DS wants to try for a late application–to Villanova, of all places. $-) 8-|
It was his top choice because of their business school and their basketball team, and he had the stats to get in–he goes to a Catholic school where 100 students a year apply to Villanova, and they publish a list (with no student names) of where students have applied and their stats. No student with his test scores and GPA was waitlisted there.
But I didn’t even let him apply–I said that it would be $80 wasted since we can’t afford to send him full pay, he wasn’t competitive for merit aid, and they’re known for not being generous with merit anyway. And while we might have received some need-based aid for a year while DD15 will be a college senior, their website specifically states that they don’t consider siblings in grad programs when it comes to FAFSA.
But when he saw some of the need-based grants that other schools gave him, he asked me to email Villanova and find out if they’ll take a late application. I told him that I know that the answer is no, they’re not a rolling admissions school, they don’t lack for applicants and aren’t going to be one of the schools on the May list who are still looking for students.
I just realized while typing this that what I need to do is tell him that if he wants to find out, then he needs to email Villanova himself!
Do you really want to let him go down this path? What if they say yes to a late application? What if they admit him with no aid, or with not enough aid, of with aid that will go away in one year? You said no before because you couldn’t afford it. Has anything really changed?
Yeah, this is where you just tell him “no”. If he truly has his heart set on Villanova, he can always attend community college for two years, work his butt off and save money, and transfer there.
21,000 kids applied on time…and then there’s your son. He can ask, but should know that they will tell him no.
That’s really the answer. Even if they accepted the late application and admitted him, he can’t go. That really should be the end of the discussion. There are other options for him - this is not one of them.
Thanks everyone! I just talked to DS (who is on school break today and woke up at noon) and told him
again, what I said when vetoing his application before, we can’t afford for him to be full pay for years 2 through 4, even if we were to get need-based aid this year
they get 21,000 on-time applications (thanks @skieurope ) and might have considered an application a few days late but not over 2 months late (thanks @TomSrOfBoston )
He said “yeah…ok…ok…” and I think mumbled something about thinking that it might have been worth a try. He used to be loud and vocal in middle school but has settled into a cool, stone-faced persona. I think he gets it, though.
It doesn’t help that he has friends who can afford to go where they want, full pay. One of those “that’s life, deal with it” situations. Sigh…why does this process have to be so complicated.