Passing up one opportunity in the hopes of a better one?

Applying to College
1

<p>Hi, all. I'm a bit frazzled right now, and would really appreciate some advice.</p>

<p>I applied to a number of schools EA and was fortunate enough to receive some great scholarship offers. My top EA school even offered me almost full tuition, and I'm thrilled about that prospect. Then, another EA school that I hadn't given much thought, but is perfectly good as well, offered to pay my way to interview for their full tuition scholarship. I've never visited this school, but I agreed to come visit.</p>

<p>However, I have yet to hear back from any of my top choice reach schools, all of which I applied to RD. I think I have pretty decent chances, too, but I'm worried about my grades this semester. I'm in some extremely hard classes, and I have a few grades that could definitely be pushed one way or another by my midterms. If I were to attend the scholarship interview, I'd be missing these tests. I would need to take them early, one after another -- all of my classes over the course of a day or two (my teachers, unfortunately, have given me a rather small window in which to take the tests). Also, I'd miss all the final reviews in all the study and tutoring sessions that have held my grades up in some of these classes, and a number of decently important club meetings/team sporting events, if that factors in at all.</p>

<p>I'm always a bit of a ball of stress. This isn't helping. Does anyone have any advice? I feel like it would be terrible for me to renege on my agreement to attending this program -- but as this is such a big decision, I also think I have a commitment to do what I feel will be best for my future.</p>

2

<p>OP, I am a bit confused. Are you referring to your fall or spring semester? I would think your fall semester grades are in already, so your RD schools should have that transcript. Your midterm spring semester grades shouldn’t really matter that much, unless you get wait listed.</p>

3

<p>Where I live, our first semester isn’t done yet. So these would be our fall semester grades.</p>

4

<p>I would make sure you end up strong for your first semester grades. They will be the last grades those reach schools see. You want to show upward trend or the same, not downward.</p>

5

<p>Go to the interview in any case.
Once all your admissions and financial aid offers are in hand, you’ll have till May 1 to make a decision.</p>

6

<p>Contact the college and see if you can schedule the interview so that it does not conflict with your exams. Tell them there is currently a conflict. Hopefully they can arrange to meet you when you don’t have exams. Your reasons for requesting to reschedule are legitimate and probably not unusual. If the college says they cannot accommodate, only then will you have to decide how to proceed.</p>