<p>TLS, I think HS09 means the latter. Why spend the money/time to go to a school that you may not even be able to afford? Unless you’re very close by… for most I would imagine it’d be a hassle. Especially if it’s not driving distance! Plane tickets are expensive.</p>
<p>College visits in April are going to be reserved for feasible choices, because we will not waste time and money to have s really want a place that we won’t be able to afford. Much as my s likes Georgetown, it hasn’t made it onto the “feasible” list (yet?). </p>
<p>The only variable in the equation for the April visits will be what he thinks of the places. We already plan to go to two great schools that we know we can afford for their admitted students programs. And we’ve already knocked one private off the list. </p>
<p>The majority of the schools he has yet to hear from about admissions and financial aid packages.</p>
<p>We’ve only knocked off a couple of safety schools. G’town has an accepted students weekend this coming weekend - that must be primarily for EA students since it sure doesn’t leave planning time for flights, etc. for the RD kids unless they are sending decisions immediately. It is still very short notice. If D gets in visiting is going to be tough.</p>
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<p>Same here. But too, I don’t think accepted student weekends are the real flavor of the school. Unless you are really sure about attending the school and in case it might be nice to meet some other kids you’ll facebook with the rest of the summer :), I would prefer a school not pull out all the stops over decision time. Our issue is lacrosse season with multiple games a week making visits really hard. Fortunately, he’s seen quite a few, but we definitely decided to wait to see where he got in before we started flying him all over the country. However, the sooner the decisions come the sooner we can start planning!!</p>
<p>khsstitche, the student weekend coming up is for EA students. The EA students have known of their acceptances to Georgetown for over three months now. If they don’t need finaid, great. If they do? Well, they are still waiting.</p>
<p>Modadunn and HS we are on the same page. I think Accepted Student days are a bit jazzed up for show and not the same as a regular “drop by and visit” day…and good thing she didn’t go EA b/c this weekend wouldn’t have worked regardless of knowing 3 months ago. Plus we’d have to know Fin aid first. The G’town package will have to be exceptional in order for us to make the trip and incur the expense…plus trying to fit it in in April.</p>
<p>Accepted Student Days are dog and pony shows. It’s all about yield, which is getting as many of the accepted students as possible to actually enroll. And this year, with the largest college application class ever as well as the uncertain economy, colleges will be even more nervous, particularly private ones.</p>
<p>*Accepted Student Days are dog and pony shows. It’s all about yield, which is getting as many of the accepted students as possible to actually enroll. And this year, with the largest college application class ever as well as the uncertain economy, colleges will be even more nervous, particularly private ones. *</p>
<p>It is certainly true taht Accepted Student Days are a major part of schools yield efforts, and universities naturally try to put their best face forward. However, I don’t think this makes such events any less useful. It is impossible to get a truly representative experience of life at a particular school over just a few days, so it seems like the most efficient use of limited time would be for colleges to pack in as much informational programming as possible into that day or weekend.</p>
<p>Speaking personally, I think the GAAP weekends do quite a good job of providing prospective students with valuable information from current students, professors, deans, financial aid counselors, etc. The other activities, like the dorm tour, offer a pretty good glimpse into student life as well, even if it can’t be a perfect representation of a “typical weekend” at Georgetown.</p>
<p>In any case, while yield is a high priority for many schools, it is still the case that top universities like Georgetown have far more qualified applicants than they do spots in their freshman class. If someone attends a GAAP Weekend and discovers that, for whatever reason, they do NOT want to go to school there, then the weekend has accomplished its purpose as well. From the school’s point of view, it would rather have people who want to be there, and there is no shortage of applicants on the waitlist who are every bit as academically qualified as those who were accepted initially and who would be happy to enroll, if taken off the list. Better to have a slightly lower initial yield rate and fill out the class with eager waitlistees than to ‘entice’ accepted students into enrolling and then have them be unhappy when they start school. It makes no sense for the college to have the accepted student programs be misleading or purely propagandistic.</p>
<p>I thought one of the main points about ED was to not apply to a school early if you weren’t sure you could afford to attend without a good financial aid package? Otherwise how could you, in good conscience, “promise” to attend? And then complain that they expect you to attend a new-admit weekend without getting your fin aid info first?</p>
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EA is not ED. My S didn’t “promise” to attend Georgetown if accepted. He applied EA. You are mixing up ED (Early Decision) with EA (Early Action).</p>
<p>You sound a tad over involved in “your s’s” life, wouldn’t you say?</p>
<p>Why don’t you just tell “s” that he/she cannot go to GU? Won’t that make your life much easier? </p>
<p>A little gratitude for acceptance at an amazing school would not come amiss…just saying.</p>
<p>sunny … that was pretty rude… this is one of the biggest investments a parent makes and parents would be unwise to not be very involved in the process, especially the financial portion of the process</p>
<p>Depends on parenting styles I guess. Kinda funny though that my mom pushes me to go to college anywhere and I’m the one being fiscally responsible and trying to keep debt to a minimum.</p>