<p>Hello everyone... Just want to get your expert opinion on this difficult situation where I'm sure most of you are also facing</p>
<p>My son is accepted at the Hill and Loomis. But he is WL at SPS and Hotchkiss. </p>
<p>My son really wants to attend SPS or Hotchkiss. In fact his number 1 choice is Hotchkiss</p>
<p>1). What do you think is the likelihood that anyone is being accepted from WL at SPS and Hotchkiss? </p>
<p>2). Getting back to reality where getting off the WL is probably very very low, what's your recommendation on the Hill vs Loomis? </p>
<p>Your feedback would be so very helpful. Thank you!</p>
<p>I can’t answer for Loomis, but my oldest son goes to The Hill, and he has really thrived there. There are many wonderful teachers, and a lot of really nice, well-adjusted kids. Many of his friends have younger siblings who plan to attend next year. While Hill may not have the name recognition of some other schools, you can get to any college from there, including all of the Ivys, if you work hard and excel. Please feel free to PM with any specific questions.</p>
<p>I would suggest going to the revisit days for both he was accepted to. If he wants he can stay on the wait list at the schools that waitlisted him. Just be prepared, if he comes off the waitlist you will lose your deposit. We know a student who came off the waitlist at SPS in August, they had 24 hours to decide. In that case you would lose 40% (if you got the insurance or 100% if you didn’t) of the tuition paid at the school you were enrolled with. To some family’s it might be worth it. However, coming off the waitlist is rare and I think impossible if you need FA.</p>
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<p>Well, not impossible . . . but close enough that there’s no practical difference.</p>
<p>Whether you’re full pay or receiving FA, unless you’re fully prepared to forfeit whatever payment you’ve committed to make at either The Hill or Loomis, and your family is comfortable with an 11th hour change of schools, I’d recommend withdrawing from the waitlist. You could get notification within the next month of a space coming available . . . or you could, as mauiluver suggested, not hear anything until August. I’m a firm believer in “loving the school that loves you,” but if there’s a compelling reason to attend SPS or Hotchkiss (an activity that isn’t available at either The Hill or Loomis, for example), then you might feel differently.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for your feedback. Just one question - since only the deposit is made (instead of full tuition amount) by the deadline, assuming WL decision is made prior to full tuition payment date, the deposit amount will be the only risk? Perhaps that’s worth it to wait out a bit on WL?</p>
<p>My recollection is that you submit the deposit along with an enrollment contract. Read the contract! Regardless of the amount of the deposit, if you are signing a contract that commits you to making additional payments, than you will be obligated to make those payments. Please read the contract!</p>
<p>By the way, and I know you didn’t ask this, but I don’t think you’re doing your son any favors by holding out for an offer from one of the WL schools. Attend the revisit days for the schools he’s been admitted to and commit to one of them . . . not just financially, but also emotionally. Give yourselves a chance to fall in love with one of the schools that loves your son!</p>
<p>This is what relatives did with their child three years ago: First choice was WL. They had two acceptances, so they stayed on the WL and attended revisit days at the two schools. They had until April 10th, so after revisit days they chose one of the two schools and put the deposit check and signed contracts in an overnight envelope and placed it on a table by the door. They told their child if it got to be too stressful, he could tell them to mail the package at any time. It was his call. He was in control. When the WL didn’t turn into an acceptance, they sent the package with a day or two to spare before the April 10th admissions deadline. I think they actually called the AO to say it was on the way. They said they had never felt more relieved in their lives.</p>
<p>It’s stressful, but it can be done and it does buy time… for hoping, thinking and ultimately accepting another school that wasn’t first choice. Sometimes I think it’s important to allow a child enough time to see if a call comes and time to let go and embrace another school. I think doing it this way gives the student closure and the feeling they saw something all the way through, or as far as they could. Did I mention it was stressful? I’m in the love the school that loves you camp, but I understand how emotional this is, too.</p>