<p>This is extremely premature considering I haven't even applied yet, but what happens to kids who have to back out of an ED acceptance for financial reasons? Does the school make a fuss, or do they let you go? Are there any restrictions applied if you back out? For example, I read on another thread that students could only attend a cheaper state school is they backed out. Is that true?</p>
<p>From the common app ED agreement:
<a href=“https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/DownloadForms.aspx[/url]”>https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/DownloadForms.aspx</a></p>
<p>No common app school can or will force you to attend if their financial aid offer is insufficient, and the student/family decides if the aid is sufficient, not the school.</p>
<p>If you have that one dream school and will attend if there is any financial way to make it happen, by all means apply ED. Don’t apply ED if you want to compare FA offers.</p>
<p>Also, there seems to be some question whether ED helps the admissions chances of unhooked, non-legacy candidates at D. So if you are worried about finances…</p>
<p>You should be able to predict your aid package pretty accurately between their online calculator and asking the college for an early read. There are few surprises if you carefully o through the process. Then your family can determine whether or not it’s a go before you apply.</p>
<p>Dartmouth FAQs -
"What happens if the financial aid package doesn’t seem as though it will work for my family?</p>
<p>You should submit a Request for Financial Aid Review, (which will be included with the award letter), to the Financial Aid Office as soon as possible. No student admitted to Dartmouth through Early Decision is locked in and unable to receive the best financial aid package. If a student and family cannot manage the financial arrangements, we routinely release them from the early commitment so they can apply to other colleges in a timely fashion. In recent years only a tiny handful of Early Decision students have been unable to attend for financial reasons."</p>
<p>For emphasis - “we routinely release them from the early commitment so they can apply to other colleges in a timely fashion”. </p>
<p>I read that literally to say that until you are released, you should not be applying to other schools. Given that you can not start the appeal process until mid-December, finishing it before Jan 1 does not seem a likely timeline.</p>
<p>Even read in the most generous light, it means if you are going to object, you better object immediately. Since Dartmouth “guarantees to meet 100% of the demonstrated financial need of our students during their four years of undergraduate study” and provides a Financial Aid Cost Calculator on its FA site
[Tuition</a>, Fees, and Financial Aid](<a href=“http://www.dartmouth.edu/apply/financialaid/]Tuition”>http://www.dartmouth.edu/apply/financialaid/)
they are not really expecting this to be an issue.</p>
<p>Lord knows what happens if you do object immediately, possibly nothing if you are judged sincere. But nothing that has happened only “a tiny handful of times” “in recent years” can be considered routine.</p>
<p>In the event you attempt to game the system and wait until April to object and never pulled your other apps, you should certainly expect there to be repercussions.</p>
<p>Thank you for your help everyone! I just have a few more questions: </p>
<p>Consolation, do you recommend that I don’t apply ED? I’m not sure of what you were implying (subtlety doesn’t work on me…sorry). Money is a huge issue for me, and I would never be able to afford college, especially Dartmouth, without it. And, I’m unhooked and not a legacy. </p>
<p>Also, OdysseyTiger says that you can’t apply to other schools if you are applying ED. I never read that specifically on the website, but is this true? I was thinking of applying to two places with rolling admissions and one EA. But, if that’s against the rules, there’s no way I’m going to do that. </p>
<p>As for the “timely fashion” part, that worries me. Obviously, I want to have my apps done by the team ED decisions come out, but if I need more money and have to write to them and submit to a review, would I even be able to meet the app deadlines? </p>
<p>I’m questioning if ED is the best option for me or not. I love love love Dartmouth, but I don’t know if ED is the way to go. What do you think?</p>
<p>It’s an issue of timing. You can apply to only one school ED, but you can apply to others non-ED. You can continue applying to other schools until your ED school decision is made. If your ED school accepts you and the FA offer is acceptable, you must withdraw all applications to other schools.</p>
<p>I think ED at Dartmouth sounds reasonable for you, as long as your stats indicate that admission is a reasonable possibility.</p>
<p>As hmom5 said, also use the on-line calculator to see if your finances are in range.</p>
<p>From the Joint Statement for Candidates on Common Ivy Group Admission Procedure</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It will be the school that will determine what is an adequate FA package based on your family’s income/assets. Thre may be a disconnect between what the family thinks they can afford to pay and what the school thinks they can afford to pay. I suggest that you now talk to your parents about how much they are willing to pay/borrow for your education. When they give you an answer, believe it. Don’t think that the money will magically come after you are admitted if the gap is more than your parents are willing to pay. If you enter your information correctly on the Dartmouth FA calculator, your estimate will be pretty much spot on.</p>
<p>I agree with Consolation, that you should not apply ED with the mind set that if the money is not right, that you will draw and apply RD to other schools because this may end up backfiring on you. There is enough information out there so that you and your family can do your due diligence in figuring out what your EFC will be. Also remember that your GC probably will not forward your information (recommendations, transcripts) to the other colleges for admissions until your have been released in writing from your RD school.</p>
