Hi,
This is my first post. I have been reading thru the forums gathering info throughout this process, so a big thank you to all of you for the help!
I think I should post this in the Financial Aid and Scholaship forum, but I thought it might be good to post here as well since the reason we are considering this scenario is because our D is an athletic recruit.
My D21 had a positive pre read and was given an estimated merit package, based on her appyling ED of course. So now we are at the point of looking at everything to see if we can come up with the rest.
After reviewing our finances and budget, taking into consideration what we will be getting rid of, and what else will be coming in, I feel we can cover most of it and the part that we’re not sure of right now can be covered by us getting a small loan worst case and could likely be covered some other ways (D21 working over the summer, grandparents, etc). We are essentially full pay, the NPC says there could be possibility of some loan for D and work on campus which I hope would be the case to “save” a little. I’m wondering how it works if I feel like we can pull it off but when D applies ED it’s not like we will have the money ready to go, but by the time she goes to school next year we could. I keep wondering if I should call the FA office to ask questions, but also know it is early and don’t know if I should wait until we know for sure what aid, no matter how little, there might be. Any advice on this?
Make sure that you understand what the requirements are for keeping the merit scholarship. Do you have any other children that this would impact?
I would not hesitate to call the FA office. We found this very helpful for one of our D/S that was a recruited athlete. You can also ask the coach as well.
Also, what division, and sport is this? Does this school or coach have slots/spots for support? That can vary by school, league, etc. Depending on the school & sport, many recruited athletes get into schools without the coaches support.
Others may know more but my understanding is that often merit scholarships are independent of the sports and if the student is a recruited athlete. Parents and others often like to say that the school/coach really wants our D/S and is giving us a package to go there but the reality is that the merit FA may have nothing to do with playing sports.
Cost was certainly a factor in our kids/family school decisions too.
Thank you for the comments…
@Eeyore123 : to keep her merit she has to keep a 2.0. Yes we have a younger D to consider, 2 years behind so definitely a factor.
@recruitparent : I am going to call FA next week. I will also ask about payment plans, etc and how loans work and all that. This is D3 swimming. She spoke with the coach again yesterday and asked him about the ED and he said that she would get in ED, that’s why they wanted to do the pre read and that’s why they like to let prospective students know about their merit package so they can get the financials started so parents can know what to expect since it’s ED and so that they (coaches) know where they stand with the recruit getting in.
I tried to get D to ask about her chances of getting on the team, but she wouldn’t and told me after that she felt like it was ok. When we visited the school and met with the coaches last week, I asked how many people they thought they would be adding in 2021 and he said it’s looking like 6-8 and they have 2. I did not think it was appropriate to ask more at that time since the pre read wasn’t back yet. That being said, D has said that even if it wound up she wasn’t on the team (or something happened she couldn’t swim) she’d still want to go there. Her times are good for them though, and academics are important to them (and to her) so I feel pretty confident it would work out…I just would like to feel certain the money will work out. Especially if she gets in ED and we are having to withdraw offers other places.
Since D3 the FA & Merit should not be tied to being an athlete or sports. Since your D likes the school I would certainly speak to the FA office and keep communicating with the coach as appropriate.
Have you compared her academics vs. admitted students? If she is a strong student for admittance and there is a financial concern, it may make sense to apply RD, not ED. I may not be on the same page as everyone but in general I am not a fan of applying ED unless you are 100% certain on the school including being ok about the cost. Things can change, another school can look like a better fit, etc. and RD gives you flexibility. I do understand that you can back out ED due to cost issues and have heard that applying ED you may get more merit than RD (I have also heard ED vs RD does not matter for merit) but applying RD does give you time and options to consider more schools.
Good luck, it can be stressful but exciting too so have fun with the college search!
I’m not 100% sure from a quick read of your posts, but if D is getting coach help to get in then I would be pretty surprised if she didn’t make the team. I think it would be unlikely admissions would let him assist 10 girls if he only was going to roster 8 for example. Probably more likely he can assist 6 and then he needs a couple who can get in on their own.
