<p>I have been watching all of the threads from parents and students struggling with the final decisions this year. There seem to be more than I remember in the past, but maybe I just noticed them all this year.</p>
<p>I have been thinking about all of you today and was wondering how you all feel now that the decisions have (hopefully) been made?</p>
<p>What was the final choice and what do you think was the deciding factor? </p>
<p>Personally I don’t think alot of people wait until the last minute to make the decision. Once those last straggling decisions come in March and April along with the finaid letters, most families know what the outcome will be. </p>
<p>Our family policy (two down, one to go next year) has been that the decision had to be made, along with the deposit sent and housing request submitted, before spring break. </p>
<p>Here’s the way I summarized it last May. </p>
<p><a href=“Parents of the HS Class of 2013 - #24759 by SomeOldGuy - Class of 20xx Community - College Confidential Forums”>Parents of the HS Class of 2013 - #24759 by SomeOldGuy - Class of 20xx Community - College Confidential Forums;
<p>You must have a late spring break! Both my kids waited till the last day to make the choice. Each had a difficult choice to make - I was as torn as they were about the colleges they were choosing from. My older son probably missed out on some housing options by waiting, but he liked where he ended up even though it was further from the main campus, for the younger son it made no difference at all.</p>
<p>I almost had a panic attack because we had put off making a deposit until today. We waited for DS to make the decision. But honestly I think we all put off making the decision until yesterday because it was difficult to decide among the 3 schools that DS had on his final list. But we agreed that it was DS’ choice. He decided on one school (Pitt) because of their generous financial aid package. I was about to put down the deposit when I had this feeling yesterday that we should double check the financial aid that Pitt offered DS. This turned out to be a good thing since we found out that Pitt revised their financial aid award 2 weeks ago reducing the grants they gave him for the same amount as the external scholarship that he received (~$10,000). We were so disappointed- we had planned to use that grant to pay for his dorm and we were out of time in making an appeal. Apparently they sent a letter that my son somehow misplaced. We had to backtrack and recalculate the cost of attendance for Pitt and realized that it would be more expensive than Lehigh, which was his first choice initially. By the time we decided to put the deposit at Lehigh is was past midnight (May 1) and I was frantically trying to find my way around the Lehigh Portal to make the deposit. I spent more than an hour before I gave up. This morning I called Lehigh and told them I couldn’t make an online payment and was told that I was in the wrong portal (website) and that DS should have opened a new account for accepted students. Since DS was at school I didn’t know what to do. The admission people at Lehigh couldn’t help me because they said this account information was included in the letter sent to DS. I was about to go to the post office to mail the check when DS found the link to the portal and we were able to pay the deposit. Even after I was able to type in my credit card number it was nerve wracking to finally hit the “send payment” button. Moral to the story- never put off making the deposit payment on the last day and ALWAYS double and triple check the financial aid package. I think all the colleges DS was admitted to send at least one revised financial aid letter. I am relieved to have survived this decision day. However we are not done. DS is on a waiting list for another college and those who are selected from the waiting list will know next week. So I will try to enjoy the next 5 days and go through the ordeal again.</p>
<p>I am baffled that people are not discussing their choices more. I tried this same query, as you know, and almost no one is posting.</p>
<p>One thing I have noticed is that financial concerns are finally taking a top spot in the decisions this year. Several years back, it was more about prestige, and of course this is CC so it still is, but it seems finances have moved up or at least made an appearance in the decisions this year.</p>
<p>I know top schools tend to have better FA, so the two can be tied together, but I am thinking more about full pay people. </p>
<p>it is surreal. the “real” remains senior year and current activities and obligations here at home at at the high school. hoping to look forward soon. prom this week and everyone is stressing about that right now. it seems each holds another burden for someone.</p>