<p>thumper, I know it looks like I’m trying to game the system, but really submitting my w2 forms late was an accident. I met the deadline for my CSS profile and my 2013 tax returns, but I didn’t submit the w2 forms. I received notification from Cornell that my FA app was incomplete a week ago and I realized I hadn’t submitted the W2 forms. </p>
<p>Also, realize that my entire plan hinges on Congress’s decision. </p>
<p>Yeah I realize that, but it’s too late now isn’t it? All I can do now is deal with the situation. </p>
<p>No. Your entire plan hinges on being able to withdraw from an ED commitment…if your EA school comes through with better money. Stop blaming congress for a decision YOU made to apply ED. You did not have to do that.</p>
<p>If you have financial issues, applying anywhere ED is not suggested. </p>
<p>And with a family owned business, you may find your need based aid to be much lower than expected at ALL schools.</p>
<p>Maybe I exaggerated my family’s financial situation. We make around 90,000 a year. Cornell will surely be able to meet our indicated need. My plan hinges on the Congress situation because then, the aid we receive won’t be enough. </p>
<p>And yes, I realize this whole situation is my fault. I’m not blaming anyone else. </p>
<p>Is $90,000 a year their gross income from the business…or their net income?</p>
<p>If it’s their gross income, it is very likely that your family contribution will be in the $25,000 to $30,000 a year range. Can they afford to pay that amount? Need based aid is never awarded to cover the family contribution.</p>
<p>gross income. </p>
<p>Well then…can they pay about $25,000 a year for you to attend any college? That is likely going to be your family contribution at Cornell…and Chicago too.</p>
<p>my contribution at chicago is 14k. I received their decision already. Whether we can afford it depends on Congress.</p>
<p>Edit: Chicago is extremely generous. </p>
<p>Chicago is extremely generous. But if your circumstances change in a positive way, you do realize they can adjust your aid, right? </p>
<p>Yes, but just from reading about the No Barriers initiative, I feel like Chicago is more than OK with providing more than enough aid. </p>
<p>I’m pretty sure, between Cornell and Chicago, we’ll end up saving a ton at Chicago. But if Congress turns out OK, and Cornell meets our indicated need, would the difference between Cornell and Chicago be a good reason to withdraw? </p>
<p>Look…just wrote Cornell and decline their ED admission offer. But do keep in mind that the repercussions will likely NOT be on you. They will come in the future to other students who apply ED from your HS. Your guidance counselor signed that ED agreement…and basically said you would attend if accepted. Future applicants from your HS might not get the best consideration for ED. </p>
<p>It’s not what ED is all about. But since you don’t olan to attend Cornell, open the door for someone who DOES plan to attend.</p>
<p>But whatever.</p>
<p>Just decline the offer. And move on. </p>
<p>Just curious…how was Chicago able to provide you with your financial,aid award. Did you get that application done on time?</p>
<p>Good grief!!! I agree with @thumper , you have really done a disservice to future applicants to Cornell from your HS. Normally I would give a HS student a bit of a break, thinking they didn’t know they had done the wrong thing…but it is clear from your posts that you knew what you were doing. Way to game the system.</p>
<p>How can I decline their offer when I haven’t received their FA decision?</p>
<p>Maybe I’ve missed it in the past 53 posts, but why did you apply binding ED to Cornell if Chicago was your dream school?</p>
<p>The answer really is, i don’t know. It was a mistake, and this thread was created to deal with that mistake. </p>
<p>OK, based on that answer, I don’t know who gets the biggest face palm: you or that guy in another thread who mistakenly paid an enrollment deposit thinking that it was an application fee (after he had already been admitted and was, therefore, presented with the opportunity to pay an enrollment deposit).</p>
<p>Yeah, there seem to be some issues with critical thinking as of late…</p>
<p>There is another thread that is discussing this issue in a more general way: “No Real Penalty for Applying to Multiple Schools Early Decision or SCEA?” started by @GMTplus7 </p>
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<p>You don’t have to wait for the Financial Aid offer, right? You’ve already made up your mind that you don’t want to go to Cornell and it sounds like no matter what their financial aid offer is you won’t want it. It makes sense to decline their offer of admission as soon as possible so that you can get your money back and head off to University of Chicago. If Cornell has a wait list, it might mean that your decision here is giving some poor kid on the wait list a Christmas present. </p>
<p>All of this stuff about Congress sounds like a pretext that you’re coming up with, but you shouldn’t spend so much time worrying about it. What’s done is done, and if Cornell can’t persuade you to go with them you should let them know now rather than string them along and pretending as if the financial aid package matters to you.</p>