<p>Just to run some numbers … COA 30K - High Merit Award 6K (Per year) = 24K (Remaining cost is 24K -EFC 18K = 6K) So I’m guessing 6K represents need. So of that $6000, first year Stafford will cover $5500 … so if I’ve done this right We only have $500 of actual “need” … hmmm interesting.</p>
<p>Every other school is a distant second at this point. If I do put down a deposit I’m thinking I will lose all of it if he changes his mind. So … the less the better. Interestingly enough I found out who consults with this school on enrollment management… a rather large firm. I’m sure that is who the Dean of Admissions called and was instructed to do exactly what he did. Carrot and stick approach rather than just write the award for the kid who met the threshold. Curious to know if they are currently using my S’s SAT scores without giving him the merit award those scores garner. So they bolster their applicant stats by using SAT scores they refuse to reward without a deposit. I’m think there is a legal term for that method.</p>
<p>S just got a third unsolicited raised merit package as a result of his new (post acceptance) SAT scores. Yet, the place he wants to go refuses to raise the merit award without a deposit. Ironic. Maybe I tipped my hand by calling them asking for the higher award (based on new scores) and telling him they were his #1 choice. Maybe had they not heard from us THEY would have come calling with the higher merit award in hand without demanding the deposit first. Maybe I am overthinking this also. Reminds me of buying a car … d@mn shame.</p>
<p>*Curious to know if they are currently using my S’s SAT scores without giving him the merit award those scores garner. *</p>
<p>They can’t use them if he doesn’t attend as a frosh. However, if he did attend and wasn’t given the merit, then YES, they would be using his scores. It is for THAT EXACT reason that I’ve been able to help some kids get increased merit AFTER a school’s reported deadlines. The point is…you (the school) plan on using my better scores if I enroll, so I should be given the larger merit. </p>
<p>If you had known this in advance, you could have withheld sending those scores to that school and then told them, “I will send these better scores so that you can use them IF I get a larger merit award.”</p>
<p>When is the deadline for the deposit in order to get that larger merit? If there isn’t a deadline, can he deposit in April and still be awarded? or are they demanding a deposit now? If you were to deposit, do you have anything in writing that assures that he’ll get the merit.</p>
<p>If you’re certain that he won’t change his mind (you indicate that it’s his far and away first choice), then you might as well deposit by whatever deadline they’ve given to get the merit. This school isn’t going to give you grants from FA to make up “need”. I’ve ran the NPC on that school. They don’t give OOS students institutional need-based aid. </p>
<p>how much is the deposit?</p>
<p>I’m going to take the side of the college here. My kids tested early, and were pretty much done testing by end of junior year. Both took one more shot at a subject test they weren’t happy with fall of senior year, but they were not sending off scores in December to schools they were interested in. If every kid did this, it would increase the workload of the admissions department significantly, and make it a lot harder for them to finalize how to distribute the pool of merit aid. Since you say they are giving these scholarships out to students who apply through April, where should they cut this off? Should all students be able to keep trying on the standardized tests right up until then and sending in scores to try to up their merit aid? Sounds like a big headache for the college to me, and like it would make it very difficult to manage their pool of merit aid. There is always a balancing act of when to put your “best” application in. Early applications often improve your chances, but also people don’t always have their best GPA or test scores then, so you have to decide what risk to take. Your son took a risk on when his app would be reviewed and didn’t come out on top.</p>
<p>^^
I disagree for a few reasons:</p>
<p>1) As long as a new scores meet the school’s testing deadline, then the new scores should be included for merit consideration - especially if the school has assured merit on its websites for certain stats. </p>
<p>2) Since many/most schools do give the larger merit for higher scores after acceptance (and within any deadlines), there must be some easy software or something that triggers/alerts the school or automatically sends out the new merit award announcement. I doubt that there is some labor-intensive situation involved. </p>
<p>3) This is the biggie…THE SCHOOL would be using those higher scores to make its numbers look better if this student enrolls. That’s why if my child was applying to a school with such a policy, I would tell the school that I’m refusing to send the higher score unless my child got the extra merit. I’d make it clear that they weren’t going to use my kid’s higher score w/o the award. Two can play their game. </p>
<p>The school is shooting itself in the foot. When this sort of thing gets out, then there becomes no incentive to apply early. Once this becomes public, students will delay sending in their apps til January or later. that just gums up the process since then the school is dumped with apps within a much shorter period of time…just because of their silly policy.</p>
<p>This sounds like a Rolling Admissions school…which makes life easier for Admissions. Apps come in over a large app season, which means less employees are needed to process.</p>
<p>make it a lot harder for them to finalize how to distribute the pool of merit aid.</p>
<p>that would be true for competitve merit…that doesn’t sound like the case here.</p>
<p>That said, for competitive merit, those awards shouldn’t be given out early unless the school knows for sure that they’ll have enough for later better applicants.</p>
