CACOVA

(I had already written my response above before reading post #27)

This is interesting - please keep us informed as to what happens. Our S also has good test scores, a decent weighted GPA, some EC's (mostly Crew and Band), and goes to a math/science magnet....so, when we get our letter I will report back what they have to say...

noimagination

@mantori.suzuki: Both of your scenarios are possible. Mines has some issues with both yield and retention, and I could see them being a bit skittish about your son for either reason.

Golden will be an even nicer place to live once the West Corridor light rail line is done, making it possible to access downtown Denver by train.

mom2collegekids

I'm sorry, but I wouldn't think that they're considering an offer of a full-ride. If that was the case, they would have admitted him, and then asked for a mid-year transcript for possible scholarship consideration.

I don't mean to be negative, but this school doesn't even list any full-ride offers on it's website. Schools like to brag that they offer some full-rides as an incentive to get strong stats applications. So, to expect one from a school that doesn't seem to have any seems....well... wishful thinking.

To offer an OOS student a full-ride - tuition, room, board, etc - costs about $140,000. I don't know if people realize this, but full-ride scholarships have to be underwritten in some major way - either by strong alumni orgn, or some deep pocket endowment. (The money has to come from somewhere.) I don't know if Mines has such deep pockets.

I also don't think a school that was considering offering a full-ride would've sent this kind of "demoralizing" letter. (And if I'm wrong, Mines needs to do a better job at PR, cuz this doesn't endear anyone.)



Your son's test scores are awesome. I think they just want to make sure that he's not one of those kids who score great, but doesn't put the effort in at school. Of course, I could be wrong.


I hope that your son is also applying to some schools that guarantee that he'll get a great merit scholarship with his stats.

AL34

mantori -
I have to say your son's results confuse me quite a bit, DS has very similar stats and he got admitted really quickly. No essay so that can't be it, he doesn't remember if he had to apply to a specific degree program, could possibly have something to do with it? Regional bias, like they need kids from a certain area? It just doesn't make alot of sense.

Easier said than done but I hope you can get a solid answer to this and then put it out of your mind. We had an episode last week where a computer glitch had DS and some others rejected from what should have been a sure thing, definitely messed with our head for the better part of a day, makes you question everything.

Your son's stats are terrific, no doubt about that!

Keilexandra

mantori - With approximately the same income and straightforward assets, my EFC is around 20k for non-HYPS schools. Can you afford that amount?

Your S has a good shot at full tuition from Pitt, which is primarily stats-based (though the on-record D might be an issue), and a chance at a full ride. Rochester full tuition is more competitive, involving an interview, but he has a chance.

mantori.suzuki

mom2collegekids, I'm being a bit tongue-in-cheek about expecting a full ride. I realize that expecting such a thing under any circumstances would be overly optimistic, especially at a school that doesn't appear to offer such a thing. But thanks for keeping me grounded, anyway. I do need that sometimes.

AL34, thanks for the info about your son's admission. That makes me scratch my head. But I am happy to hear the news. Congratulations! Having an early admission under your belt should be a confidence-booster.

Keilexandra, $20K per year is more than I want to spend. That will be a tough call. I guess it depends how much he likes the school and how much he's willing to take in loans to supplement what I can afford to pay.

I am excited about Pitt! I hope you're right about the full-tuition scholarship. Rochester sounds great, too. But I still hope Mines works out as a financially viable option; there's some attraction there, at least for me. For my son...well, we'll see.

Thanks, everyone, for your encouragement and ideas.

Keilexandra

^Yeah, it's more than my parents want to spend, too... thankfully, they are willing to spend more than they want to. But finances will remain a big part of my final decision.

mom2collegekids

AL34....did you say that you needed FA? If not, perhaps the school is "need award".

AL34

^not eligible for any FA so that can't be it.

mom2collegekids

AL34...I think I may have not phrased my question right.


I was thinking that maybe your child was accepted right away with similar stats because you don't need any aid. Maybe Mines is "need aware" especially for OOS. Maybe they're concerned about accepting an OOS who needs aid, because Mines thinks that the OP will decline the school when the FA package is inadequate.

The OP needs aid.

AL34

DS doesn't remember if the fast app asked anything about needing aid at all, he thinks not because that would have been something he would have run by me when doing the app., but then by this time all ther apps kind of blend in together.

mantori.suzuki

True, but there was nothing on the application about aid.