Hey everyone,
We are in a bit of a predicament and wondering if anyone knows the proper answer. My Son did really well both in HS and on his placement tests and was offered a full ride at a State School. However, his #1 choice is a private school that will not tell us if he has been accepted or if funding is available until after May 1st. Not sure why, but that is what we were told. Should we accept the State scholarship first and if we do, can we change our minds after May 1st legally/ethically?
Thanks,
Yes. Don’t lose the option.
Doesn’t sound like a very reputable private school, unless he has applied and been given a spot on the waitlist at the private school. I would deposit at the state school.
ASAP grab the spot at the state school.
You have not been accepted into the mystical private college
Even if you are, you do not know if you will be able to afford the mystical private college
As of today, for all intents and purposes, you are going to the state university and intend to accept their generous and wonderful offer of a full ride. You are not being dishonest, you are planning.Congratulations. Grab the full ride. IF another offer comes, then consider it.
What school is the private school? Is he waitlisted at the private school?
No reputable school does acceptance and FA notification after May 1, unless it’s a waitlist type situation. If your son has been waitlisted at his 1st choice private school, he needs to plan on attending somewhere else until a possible spot off the waitlist becomes available to him. If that happens, he can legally and ethically notify State School that he will be enrolling at a different school (he may lose any enrollment/housing deposit that State School requires).
I would accept the scholarship at the state school. Is he waitlisted at the private school? If not, I don’t think I’d want to attend a school that doesn’t make decisions in a timely manner.
If your student is on a waitlist then I would guess that if he is accepted that there would be no merit aid. Also by that time, I suspect need based aid could be limited. If I was the school, I would go down the list until I found someone willing to pay full price. Maybe others can share their experience.
Regardless, accept the full ride and see what happens at the private school.
sounds like he’s waitlisted
Assume waitlist means rejection. Commit to the full ride school and be happy to go to college at no cost.
I have to agree with the above posters. Take the full ride now-- the sooner the better, if housing is on a first come, first served basis. This is the bird in the hand.
IF your son is accepted off the waitlist of the private school, and IF he receives enough financial aid, he can change his mind, cancel with the state school (losing his deposit, however), and go to the private school. It’s not unethical.
The potential loss of a deposit at the state school is small compared to the huge loss he would face if he were to turn down the full ride only to also not be admitted to the private school-- or be admitted with insufficient aid. Relatively few students are accepted off wait lists.