Make sure he submits the UC application well before the Nov 30th deadline. The UC website has been known to crash due to the high volume of applicants submitting at the last minute.
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This is our third college applications rodeo but this one is a FIRST and wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar âŠ
D23 applied ED1 to a 4-year BA program. She has a strong interest in art - referenced it appropriately in supplemental essay, activities and awards, but did not submit a portfolio with application.
This week she was contacted by regional AO asking if she had considered the 5-year BA/BFA program (which requires a portfolio). It was not a form letter, came directly from the AO email address with an invitation to call to discuss.
She had looked at the 5 year program, and decided against it. We donât qualify for aid and are not willing to commit to a 5th year now, especially because sheâs not crazy about some aspects of the joint program.
How do you all take this? Is it a veiled ultimatum?
It reminds me of how some schools email EA candidates and ask if they want to switch to ED. Appreciate everyone thoughts/experiences.
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New D23 news from the past two days!
Merit offer from SCAD came in: Good, but not good enough to keep it on the list.
Acceptance and merit award from Colorado Denver came in: Not fabulous, but stacked with WUE tuition rates makes it more affordable than Montclair State, which isnât technically off the list but probably effectively is.
Sheâs finishing up her application for Middle Tennesseeâs really good scholarship (low probability but very, very good if she gets it), decision will come sometime in January; sheâs also waiting for North Texasâs merit offer (which has a decent chance of being good), no idea on their timeline.
And, of course, still waiting on admission decisions from Towson, San José State, and San Francisco State.
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Is she applying for a program that requires a portfolio? If not, I wouldnât worry about it. Some art programs require it. If so, have her get it in right away. If it wasnât required, then it shouldnât be held against her.
Regarding the contact by the AO, I would have her politely respond that she specifically wanted to apply to the 4 year program and have her reiterate the reasons why. Keep it very positive.
I think itâs really unfair for an AO officer to do this to her. To reach out and just assume she could put together a portfolio in no time, especially so close to the holidays. They are likely trying to fulfill their own needs and the 5 year program.
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UNT is so slow, weâre still waiting on the merit scholarship notifications too. If I remember correctly with my class of 2021 son, it came in January/February, even though he was accepted in October lol.
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I donât read that as a veiled threat at all. It sounds like her application was heavily art-centric and the AO is checking to see if she would be interested in this program due to what theyâre reading by/about her. âHey, she seems like a great candidate for this program - Iâm going to check in to see if sheâd be interested in that!â
Iâd probably reply with a: thank you so much for thinking of me in regards to this program - you can tell how much the arts are interwoven into [my life/reasons]âŠIâve decided to pursue a liberal arts degree for [reasons]âŠthank you so much for considering me and let me know if thereâs anything else I can do to support my application!
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Thanks so much!
Thank you!!!
I agree with @blueberriesforsalâs evaluation of the situation above. I think itâs also a way for the AO to communicate that theyâre interested in your kid, and they identified the 5-year program as an opportunity she might like, not as one theyâre demanding of her.
Basically, read it as more of a sales pitch (along the lines of asking if youâd like blue cheese crumbles on your steak), not a requirement.
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Have you decoded the tree-to-building ratio?
Lol it was apparently whatever Georgetown has because that is where she ended up and loved it. I guess to be fair, it is in between the urban no trees and the arboretum-like too many treesâŠ
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This got me thinking.
Of course, the amount of merit aid and the difference it makes is going to be different for every family/student. But Iâm curious what people think about how much is too good to walk away from, or not enough to keep it on the list?
If a student received say, merit aid that equaled 50% of total costs, or 75% (or 100%) of total costs, but it wasnât a first-choice school, would you just leave it to them to decide, or would you really push for them to consider it from a financial perspective, instead of only their âwish list/dream schoolâ perspective?
Maybe a larger conversation on parenting, finances and career options, but still curious about the threshold decisions of merit-based aid for your average family.
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I think it really depends on each familyâs financial situation. There are families for whom 25% coverage would make a big difference, and they would likely push their kid strongly towards that school. Then there are wealthy families (multi-million dollar incomes and large asset base) for whom the full cost of attendance isnât a whole lot. Theyâre more likely to let the kid chase their dream school.
I know both types of families IRL.
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Agreed.
I was curious about middle income opinions, those not wealthy enough for full pay, for whom a college education for one or more kids would necessitate any combination of student loans, parent loans, home equity loans or a 2nd mortgage to cover the costs of a $65k+/year school.
Our benchmark is instate flagship costs: roughly $30K per year for tuition, room and board. Given how many good choices there are at that price in CA, itâs hard to justify paying much more. Iâd say $5K per year extra is OK, $10K more would be discouraged and $20K more would be unacceptable.
Weâve let our kids keep anything left in their 529 so if they choose somewhere even cheaper then thereâs an obvious financial incentive. D18 got a full ride and has nearly $100K that she can use to help cover her living expenses as a ballet dancer now sheâs graduated.
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I would personally leave it completely up to the student, and focus entirely on fit, even if it were a choice between 80k a year and free. I realize it is a luxury to be able to do that. It makes sense to strongly consider the merit $, of course, especially if one option is a full ride. It does make me cringe a little when these debates come up on CC after admissions are in, and the family clearly has not had the discussion in advance (that X school at X price is not affordable, so Y has to be chosen). The ideal time is before the apps are sent, at the very least before the decisions are in, so a student does not mistakenly believe they will be allowed to chose their school without regard for cost differences.
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Weâll likely be faced with a situation where 3 or 4 schools are around the same COA after scholarships/grants. There might be an outlier that is full tuition off or thereabouts. There might also be an outlier thatâs a bit more. And weâll leave it up to the kid. Heâll know the financial ramifications of sticking with one that costs us more: less parental ability to help with study abroad, fripperies, etc. But beyond that, heâll get to choose. And he might not pick the cheapest one, which will crush his frugal mama, but I will stay strong. 
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But who âstrongly consider(s) the merit $â: the parent or the kid? Why would the kid consider it unless they are financially incentivized to do so? And if financial incentives are offered is that 100% of the difference in cost or a smaller percentage?
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Very similar here. At the time 35K instate flagship. Kind of used your stated guidelines. Kids get to keep whatever they donât use in 529 based on scholarship money.
The only caveat is if there was Princeton or Brown acceptance for D18 probably would have sucked it up. D21 didnât apply to any Ivies or other top liberal arts schools. She want basically all mid to large publics.
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Hey all - Iâve got two kids in the Class of 2023 and I am still learning so muchâŠdo many colleges require first quarter/first semester grades from senior year? Iâm reading about a lot of sending most recent grades, but we havenât received anything from any schools asking for them. Is this just on a school-by-school basis?