<p>Our family would welcome feedback on your experiences with FA Wait Lists. My D today received such a letter. The school in question called a few days ago to announce we would be getting this news. Now we are in limbo. Were the school not her first choice, we would be less concerned.</p>
<p>We respect any private institution's prerogative to allocate resources as it sees fit, i.e., to fund those candidates it most seeks, and who are best qualified. We recognize that institutions, values, budgets, economic climates, yields, etc., all vary, and that they can do so from year to year. </p>
<p>That said, we would welcome hearing from folks who have had similar experiences. Did any of you negotiate--for lack of a more elegant expression--a "deal" of some sort, where, for instance, you agreed to seek X funds if they would meet you halfway, or some such thing? Did you simply wait to see what the gods decreed? Something else?</p>
<p>The title of this post tells you what we're trying to determine, albeit via something between Voodoo and the wisdom of the (CC) crowd.</p>
<p>This is second hand - a true experience - no HADES schools - </p>
<p>Bright kid accepted at 4 schools (1 deny).
School #1 said no FA and after a phone call parents realized no FA would be coming at all.
School #2 and #3 said FA waitlist, School #4 gave full needed FA and really wanted the boy. </p>
<p>Family revisited school #4, wanted to like it but realized that it was really not the right fit for son. Called up schools #2 and #3 to ask about status. Were given hope at both schools (I believe this was around the end of March). </p>
<p>School #3 came in with aid. Not enough to make it happen and yes, they negotiated so to speak. I am not exactly sure what was said or how. Over a few weeks School #3 came up with the funds needed. </p>
<p>Parents meanwhile had been calling school #2 because it was preferred. School #2 was nice but kept putting them off until they got all their replies back mid-April. </p>
<p>Decided to go with School #3 and literally a day after they signed the contract School #2 came up with full aid. Boy went to school #3 and is so happy - cannot imagine why he ever thought of any other school. </p>
<p>I don’t think this was really settled until the end of April.</p>
<p>A fellow CC’er recently asked if, when the school called to inform us of the FA WL, did we tell them it was both our kid’s and our family’s absolute first choice school? It is indeed the absolute first choice, and yes, we did tell them–over the phone, in a follow-up email, and in an email from our kid to the school. </p>
<p>Another question we were asked was whether the school might have been gaging our interest, given yield concerns? Perhaps, but my own instincts were that the school was pursuing candidates it preferred over our kid; if those candidates didn’t accept the offer, then our kid could merit FA, albeit as a 2nd choice candidate.</p>
<p>We’ll see what news fate brings in the next 72 hours. We don’t expect this matter (with this school) to be resolved before April 10.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s strictly a “yield” decision for the school. It’s a budget issue. They can only leave so much FA hanging out there at any one time. I think when some of the aid money is freed up as applicants with FA award letters choose other schools, you’ll be able to get some of it directed your way. Assuring them that you intend to use it could work to your advantage because they want to put that money to work, not go through round-after-round of offering it up and having it refused…while other applicants who gave up hope of obtaining aid are firming up plans to attend other schools. I would attend the revisit, meet with the FA people at that time, face-to-face, and make it clear that as soon as FA money is freed up, you can commit and send in the deposit. If they understand that, you may improve your shot at being among the first in line to get any of the aid money that comes back in as students choose other schools.</p>
<p>@muf123 - I think in this instance OP is suggesting that the student is admitted to the school and waitlisted for FA. That would mean they are invited to revisit.</p>
<p>I believe this varies from school to school, though. I know of some schools that do not permit revisits until the FA situation has been resolved.</p>
<p>Agree 100%, NCparent51. The applicant will get an acceptance letter and deposit form sent to her as soon as the FA situation gets worked out – which means that she is fully qualified to be a student, and she is welcome to matriculate without regard to how the yield pans out for other accepted applicants. This is “better” than being wait-listed because there’s a bed waiting for her right now. So, whether the FA situation gets worked out on this side of the revisit day or the other side of the revisit day shouldn’t determine whether she is welcome to the revisit day. Lots of people at the revisit will be there trying to decide where to spend their money. That’s the same position the OP is in. </p>
<p>If an invitation to the revisit day wasn’t expressly extended, I would insist on one because, if the FA situation does get worked out, the student and school would both want that revisit to have occurred. Of course, that’s still just my guess…but I think it’s a fairly well-educated one.</p>
<p>The affirming news of another acceptance today for my daughter, but again, without FA. </p>
<p>We qualify for aid but our daughter isn’t meriting a piece of the FA budget, especially among the often modest non-HADES FA budgets. Good grades, good athlete, interesting background, low SSAT (don’t know what the recs say, but she had no special connection to either her Math or English teachers as she began high school this year). All in all understandable, yet dispiriting.</p>
<p>Thanks, meanwhile, for the many kind gifts of time and wisdom about various FA experiences CCers have had.</p>
<p>@Exie: Yes, other schools pending, but choices #1 and #2 have not offered FA. Karma much appreciated! Our daughter has been a champ about it, but we, on the parent end, are starting to feel the oxygen getting thin. Comes to mind that great British WWII poster: “Stay calm and carry on.”</p>
<p>@emdee: great question. Last year, when I was in Iraq, my wife managed 2 at home and the 2 older children at 2 different BS. I guess the answer just now will be to avoid unaccompanied deployments/tours for the next couple years!</p>