<p>with DS1 HS 2010 we did not even entertain the idea of ED due to needing aid. It simply was not on the table.
Then came DS2 and the net price calculators. GC seemed to think he was maybe RD and definite ED and the NPC gave us #'s that were do-able. Colgate promises 100% need and same packages ED as RD. They also have a VERY generous attitude re outside scholarships - allowing them to reduce EFC.
So very much wish that all schools were needs blind. oh well.<br>
We continue to hope for the best.</p>
<p>Need-blindness is highly overrated. There are lots of schools that have need-blind admission, but do not guarantee to meet need, or guarantee to meet need only with significant loans. I would much rather have a need-aware college decide whether to admit me with a good aid package or reject me, than have a need-blind college admit me but play “chicken” with me on a gapped aid package.</p>
<p>JHS - you are so right. I wrote in haste. It actually was not a search criteria for him.
DS1 is ecstatically happy at his needs aware school that was very generous to him.
It is just hard as a parent to have even a hint that our financial need may prevent him from going where he is qualified to go - but unfortunately that is very much the case for a huge number of parents.</p>
<p>I have been following this thread as skier’s S and mine are in the exact same boat… just different schools… my S’s ED deferral was from Colorado College. Same thing, high SAT’s 3.6ish UW GPA, great EC’s, Eagle Scout, 1500 community service hrs… summer internship, holds a job, commutes 3 hrs a day to school… showed the love to CC from day one, interviewed, wrote hearfelt essays… etc. is an absolutely GREAT fit for CC. All looked good, CC even emailed my S and asked him to change from EA to ED… and then came the deferral letter… we need signifigant aid as well. JHS’s idea about the FA and admissions is the first real thing that makes sense to me. It’s interesting that some EA schools don’t ask for your profile till after your EA or ED decision… I think CC and Colgate both ask for it with the early app… that may be noteworthy right there. </p>
<p>My S is going to do all the above mentioned things that skier’s S did also. It will interesting what his admissions rep says. My S still wants to go to CC above all others, so hoping to do eveything possible to be accepted in March… but I really don’t think at this point he can do much to change anything… except send in first semster grades, which he will.</p>
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<p>This was my younger S – on the far right side of the chart for SATs, not on the radar at some of his schools with GPA. (I am sure there will be parents at his HS looking at the little green dot on the chart and figuring that kid must have been an athlete or legacy! He was neither.) What made the difference for him was the essays. He also had a third rec, written by a terrific teacher at his HS who would only send the letter to two schools. We suspect this letter was crucial where he got in (and S was VERY strategic about those two copies of the letter went), and would have helped him elsewhere.</p>
<p>A third rec that is personal and brings out a side of your S not already conveyed in the apps might be helpful.</p>
<p>5boys, I am sorry your S was deferred. I remember how excited you all were about Colorado College.</p>
<p>Note: If your school does not send mid-year transcripts until well after the semester is complete, scan the report card and send it to the regional rep and tell them the official version is coming, but you wanted to give him/her a heads-up. This was an issue in our school system, which finishes the semester the week of the MLK holiday but does not release transcripts to the high schools til after President’s Day.</p>
<p>Re: FA – Chicago was need blind, wanted PROFILE by EA application deadline. Tufts was 90% need-blind. Tufts gave us much better FA.</p>
<p>^Countingdown, correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t your son have some heavy-duty science ECs including being a Seimens Intel finalist (or semi)? He likely had a hook that allows the Adcoms to look pass the lower GPA, particularly a science powerhouse like Chicago.</p>
<p>My son didn’t get into any school where his SAT/ACT put him over the top on Naviance but his GPA was on the low side. He had some semi-solid ECs: won several national Latin awards, NMF, school newspaper, captain football team but nothing over the top. His essays were pretty darn good and were vetted by a private counselor. I think unless there are some stellar ECs (and Seimens Intel is pretty stellar, showing a lot of discipline) the AdComs see someone with a perfect SAT and lower than average (for the school) as under performing and therefore, unreliable in terms of academic work.</p>
<p>“He was accepted EA at Case with great merit but so -so need aid so that may be a stretch.”</p>
<p>I would reiterate what others have said–this Colgate ED deferral may be a blessing in disguise, giving you the ability to compare finaid packages. Suppose your S had been accepted but the aid wasn’t sufficient? That would have been a dilemma.</p>
<p>^^ I’m sure she’ll be back, but CD is talking about her S2 above, not her S1 with the math talents.</p>
<p>My D wanted to apply ED to the school she currently attends but CC discouraged it and we stuck by RD and waited. I am so glad we did. The admission office told us all the things you were told and we had significant need also. </p>
<p>In the end she was accepted to 8 of the 9 schools she applied to. The aid packages were wildly different. Even at schools that promised to meet 100% of our need, the difference was $10,000 per year! And that was the first year package when they knew they were vying for our admittance! That was $10,000 of grant money, not loans or anything we would have to pay back.</p>
