<p>I got my Johnson scholarship rejection letter today, and I don't really see any incentive to keep my application in the running at W&L. I'm not willing to have my parents pay the ~30k COA that I'd get with just normal financial aid (and the 2k NMF award that they offer is too minimal to make a difference). As far as I can tell, I don't qualify for any of W&L's other merit awards. The school itself isn't a spectacular fit, either, with prominent Greek Life, a politically conservative atmosphere, and lackluster diversity (all of which I'd be willing to endure if the money were offered -- but alas, it's not offered). So, my point is, is there any reason that I shouldn't withdraw my application?</p>
<p>Why not just let it play out to the end. My son is in the same boat. He would have gone there if he won the Johnson. But he wasn’t invited to compete. Why, I don’t know because, as his mom, I think he is brilliant:-) and so is everyone who applied so you cant take it personally. Now, we will see what they offer when financial awards are sent. In the meantime, he can focus on exploring his other options. I say don’t withdraw. Hang in there</p>
<p>I have heard of a student who did not receive the Johnson but for whom a private donor came up with the money for her to attend. Just sayin’. </p>
<p>If you haven’t demonstrated interest (interview/visit) , you will probably be rejected/waitlisted regardless of your stats because many people are in the same boat as you and W&L doesn’t want to mess up their yield. So I would just let it play out. </p>
<p>@goblue2018
If W&L rejected or waitlisted me based on no interview/ no visit, it’d be an incredibly stupid decision. Not because I’m amazing/high stat/ a bunch of potential waiting to burst (because I don’t really think I am). It’d be stupid to do that because 1. They don’t offer local interviews or skype interviews, so I’m in no blame there. 2. I literally live thousands of miles away, and save for a wealthy few, a thousand dollar visit just doesn’t make too much sense. If the school cares anything about socioeconomic diversity, that’s not how to show it. </p>
<p>I think I’m going to send an app withdrawal email later today, unless I manage to convince myself otherwise within the next hour (which to be frank, might very well happen). I have 2 very good financial offers (and perhaps another one) and 2 more admits, and at this point, I just don’t care about W&L at all anymore. </p>
<p>Thanks for all the replies, though. I hate to not follow everyone’s advice, but I just don’t think that I’d even look up my admissions decision on decision day. </p>
<p>Your post actually affirms what W&L is doing. Had you really cared enough about attending the school you would have found out that they do offer Alumni interviews. It would have taken you all of 2 minutes to locate the information about how to set it up. Here let me help you</p>
<p><a href=“LMGTFY - Let Me Google That For You”>LMGTFY - Let Me Google That For You;
<p>@Dadofdaughter</p>
<p>Gee, I’ve never been insulted so much on this board. Do you think that I haven’t checked on the alumni interview website? Do you think that I haven’t tried to show interest in other ways by completing the completely optional supplement? I know that I didn’t specifically state it in this thread, but I live in Hawaii. I know it’s a little tedious to look through my previous posts, but in my post right above you I wrote they don’t offer local interviews. If you don’t believe me, look at the alumni interview page right here: <a href=“Washington and Lee”>Washington and Lee;
<p>Had you really cared enough about providing a helpful answer, you would have found out that they do not offer Alumni interviews to people who live in Hawaii. It would have taken you all of 2 minutes to look through my older posts (in fact, I answered someone’s question today, three posts ago, that I live in HI) and locate the information that shows that there are no interviewers based in Hawaii and no Hawaii contact. Here let me help you.</p>
<p>Step 1: <a href=“Washington and Lee”>Washington and Lee;
Step 2: press Ctrl+F and type in the letters “Haw” and see that there are zero hits
Step 2, alternate: scroll down to Georgia. Read all the Georgia contacts. Then notice that it skips down to Idaho. Notice what letter is missing? H for Hawaii.