Knowing the school would be helpful. I’m not a swimming parent, but there are a bunch on the board who probably are very familiar with this coach and how that process works at that school. If you aren’t comfortable posting you could DM a few of them and probably get a good answer.
@recruitparent To me her stats are in line with admitted students. The merit package made me more confident about this with the info I have been reading. I am wondering about RD…I don’t want the coach to think she is less interested…it is in fact her top choice, she loves everything about the school. When she asked about the ED aspect and he said that would work, he said she is still competitive for RD but then the acceptance rate is lower. It is a small school…
@dadof4kids The school is Denison.
My kid, an athlete, just graduated from Denison. Feel free to ask me anything about the school, athletics, merit etc.!
Congrats, Women’s Swimming and Diving was poised for a national championship this year, until spring sports were cancelled. Swimming and Diving at Denison is an amazing group, Greg Parini is fantastic, a great coach and mentor, and the kids form an incredibly close bond. The facilities, of course, are amazing. Granville is delightful, and travel in and out of the area, by flight or car, is easy.
In terms of merit and ED, Admissions assured us that the award would be the same whether it was ED or RD. I’ve talked with other families who were not ready to commit to ED, had received an ED merit estimate, and at RD, received the original estimate. So, my experience is that the communication that you are not leaving merit money on the table by going ED is genuine.
It is easy to get a campus job – a student does not have to be on financial aid to get a good job on campus. My kid worked at Mitchell Center for 4 years, setting his schedule each semester to fit with his classes and how demanding his schedule would be – in season/off season as an athlete etc.
I cannot say enough wonderful things about Denison. Pres. Weinberg is loved and admired, and he is present for the students, chatting at every sports competition, theater, music performance, he can get to. The faculty were amazing, my kid developed close relationships with faculty who became important people in his life, real mentors. Knowlton Center Career Services is top notch, with innovative programs for each year of a student’s experience.
Admissions has gotten increasingly competitive, with something like 28-29% overall acceptance rate and over 9000 applications. So, if she knows Denison is the school for her, then I would suggest getting a clearer sense from Coach about where she stands in terms of a roster spot so that she knows what she is committing to with ED. My kid too was well-qualified for admission, we were not worried about acceptance but about making sure the Coach offered him a spot on the team.
Again, congrats, and feel free to message me. These are nerve-wracking, but exciting times.!
My son is a rising sophomore at Denison and runs track. He also received a substantial merit award. I second everything @Midwestmomofboys has said and would add that the school’s handling of the Covid-19 situation has also been very impressive - their approach has been carefully thought out, and there has been lots of communication from the school. They also put a lot of effort into finding meaningful activities the kids could participate in this summer, both classes and internships - my son has been learning a lot, and staying engaged with the school, at a time when we were afraid he would just be sitting around playing video games under lockdown. Athletics, and swimming in particular, are a big deal at Denison but I really like the way Denison handles athletics as an integrated part of the academic experience. My son loves the school and we couldn’t be more pleased with how his experience so far has been.
Thank you @Midwestmomofboys and @tkoparent ! It makes me feel good to read these comments…these are the kinds of vibes we’ve been getting so it is awesome to see they are valid! I’m sure I will have alot more questions 
@Ozziedoodle I would agree that the merit package makes it sound like she is certainly in the mix as a good candidate for admittance.
One question I would have is whether or not the coach has actual slots for admissions and is planning to use a slot for your daughter if she applies ED. If the coach does not have a slot, then RD could be an option to consider to keep options open.
@Midwestmomofboys confirmed that the merit/aid package is the same ED and RD.
@Midwestmomofboys @tkoparent have some good first hand input and feedback on Denison.
@recruitparent that makes sense we will find out about that.
I am going to bed feeling just a little lighter tonight…thank you all for the advice!
@Ozziedoodle My D21 is also a swim recruit at Denison. We feel very comfortable with the pre-read results and communications with the coach. Because ED is binding, we want to be certain about the finances as well and have sent some questions to the FA office. They have been very responsive.
@Acersaccharum Thank you! I’m glad you have found it helpful. I will definitely give them a call this week!