D in denial re: admission process?

Parents Forum
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<p>If this were my child, I would sit down and have a serious conversation NOW about financial matters. I say "child" but these students are on the verge of becoming adults. They need to understand what is and what is not affordable. She needs to understand how much you would need in FA to make one of her dream schools work so that if they do not provide it she will have been forewarned. </p>

<p>Every spring there are posts from kids whose parents can't afford to send them to their first choice, admitted school. It seems to come as a complete shock to these kids. The parents let them apply, figuring/hoping the FA will follow. </p>

<p>Students should understand how much is being borrowed in student loans and what it will take monthly to repay them. I know several working professionals who are struggling to pay their student loans. </p>

<p>I know your post asked about other schools you might get her to consider. </p>

<p>What I am saying is that she needs to understand that considering other schools isn't an option, it is a necessity.</p>

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<p>"-- but I think that the reality is that they [the wealthier] already have that advantage [i.e., ED]."</p>

<p>Yep. That's why I prefaced the suggestion as I did. :)
It's a reality that colleges are businesses; I do not object to ED in principle, but think that it reduces some options for both sides of the equation: college & student/family. I think it would be realistic to assume that the ED-able student would continue to hold the advantage in a bifurcated application system, but at least "the cards would be on the table." The college can decide that Star EA Applicant is nevertheless more "valuable" to the school than one more full-pay ED applicant who may be not quite as "special." </p>

<p>(Promotes transparency.)</p>

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<p>I think the difficulty here is that the usual sure bet school, which for this student would be the state university honors college, has been rejected already. So a substitute has to be found, one that is also a financial safety.</p>

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<p>Oh I agree, LM. ( ^^ ) I was just once again veering O/T.</p>

<p>Adorable screen name, btw.</p>

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<p>Also, remember to check your schools. Many schools do NOT have an EA (early action) option at all. Some schools have no ED (early decision) option. You might want to consider rolling admissions schools. Just an FYI...our DD also wanted to go out of state (and we agreed...our state schools don't thrill us...if we lived in Maryland she would have applied in-state as the state universities are quite good). HOWEVER, we insisted that she apply to ONE localish school just in case she changed her mind in April and did not want to move far away. Also, she applied to one rolling admissions school and two EA schools and had acceptances to all by mid-December. NO ED schools!!!</p>

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<p>D is quite clear on finances. She's been cognizant of that for years, but has worked hard to earn grades that might warrant a careful look by good schools. Luckily, her test scores help. We've also been watching average indebtedness closely.</p>

<p>thumper, we are going through a list of EA schools again. UMD's English dept. is under a lot of pressure and 300 level classes currently have 200 students...not all classes, but enough to make you hesitate if you are a serious student.</p>

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<p>There are other state universities in Maryland besides UMDCP. Has your daughter considered any others of these?</p>

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<p>Yes, and she should be proud of her accomplishments. Her stats might "warrant a careful look by good schools" for admittance...but Columbia, for example, does not give merit aid (aid based on grades). Columbia gives only need based aid.</p>

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<p>What about St. Mary's College? A financial safety is just that, last resort but good to have if it's necessary.</p>

<p>I don't know your exact situation, but if you truly have need I think your daughter will be accepted at a need blind institution that will offer aid. However, having safeties in your pocket you know you can afford -- priceless!
(One of my kids chose Binghamton, one Stony Brook.</p>

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<p>Actually I don't fully agree with this. A financial safety should not be a "last resort". It should be a school the student would want to attend if accepted that is also within the financial reach of the family.</p>

<p>Both of my kids had safety schools they loved ("love thy safety" is one of the mantras of college admissions). For DD, her safety was actually her 2nd choice school. DS was a music major so no school was really a safety in the true sense of the word. But one school was "more likely to accept him" than the others. In both cases, my kids got great finaid to these safety schools. Neither enrolled at them as both got accepted to their first choice schools. BUT their safeties were not a "last resort"...they were schools they would have been happy to attend, and were affordable as well.</p>

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<p>Yes, but a financial safety is different is different from an admissions safety IMO. There are many more choices available for an admissions safety. A financial safety is chosen for financial reasons. Sometimes the love is present, sometimes not.</p>

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<p>I agree...but I think that any school a student applies to should be one that the student would be happy to attend. If the student is NOT planning to attend the school, it doesn't matter how much money the school throws at that student. In my opinion, students should only apply to colleges that they would be willing to attend if accepted...and that includes financial safeties.</p>

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<p>thumper and mythmom both have good points and I suspect that we will look at both financial and admissions safeties. Theoretically, I would prefer that she love her safety, but that may not be possible. I'm aware of Columbia's policy on aid and mentioned her grades only to indicate that she's a viable applicant at competitive schools with an enormous applicant pool.</p>