<p>HOLYCOW - there is NO college coach who can ''promise'' admission - only the admisions folks can do that - even if the coach has a certain number of 'slots' - he has no say in the decision of admittance - even if he tells a kid that he is the coaches #1 recruit - tain't his choice to make. The coach can tho - give admissions a little push if the threat of loosing the applicant to another parallel or better school - to send a likely letter - but then again - it is the admissions office who ultimately makes that choice.</p>
<p>I have seen an applicant refuse the financial package offered - for good cause - a parent lost a job in the interum - and they were unable to come to an agreement on another financial offer - so this student was released and able to apply to a less expensive school (he had applied ED - and to no other schools prior to the ED decision/offer) - he was able to make an EDII deadline - was offered quite a bit more $$ and there he went - no problems at all - followed all the rules and was very successful.</p>
<p>The coach who said it was possible to break an ED offer was right - it can be done at most schools - as long as it is done right. So the coach did not lie.</p>
<p>Many of the responses on this thread are regarding ED in general rather than ED as it applies to a recruited athlete such as the OP's child. A point that is getting lost is that for many DIII recruited athletes (the NESCACs for example) there is agreement between the coach and admissions that the coach has x number of tips or slots that are only good for ED admissions. Therefore, admissions has bought into this process. Although the coach absolutely does not speak for admissions - there is consensus with admissions that tipped recruits are to apply ED -- a different situation then the typical applicant that chooses on their own to apply. A converstation with the financial aid office to review expectations before applying ED is essential. A conversation with admissions explaining that financial aid is a make or break is also critical.
If the school's policy is to only provide need based aid and the school is DIII and therefore cannot offer athletic scholarship - the financial aid office will inform OP that there will not be any aid.</p>
<p>"You are adding a condition that is not in the contract." Nothing wrong with that!</p>
<p>If you add a condition, any condition, and it is accepted by all parties concerned, the modified contract becomes "the contract." As a matter of course I modify nearly all contracts to more equitably reflect my needs and not exclusively the needs of the party who wrote the original contract.</p>
<p>It's as simple as striking clauses you disagree with and adding clauses you'd like to be included in the contract. The tricky part is to get the other party to agree with your modifications. That task falls under negotiations.</p>
<p>I'm the OP, so let me give everyone another update.</p>
<p>My S and his mother visited the school last week and met with the coach, admissions and fin aid. I can see that a lot of the info you have all provided previously can be school specific so to give a little further info, this is a NESCAC conference school that have very clear guidelines on recruiting, fin aid and offers of admissions.</p>
<p>This is what I was told, that because NESCAC schools cannot guarantee admissions, even with the "support of the coach and admissions" until the application is read and acted upon, and that no "pre-read" of fin aid is permitted, that both ED1 and ED2 admissions can be declined by the applicant within the 3 week period of a positive admissions decision based on the financial package offered by the school.</p>
<p>This was essentially the message sent by another coach in the same conference during another conversation.</p>
<p>This makes some sense. If the NESCAC schools are unwilling to give financial reads, clear offers of admission, etc., then applicants need to keep other options moving forward. In addition, this gives the schools & coaches a clear picture of who is attending the school and joining the team, giving the coaches enough time to recruit a different athlete should they decline. I'm sure the percentage of those changing their minds is small, so re-recruiting is probably minimal.</p>
<p>On the other hand, other non-NESCAC schools that give pre-reads and give a solid "admit" indication would probably not be too happy with a change in mind and I could understand how they would be more apt to pressure the student into matriculating and honoring the commitments implied in ED. There was more info known going in to the application process.</p>