<p>I really would love to go to GW and up until two weeks ago was sure that I was applying early decision. The problem is that I am completely dependant on getting financial aid, at least 75% from grants or scholarships, and I don't know whether GW will offer me the aid I need to afford it through binding Early decision.</p>
<p>I'm an African American female
SAT: 690 M, 690 CR, 690 W
Top 10% of class
3.91/4.00 GPA
Participated in many after school clubs
About 100 volunteer hours
But at least 500 work hours (probably more)</p>
<p>That's my shortlist, and I was wondering really what scholarships I might receive and whether or not I should risk applying early. Thanks!</p>
<p>The standard answer most private schools will say is: If financial concerns are integral part of your attending - you should not apply ED, but RD. This way you can compare other school offers and “negotiate” offers.</p>
<p>My personal concern is - once you apply ED and sign the “binding” contract they won’t necessarily give you the “best” offer. Colleges say thier Financial Aid/Scholarships are “independent” or “needs blind” of the admissions process. They may “meet your need” with more loans/work study.</p>
<p>I remain very skeptical of equivalent offers of ED vs. RD given the economy and the way the college endowments have taken hits.</p>
<p>The above said- If GW is your #1 and you see no other schools as a vaible alternative - ED is a reasonable choice. Make sure Family on-board with the finances!</p>
<p>But if you apply ED asking for financial aid, and they accept you but the aid offer is not enough to allow attendance, you just tell them thanks but no thanks, no consequence, and apply RD elsewhere; there’s no risk. But apply ED only to your one dream school above all others, because you can’t compare FA offers.</p>
<p>You have to careful with saying “no thanks” to the ED financial aid offer. The college may meet your “need” with more loans, not grants/scholarships. Legally they are meeting your “need”. Then if you walk away, you are breaking the ED contract. I have heard of some colleges actually notifying other colleges of the student breaking the contract and they don’t look favorably on that.</p>
<p>On the other hand, the director of Fin Aid @ AU told our group during an open house that they will do everything possible to make AU affordable. Sounds reassuring, but I don’t know specifics about GW. As a parent whose S is applying to GW this year - possibly ED, I’d want that in writing!</p>
<p>The Fin Aid office @ GW was willing to send thier form to calculate your EFC and determine your need prior to the ED deadline, but no form so far! We’re waiting!!!</p>
<p>No school will ever try to force a student to attend, and then resort to expulsion when the bill can’t be paid, perhaps because the family cannot qualify for the loan to pay the EFC.</p>
<p>Rumors are rumors. Do indeed call the school’s FA office for a statement on what they’ll do if their offer is not enough to support attendance.</p>
<p>There is another aspect: A school that makes a FA offer to an ED student really wants the student to attend. So before declining the offer, contact the school to see if they can do better with additional information.</p>
<p>vossron is right, you can be released from an early decision contract if in your opinion the financial aid package does not make it possible for you to attend. One complication is the scenario where you are accepted early decision to a school, you feel the financial aid offer doesn’t make it possible for you to attend and you turn them down. Then during the regular decision round of acceptances you find out that the original school you really wanted to go to gave you the best offer you were going to get. You can’t then go back and change you mind with the original school.</p>
<p>My advice to the original poster would be try to determine beforehand what kind of aid you can expect GW to offer you. I can’t speak for GW specifically but many school’s financial aid offers are determined by a formula and it is possible to guess with some degree of accuracy how much you will be offered. Is it enough for you to attend? If it is then you can go ahead and throw your hat into the early decision applicant pool.</p>
<p>I hope vossron is right. FA and ED is very nebulous to me and most parents I’ve spoken with. It seems the colleges are trying to “scare” you not to apply ED if FA is a strong factor in the student attending. I don’t know if this is due to the recession and thier endowments tanking or what.</p>
<p>After long discussions with my S - he will be applying RD to GW due to the concerns about FA and we prefer to compare other colleges offers of both need and merit. He understands he will have a lower priority for housing asssignments @ GW.</p>
<p>To original poster - hope your decision goes well. Not trying to be a “downer”, but the costs @ GW are impressive!</p>