So a college just emailed me stating that I’m a “Priority applicant” for this college (high point university). They said that I would receive certain benefits by simply applying, but I’m not entirely sure what that means…
First of all, does this actually mean anything, or is it like those awards that they ask you to pay to get? Is there any real benefit to being a priority applicant? And if there is, can I somehow give my priority status to someone else? (High point is one of my friend’s top school)
Regarding finances: Does being a priority applicant allow me to get more merit aid at this particular university? Could I get a full ride or at least a sizable chunk off as a result?
Last question: Is there someway I can try to be a priority applicant at a school of my choosing? Or is it by invitation only?
There was a discussion of this recently. Generally, “priority applicant” seems to be mostly a marketing ploy. There might be a streamlined application process. I don’t think much more than that.
It’s a marketing ploy. They probably received stats from College Board and you are the type of student they want to attract just based on that one factor. (High SAT maybe.) They might be willing to waive the application fee and offer to put you at the top of the pile to be reviewed. That being said, it doesn’t get you anything substantial. They will review your application and offer merit based off your application. Your friend will be reviewed likewise. You can’t give your status to anyone. Not all schools have “priority applicants”. Look at it like the letter from Harvard that says we want you. They want you to apply but it doesn’t really mean they know everything about you to say you will get in. Schools want large number of applicants so they can say they are selective. They will market themselves to you that way.
Okay, thanks for letting me know! I didn’t think it meant too much either, but I thought maybe I should double check. I’ll also mention that they said that they would waive my application fee, so I was wondering if that meant I’d get merit aid too (but probably not really)
Thanks for your replies! Let me know if anyone else got these emails and what they did.
I wouldn’t count on it. Colleges can buy lists of applicants from the College Board based on criteria they want. Zip code is a well-known proxy for family wealth, it is possible they bought a list of what they expect to be full-pay applicants. Waiving the app fee is a carrot; once you take the bait you may end up getting plenty of literature and even calls from current students talking up the school.
Of course (since you don’t name the college) it’s possible they are interested in you because you’re a high scorer and colleges like to bring in a few of those. In that case their may be merit aid out there for you.
Realize that colleges are a business and the admission office at some schools plays a major role in their financial health. Few colleges in the country are need blind.
I know I most likely won’t get and need-based financial aid, and I’ll most likely have to make do with that. However, with all that said, I don’t want college to be such a horrible burden on my family. If there a decent college that would take me with significant merit aid, I would sincerely consider that.
Sometimes the priority applications let you apply with no fee, but that’s about the only possible advantage I know of. It is pretty much a marketing tool to increase the number of applicants. But you cannot just pass it along to your friend.
RPI sent a letter with a username and code for something called the Candidate’s Choice application (I think that was the name anyway). Supposedly it offers fewer questions, automatic merit consideration, and a streamlined application process (whatever that means). They did not waive the application fee, and since my son isn’t interested in RPI I have no idea how much less time-consuming this application would be compared to the regular RPI app, or if every applicant is automatically considered for merit aid, or whether the “streamlined” process is really any different than the regular application process. To me it just seems like marketing. Fee waivers are great, even if everyone gets them, but I wouldn’t read anything into any waivers or unsolicited offers of “special” applicant status.