<p>@awbacon, that’s just terrible! We always hear that if you apply before the deadline, everything will be OK and you’ve done your part. In the case of my D1 and D2 this year, there were several ridiculous set backs that were totally outside their control. The GC sent their recs and transcripts, but they took 2 - 3 weeks to arrive and be “processed” by some of the schools. The schools get more mail than Santa and it just takes time. Then, one adcom told me that they don’t consider your file “readable” until ALL the various parts have arrived. They won’t even look at it! So knowing that, why do they reject people, or send frightening messages about “incomplete files” when they have huge piles of mail lying around?</p>
<p>We sent ACT scores and they sent them all snail mail and in one case, sent them to the wrong address. We found out 2 MONTHS later, when the school called us asking where they were. Ooops. ACT sent them again but in the meantime we faxed over a score report that had been signed by the GC. </p>
<p>The schools should at least keep the students aware of the pieces they have, and the ones they’re still waiting for.</p>
<p>Nothing, dad. I am just this bitter parent with struggling art kid I don’t know what to do with.
Now that your " Best" is back, I bet redbug would forgive me.</p>
<p>maybe I don’t explain enough, I am learning how to write better here.
like, your kid won first prize and go to some kid who put up good fight but lost and you telling the kid
" well, I really like what you did, you were great! and your trophy has big star on it, I really like that star, now enjoy it"
then you walk off with the first prize trophy with winning kid in tow.
This is something I had in my head but of course everyone is different and most people are so much nice here, they don’t even think up something like that.
I am sorry if it ruined your day, just ignore me like some posters have done and doing at CC. I am here for just my own selfish merit.</p>
<p>10 schools, all private art. 4 acceptances SAIC, PrattMWP, Otis, PNCA) and 6 that we’re waiting on. None of them have the full aid packages yet, just merit information.</p>
<p>@awbacon I’m following your story and really feel for you The apps process is excruciating enough, who needs the grief brought on by clerical and electronic glitches? This happened to D1 last year at her top choice LAC. Another story for another day. </p>
<p>D2 had an original list of 6 art schools. GC figured D2 was a shoo-in at least her top two favorites. So GC suggested she pick amongst the Most-Likely/Match schools and rock those applications (MICA, SCAD, SAIC, MassArts, SMFA-Boston). D2 dropped the reach school altogether. I think it was more of a “low-reach” but D2 said she wouldn’t have picked it even if she did get in. </p>
<p>As of today D2 has an acceptance at her first choice, and an acceptance at a “safety”; with some merit from both. By last week she was just so exhausted from sleepless nights working on AP art projects/readings, drama, and a part-time job that she just couldn’t do yet ANOTHER scholarship essay…so that ship has sailed.</p>
<p>I do wish I’d insisted on her pursuing more apps just so D2 would have more choices, but really, there was only one choice for her. Probably not the best strategy, in hindsight. But whose hindsight, the parent’s or the kid’s? ;-)</p>
<p>Yes, I would have like D to complete the other 5 apps on our original list. But when she got accepted to her 3rd choice school with merit, she didn’t see the point - plus doing the other 5 essays was like pulling teeth, she had so much else to do, I couldn’t see the point in stressing out both of us any more than we were… After the merit aid deadlines were in (that’s all we qualify for), she had her portfolio accepted at 2 more schools, but didn’t really consider either of those. Would have liked to be able to travel around to see the schools tho, especially Cornish in Seattle. I’ve heard that’s a great town. We are still waiting on hearing from 1 school, that is known for good merit, so we’ll see. The tide could turn yet…</p>
<p>Yes I think many of us who only qualify for merit, not need are wating for that one school that is known for merit. We keep hearing good things from kids who have gone there, but then I found some depressing thread from here about the odd surprises that occur. They dont post until late in the game April 12 or so. The waiting is kind of hard. </p>
<p>My S applied to 5 schools, probably would have only applied to 3, but I convinced him that the hard part was done and discussed the economy with him.</p>
<p>Pins and needles…all schools give admissions by April 1 (if you apply on time) and therefore expecting to hear about admissions in the next two weeks but merit and financial aid trickles in sometime between April 1 and Aprlil 15 or more so this is really torture for everyone. If everyone can agree that decisions have to be made by May 1 why not make schools (even art schools) agree to give final financial and merit aid by April 1 to give kids time to visit, go over the numbers and make an informed, not rushed, final choice? How can it be that we may have to make a decision in just a couple of weeks after going on a rollercoaster of emotion–in, no aid, in but some aid, in lots of aid but not top choice, this is not fun.</p>
