<p>Youdon’tsay - No she was not “high” stats for that school. She was high for the SAT but not GPA. I guess you could say she was a little above average but extraordinary.
Also, she never visited the college - not once.
The college was Duquesne University and I have heard that happen to other students too; but not before it happened to her.</p>
<p>Follow-up: I checked with the one school the mom mentioned and was told that she is absolutely not correct; students find out about any merit aid in their admission packet and no further aid is awarded after they accept their offer.</p>
<p>So fogfog’s comment:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>…is still making me wonder what kind of money everyone is talking about. Even financial aid is not dependent on acceptance…right?</p>
<p>ReadyToRoll - all the schools my S got into last year gave out merit money either right in the admission packet or a week or two later. Making a deposit had nothing to do with the merit award.</p>
<p>Some schools increased their award as time went on to try and get my S to accept their offer of admittance, but that was the only twist.</p>
<p>I think you understand the system, but some other people may be a little confused.</p>
<p>My daughter has received merit money offers from several schools (including one offer of full tuition) and at each one it has been stated that she has until May 1st to respond. It would be unethical if she enrolled in late April and they told her the “money was gone”… I think that the parent & student mentioned in the original post are confused.</p>
<p>All of my son’s merit offers were included in his admission letter. One school has already sent him a letter offering more merit money. I did send a deposit to one school for one reason. It is one of his top choices and they give you your housing choice based on when they received your deposit. Some Freshmen at this college were put in hotels last year until on campus housing opened up. I didn’t want him to be in that situation! Also, this school said they needed the deposit within 30 days of the letter of acceptance. Every other school has given us until May 1st to accept their offer of admission. Luckily, the school I sent the deposit to will refund it if I notify them in writing by May 1st. And they wanted $500 to boot!</p>
<p>I also think the parent & student mentioned in the OP are confused. Schools don’t just hand out merit money as a reward for past performance, just to be nice. They use it to entice the students they want. Seems to me if the applicant has already accepted the admissions offer and sent in her deposit, it makes it LESS likely she’ll get a merit award because the school will count her as one they’ve already landed, and they’ll use their limited merit money to entice some other student they want but who they think may be on the fence.</p>
<p>Well my son has gotten a merit award with each acceptance or it arrived in a separate envelope just a few days later.</p>
<p>Two schools that my son applied to are asking for deposits prior to the May 1 deadline and want to register the student prior to May 1. Both will refund the deposit. In one case the FA information will be made available prior to their asking for a deposit. In the other case families will be putting down a deposit without having a chance to first see the financial aid package. They are going to refund the deposit if the student changes his/her mind prior to May 1. If one does not deposit early, one will be closed out of early advising and early registration and some classes may be closed out.</p>
<p>bclintonk - excellent point. I was thinking that but forgot to post it.</p>
<p>If you already accepted and the school already has you, why would they then offer you money? It’s when the game is still on and you have alot of options open that the schools use their merit offers to try and attract you.</p>
<p>It is best to hold off on the deposit, but if they back you into a corner with early registration where classes may close, or they offer priority housing (against NACAC rules of best practice, I believe), what can you do? The school still knows that you can still compare packages and you can back out until May 1 and get your deposit back. Look, if you did not need to compare packages, you could just apply ED, provided that your child had a “#1 dream school”!!!</p>
<p>I have heard of schools withholding meit decisions until you visit for an interview, if you have not previously. This strikes me as aimed at making sure they are on your short list. </p>
<p>Requiring an acceptance seems strange and unethical.</p>
<p>You mean, requiring a deposit prior to May 1, yabeyabe2 ?</p>
<p>Rodney - as far as the non-binding ED school, I was told off the record to send in the deposit if the school was one of my son’s choices but he wasn’t ready to committ. I was told that this way he wouldn’t loose his merit aid. Every year they have a few kids back out. Fortunately, my son decided that this school wasn’t that good of a fit for him so I don’t have to worry about it!!</p>
<p>Another of my son’s schools said that he should send in his deposit immediately after receiving his acceptance so that he could be at the top of the list for housing. He has received weekly emails about the class filling up quickly!!!</p>
<p>Penn State also urges you to make a housing deposit (which requires you to accept admission) so that you don’t get put in temporary housing. However, accepting admission costs $300. I’m unclear as to how much, if any, is refundable if you don’t end up going there, since it says “non-refundable fees”!</p>
<p>I assume that non-refundable fees means just that–you can rescind your deposit, but you won’t get your money back.</p>
<p>wb: but according to BobbyCT they require withdrawal of all other apps? how do kids “back out” under those circumstances?..interesting that they told you that…</p>
<p>not that you have to worry about this anymore, but i still don’t get this one…</p>
<p>or the OP’s story either…</p>
<p>Texas has a $50 non-fundable housing deposit. The earlier you get the deposit in, the better choice of dorm you get. We went ahead and paid it back in October, just in case. Since DS is OOS, we won’t hear if he’s been admitted until March, probably.</p>
<p>^ Like MaineLonghorn, our State Flagship has a non-refundable fee, ours is $25.00. They consider it an application processing fee.</p>
<p>“He has received weekly emails about the class filling up quickly!!!”</p>
<p>You shouldn’t worry about this. He is already part of the class! (if he wants to be)</p>
<p>Now, housing deposit pressure is another matter. From their p.o.v., they want commitment and they want it now. From your p.o.v., you want time to make the right decision without worrying that your child will end up living in the broom closet. Take your time, it isn’t even February!</p>