<p>My S applied to a college and was given one of the lesser merit scholarships. Five days after his application was reveiwed his new SAT scores arrived at the college qualifying him for a more substantial merit scholarship. When he called he was told his new SAT scores (60 point increase) would not be considered as his application had already been reveiwed and a merit scholarship already given. When he asked if he could pay the application fee again so that his new scores might be considered for the more lucrative scholarship he was told no. When asked if he could reapply he was told no .. "A student can apply only once per semester". Application period runs to April with this scholarship still being actively given to kids with lesser scores (SAT Threshold 1700 M, CR and essay) who applied later in the process. My S's score 1760. At info session he was told to apply early. He did. He was told to up his scores for the better scholarship. He did. Now it seems, due to an unpublished Admission policy ... not even known to the coach who recruited him ... he is locked into an award paying thousands less. Other colleges who got his new scores offered unsolicited increases in merit aid, post acceptance, without us even contacting them. Unfortunately this is his #1 choice. Any thoughts ... I'm so frustrated I've lost my perspective.</p>
<p>The school has a very stupid policy. Seriously.</p>
<p>Was this your son’s top choice?</p>
<p>What school is this? </p>
<p>Who did you talk to? Who is in charge of Enrollment Management at this school? That is the person to talk to. This will likely be the Director of Admissions. </p>
<p>The point to make is that the school is going to be USING YOUR CHILD’S HIGHER SCORE if he enrolls to make themselves look better, yet not give him the merit. That isn’t fair.</p>
<p>Does this school seriously think a person is going to enroll under these conditions? lol</p>
<p>I have been surprised more than once at the lack of experience, errors, oversights and just general lack of knowledge of some college admissions and financial aid staff that we have reached by phone. Consider that they are handling A LOT of calls to these offices this time of year, and the phones are sometimes staffed by part-time help and those with less experience. Even an “admissions counselor” with many years of experience failed to respond for weeks to correct an error and we got different answers each time we called. Don’t necessarily accept that first answer; especially if the person you spoke with might not actually be in a position to make that decision for you. The answer you got doesn’t really sound sensible. Send that new info and keep asking (directing your question to someone higher in the food chain…).</p>
<p>Agree, send an e-mail to the financial aid director and get the response in writing especially if these are auto-scholarships posted publicly on the website - e.g. you know for certain that he now qualifies for a higher level of tuition discount. Include the link to the page with the dollar amounts for the scores/GPA. If it’s the same response that you reported above, send it to your son’s admissions rep or the head of admissions.</p>
<p>I just spoke to the Directer of Admissions. The school is unwilling to grant my S the higher merit scholarship at this time but if he commits to the school he will get the higher scholarship … but only if and when he commits with a deposit. I wonder how this works ref finaid vs merit aid. Will we be unable to leverage better offers because Admissions will advise Finaid of our commitment. Essentially they seem to have put us in a box wherein the only money we would expect would be the merit aid. Otherwise we might have gotten merit aid as well as grants. I know the Finaid dept ups packages based on offers from other colleges as my niece attends and they did that for her. Obviously grateful they are willing to work with us but my perception is we’ve been hamstrung somehow… Am I wrong?</p>
<p>I don’t understand why the school won’t accept updates. I have two daughters, and both have merit aid and scholarship offers from their schools. Both came with the understanding that they were initial offers; if their grades fell they could lose some or all of the money, but if they got higher grades or scores they could be considered for more. There is a cut off for the scores (I think the Feb testing) but not for the grades. If a 3.5 student suddenly becomes a 3.6 student, more $$, but if a 3.5 takes a bad turn to 3.3, less or no money.</p>
<p>Although this is a #1 choice for OP’s child, I’d have to consider the run-around you’re getting now when they are still courting you and what it might be like when you are mid-sophomore year and they ‘have’ you. I see nothing but arguments for the next 4 years.</p>
<p>Nightengale, I think they are trying to prevent you from leveraging their higher offer with OTHER schools, not trying to prevent you from getting the best deal from their own college. Hence- once you put down a deposit, (precluding you from continuing a negotiation elsewhere) they will make good on the better scholarship.</p>
<p>Did you talk to admissions or financial aid? Did you talk to a secretary, officer or work study student. Never, ever trust the first answer you get unless you are sure you are talking to an actual decision maker. Even then, ask to speak with that persons supervisor.</p>
<p>You should call the financial aid office and ask to speak to a fin aid officer there. Make sure you get a name and if you do get a satisfactory answer make sure you get it in writing. </p>
<p>Also, when you call you should phrase your question as a statement. eg. “My new SAT scores are in and I qualify for a higher automatic scholarship, what do I need to do to get the paperwork squared away?”</p>
<p>Sent you a PM naming names. The situation is strange and thus recognizable to the college involved. What little they are willing to do might be withdrawn if they recognize the post. Willing to PM anybody the name of the place.</p>
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<p>Absolutely not. I would politely but firmly respond to the director of admissions that you are fully cognizant of the institution’s need for enrollment management but are unable to make large family investment decision on that basis and will need their commitment to keep better price discount available while you consider your other options. Less politely, you might tell him or her that if you had wanted to be subject to the “it’s only good today” tactics of a mattress salesman, you’d’ve gone out to replace the queen-size in the guest bedroom. </p>
