<p>This might be a stupid question, so sorry about that.
What I'm wondering is this - am I less likely to get scholarships if I accept the offer of admission right now? I don't know if this is a non-issue, but technically, if you say yes, then you are stuck with that choice, so can't the college take advantage of that and give you less money? Scholarship info will be come by March so I should I wait until then? Or does this have no effect?
Thanks in advance to anyone who can clarify!</p>
<p>What’s makes the rush to accept now? Makes more sense to wait and compare offers from different schools.</p>
<p>Why would you accept the offer now? Was this an ED application that requires you to respond? If not, what’s the hurry?</p>
<p>Even if this was an ED acceptance, you aren’t obligated to accept UNTIL they’ve provided your FA pkg. </p>
<p>Why would you accept now?</p>
<p>Not a good idea if you are hoping for aid. Not that they will change your package, but it might not be enough.</p>
<p>I think there are some schools that are sending follow-up emails after admission that put some pressure on the students to commit now. Maybe that’s what the OP is asking about.</p>
<p>OP, you don’t have to commit until May 1 I believe. I’d just hold on until you are ready.</p>
<p>Remember folks, not everyone has been through this before.</p>
<p>It makes no sense to accept an admissions offer before getting financial aid. Whether any given school will lose incentive to give you merit money or a better package is up in the air. Who knows? I would not absolutely say no school would do so. Usually merit money reduces financial aid, be aware. In fact, you cannot get federal aid until you have paid your EFC, and you can’t use merit money towards that. How schools deal with their own money is up to each individual school.</p>
<p>However, you have little leverage, no comparisons if you don’t have other aid packages. Also, you may not be able to afford a school and have to withdraw an acceptance if that is the case. Wait until you have as much info as you can. If it’s an ED acceptance here, make sure that you and admissions understand that you do not have to withdraw your other applications, until a financial aid package as been offered and you and your parents deem it a doable thing. Once you accept an ED offer you are supposed to withdraw your other applications, and some schools share accept lists of ED accepted students, flushing your apps at such school even if you do not act. </p>
<p>It was just regular decision, but I think I am just getting overly anxious. I hate that this whole college business has been up in there for the past 3 months and would really like some peace of mind. I guess I will have to wait it out instead of making a rash decision that I might regret in the long run
thanks everyone </p>
<p>Why are you anxious if you have an offer in hand?</p>
<p>She doesn’t have the financial aid offer.</p>
<p>I would wait. If you have other pending applications, you may actually change your mind. It’s a long time between now and May 1.</p>
<p>But accepting now wouldn’t ease that particular anxiety since she still wouldn’t have a fin aid offer if she did.</p>
<p>Some schools put pressure on related to housing. OP, is this your need based aid package, or is this possible merit aid you are waiting for? Is the school affordable for you if you don’t get a scholarship? Is it your top choice school? My general advice is to wait until all your acceptances are in, compare costs, AND go back for accepted student visits if possible before deciding.</p>
<p>I also understand from some school websites that have limited housing that your name goes onto the housing list once you accept. If I knew the school I was applying to was one of these schools and I might miss out on housing at all, I’d think about it, especially if it was my first choice and I had a good grasp on the EFC.</p>
<p>There are some schools where you can actually pay a housing deposit only…which is refundable by a certain date. My kid did that at one school to guarantee on campus housing. She did not attend that school, and we got a full refund.</p>
<p>We did NOT send an enrollment deposit…just a housing deposit.</p>
<p>
Is it a bad idea to agree to buy a house without knowing how much it costs? </p>