<p>My D had the same situation as CountingDown’s S. The school that promised to meet need was worse than the school which promised to meet 90%. </p>
<p>I’m not sure what your S received from Case Western but I’m suspecting it was one of their highest awards based on his SAT scores. If that wasn’t sufficient to meet your need, I am guessing that he needs a lot of aid. It might explain the ED deferral from Colgate.</p>
<p>Just wondering what other schools your S is planning on applying to? We found that the schools which used the Profile gave us a better FA package than those who didn’t.</p>
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<p>Oops! Sorry, got her kids mixed up. That’s what happens when I post first thing in the morning before my brain cells have kicked in. :)</p>
<p>^LOL, especially when both kids applied to Chicago, and S1 went there!</p>
<p>How would you decide whether to contact the adcom when deferred? If the school doesn’t sound inviting followups other than the mid year report, should you still try?</p>
<p>Sure, always try.</p>
<p>Ive worked with kids applying to Colgate a lot over the years and I’ve never seen money be an issue ED. It has strong funds. I think the OP needs a serious review of the application. IMO money is not the issue.</p>
<p>My guess is that the deferral has something to do with GPA. What is the approximate class rank? I don’t think it is money - I agree with Waverly that Colgate’s need aware approach is less of an issue in ED rounds, and more likely to be an issue later in RD as spots and funds become scarce. Having followed Colgate admissions for a number of years, my sense is that while Colgate (like many other schools) likes high scores from unhooked males, grades are far more important. When reading through this thread, I remembered one of my son’s good friends: he had perfect or near perfect scores and not so stellar grades. He was turned down by Colgate (but got into UChicago, which I suspect loved his essays - he’s a great writer - more than his scores). </p>
<p>To the OP, it’s really a pity that your GC wouldn’t call, as I think Admissions might have been more forthcoming with the GC. I would recommend sending an additional rec from a senior year teacher, and for your S to write an additional essay/letter making it clear why he is so enthusiastic about Colgate.</p>
<p>Skier29, what was the final outcome?</p>
<p>Skier posted this thread a YEAR ago. Is skier still posting here?</p>
<p>He/she last posted in late April. Edy, PM her and ask her to come back and post the outcome!</p>
<p>She posted the outcome last spring: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1310053-whining-feeling-guilty.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1310053-whining-feeling-guilty.html</a></p>
<p>Can’t believe I went back and read that, but now I have to know: did he go with SUNY or F&M? Anyone know?</p>
<p>Just read whining and feeling guilty. Bumped into this thread researching Colgate. I’m such a newbie I don’t even know what the abbreviations mean :)! </p>
<p>As I read these posts I ached for Skier, and I kept thinking the issue here is fit. I also kept thinking Lehigh would be perfect and was excited to see it as a wait list choice on her other thread.</p>
<p>I just went through this with my son. ED1 to Colgate with 2 other friends from same private school. They heard, and were accepted, two days before he did. The two days from Hades, as I frantically tried to figure out the best response to a possible deferral or, heaven forbid, rejection, that would hurt at multiple levels. He was accepted, and I can’t remember the last time I felt that level of relief and joy. </p>
<p>So reading these two threads is giving me PTS ;), but it had also given me a flash of
insight. What happened to Skiers son is he didn’t actually find the right “fit” for most of his schools, and it had nothing to do with GPA or test scores. From what I can tell, he sounds like a gifted math/science student who would make an outstanding engineering major, or something along those lines. Perfect for Lehigh. Not perfect for Colgate.
The I know four kids, including my son, who just got into Colgate. None of them had as impressive math/science stats as Skiers son. But they were very strong students at very good schools whose GC (I know that one!) had recommended Colgate as top choice. We also visited Lehigh, and thought iy would be a terrible fit.</p>
<p>Colgate prides itself in having an incredibly happy, engaged student body, a 94% graduation rate, and huge alumni loyalty and support. FIT. It’s a business. Not only do they want these kids to say yes and show up, they want them to love it, graduate, and give back. </p>
<p>Colgate says no to its excellent ED1 candidates when they honestly think they won’t be happy there. They’re trying to hold on to thst 94% graduation rate. And they probably do have a pretty good idea of who will thrive and who will transfer.</p>
<p>Another interesting thought. My son did 2 EAs and 1ED. Had the ED not worked, he would have switched the 2nd EA to an ED2 (he got into the 1st EA with a scholarship). He was very focused in his search. He did not send the common app out to any other schools. The 2nd EA would have lo Ed to have him as an ED2.</p>
<p>So my thoughts looking back over this gut wrenching process is that A) setting aside the very significant, temporary pain of rejection, all there great kids will thrive somewhere, and B) these smaller, competitve colleges want nothing more than to find kids who will really, really love their school. Focusing in and finding the school that is made for students with your strengths and interests is way more valuable than hitting that common app send
button 20x. Find the schools that are looking for you and you will have found the schools you are looking for.</p>