Gap year then re-apply to school you were accepted at (in hopes of more merit)?

Applying to College
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Agree with everyone else. Try to renegotiate the merit with the acceptances you have. If you haven’t done this yet you will be surprised how many LACs especially will do this. It might not be a ton but perhaps enough to make a difference. Your timing is great right before May 1. Have your daughter write a very thoughtful email to the Admissions Counselor why she liked the school so much, any awards/updates since she applied, perhaps mention that her mother is caring for an ill grandparent and isn’t able to work and that is creating an extra hardship especially since her parents already supported older sibs through college, then list all the comparable schools she’s been accepted to that have higher merit then what she’s been offered. I am not really sure if you should mention the Gap year quite yet?? We went through this last year and I really couldn’t believe that the process was like this but it is!

Then emphasize to your daughter to work and save $$$ during her gap year for college. I can’t imagine any kid would want to go through the entire process of reapplying to college as you have outlined. I think you risk having a very resentful and unhappy kid if you insist on this. Good luck and let us know how it works out!

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How will this help with lowering the net costs?

23

Is your daughter majoring in music? If so…music merit is based on the strength of the audition relative to others auditioning on the same instrument. Next year could be even more competitive with less money offered.

If she is not majoring in music…merit money for her musical achievements will be limited at most places.

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It will protect merit (assuming it would last the deferral)…only thing I saw was we get no need aid, live in a high cost place and can’t afford sticker.

I saw it as a question of - do we re apply and hope for more.

They can reapply to other places and take a guaranteed merit strategy or depending on stats - they can re apply right now to an Arizona, UAH, Alabama or others - dependent up on stats and how much they are looking for.

But sounds like they seek an LAC…or the same LAC.

and applying to the school where you were accepted hoping for me - which is the title - is what I was addressing.

It’s a risk/reward. THey might even say - why did you apply again vs. ask for deferral or may wonder why and turn the student down.

Just doesn’t seem worth the risk (going with the title).

In essence, people chasing a price point have to pick schools that can definitely meet the price point which doesn’t always = the school that they’d like to attend.

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100% ask for more money. My son is going through that process right now. I think admissions assumed he wouldn’t go to this particular school — it’s far from home and he hasn’t visited — so they just threw him their standard amount. Now that he’s said he will go if they can up their offer, they have been pretty accommodating. But you need to act NOW. There are hoops to jump through and it can take time!

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How much more money do you need? $2000…or $10,000? You might get a small increase, but if you need a large amount to make this affordable…that gets harder. Plus some colleges don’t reconsider merit aid…at all. BTDT.

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Are you sure that the school that you need more money from even gives merit awards high enough for your need?

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Or…can your student not double/major and finish in four years, which would save costs. Or take some classes at community college over the various summers of the school accepts those credits (some do) to save a semester or year of costs?

29

I think the Road to College website gives some good data for merit awards for the class of 2022. For a couple of schools, I could tell that my child got the max amount of merit. So even if I had the urge, it would be pointless to seek additional merit funds. I felt like the LAC’s in that group gave about 22K this year as top merit. I felt like that was the going good merit award at about 6 schools.

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Certain schools, like Bard, insist on a 5 yr program to do both conservatory and an academic major.

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If money is an issue, I think that you need to look at the school that can give her what she wants/needs while being a financially feasible option for your family.

I would not even consider reapplying to the same school.
I am going to put this as delicately as I can-Game knows game.

Look at this from the school’s perspective:
They will have no problem with your daughter accepting the spot, deferring, and taking a gap year. The question would be if she would keep the scholarship (at some schools, you forfeit the scholarship if you are not attending immediately after graduation).

However, your husband does not want her to defer, he wants to tell the school, thanks but no thanks. The school is going to move forward.

Now your husband wants your daughter to re-apply in hopes of getting more money- remember, applications are kept on file for 2 years. The school will see that she was offered admission and turned the school down. There would be no incentive to admit her again because she could have deferred and started college in Fall 2023.

In addition, you want the high school to take their already stretched resources from the rising seniors (who will be the senior class) to give them to a student who has already graduated, so she can re-apply to a school that she has already been accepted to? This also will not be a good look on the part of the school or the counselor (who wants to maintain great relationships with their regional admissions counselors).

@ucbalumnus has a point- you would have been given an admit deny-where your daughter was academically admitted and given a package where the school is not a financially feasible option.

However, it is the admissions office that gives merit money. If your family applied for financial aid- the school believed that based on the income and assets you presented, you can afford the school and Admissions gave you a tuition discount in the form of a merit scholarship.

If you cannot make this school financially work, tell your daughter and move forward as she has a little over a week to accept a school. She needs to love the school that loves her back.

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32

Thanks everyone for your replies, they were very helpful putting into words my misgivings about this strategy.

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33

Just wanted to say to forgive yourself for your “mistakes”…they aren’t mistakes, really. Most of them are just the covid circumstances that everyone else is in, and AP/DE/AP Physics is really splitting hairs and I don’t think could mean a difference in bumping up to a higher merit award category. And, despite what it may look like on this board, many, MANY parents don’t even read their kids’ college essays let alone have any input on them. She landed where she landed, with choices that seem to fit her…now it’s just decision time and financial decision time. Good luck!

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OP- will it help to get a bunch of us to weigh in on all the fabulous things about the affordable schools? If I know the colleges under consideration- I’d be happy to list the fantastic things you might not know about the colleges!

Go back to work if it makes sense for your life right now- extra dough is always helpful, and even if you are close to retirement age, every nickel in a 401K or whatever retirement vehicle you have pays off. And if there is a mismatch in your age vs your husband- having one of you getting employer-subsidized health insurance once the older partner turns 65 can be a huge financial benefit. It is just so costly to get the dependents set up with a plan- even if it’s only for a year or two- when the main wage-earner hits 65. Your senior in HS D is going to be on YOUR plan for many years- let it be a less-expensive plan paid for by your employer!!!

I agree with everyone else- re-applying makes zero sense. I think the likelihood of a meaningful increase in merit as close to zero. Higher score, better recommendation- nice to have, but not likely to pay off. And more volunteer hours? Yikes.

I think it’s time for your D to find some things to love about her affordable options…

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Many of the things you are considering might make a stronger application for admissions – but she’s already admitted! Her application was strong enough for admissions.

We don’t know what the considerations were for merit, and you really need to know that before making this decision. Was number of volunteer hours a consideration? Was a test score?

I’d ask the school if she can reapply for merit next year if she accepts the spot this year and defers. They might allow that since it would be a different pool they are awarding merit to next year.

36

Or they’ll tell you no. It’s their prerogative to decide how to distribute their own money…