Colleges Trying to Firm Up Shaky Freshman Enrollment

[BCEagle91]

The difference that I see is that there is more cumulative stress on families today than there was last year and that hopes of a quick turnaround in the jobs picture don't look that good. The economy may recover with the massive spending/stimulus money but translating that to jobs will take a while.

[bird rock]

One quick question: If you do get a last minute acceptance, how much money do you lose?

Let's say you're set to go Boston University and on August 20 a Harvard admissions guy calls to tell you you've been accepted. Generally speaking (not just asking about BU) how much money is down the drain?

[BCEagle91]

I imagine that this varies from university to university. If you're in that situation, call BU, identify yourself as John Smith and ask. I assume lots of universities are doing this so they should be understanding if it's done to them.

I think that the money lost wouldn't be much but the hassle in getting it back could be tough on cash flow.

[bluebayou]

bird:

depends on the individual college's policy for tuition refund -- the deposit is nearly always non-refundable. Some colleges allow for 100% tuition refund up to the first day of classes.

[NewHope33]

^ At BU it's 100% refund of tuition up until the first day of classes. The deposits are gone obviously, and I couldn't find a refund schedule for R&B and Fees.

Boston University - Office of the University Registrar - Important Dates - Refund Schedule - Fall 2009

[kayf]

I foresee a trend in some schools starting classes earlier and earlier to avoid summer melt.

[garland]

The school I work at just had an "Instant Decision Day." So, these are kids that are just applying now. For a lot of people, college applying and acceptance is not something that happens the spring before, or at least is settled then.

[drizzit]

Son was wait listed at two schools and he just threw those letters away, despite one being his top choice. He said it was just time to move on and make the decision from the ones where he was accepted and the $$ were right. Personally I think that is the healthy way to go.

This last minute change is expensive and stressful and in the long run probably not worth it regardless of the school involved.

[Modadunn]

If a school was clearly a first choice and a kid was waitlisted, I would at least stay on that waitlist for a little while. We had several kids who were waitlisted (this year particularly) but almost all got into their top choice shortly after May 1. Yes, it may have been a deposit loss, but in the grand scheme of tuition payments, losing a deposit is not the worst that can happen. Let's say you're first choice was (not like HYP as the waitlist probably doesn't move much), but something up the tiers. How many kids who applied to your first choice would that school possibly be their safety or something (as they are hoping for HYP but you certainly wouldn't JUST apply to those three.

In any event, excuse the ramble, but I see a world of difference between staying on a waitlist for a month and seeing where it goes than just throwing in the towel at the first road block.

[CountingDown]

We know someone whose cousin just got into MIT off the waitlist. It's melting in Boston, too.

[Modadunn]

Let's just say that if you're full pay or need very little aid, you have a better chance of that phone call any month than if you are looking for a full ride. So I guess there would be some bigger puddles of melt at schools who don't have a lot of aid (merit or otherwise) or who calculate need in a way that doesn't meet the gap.

[BigG]

I wonder how the cascade of bright middle class and formerly middle class students to state schools is going to effect graduate and professional school admissions. That first tuition bill from a pricey college is a blowtorch to recession strapped families!

Is a college education from a mid-level state school adequate or do you learn more at more highly ranked schools? Can the success of "top" schools be attributed to the quality of their students rather than the pricey classes? If you aren't already "well connected", how much can a top 20 education help relative to a mid-level education?

Standardized test score analysis might tell the tale. For students with +2300 SAT's at top 20 schools vs. students with +2300 SAT's at mid-level schools, how much better did the students with the high priced education do on the MCAT? Similar analysis of GRE, MCAT and LSAT data might be interesting.

Will the private graduate and professonal schools band together in a program to "defend the franchise" by dis-ing capable public college students with high GPA's and standardized test scores???

Stay tuned to CC for stories, facts, opinions and BS regarding these and other matters.

[kayakmom]

big g: there should be some interesting studies out of this anyway!

[kayf]

Will be interesting to see impact on transfers next year.

[BigG]

My D has already had a couple of solicitations to apply for transfer to schools where she was waitlisted and then denied.

Is this usual?