<p>If you’re still interested in one of the FA wait list schools, I would consider asking them to review your financial materials more closely. Perhaps the other schools that offered aid saw something that the other schools missed. Maybe you included notes in your submission that did not get read. Maybe you had additional communications with the schools that offered aid that the FA wait list schools did not have an opportunity to take into consideration. Maybe they can explain the disparity. Maybe they’ll see some key information that the other two schools were able to take into account. I’m on the karma bandwagon!</p>
<p>Klements,</p>
<p>Thank you for serving our country. From another military family…</p>
<p>Klements—Congrats—and thanks for keeping us safe :-)</p>
<p>My daughter was rejected by Exeter even with a 99 percentile SSAT. She is a straight A student with activities in state lelvel MathCounts and national level Academic Games, state lelvel instrument, etc.</p>
<p>bump!</p>
<p>i’d love to know about FA wait lists-- i was accepted at one school but i’m on an FA waitlist there. is there any probability whatsoever of getting off the waitlist? i’m international and need major FA, so i doubt it’s very plausible, but still…</p>
<p>momdad–Understand the FA could have been a factor, but at Exeter only a small one. There are many 99% SSAt students that dont get accepted to Exeter and other top schools. The schools are trying to build a class filled with diversity. </p>
<p>Keep in mind that there are thousands of applicants and few seats per school and per class.</p>
<p>I wish you well.</p>
<p>I know of a kid wait listed last year at Exeter. Parent called the school and asked if there was any way get to kid in and was told to talk to FA. The following week their house was on the market, and kid enrolled.</p>
<p>That would be awful. All the other high school options would have to be bordering on criminal – or the parents would have to be seriously twisted – to go to the point of selling a home, in this market, at a price discounted steeply enough to move it to pay the tuition bill on time. Unless, of course, we’re talking about the beach house in the Hamptons, leaving them only with their chalet in Aspen and the ranch in northern California in their vacation real estate portfolio. But a first – and only – home being sold…? What’s their plan for college? Unloading their collection of custom Italian sports cars?</p>
<p>D’yer Maker,</p>
<p>That’s sometimes not far from the truth. There are some instances in which parents ask for financial aid who are living in large houses worth half million and upwards, drive late model luxury cars, etc, and all their income is eaten up by those expenses. </p>
<p>They’re not asking that of parents living within their means or in modest homes to cough up more money. Just the ones that have the means and chose to spend it in a different way unrelated to their children.</p>
<p>Yeah, but if they sold the home 3 years ago, they would have cash for Exeter AND they could move back into that home before orientation. That’s why it’s awful. Selling a home now means locking in the crappy market conditions, particularly for a big ticket home.</p>
<p>Anyway, it seems to me that these people would have to have lots of illiquid wealth to do that or they decided that their other high school options for Junior are incredibly crappy…or, as I mentioned, there’s something else afoot that explains the decision…just not in a way a sane person could relate to.</p>
<p>Sounds crazy to me too. Though if they came from my school district I could see being desperate enough to do it. One local college prep and has lost three principals in the last semester, an average of seven fire alarms per month and has had a per capita suspension rate of about 1.25. (I’m not joking, btw) I would have pole danced and robbed banks to get my daughter out if needed.</p>
<p>One possibility - did they sell their house to move closer? Some Adcoms told me a few parents have actually bought condos near the schools. I made a joke about moving when I was at Exeter and one of the staff said “I know you’re kidding but do you know how many are not?”</p>
<p>Maybe day student price versus boarding is enough to make the difference?</p>
<p>It’s a mystery to me too. Can’t imagine. If I sold now with the market crashing I’d have enough equity to buy a one way ticket on Amtrak. Maybe that should be a new thread “What boarding schools are on the Amtrak or Greyhound bus route?” :-(</p>
<p>I’m so glad to hear your good news, Klements! I hope you do not mind me posting in this topic, as well, but my family has a similar problem. I figured someone may help me here.</p>
<p>My family doesn’t make a substantial amount of money, since my mother has been staying home with my uncle’s child. I was accepted into my choice school, however, I was placed on the Financial Aid Wait list. We know families who earn around our general income, and the school has been pretty generous to them. We noticed that on our statements to the school, we wrote that we couldn’t contribute anything for tuition. We can actually provide around half of the tuition or more. Perhaps that was a reason for us being put on the list? We only make a bit over the tuition, so it could be understood if we put $0. My mother has just recently been able to return to work this month. Do you think that there is hope if we clear this up with the school or are all of their funds already gone and is this information coming too late?</p>
<p>I hope somebody can help us out. Thank you!</p>
<p>I think I would write and/or call the school to make sure they understood the situation - I’m sure it can’t hurt! Good luck!</p>
<p>@emma</p>
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<p>Are you talking about the same school? If two families have similar needs and both are accepted, I thought the school would offer similar amount of aid.</p>
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<p>Did you actually put down $0 as in ZERO? The school may see that as a lack of sincerity or effort on your part.</p>
<p>A belated Congratulations! Was out of pocket past week and catching up. Very happy for the outcome. Relish the revisits and the experience. Good luck!</p>
<p>@emmakensie - Please do call the school and explain the change in your circumstances as well as expressing how very much you would like to attend.