<p>Your son is a good catch for this school compared to its standard applicant pool. Perhaps they are willing to take a 1500 SAT in his place in order not to back off their stance on pricing, but, if they are trying to improve the overall profile of the school, that seems awfully short-sighted.</p>
<p>Blossom - I think you’re spot on. Is there any way I could deal with finaid first then take that already leveraged (vs othe colleges) to admissions and ask them to make good on their offer to up the merit aid… once I have what finaid is willing to offer in hand? Sort of a divide and conquer strategy?</p>
<p>I’ve been dealing directly with the Director of Admissions through this whole mess.</p>
<p>I did call the finaid office. They refused to discuss merit scholarships and referred me back to admissions.</p>
<p>You have the facts in hand. When your son gets all of his offers on the table in April and it comes time to cut to the chase, you may have more leverage if YOUR SON says the check would be in the mail if the numbers go up in terms of the merit award, and cites competing amounts. Right now, that deal is as Admissions has stated it. I think it’s unfair and foolish, but that’s the way they want to play for now. Things might change later. We’ve struck 11th hour deals with Admissions. Right now things are in a flux for you and the school, and they may want to wait until all the cards on the table for everyone. </p>
<p>The way it nearly always works, I can tell you, however, is that any merit awards a college gives a student who is also applying for financial aid, is that the merit generally comes right off the NEED figure, and then the awards are given based on the new need number. It’s not fair, IMO, since OUTSIDE scholarships tend to be subtracted from the loans, workstudy awards first, cutting into the grants only if they excede those awards, but that’s the way many schools operate, just to let you know. Not all, but many. </p>
<p>I was surprised that the Marquis Award at Lafayette U even works that way, so that a student getting that award, will likely still get the package with self help rather than having that prestigious scholarship eliminating the workstudy and loans, but that is indeed the case.</p>
<p>Though I think Blossom is right in what she is saying, the enrollment deposit does not preclude continuing to negotiate with other schools. You just lose the enrollment deposit if you choose to go elsewhere. I’ve seen a number of “blackmail” tactics for merit money, unfortunately. </p>
<p>Admissions generally are in charge of merit awards and financial aid deals with need based awards and they ususally have nothing to do with each other than the exchange of needed info. They are often located in totally different buildings, and some do not have good relationships with each other.</p>
<p>I wonder how this works ref finaid vs merit aid. Will we be unable to leverage better offers because Admissions will advise Finaid of our commitment.</p>
<p>what is the COA at this school? (is it an OOS public or instate?)</p>
<p>What is your EFC?</p>
<p>Once you subtract the higher merit award from the COA, is the remaining amount larger than your EFC? If so, by how much?</p>
<p>I agree that they don’t want to go thru the hoops to give you the money and then see you go elsewhere.</p>
<p>Wow! This is an eye opener. ( Our DS was told that if he designates a certain school as his number 1 choice on the NMF form, he will get a higher merit award. Two different schools have told him this.) Best of luck.</p>
<p>Glido, do look at other posts regarding this first choice thing. You can change your mind on first choice. </p>
<p>Uusally fin aid and admissions does not collaborate on these awards, though there are even schools where they are one and the same or there is an employee who swings on both. What happens usually is that the merit awards are given and the awards are, yes, given to financial aid, who then comes up with the packages integrating those awards so that the merit money comes off the top of the need. Not fair, as I stated before, but that’s the way most schools do this.</p>
<p>I don’t know the school- so depending on who it is, you might be able to disregard my answer. But recognize that the school does not give merit aid because they they’re sitting on a pot of money and need to give it away every year to anyone who they deem “meritorious”. They give merit aid to induce students who might otherwise opt to go elsewhere to go to their school. And they are likely using need based aid to specifically target kids whose needs are somewhat modest-- i.e. a million bucks in aid goes a lot further when you are doling out 5K here and 10K there vs. giving 50K grants to kids with deep need.</p>
<p>Why is this important to consider? You either have more leverage than you think or less, depending on how much “need” you have (not whether or not you can “afford” your EFC, but your need between the EFC and the Cost of Attendance), and depending how high your son’s stats are.</p>
<p>You may not be able to discuss the full package until you see the numbers from financial aid-you don’t want to be negotiating against yourself if you don’t have the offer in front of you.</p>
<p>I agree with cpt in that you can still consider other offers if put your deposit down. If it is a couple of hundred dollar deposit that is required, I would be tempted to do this only because you say it is your son’s first choice. Which brings me to the next thing I would consider. How badly does he want to go there? Is this a first choice among all others by a long shot, or is it a first choice with another school being a close second that he really likes and could see himself at? These are not questions that you have to answer in a public forum; I’m simply thinking out loud regarding factors that I would consider.</p>
<p>I don’t know whether it is protocol or not, but I don’t like the tactic and would think (or hope) that other schools would be more forthcoming, provide you something in writing, etc., rather than what feels to me like game playing. I understand why they want to do this, but is still would leave a bad taste in my mouth. I would also love to know what school this is.</p>