<br>
<br>
<p>???</p>
<p>what the heck does THAT mean? No matter what congress does, how would THAT change your aid pkg at Cornell? And what are you expecting Congress to do anyway? </p>
<br>
<br>
<p>Even if Congress passed something in the next year, it wouldn’t affect your aid at the moment. </p>
<p>" I hope you at least come back and post what the final outcome is. "
I have a feeling that won’t happen.
But UC is a wonderful school and I sincerely hope OP winds up there.</p>
<p>I completely understand the indignation by some that OP has taken an ED spot at Cornell that someone else wanted and deserved. And I think he has not handled this well. </p>
<p>BUT, I think it is unfair to say he is trying to “weasel” out of it. Yes, he prefers Chicago, but I don’t believe he has said anywhere that he absolutely will not go to Cornell.</p>
<p>I haven’t seen Cornell’s actual ED document, but their website states: “If you’re admitted to Cornell, you are required to withdraw any applications you’ve sent to other schools and send your enrollment deposit to Cornell by early January.” I read this to say that he has until early January to withdraw his other applications. This reading would make sense, because he hasn’t received his aid offer from Cornell yet.</p>
<p>The Cornell website also says that “While early decision acceptances to Cornell are binding, students may be eligible to be released from the early decision agreement if the financial aid award does not make a Cornell education affordable for applicants and their families (must have applied for financial aid).” He has applied for aid and he is in a waiting zone.</p>
<p>OP has made it pretty clear that he is essentially hoping that the stars align so that he can attend Chicago. He has been transparent about this. I don’t see how it is “weaseling” for OP to call Cornell NOW and ask, can you release me? They can say yes or they can say no. Fine. If they say no, and the aid offer ends up being sufficient, then OP goes to Cornell. If they release him, then OP’s slot goes to the next person on the waiting list, and OP hasn’t taken a deserving person’s slot. It just seems to me to be way more efficient than waiting around for the next shoe to drop. And if this is something that is worked out now by consent of everyone concerned–rather than OP waiting, and then saying “I’m going to Chicago no matter what”–I think it is much less likely to adversely affect subsequent Cornell hopefuls from his high school.</p>
<p>
No, it isn’t here, but I’m just comparing it to the reaction to a URM poster some years back trying to do the same thing. There was some real nastiness on the thread, with some posters insisting that the girl could ethically back out of her ED acceptance, even though she said it was doable financially for her family. She wanted to game the system. She already got the ED admissions advantage plus the URM admissions advantage, and she was selfishly trying to game the system. Perhaps posters have a lower bar for URMs. Seemed that way, considering the way posters are treating this ORM.</p>
<p>“The ED admissions advantage” – It is at least as much an advantage for the institution as it is for the student, if not more so. The institution gets to lock in a significant portion of its yield. The institution gets to stretch out receipt of applications so they are not all arriving in February or March, thus overwhelming staff. And, perhaps most importantly, it allows them to plan their aid budgets more efficiently. Students, on the other hand, give up something very significant - the ability to choose between offers.</p>
<p>@CTTC I really don’t read it that way. I’ve been following this thread since it began and didn’t even know the OP was white or Asian or whatever ORM you say he is. It doesn’t matter in any case, at all.</p>
<p>@MidwestDad3, in order to not adversely affect future Cornell apps from his HS, the OP should wait for Cornell’s fin aid offer and then either go to Cornell if it’s affordable or try to beg off if it is not. Not try to get out of the ED agreement now before he has the fin aid offer, IMO.</p>
<p>I don’t know either, I don’t recall that it was ever posted.
I agree that it doesn’t matter though.