<p>You only take a risk if you know the rules beforehand. The non-acceptance of SAT scores, (post acceptance), was never mention in the info session, the tour, the website, or the application. Not even the coach my S was dealing with knew this. The coach was in a position to warn my S … as S told him he would be retesting. Coach just thought the app. would be reviewed. If this is the policy they have a responsibility to make it known. Simply because everybody in Admissions at this particular school is aware of this does not mean the applicants, the parents, or the balance of the teaching staff are. I agree that the process would be never ending if students were allowed to submit updated info to the very point of deadline. However there only five days separated the initial review of the app. and the arrival of the new SAT scores. They have spent more time on the phone with me than they would have reviewing the app. Plus we offered to pay whatever additional fees where needed or re-apply all together. Both suggestions were rebuffed. Most folks I have spoken with consider the behavior of this particular college to exploitive and unreasonable.</p>
<p>This college said I could pay the “deposit” anytime before May 1. I will call today to find out how much cash they want to give the higher merit award. If it is nominal I will go forward. If it is the entire housing deposit and enrollment fee I will hold off. Nothing is in writing and all I have is the word of the Dean of Admissions that the higher award will be forthcoming once deposit is received. Yes Mom2 this is a rolling admissions school.</p>
<p>This college said I could pay the “deposit” anytime before May 1. I will call today to find out how much cash they want to give the higher merit award.</p>
<p>??</p>
<p>Are you saying that they’re letting you deposit ANYTIME before May 1st…and then they’ll give you the merit award? If so, then what is your concern? And why deposit early?</p>
<p>I’m confused.</p>
<p>If all they’re saying is that once you deposit by May 1st, then they’ll award the merit, then they aren’t doing anything that should upset you. All they’re saying is that they don’t want to bother readjusting merit for students who won’t later enroll. That is reasonable on their part.</p>
<p>If that’s the situation, then what they’re really saying is that they DO re-award merit and reevaluate…but only after depositing…and the deadline is May 1.</p>
<p>Or am I missing something?</p>
<p>As to the merit awards. They are listed on college website with SAT threshold clearly mentioned. We were told at info session, “If you hit that SAT score you get the associated award.” You would not be placed in a pool of applicants, some of whom would get it. You get whether you’re a chess geek, a homecoming queen, or a 21 year-old who was held back five years. There was no ambiguity in what they said.</p>
<p>I guess my concern is there is nothing in writing. All I have is a promise made by a person who may or may not be there in April. I do not understand their rigidity in not awarding the merit when the scores were achieved providing there is not so great a gap in time between the app. review and the arrival of the new scores. In this case it was a mere five days. Three other colleges raised the merit awards S had received when they got his new scores and they did this voluntarily. I am grateful they are working with me and I just hope they remember what they told me in January when April comes around.</p>
<p>Then send the lady an email and say…</p>
<p>I just want to understand your policy. If we deposit by May 1st, then my son with XXXX SAT will be awarded the higher scholarship for XX per year. Is that correct?</p>
<p>Then save her response.</p>
<p>In the OP you mentioned a coach. Is your S a recruit? If so, then a call or email to the coach may be helpful.</p>
<p>I’m not sure I understand the concern. This is your son’s first choice; based on the phone call and the numbers you’ve run, it looks like the school is affordable. So in my mind there are two possible scenarios- one is that your son gets a significantly better offer somewhere else which makes THAT school his number one, or that you are hoping that even though this school is currently affordable, you think they should offer you an even bigger “discount” due to his higher scores.</p>
<p>Well- they have offered you that- but in return, you need to send in your deposit and commit to the school.</p>
<p>Seems like zero risk to me- and the college is behaving honorably- if in fact, this is your son’s first choice school. If it’s not (i.e. more money is going to mean he’d rather go somewhere else) then it’s simple- don’t deposit yet, and wait to see the numbers.</p>
<p>I think the mom fears that if she deposits, the school won’t up the merit as they’ve said they would by phone.</p>
<p>So, the mom needs to send an email stating what the agreement is (we deposit by May 1st and then X school will increase merit to XX amount per year because of XXXX SAT score), get a response, and keep THAT.</p>
<p>I thought the mom was worried that the bigger merit award meant that they wouldn’t be able to evaluate the “need based” offer, i.e. the merit would take the place of the need.</p>
<p>OP-- can you clarify for us?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The deposit amount is probably in his acceptance letter or posted on the website. The deposit is not “for the award” the deposit is to hold his spot at the college and May 1st is the “normal” deadline. For many colleges/unis it is refundable up until a specific date. It is nothing to fear and pretty normal business if you want to deposit early since it is his number 1 choice. I agree with mom2. Get the increased tuition discount for the increased test scores in writing via e-mail (even though it is on the website) and if its the number 1 choice, put the deposit down when you are able if you want. Check to see if deposit is refundable and if so, then you should be all set should your son change his mind. If that happens request a refund since it is unethical to have two deposits at two different universities/colleges.</p>
<p>I emailed the coach and admissions officer thanking them for their efforts. The return email will serve as a memory jogger if we get lost in the shuffle later. Thank you all for your help and advise … especially Mom2 who really knows her stuff!</p>
<p>Blossom - based on the COA our EFC and a record of giving no OOS grants merit and loans were the best we could hope for.</p>
<p>Blossom…</p>
<p>This is an OOS public. It doesn’t give grants to OOS students. There would be nothing in the FA award but loans either way.</p>