<p>I will definitely give the calculator a shot! And it’s not that I CANNOT afford it because my parents (basically, my mom) CAN. It’s more about whether she’ll be tight in terms of money because of college expenses. She has A LOT of other expenses (big ones) so being tight is not an option.</p>
<p>You are getting advice from people who have no direct knowledge of Penn’s ED policies. I would call the school.
If ED is not binding then everyone can decline base on affordability issues. It’s not intended to be so.</p>
<p>Here is the Common Application (Penn requires it) rule governing ED FA:
<a href=“https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/docs/downloadforms/ED_Agreement.pdf[/url]”>https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/docs/downloadforms/ED_Agreement.pdf</a></p>
<p>You should consider other schools. If you have the stats for Huntsman, you have the stats for HYPS. All four of these schools offer single-choice early action programs, meaning they are non-binding (but I’m sure you knew this). To be quite honest, one could get a comparable, or even arguably better education, at HYPS in the same fields that Wharton kids get educated in. While these schools, more entrenched in the liberal arts mentality, may not have vocational-esque majors like “Marketing”, finance is especially strong at HYPS. Seeing as finance is also Wharton’s strong suit, I see no difference in academics between W and HYPS for a kid interested in going into consulting, iBanking or finance in general. </p>
<p>And to be quite frank, applying to Huntsman with your native language as your target language simply tells me that you’re applying to the program for prestige’s sake alone, not because you are genuinely interested in learning a new language and taking advantage of what the program has to offer. AdComs will see through this. If you don’t end up in the Huntsman program, would you really even consider taking Spanish as intensely as you would at Penn? Maybe you would, and if that’s so great! But more often than not, applicants in situations similar to yours are using it to their advantage and nothing more.</p>
<p>But I digress.</p>
<p>Again, consider HYPS. Their early action programs are intended to attract the nation and world’s best applicants, regardless of their socioeconomic situation. Penn’s does not, and as a result, much of your class (50% of the incoming class will be accepted ED) will come from a socioeconomic background that you may not be comfortable or accustomed to.</p>
<p>"My ethics doesn’t allow me to do that. I was a full-pay parent whose student applied ED to Penn. I picked up my student’s full tab. "</p>
<p>That is your problem. I am also paying full for my kid. Does not mean anything to anyone else who you claim is ethically challenged or whatever you want to claim about it. No one here is discussing the ethics of it, we are only discussing the rules of it. If it is binding and the student can’t get out of it, may be the school will pick up the tab if the student can’t afford it. If Penn is so cool, they ought to do it right?</p>
<p>Most colleges are looking for full pay students in ED and admit a few through the Questbridge program who are usually fully funded by the school. Where there is uncertainty about FA, they will certainly defer the students.</p>
<p>@Gratisfication
Yeah, a lot of applicants who target their native language are probably looking for an easy way out, but Huntsman is definitely not about just the language. I applied as a native speaker, not because I’m too chicken to learn a new language or obsessed with prestige, but because I’m genuinely interested in studying my region (history, politics, etc.). In addition, I’m planning to study various other regions, but I don’t think I’d benefit much from trying to learn another language in a sort time span under a lot of pressure. The time I would invest in attempting to learn another language could be used in minoring in various subjects and earning various concentrations from Wharton. After I graduate, I might spend my time learning another language without all the pressure and time constraints. I do not disagree with your whole post, but I do think you’re generalizing and assuming too much.</p>
<p>@op
Applying as a native speaker is definitely not a death sentence, as you can see from the info I showed previously. However, you should have a good reason for why you want to attend Huntsman and why you aren’t focusing on a different region (I think this is what Gratification was getting at). I spent most of my college interview explaining why I’m targeting my native language and what I’d gain from Huntsman: expect to do the same. Finally, the most important factor in getting accepted is, I believe, being an interesting applicant (this is harder than it sounds).</p>
<p>I have thought about this ethics part some more and am wondering if the whole point of ED ethics is to say only the RICH should apply for ED? </p>