<p>“It will be the school that will determine what is an adequate FA package based on your family’s income/assets.”</p>
<p>sybbie, I don’t see this in the quote, and I have never heard of this. Do you have other info?</p>
<p>“An applicant receiving admission and an adequate financial award …”</p>
<p>So if the school determines what is an adequate FA package, why would they bother offering one that is inadequate? Why would they even mention the issue if it’s not for the family to decide? All offers would be adequate from the school’s point of view. Only the family can determine adequacy; there are too many possible complicating factors.</p>
<p>“… until your have been released in writing from your RD school.”</p>
<p>I think you mean from your ED school."</p>
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<p>You re right, yes I meant until you are released from your ED school.</p>
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<p>Most of the time, the school does offer what they feel is an adequate FA package. It will be the family who thinks that the FA package is not adequate. The reason that I said this is that as I previously mentioned, there is often a disconnect between what the family believes that they should have to pay and what the school believes the family can afford to pay. </p>
<p>Sometimes families feel, “while we make make “X” dollars on paper we donot afford to pay this efc becacuse the college does not consider factors such as “X” amount for multiple car payments, credit card debt, family paying “X” amount of mortage, second homes that they are not making money off of, etc.” (tons of example on the FA and the Parent forum threads).</p>
<p>Ok, now I think I misunderstood you. Schools determine what they offer, but families determine if they can afford it. Families can thus decline ED FA offers (at least from common app schools) without consequence, and don’t have to document why.</p>
<p>So if a needy student has that one dream school, her stats are within reach, and the school’s online calculator gives a reasonable number, I think applying ED is reasonable. </p>
<p>So I disagree with you and Consolation (we can politely disagree 
); I think it’s fine to apply ED with the mind set that if the money is not right, she can decline the ED FA offer and apply RD to other schools. I see no backfire consequence; perhaps you can elaborate on what that might be. The common app indicates that there is none.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It is not that cut and dry.</p>
<p>To be released from your ED commitment due to financial reasons, the ownership ends up being on the family having done their due diligence/homework and knowing if the school is a financially feasible option for them. The financial aid office at the end determines if they gave you an adequate package. </p>
<p>A parents/steparents/divorce parents/court agreement stating that the parent does not want to does not have to is not grounds for being released. Will schools work with you if you explain your FA situation? Yes, they will.</p>
<p>Will/can a school force a student to attend a school? Absolutely not. However, the world of college admissions is a very small one, especially at the elite college level. As I stated earlier, in the joint statement, whether the student honors the ED agreement, the other Ivies do honor the agreement and share ED information.</p>
<p>The net-net is if the school is not a financially feasible option ED, it is not going to suddenly become a financially feasible option during RD. The one downside to ED is that you lose the ability to compare FA packages.</p>
<p>Vossron</p>
<p>OP can’t back out of Dartmouth ED and expect to get in to any other Ivy. </p>
<p>Typically these are the specific “consequences” posters are asking about when this topic comes out.</p>
<p>First, this applies no all common app schools, not just Ivies. </p>
<p>No grounds for being released are necessary or must be given; the student/family can just say thanks but no thanks. No documentation is necessary. </p>
<p>Yes, appeals to the FA office are possible and often result in an increased offer when more background information is given.</p>
<p>There may indeed be no point in later applying RD to schools that standardize and communicate their FA offers; the student can’t afford them anyway. I agree; applying to another Ivy is probably pointless.</p>
<p>Students who want to compare FA offers should NOT apply ED; ED is for students who have that one dream school they will attend if there is any way possible. I keep saying this! :)</p>
<p>Honestly, I don’t care that much about comparing FA offers- I just want to go to Dartmouth if I get accepted. After I plugged all the information into the EFC calculator, my parents said they could afford the expected contribution. But, since my parents make less than $75,000 a year, wouldn’t I go to Dartmouth for free?</p>
<p>It would depend on what assets your parents have. If they have home equity, investments, own a business–all that will also be looked at.</p>
<p>It’s free TUITION for families making <$75,000. There’s an important distinction between tuition and total cost of attendance (which includes books, room, and board).</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>No, you will not tattend Dartmouth for free (this is why it is important to run your numbers through the FA calculator).</p>
<p>[Cost</a> Estimator](<a href=“http://www.dartmouth.edu/apply/financialaid/calculator/]Cost”>http://www.dartmouth.edu/apply/financialaid/calculator/)</p>
<p>Tuition is $38,679
room and board $11,295
In addition, indirect costs include an estimated books & miscellaneous expense of $2,999 along with the expenses associated with travel, health insurance and a computer. </p>
<p>You will have a student contribution, and probably a parent’s contribution (depending on your parent’s income/assets).</p>
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<p>From: Dartmouth College Financial Aid Handbook</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.dartmouth.edu/apply/pdfs/Financial_Aid_Handbook.pdf[/url]”>http://www.dartmouth.edu/apply/pdfs/Financial_Aid_Handbook.pdf</a></p>
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<p>everything makes so much sense now. thank you!</p>