Step 3: Go to the top of the page, where there is a bolded statement, which has been reproduced below for your convenience. </p>
<p>“While our alumni network is extensive, we understand that there may not be an AAP representative close to where you live or even within your state or country. While interviews are strongly recommended, we understand that not all students will be able to complete an interview. For example, if it would take you two hours to drive to your local AAP representative, then we do not expect you to travel such a great distance to interview… We do not offer phone or Skype interviews.”</p>
<p>I know this might be kind of an overreaction, but before you lmgtfy, please make sure that you’re entitled to actually do it. Like if I were asking “When are AP tests this year” or “is W&L in WV or VA” you’d be entitled. But when I specifically state that they don’t offer them, don’t assume that I haven’t tried at all. Sure, a lot of CC kids ask oblivious questions, but don’t assume that we all do.</p>
<p>I did care about W&L back in December when I applied. But things have changed since then – we did our financial aid stuff and realized that we have more $ in the bank than what was our rough estimate when we put info into NPCs. My parents don’t want to contribute too much, and it makes sense – we don’t own a house, and if we’re going to buy a house here, we need $$$. It’ll be harsher on need-based institutions than previously expected, and W&L was always on the higher end of my colleges (but really, all of the colleges I applied to are very generous). Without Johnson, the COA will definitely go over 30k (we had estimated 23k, which my family could go with), which is more than they want to spend. If W&L were a public high school – tuition free blah blah, I’d have no qualms going there. It’s a great education. But premises a. it’s expensive, b. it’s politically not what I want, c. I care about politics a lot, d. I don’t care for Greek life, e. Other options (better politically and financially) are materializing, I don’t feel W&L anymore. I’m going to call them tomorrow (I don’t want to do my SSN over email) to withdraw. </p>
<p>My apologies for the offense, It was a bit snide to provide the information that way. </p>
<p>They acknowledge that they understand its not possible for everyone to attend. If you let the school know that you wanted an interview then they would take that as interest. As for your living in Hawaii you might have stated that as it is a very rare place to live and probably more germane to your situation then the reason you alluded to. </p>
<p>The program does screen people by interest level. if this was the school you most wanted to attend you would have spoken directly with admissions about the issue. They actually flew my child out at their expense when we applied through a full need program. After they did that hearing you trash the policy as anti diversity was very jarring. As was your explanation that your so disinterested as to not even plan on checking the result.</p>
<p>I am not trying to insult you. I am pointing out that the school really only wants students who are committed. They also meet 100% on need without loans. Its going to be difficult to find a a school so highly ranked that will offer a better program. In all honesty if you are not interested in attending without getting the Johnson you should withdraw if its not a possibility and you are pretty clear that you do not feel the school is right for you. </p>
<p>Again, sorry for reacting so strongly.</p>
<p>@Dadofdaughter</p>
<p>I wasn’t accusing the school of being anti-diversity. What I meant was that IF the school rejected people based on no interview/no visit ALONE, it’d be in the best interest of diversity. There are countless students who can’t qualify for programs like Questbridge, but at the same time, still can’t afford to fly out. It makes sense as long as they screen not entirely based on interview and visit, which are subject to economic/geographic barriers – that itself should be considered in the “holistic” part. Posters in this and other W&L threads suggest that it’s completely formulaic – no interview/visit = no admission, no matter what. I doubt that this is true, but if it were, as others suggest, that’d be anti-diversity. </p>
<p>Again, W&L definitely has its socioeconomic diversity recruitment efforts (racial diversity can be debated, though, as apparent as the top thread in this forum), that’s why a number of Johnsons are for kids with financial need. That’s why there’s the W&L Promise. That’s why they participate in QB. But if they stopped there and said “well, you even though you live in HI/Uganda/Mars, we’re rejecting you” that’d be a problem. </p>
<p>I have my own qualms about W&L’s strain of Tuft’s Syndrome (especially in the alleged liberal use of the waitlist to see if there’s really interest or not), and feel that it’s kind of unethical to waitlist to protect yield as it keeps acceptance rate artificially low (and I know W&L isn’t the only one that does it), but there’s nothing I can do about that. </p>
<p>Rejecting someone who doesn’t complete the “Why W&L” I understand – it’s easy and it shows that the applicant cares and spent at least some time on W&L itself instead of just sending the common app. (Although doing that in itself raises some ethical questions on labeling it “optional.”) </p>
<p>And yeah, I recognize that W&L is going to be the best bang for the buck for a bunch of students on both side of the income scale, and that plenty of students have the best 4 years of their lives there. However, I got incredibly lucky and know that the most selective school that I’ve gotten into as of yet will provide a better financial package than W&L (5k additional for NM plus more generous according to NPCs). </p>
<p>I guess I probably should’ve explained my not-checking-the-result thing a little better, though. It’s a kind of bad and somewhat illogical defense mechanism I have – to not get into (and by into, I mean get overly interested) things I can’t have. Why entertain the idea of W&L when I know I can’t afford it in the end? Why get myself excited over something before it’s a real possibility? It’s the same reason I’ve postponed all final college research until fin aid packages come in. I didn’t mean to have it come off that way. </p>
<p>It seems like you are convincing yourself to withdraw your app. No need to convince others to tell you that it’s a good idea to withdraw your app. Choose it yourself.</p>