Can’t speak to something that happened four years ago, I don’t recall that at all either.</p>
<p>CTTC, a major difference is that OP announced on a mid-November thread that he didn’t want Cornell, that, “My primary reason for applying there was because of their US news rankings…because I wanted to get into an ivy and because I thought I had a high chance of being accepted early decision.” He was advised to swap to RD, but chose not to. CC does have a tradition (among many adults, at least,) of some low tolerance for this sort of M.O. or this sort of thinking (or lack,) which some do see as gaming.</p>
<p>To be fair, @lookingforward , you asked OP on Nov 22nd (on the other thread) “Do you think there is some other reason you’re having 2nd thoughts?” And on Nov 24th, OP (on the other thread) replied to another respondent: “I did visit Cornell, and I picked it over other ivies because of its stronger physical sciences programs.” So it is more than the US News rankings.</p>
<p>Certainly, everyone here is entitled to their opinion that OP is “gaming the system.”</p>
<p>But I don’t see anywhere in the rules that you can’t pick up the phone and try to talk to someone when the aid offer hasn’t been finalized yet, and he hasn’t been required to pull his other apps yet (not until early January). I, and very possibly Cornell, would much rather see that aid go to someone who wants it and actually deserves it. </p>
<p>I’m not comfortable being in the position of sticking up for @sorool , because he has made a complete mess of this and it could all have been avoided. But having said that, I think there is some piling on here that just seems unfair given the totality of the circumstances. </p>
<p>A couple of thoughts…</p>
<p>How firm is the offer from U of Chicago…which is an EA offer based on their very short form. The student still has to file the FAFSA. If the tax return from 2014 doesn’t align with the info provided EA, will that financial aid offer be adjusted?</p>
<p>Cornell uses a Profile to determine ED financial aid awards, along with 2013 tax returns and w-2 forms. Once this student receives the Cornell award, it should be fairly accurate assuming the information provided on that estimated Profile is accurate for 2014 as well. </p>
<p>Just thinking out loud.</p>
<p>@MidwestDad3, telling Cornell that he wants to get out of his ED commitment now, before the fin aid award, does not seem to do anyone any good, IMO, and could only cause harm. In the end, if he doesn’t end up going to Cornell, that fin aid and his spot would go to someone else anyway, so it wouldn’t be wasted. Telling them now (instead of waiting for the fin aid award first) seems to me to be of benefit to no one.</p>
<p>Since he hasn’t received the FA letter yet, that deadline may well be extended.</p>
<p>The problem I see with contacting Cornell and being totally truthful now, is that if it doesn’t work for him, then when he contacts them again later to decline based on changed finances and inability to pay, well, he’s shown his hand already and his story won’t seem believable. I don’t know if or how that might affect the outcome. Possibly not at all. They can’t really prevent him from declining. But it might make for an uncomfortable conversation. OTOH, if contacting Cornell now does work, it would be a big relief for him and his family. But also, what about the file Cornell keeps on high schools with badly behaved ED admits? How will they label that if he makes this contact in advance of FA, and what repercussions might that have for future applicants from his school?</p>
<p>MWD, I do think, just my opinion, that this OP has explained more when his initial comments (and some bold statements) raise questions, when there wasn’t some group buy-in. That doesn’t change what else he wrote, at various points. On the 22nd, I was questioning this notion some “global atmosphere” …precludes intellectual vibrancy at Cornell.</p>
<p>I also feel he can get out of ED, but that he needs to think this through and be clear what he wants to do. There’s been back and forth even with that. Perhaps, some defensiveness, since others have challenged him. </p>
<p>One lesson I take away here is that RD is just about the only way to be able to compare actual, real FA packages. Once OP declines Cornell’s ED offer, if he does, then that’s it - no more Cornell, no second chance.</p>
<p>If he was good enough to get into Cornell ED he was probably good enough to get in RD, and then be able to compare that package with Chicago’s package with any other schools applied to…AND probably know a lot more about the family finances in 4 months, too. As well as know his own mind a bit better. </p>
<p>This sort of thing is one reason I didn’t let my D apply to her “dream” school ED.</p>
<p>? don;t really understand #155.
If his plan is successful, OP will in fact have compared FA at two schools, and
chosen the one he prefers. Without RD.</p>
<p>Many students who are “good enough” to be admitted RD do not, at the end of the day, get offered admission. At that point, 1/3 (or whatever) of the slots are already taken by ED matriculants, and there are many more other applicants one is in contention with.
While there are people who feel there is no advantage, many feel that the willingness to commit ED is itself a “hook” that increases admissions odds for those “good enough” applicants, beyond the chances that will be left to them in RD. Certainly a gray enough area to warrant a “maybe” instead of a “probably”, in the case of a more marginal to routine applicant.</p>
<p>@monydad, pretty certain that the UofC won’t give their fin aid estimate to EA admits until the spring.</p>
<p>I think that you can back out only if you didn’t get as much financial aid as you asked for. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>If the EA school is chosen because it is preferred/a better deal than the ED school then that is a violation of the agreement. The deal is if you get into the ED school and the aid package works you go. I wouldn’t allow my D to pursue that “plan”.</p>
<p>Besides that, not many schools will prepare an FA offer early for EA. Most wait until April or at least for paperwork to be done which is generally not before February. Since EA admits do not need to commit before then there’s little reason to rush the FA award as there is for ED which is binding.</p>