This happened to a friend of ours last year - his family had a $0 contribution because one parent was not working. By the time he was accepted, they had two jobs again and could afford more tuition - the school was very agreeable to working things out.
Good luck to you and don’t give up!</p>
<p>@ssacdfamily Thank you for the advice!
@hootoo I was referring to the same school. The thing is, I’m sure they didn’t make the mistake that we made on the form, therefore, putting us on the list and giving them the aid. Yes, $0 was written on the form, which I wish we had gone over more carefully. The question was in a category about expenses for clubs, vacations, etc, which we hadn’t spent anything on and accidentally put $0 on the contribution while completing it online and must have overlooked what it said. Thank you for your opinion and thoughts, I hope they don’t see it that way!
@mamakiwi Thank you for the reassurance! The school is our first choice, so I am hoping they will understand. I think maybe it made sense to the school because our income wasn’t that much at the time that we would put “$0,” but we weren’t looking for a scholarship or free ride and hopefully we can negotiate since we can put up some of the money now.</p>
<p>Thank you, everyone, again! I will update you on the situation if anything comes up. Just remember to be extremely careful when filling out that form. Lesson learned!</p>
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<p>Thats exactly it.</p>
<p>My daughter is at a HADES school. She loves it and is very active there. Prior to four years ago, Boarding Schools were not on my radar. I knew little if anything about them. We live in a rural area in a northeastern state. My D applied to three HADES schools. She took the SSATs late and scored 99%. Her ECs were very good and she got into two HADES schools. My son, younger than she, has visited her at at school many many times. He grew to really love the place. His SSATs were good, but not as good as her’s and his ECs were less good, but still good. He has a significant talent musically, and has performed professionally. Over the years, I grew to love the school myself. We are not of enormous means, but I was grateful for what they did for my daughter, and donated what I could.</p>
<p>My son was recently w/l at the school. I know it seems a bit silly, but I felt crushed, as did my daughter. She thought that she figured out where he stood, and was sure he’d get in. I know this was a year of record applications, but this really does sting. I know that the school rarely if ever takes anyone off the w/l.</p>
<p>Have him try again, next year, to a wide range of schools. A lot of families are finding out this year that sibling preference is no longer an asset given the huge pools of applications. It’s convenient to have children in the same school - but sometimes it’s helpful to have students in environments where they aren’t living in the shadow of the other.</p>
<p>But if you do this - make it perfectly clear to the target schools that you DO NOT want the sibling/HADES school. I suspect some schools assume they will lose the student to the other school and waitlist or reject them for that reason. </p>
<p>Believe it or not, students get very good academic prep at non-HADES schools. I’m a HADES grad but I’m very concerned that the hype is fueling a sort of “blow-back” with thousands rushing to apply leaving other very good schools off their lists. </p>
<p>Being the top student at a strong/competitive school, versus middle of the pack at HADES might enhance a student’s chances of getting their choice of college later.</p>