<p>I just got a letter stating that I was named a Swarthmore Scholar, which cancels out the loan portion of my financial aid. The money part was my biggest reservation towards Swarthmore. Unfortunately, I already mailed out my deposit to another school. Why do schools wait till the last minute to start giving more money? This puts me in a quandary. I'm not sure if it's cold feet, a lack of commitment, schizophrenia, or if I really want to go to Swarthmore. Wish I'd gotten news of this earlier. :confused:</p>
<p>Does having sent in the deposit / it is still before May 1 mean you cannot change your decision?</p>
<p>If it appears that way, that's not a rhetorical question. Just wondering.</p>
<p>allureny86 you could call the college and ask them. Also, the deposit money you might lose could be worth it if you got a great package from Swarthmore.</p>
<p>Whatever you decide, don't base it on whether you do or do not loose your deposit to the other school.</p>
<p>Allure:</p>
<p>Can't help you with deciding where you want to go.</p>
<p>However, the deposit is not a big deal. Kids send in deposits all the time and change their minds. What do you think happens when students get accepted off the waitlist at their first choice school. It's so common that there's even an adcom term for it, "summer melt". No big deal. The colleges are used to it.</p>
<p>Worst case, you lose your deposit at the first school. Or, since it's not May 1st yet, you might even be able to contact them and get them to tear up the check. Or, be really rude and stop payment.</p>
<p>But, first things first. You have to decide where you want to go now that the financial hurdle at Swarthmore has been lowered.</p>
<p>andi - I now have a great financial package from Swarthmore, but I also have a great one from Amherst, since I was a high-need applicant. The deposit I'd lose wouldn't be too much of a loss, since Amherst waived my deposit, so all I did was send in a note saying I accepted their offer.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input, Interesteddad. </p>
<p>I remember during the first week and a half of April I kept vacillating between these two schools, to the point where I coined "Swat-herst" to describe my dilemma. Now it looks like I'm back to where I started, except with less time to decide.</p>
<p>Listen, allure, if Swat is what you want, the email (or snail-mail) saying you want to go to Amherst means nothing. There is a word for this in the admissions lingo: it's called summer melt. It happens all the time. People back out of their decisions. You can back out of it as long as you tell Swat you're coming before May 1.</p>
<p>As far as the decisions, both are great schools and you cannot go wrong at either.</p>
<p>Allure:</p>
<p>I know you've been vacillating. That's why I was only addressing the logistics of the deposit. At a certain point, nobody can really help you decide because it just boils down either a gut hunch or how you prioritize the various characteristics. </p>
<p>For example, if a student put a priority on having a less alcohol-centered social life, then the decision would be easy. Or, vice versa. But, maybe thats a low-priority and something else is the key thing. Everybody's a little different.</p>
<p>but there is one true thing Allure, you are very fortunate to have two such great offers! Appreciate that and then go with your heart!</p>
<p>Thanks, andi :). And thank you to everyone else, too. I'm going to mull over this decision a little bit more and think things through. On the alcohol issue, I'd request a substance-free dorm. </p>
<p>Well, if I realize that I've made a grave mistake, hopefully I can still transfer. The Swat admissions people seem very sympathetic, and might give me another chance.</p>
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On the alcohol issue, I'd request a substance-free dorm.
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<p>As much as I love Swarthmore, I can't honestly say there is any advantage one way or another in size, diversity, or academics compared to Amherst. I view them both as equally incredible.</p>
<p>There IS one major difference in the two schools and that is the campus culture/social scene. Not to beat around the bush, Amherst is one of the hardest drinking schools in the northeast; Swarthmore is one of the lightest drinking schools. If the issue is important enough to pick into a sub-free dorm, I question the logic of choosing a school with a very heavy drinking culture. Why should you have to go out of your way to avoid a dominant social culture that you aren't comfortable with?</p>
<p>My advice to all kids: look at the big picture.</p>
<p>Well, I didn't think that more factors would come into play, but they're cropping up. Today I got an email from Jim Bock--which was a nice gesture, considering his presumably hectic schedule. </p>
<p>Basically, he said that it wasn't too late to change my mind, wanted to discuss things before I made a final decision, and encouraged my counselor and I to call him at his direct line. He also said that the reason they didn't give me the scholarship earlier was because my paperwork was incomplete.</p>
<p>I also got a phone call from him while I was out. I'm more perplexed than before. Tomorrow I'll call back and see how it goes.</p>
<p>I always knew that, with small colleges, everything was more personal. I just didn't know to what extent.</p>
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I always knew that, with small colleges, everything was more personal. I just didn't know to what extent.
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<p>That's OK. We didn't know until we went to a parents' reception during orientation. My wife introduced herself to Dean Gross, Dean of the College at Swarthmore. He proceded to say, "Oh, you're XXXX's, Mom! She wrote the the YYYYY essay and talked about ZZZZZ in her Why Swarthmore? essay."</p>
<p>Anyway, good luck whereever you end up.</p>
<p>Again, I thought it was already pretty personal that I got an email. I had just planned on stopping procrastinating and being a little productive (despite senioritis) when Mr. Bock called me. </p>
<p>It was from his home and he had a bad cold. Wow. This attention is intense. Regarding Amherst, he said, "At least it's Amherst and not an Ivy, because these two schools are more similar than they are different." He explained more about the Swat Scholar deal--which sounds really attractive--and said that if Amherst waived my deposit, he'd see if Swat could do so too.</p>
<p>Then we discussed everything Swarthmore. Access to Philly vs. where I live to NYC; profs; art department; galleries; the Peace collection at the Friends library; his own experiences as a religion major; alumni; atmosphere; APs; the Adirondack chairs designed by a graduating art major. He also said he'd do some research on things in the surrounding location I was worried about (a couple things that gave Amherst an edge) and said art profs would be in touch soon.</p>
<p>Swat I like, but it's insanely hard. I don't think I deserve such good circumstances from these two schools. Especially me as an ordinary, frazzly, senioritis-stricken average kid who's been bombing several subjects lately. </p>
<p>(My computer is slow; sorry for posting in segments)</p>
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I don't think I deserve such good circumstances from these two schools. Especially me as an ordinary, frazzly, senioritis-stricken average kid who's been bombing several subjects lately.
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<p>you must have something if those schools are both after you.!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>The giant Adirondack chair is not the only oversized piece of pop art to appear on the Swat campus. There's a bit of tradition of waking up and finding surprises from the art and engineering departments:</p>
<p>Thanks, interesteddad, I'll take a look at that.</p>
<p>Another call from Mr. Bock today. He'd promised to research some questions I had about the surrounding area. I didn't think he would, but he did, using google, a phone book, etc. </p>
<p>A Swat art professor also called me today, while I was out.</p>
<p>Andi --thanks. I'm sure a number of others have also been named Swat Scholars. My guess (which could be wildly incorrect) is that not all of them have been called 5 times in 3 days. Ack! May 1 is approaching.</p>
<p>Pick Swat! Pick Swat!</p>