A week after my D submitted her ED application to UPenn, I made an anxiety-ridden post about my regrets over allowing her to commit to a school that would leave her graduating with significant debt. Especially since her safety school had just awarded her their highest merit award. Mods locked that thread after it veered off topic (http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1938793-having-serious-regret-about-allowing-ed-p1.html) but I thought some people might be interested in an update so I’m starting a new discussion.
I mentioned in my original post about finding a new #2 school after the app was filed. Not only was D accepted to this school, but we found out yesterday that she was awarded a Stamps Scholarship to attend there. She visited the school a few weeks ago for the invitation weekend with the other Stamps semi-finalists and loved it. Loved the other students she met while on the weekend, too. (She came home and filled out a profile on some roommate matching website and was matched with one of the girls she met that weekend LOL.) We haven’t put the deposit down yet, but I can’t imagine there being any way she would turn this down.
If she’d been accepted to UPenn, we would have sucked it up, taken loans and never looked back - although I’m pretty sure I would have had regret every time that tuition bill came due! The deferral was hard to take at the time, but I think we will look back as that being the best thing that happened during the application process. At this point, I think it’s safe to say that neither of my other two children will be applying ED anywhere as I’ve learned my lesson.
Now if only I could stop tearing up every time I think about her moving out and going far away to school…I don’t think anyone is buying that these are happy tears.
Thanks for the post and valuable lesson. My son applied ED to a school years ago, got in and was miserable there and ended up transferring. I learned my lesson too…my daughter did not apply ED anywhere and has a nice group of schools to visit and choose from. We are still waiting on some decisions and then we will visit any that we haven’t seen and see where she wants to go.
@intparent - I’ll have to try to remember. I think it should serve as a warning to others that if there’s doubt- Don’t Do It! In hindsight, I think that anxiety I had was some sort of intuition that there was something better out there for her.
Congrats! My D was denied her ED1 school W&M & it was a blessing in disguise as I was misinformed about OOS public school aid & it would have been rough! We learned about another school, UR, meets 100% need & she applied Ed2. Still ED but a more educated decision. Much better! Thanks for posting, will help many! This is such an overwhelming experience & so much to learn!
Thought I should add on one more update - she got in to UPenn! She didn’t get into the Huntsman Program, but was admitted to the College. FA package came in about $1000 less aid than NPC predicted. She also got into Duke, with a similar expected parental contribution, but their package includes loans, so completely unaffordable. I still think she’s 95% sure she’s going to accept the Stamps, and I think it’s going to feel good to be able to say that she turned down the other schools for the Stamps.
