Welcome @ABJ8888 , so glad to hear you will be joining us at Mercersberg!
My son was a host at the first revisit, and was supppsed to host yesterday, but was unable due to having the flu. I picked him up on Monday and returned him late Thursday once he was cleared to return. But by then they had reassigned his student to someone else.
They absolutely do. I wouldn’t have been able to make a decision without revisiting!
We chose to only revisit our top 2 schools, which really didn’t make the choice any easier for us. I think if money wasn’t involved we would choose one school over another, but it makes it so hard when the close second offers much more FA. Still, kiddos hoping for some miracle FA to get thrown her way … while I’m still wondering how this school figured out our contribution rate!! Our of the top four schools, all offered a substantial amount of FA … THE top choice offers zero. Still confused on how that all works, but at this point, it is what it is, and you have to move on from that. We are just keeping our fingers crossed that something may come our way … and if it does, the choice is that much more clear!
@FirstTimesACharm you probably know this, but not all boarding schools say they will meet all financial need. (some do, some don’t). Good luck with your decision!
@cinnamon1212 yep totally understand that. It’s the process that leaves me scratching my head and has me stumped.
Same W2 forms for all schools and the amounts of FA differ drastically. I have to wonder what formula one uses over the other, just for interest and understanding - not to change final decision (although ultimately that would be grand).
@FirstTimesACharm - I’m not sure which schools you are referring to…but I can tell you about a couple of schools we worked with that had certain funds designated for certain types of scholarships. For example, there was a school that offered funds for students from a certain state and/or county. So some schools have funding for specific scholarships. Was this your situation?
Our experience was the same as @FirstTimesACharm
Need-based FA packages varied greatly despite being based on the same data. Love the school that loves you most (or costs you less)!
Different schools have different endowments, so have different amounts for financial aid.
@cinnamon1212 In our case, the best-endowed school was NOT the most generous. That’s one of the reasons it felt so unpredictable…
@CaliMex huh, that makes no sense! As you say, love the school that loves you most.
Well, now I can answer the original question. NO, revisit day did not may the choice clear and we are struggling.
Thank you! We have to make a decision in the next 24 hours! does anyone have the spreadsheet I am reading about that I could use? thank you! new to all of this and we were late to apply!
@dogsmama1997: Did you try doing a “rating” chart based on the things that are most important to your kid/family?
For anyone heading into April 10 and still struggling to make a choice between schools, I’ll offer these words: Our kids are not taught by buildings, programs, or reputations. They are taught by people — teachers in the classroom, other school staff (including, but not limited to, heads of school/deans), and also their peers. If you’re stuck between schools, think about where you met the people you’d rather your kid was surrounded by 24/7.
Best of luck!
Pure speculation, but I can imagine a number of reasons why the FA numbers might differ between schools, other than just endowment. Schools may have different views on how much they are willing to devote to financial aid. Particular schools may or may not have a need for the something a child excels in. The passion and influence of the particular AO advocating for FA for the child might make a difference. The extent to which a child’s profile is stronger than that of a typical student admitted to one school versus another could make a difference.
St. Paul’s School gives at least free comprehensive tuition ($62,000 for the upcoming year) to all accepted students from families with incomes of $125,000 or less.
@SevenDad your comment just made a lightbulb go off in my head. This is exactly what I’ve been trying to say, but in many more words then you so eloquently stated!!
think about where you met the people you’d rather your kid was surrounded by 24/7.
I now know 100% where my kiddo should be, and I’ll make sure to tell it from the rooftops!!