emotional decision, rather than the decision that makes most sense for my education. 1. I graduated a dual enrollment school high school and received my AA degree, but almost none of these credits will transfer to Vanderbilt. My state university would accept the degree in its entirety. This means I would have to do 4 years at Vanderbilt but only 2 at my state university. 2. Though the calculator estimated my cost for Vanderbilt to be low (a few thousand dollars), I fear my father’s high income will mean the actual financial aid I am awarded will be very low, even though I don’t receive much support from him. Vanderbilt only asked for my mom’s info on the calculator, but it said they may request my dad’s tax info and include that in their financial aid decision, and I know that will screw me. My state university will be free because I earned an academic scholarship. 3. My best friends are going to my state university and I would have a stable support system after returning from being out of the country for a year. I know this seems like a dumb point but my entire life has been upended this year and it would be nice to have some familiarity when I come home. We would also live together upon my return (apartment rent is cheaper than a dorm), so I already would have suitable roommates. At Vanderbilt I would live in a dorm with strangers which I am completely fine with, but I guess this is still something to consider. All in all Vanderbilt will always be my dream university, but I fear that I will be accepted and find out that they want a huge amount of money from me that I don’t have, and I will have wasted my 2 year degree. I love the school and I know I belong there, but I don’t know if it is worth going to school for another 2 years (I would like to go to law school so I will already be in school an absurd amount of time) and there’s a possibility it could put me in a lot of debt if the financial aid doesn’t pull through. I also know Vanderbilt is a top school, and would look better when applying to graduate school, so that is also a consideration. Should I email my Vanderbilt admissions counselor and tell her to change my decision track?
If your expected financial aid falls through, you can legitimately turn down your ED offer from Vanderbilt.
Do not make a decision based on where your friends are going.
The other question to ask yourself is if you will be prepared adequately for law school with just two years at your state U. I know zero about law so hopefully more seasoned posters will jump in. I come from a STEM perspective where it would be near impossible to graduate with all the courses required for the degree in two year, no matter how many credits you were coming in with.
IMO, I would keep your ED application and then if the aid falls through, re-evaluate.
You are allowed to back out of your ED contract if the money doesn’t work. So there’s zero reason to change your ED application.
You’ll find out sooner whether you get in and also what your aid award will be. Then you can decide. Good luck.
Having your high school friends around could be nice. It could also be nice to meet some new people and branch out too though, then you’ll have even more friends. But either way has it’s benefits.
I also wouldn’t be too concerned with the “spending two extra years” thing. Don’t be too hasty to reach your destination; undergrad is a really fun unique time. Not even for the generic partying type thing, but it’s the last period in life where you’re truly undifferentiated and can explore anything. You can study under top minds in a bunch of different fields that interest you, there’s always something going on, and you’re surrounded by tons of other exciting, passionate people. Some of my favorite memories are from classes unrelated to my major, or other random experiences that I sought ought just because I had time and thought “why not”. It’s an environment that’s inherently artificial, and It’s a one way trip - you won’t find again. Grad school is cool too, but in a much different manner.
Plus, if you spent two years in undergrad you’d be planning on entering law school in fall 2020 I’m guessing. That would basically mean you’d have to start thinking about LSAT prep this time next year, take it next summer, and apply with only one year of classes on your transcript. If you want biglaw you had better come out with a T14 law diploma, and if you want in to the T14, it might be a tough sell with only a single year of grades/ECs (and more importantly, a lower LSAT due to having less true college classes under your belt).
The individual environment at each school is also worth a lot in my opinion - here or at peer schools, you’ll have tons of classmates to really push you and a distinct type of culture that is pretty strong. If you’re a top student, so was everyone else, and it’s really nice to have everyone coming from the same headspace. You’d probably find the exact same vibe if your state school is UVA/Berkeley/Michigan; if not, you might have to do a little bit more work to find it and you might be lost in the bigger crowd.
But finances are worthwhile concern. You’ve got to work with the resources available. But if you can back out you might be fine, especially since you have the pretty valid excuse of having a complicated financial situation due to separated parents. I’m not all that knowledgeable on the subject though so it might be worth inquiring with the financial aid offices.
Grandma is right, bless her heart! You have an opportunity to have a full ride scholarship and graduate debt free. If you’re planning to go to law school, that’s going to help you more than anything. The average pay of an experienced attorney is not much more than an electrical engineer, so you really can’t afford a pile of debt from your undergraduate. Debt is the biggest reason lawyers choose to change careers. Who says you can’t go to Vanderbilt for law school?
As northwesty notes, you are allowed to turn down an ED offer if the $ doesn’t work for your family. Your chances at Vandy are materially better via ED than RD. And my hunch is that if you moved to RD and didn’t get in, you might wonder whether you’d have gotten in ED. My recommendation is hang tight with the current plan and play out ED at Vandy. If the money doesn’t work out in the end, you can move to “Plan B”. Best of luck!
“I did the financial aid calculator and because I live with my mom and do not get much support from my dad, the EFC according to the calculator on their website is very low and affordable.”
If your parents are divorced, the NPC may not be accurate. (Do you mean the NPC or just the Fafsa SAR? This is far less financial info than Vandy will ask for, via the CSSProfile.) I believe Vandy will count your father’s income in their calculations.
For any other long posts, using paragraphs helps all of us follow. Thx.