<p>fineartsmom: Parsons told daughter to expect their decision by April 15, even though she applied on time. School mailed her transcripts twice way before deadline, but Parsons didn’t credit them until after the deadline and only after we told them we would mail/fax AGAIN, but wondered where they other copies had ended up. </p>
<p>I agree about the financial aid. Worse yet, daughter wants to visit any east coast school before deciding, but of course, we’re not going to know if there are any with an aid package that works for her until sometime in April. Hard to plan, and probably will be difficult for me to afford, but I agree I don’t want her to accept a school she has never seen in person.</p>
<p>ok fam - I found the financial info that depressed me. it was your post #30 from the “squee” thread. Im not cc savy enough to link to it hear, but generally you were discussing certain school strategy in parcelling out merit aid. I cam to the conclusion from this, and other threads, that strong portfolios may not make the most merit in merit only situations, because those kids are likely to end up where their hearts tell them they need to be. So I guess I am really glad that S applied to other schools because it gives us a kind of barometer of his merit aid earning power. I dont think I could imagine shopping a merit letter although SVA (where he didnt apply) very specifically told us that they generally give up to 16K a year, but were willing to match other amounts, if they saw letters.</p>
<p>switters : SVA
only if you got above 3.4-5 sh GPA is the deal? you no worry! (from here bitter parent)
couple years ago, this girl with fabulous stats and steady solid portfolio was upgraded to Shilas scholarship after appealing, but in the end her parents could not afford NYC living cost and chosen MICA, her #2 school.
It was painful to watch. She would ever think her parents could swing it and not wanted to gamble RA, other job, loans etc herself.
I wish kids would stay around and tell us what happened after they are off to college. Those once avid posters tend to disappear and annoying bragging parents stay on telling years old experiences and second hand tales or keep rubbing their now away kid’s back.</p>
<p>I agree. They had early acceptance at NHIA if you had your stuff in by December, so that put us ahead of the game. MCAD was very quick (altho no merit), and we still wait…</p>
<p>I didnt parse my SVA sentence very well. They didnt personally tell only us about the matching letters of aid, they told the group we were on tour with. However it was said in passing, and no one committed to anything.</p>
<p>Switters re: post #32
This is specifically the reason I would have liked D2 to pursue those merit scholarships at the other schools. After we got the first couple merit letters I went back and re-read FAMM’s “economics of merit” post and I’ve come to the same conclusion as you. D2 took it better than I did; could be she is confident enough that her talents/academic record speak for themselves and doesn’t need $$ attached to validate her worth </p>
<p>Nonetheless she will be calling Adcom at her top choice and see if she can negotiate for just a little more, to make it a more attractive deal to her dad (who had insisted the money would be better invested in a LAC rather than art school). She will just go and be honest and hope for the best. So cross your fingers for her! </p>
<p>I wish we qualified for more than just merit aid, but it is what it is…</p>
<p>I’ve been following the discussion on merit aid and from our experience, I pretty much agree with fammom’s perception.
Is there anyone out there who can report on financial aid at the private art schools? We do not have a very high EFC. In fact it is pretty accurate in my view. I would be thrilled if our costs matched it. (I know, I’m a dreamer) CCA said in their merit offer letter that we would hear about FA by April 1st. I have the impression that RISD and Pratt do give financial aid when there is need. What about other schools. </p>
<p>drae: I know someone’s whose daughter got a full ride at one of the NYC schools – Pratt or Parsons. (It’s slipped my mind which one.) But other than that, stories of art schools meeting full need seem to be thin on the ground. Daughter has cultivated a relationship with one of her top choices over the past four years, and hopes that being clear all this time that she would need a lot of aid will help, but honestly, we have no idea. I am very anxious about it all the time.</p>
<p>PS: And to tie it back to the OP’s question, financial aid is why daughter applied to so many schools; our hope is that <em>one</em> of them will meet need.</p>
<p>FAFSA has already said we won’t qualify for anything but work study and we’ll l probably get maybe a small parent loan and a student loan, as we don’t want D to think we’re just a bottomless checkbook (which she really doesn’t), but to have a stake in this too.</p>
The apps process is excruciating enough, who needs the grief brought on by clerical and electronic glitches? This happened to D1 last year at her top choice LAC. Another story for another day. </p>
</p>