<p>One can’t afford it but wants to show serious interest in an ED school and assumes that an expected package provided by school is accurate and applies. The he finds out that the expected vs actual differ considerably and wants to back out, why do ethics come into play? It is a decision between the school and student where the student says they need more money and the school refused. </p>
<p>If the student got everything promised but still wants to back out, then a good school certainly should not want the student who is showing bad judgement.</p>
<p>While a poor financial situation is a legitimate reason to back out of ED, you have to prove it to the school. If you don’t, and simply back out, that will be a violation of the agreement, and you essentially won’t be able to go to college next year. Basically, contact the school to see if you can get a better package, and if you can’t notify them about your financial situation.</p>
<p>you are best to apply reg action or non binding EA. THis way, you have all the fin aid offers from the schools. All the Ivies plus Duke and Stanford will match. So if you didnt get what you wanted from Penn, maybe Harvard gave more then you can negoiate with Penn. </p>
<p>I read on here that one student got little from Cornell and alot from Columbia. Cornell matched it and she went to her dream school</p>
<p>“you have to prove it to the school”</p>
<p>Where does UPenn document this requirement? This requirement is not part of the Common Application procedure. What happens if they do not accept your proof? Are you then expelled when the bill cannot be paid? Can you imagine the horrible publicity if a school had this policy?</p>
<p>hmm, maybe i didn’t word it in the best manner possible. Essentially what I was trying to say was that if you’re not going to go to a school after you applied ED because of financial reasons, you have to show them that you truly are in a bad financial situation, otherwise how are they going to believe you? </p>
<p>“Are you then expelled when the bill cannot be paid?”</p>
<p>I don’t know about that, but I would expect some sort of action to be taken by the university if you don’t pay for your tuition.</p>
<p>"and you essentially won’t be able to go to college next year. "</p>
<p>How does that work?</p>
<p>“Be warned, though, that such a move risks losing every other college acceptance as well. Early Decision information is shared among many schools, and it’s a rare college that wants a student so untrustworthy he will renege on a binding agreement.”</p>
<p>“Essentially what I was trying to say was that if you’re not going to go to a school after you applied ED because of financial reasons, you have to show them that you truly are in a bad financial situation, otherwise how are they going to believe you?”</p>
<p>They will believe you. Who would turn down an ED acceptance to UPenn with FA unless they really couldn’t afford it?</p>
<p>It’s binding only after you accept the ED FA offer.</p>
<p>There are definitely people who would back out of acceptance with Penn, that’s part of the reason why it’s binding. Maybe they change their minds, and only applied ED because it would be easier to get in. This is all hypothetical. Besides, what kind of a university just lets every single person leave that wants to simply because they say they have financial problems? I’m not trying to trash the OP, I’m just saying, looking at the applicant’s financial background isn’t crazy, it’s simply being competent.</p>
<p>“It’s binding only after you accept the ED FA offer.”</p>
<p>I know that, I was just mentioning all of this in the event that the OP does accept the ED financial package, and later on ends up needing to back out of the contract.</p>
<p>“There are definitely people who would back out of acceptance with Penn, that’s part of the reason why it’s binding. … Besides, what kind of a university just lets every single person leave that wants to simply because they say they have financial problems?”</p>
<p>Again, it’s not binding until the FA offer is accepted. Every school lets anyone decline the ED FA offer. The financial data has already been submitted upon which schools make their decisions. Only the family can know if an offer is enough; the formulas are general and don’t capture every family’s situation. Schools allow anyone to decline an ED FA offer so that non-wealthy will apply without feeling they could be trapped.</p>
<p>Yes, you are right. I was simply referring to the potential situation where the applicant initially agrees with the FA offer, but ends up having to back out later because the package ends up not being enough after being accepted.</p>
<p>Ah, I see. In your situation having applied for FA is irrelevant; that can happen to a full payer as well when finances deteriorate. :(</p>
<p>
I see what happened; I meant between Dec. 15 and Jan. 15 with initially insufficient FA, you meant after Jan. 15 with initially sufficient FA, or effectively without FA, with deteriorating finances. Apple and Oranges; no wonder we didn’t understand each other! :)</p>