Exeter F/A Cuts

Prep School Admissions
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<p>Text from the article in the Exonian, dated March 5, 2009:</p>

<p>Phillips Exeter Academy Cuts Spending for Aid</p>

<p>The Academy will offer admission to more students who can pay full tuition when decision letters are sent out next week, according to Paul R. Mahoney, the director of financial aid.</p>

<p>"Not more" than one-third of the class of 2013 will be offered financial aid, compared to roughly 50 percent of the class of 2012, Mahoney said. This is the first time in recent years the Academy has not been effectively need blind.</p>

<p>Mahoney estimates 30 or 40 fewer students will be on financial aid next year. Admissions decisions are to be released on Tuesday.</p>

<p>The proportion of applicants applying for financial aid is also up. Nearly two-thirds of applicants applied for financial aid this year, compared to 50 percent last year, Mahoney said, noting that this year's applicant pool is the largest ever. Admissions received more than 2,300 applications, up from roughly 1,900 last year.</p>

<p>"In recent years we didn't have to segregate financial aid kids from non-financial aid kids in making decisions, we just chose," Mahoney said. "This year the Admissions Committee had to take into account whether an applicant was also a candidate for financial aid."</p>

<p>That meant decisions to admit were based on a family's ability to pay full tuition.</p>

<p>"Lots of highly qualified candidates could not be offered positions because they needed financial aid dollars that we simply did not have," math instructor Joseph Wolfson, part of the Admissions Committee, said.</p>

<p>Exeter is indeed no longer need blind; This will translate into about a 10% chance of acceptance for a student applying to Exeter who needs financial aid. Those that don't need aid will have a much higher acceptance rate.</p>

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<p>As painful as this is to those applying for aid and rejected, it is even more painful for those not applying for aid and nevertheless still rejected!</p>

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<p>Those who did not apply for aid were met with a 40% acceptance rate, according to the math done on another thread here on CC.</p>

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<p>Tom, I see on another thread that you are an Andover legacy. That will more than double your chances against other applicants. Is that any more fair?</p>

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<p>we applied for aid and were accepted- don't know if we got any aid yet though....</p>

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<p>How will that double my chances? My mom gives like $250 a year so if I got in it certainly wouldn't be because Andover thought they needed my mom's money. I'm just curious, because, rather selfishly, I hope you're right. But I'm just a little skeptical.</p>

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<p>I think it's really important that we all remember these are young people here, getting some devastating news about something they've devoted many months, and many dollars into.</p>

<p>I think it's best to approach this with a feeling of compassion, especially in an adult-child dynamic.</p>

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<p>TomTheCat, you sound (understandably) upset. I am crossing my fingers for you. This is a hard day for some, a joyous day for some, but in the end it all works out--I truly believe that. Best to you and to all the other applicants out there.</p>

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<p>Really well said mmoynan!! These are children!</p>

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<p>They accept legacies, as do all of the schools, at more than double the rate of others. Legacy donating big is a development candidate, a whole different pool.</p>

<p>So, the lesson I hope is that we all have different advantages in life.</p>

<p>Mmoyan, I've worked with plenty of kids, reality is really helpful too. It would be wrong not to help Tom be less cynical about those with wealth as he moves forward. Coddlng and supporting misplaced anger doesn't help anyone.</p>

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<p>I am guaranteed aid pretty much, seeing as our income is less than $50,000. I don't see how we could come even near to be over their $75,000 cutoff! So really, there is still financial aid available.</p>

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<p>I think your math is off a bit. Based on the article above: 250 openings x 67% no FA = 168. 2300 applicants x 33% no FA = 759. Acceptance rate = 168/759 = 22.1%.</p>

<p>Figures for FA applicants: 250 openings x 33% FA = 83. 2300 applicants x 67% FA = 1541. Acceptance rate = 5.4%</p>

<p>Overall acceptance rate 250/2300 = 10.9%.</p>

<p>40% acceptance rate for non FA is inflammatory and meaningless.</p>

<p>Of course all these numbers are meaningless -- assumes that everyone applying is qualified / completes the application / and that the only criterion for admittance is ability to pay. Also assumes that acceptance is just 250 -- likely accept higher number assuming certain percent will attend other schools, or students decline due to insufficient FA, or ????? Hit ratio for FA versus non-FA students could be very different / factored into Exeter's offers.</p>

<p>Also, I'm sure need for financial aid is greater this year, but the top BS's may also be attracting more students with FA needs than in the past based on press releases on full FA for less than $75k income families. So 50% FA applicants last year may have grown at least partially toward 67% due to different mix of applicants.</p>

<p>Obviously Exeter doesn't win any brownie points by restricting financial aid -- if they had it to give, they would make it available to the most qualified students. Don't think you should be too critical of the institution -- they have financial bounds they have to live within -- for the benefit of current and future students.</p>

<p>All the best in your future.</p>

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<p>Exeter accepts far more than 250 a year. They accept 50 extra per year in each grade above 9th.</p>

<p>And hey, I didn't do the math. That was from another thread. But that still just goes to prove my point. The thread where I got the "math" from also stated that 10% of FA applicants would be accepted. By your math, 5% will. 5 is half of 10, just as 20 is half of 40. The thing I was trying to emphasize was the fact that full pays are four times more likely to be admitted than FA applicants.</p>

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<p>Ageed with mmoynan's previous post. You would think that a person who has avergaed over 6 posts per day for the past 18 months would have a slightly better understanding of dynamics surrounding everyone's emotions. It appears a disagreement in policy/philopsophies/practices from previous posts has unfortunately blossomed into a more targeted and personal tact on her part. Maybe she'll cut her 14 year old counterpart some slack.</p>

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<p>FA pool is twice the non FA pool. What makes you think twice as many FA applicants have a right to be accepted at Exeter or anywhere else just because they apply? You are making tremendous assumptions about the quality of applicants in each pool and translating that into a global statement about how unfair Exeter is to the world and you in particular. Seems you have some false sense of entitlement. Hope you get beyond it before you begin the college application process.</p>

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<p>Whoa, ok, sorry... Didn't mean to upset anyone or anything</p>

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<p>You're certainly entitled to your opinions, but here's the way I see it: this young man may well end up at a boarding school and be surrounded by wealthy peers. He will have a much better experience if he does not go in with a chip on his shoulder about the wealthy. </p>

<p>I love how posters need to reregister to make their point. What not try honesty under your real name? Should we also teach kids to be cowards?</p>

<p>I do understand this is an age of non competition and child centeredness. I just happen to not agree with the touchy feely approach, it has produced too many kids not able to function well in the real world.</p>

<p>Tom will get to Andover and see that legacies are also resented. It's all very unfortunate and based on no one sitting down with kids and explaining hard truths.</p>

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<p>I got waitlisted at Exeter..Im in at my top choice but still. I wasted some valuable time and valuable essays on them. I wish I could use those essays for something else...I mean they were pretty good lol.</p>

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<p>My Exeter essays were good as well! Oh well.</p>

<p>I don't have a chip on my shoulder about the wealthy. I just am a little bitter about the fact that wealth at the moment can be such a deciding factor in things like school admissions. I understand that in this economic climate this is necessary for the schools to keep their doors open, but I still think it's sad.</p>

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<p>TomTheCat: These are sad times. Still, take a break for awhile (about two hours). Also, listen to GemmaV. I believe she knows what she's talking about...</p>