<p>I need a little perspective, and ya’ll are usually pretty good at that.
Two of my S’s schools are waiting until “late April” to inform students of their competitive merit scholarships. I find this - honestly - rude! It’s not like application season snuck up on them!
This means all of the other info from schools will be in hand on April 1st, however the $$ info from these two will not be known until a week - or less! - from the student’s decision date.
(to make matters worse, S will be on the opposite coast for a national competition for the entire week before and including 5/1).
This makes it impossible, for example, to go visit only if the school is determined to be affordable. To me it seems disrespectful to the students who have worked so hard for so many months on this process. Also, it seems totally biased toward those families who can afford last minute air travel for a visit or competitive weekend.
Any thoughts?
Especially ones that will make me feel less put out - lol</p>
<p>I won’t make you feel less put out - but I will agree that you have a definite right to feel that way. My S’ merit awards came very early or on April 1 at the latest. He didn’t have any of those come-to-our-scholarship-interview/weekend things. So others who have been through that can maybe tell you how they coped.</p>
<p>Me? I agree with you. Worse than rude. Manipulative.</p>
<p>Yes, I agree with you that the colleges are inconsiderate. </p>
<p>Your S could always ask for an extension of the date that he needs to make his decision. Colleges do give such extensions.</p>
<p>Ojr, I certainly understand your son’s frustration! </p>
<p>One thought: have your son ask his guidance counselor to call the schools early in April, explain that he is considering other offers from competitor schools (if such is the case), and will be unavailable to make a decision or receive notification the last week of April. He/she should then ask directly if your son is a viable candidate for the merit awards. While the schools may not ANNOUNCE the awards earlier, there’s a high probability that they have a good idea of where the cards will fall, and they may be willing to give a strong hint, or even a direct answer, a little sooner to the guidance counselor. Of course, the GC may not get any information either, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.</p>
<p>It really is unrealistic for any school to give just one week to make the final decision, but, as NSM suggests it is possible to ask for an extension (of course, you’d also have to ask for one at all other schools still in the running).</p>
<p>elite schools offer this information w/ the admit letter or offer the chance to compete with the admit letter. </p>
<p>Don’t buy in to it.</p>
<p>Be sure to include your complaints in your (son’s) letter declining the kind offer of admission. </p>
<p>(I have mentally written several letters that include the phrase, “sorry, but your institution is just too darn expensive absent merit money”)</p>
<p>WOI - one of them is a very highly ranked LAC - and the offer to compete comes with the admit letter, however the actual scholarship decision and award notification isn’t until “late April”</p>
<p>Carolyn - that’s a great suggestion! Will it really work? The “interview weekend” isn’t even until mid-April. Is there any way that a call from the HS GC could hurt?</p>
<p>Also - his best experience with the competitive interview type situation has been with his “lowest” ranked school. They did a wonderful, organized job, and got info. to the kids quickly while making them feel worth a million bucks (the awards were actually a little over 100k)</p>
<p>I think these late schools have cut off their noses to spite their faces. Kids are making up their minds now. The silent schools start falling to the bottom of the pile. I can’t imagine how they think it is a good thing to notify kids late.</p>
<p>orjr-
Knowing that many admissions officers lurk on these boards, I hope that you will reveal here or on the board for the specific LAC which schools these are. Of course, you may want to wait until after all the decisions are made because you may have, once upon a time revealed some identifying info.</p>
<p>This practice is shameful, and IMHO, deserves to be exposed to daylight.</p>
<p>Mafool</p>
<p>“Is there any way that a call from the HS GC could hurt?”</p>
<p>I read your question over, because you have a lot at stake here. The same question came into my mind immediately upon reading Carolyn’s suggestion.</p>
<p>I have painting going on in my house now, so can’t think clearly as I’d like, but can you ask yourself these questions: how experienced and diplomatic is your GC? Wouldn’t want to risk your actual award based on requiring to know sooner than other families, who might roll with it all better…because they can afford to roll. Not fair and I don’t want you to lose doubly because you need to know…and you DO need to know.</p>
<p>Can you converse with the GC and say, “HOW would you ask about this?” and together determine if it sounds like a “no-lose-possible-gain” phone call.
I like the idea of finding out hints, if the school’s in a position to give them out now. I wouldn’t ever say (or let the GC say on my behalf) anything categorical, as in, “if he doesn’t get that award, he can hardly consider going there…” because that feels like a shake-down.</p>
<p>I assume you’ve already been accepted so there’s no chance of that being undone, right? You’re just talking about whether or not the merit $ makes the acceptance (already in hand) doable, right? It’s the painting, I can’t quite grasp your sitatuion, forgive me…am trying to help.</p>
<p>I also think it’s great to have a GC call, if they’re good at such calls and willing, b/c there’s no petulence or tone of being “put out.” Or, if the GC is put out on behalf of the student, it’s more professional than the parent to BE put out. </p>
<p>On an unrelated matter, I just coached my S before he phoned a college, noticing he felt slightly peeved by a small piece of a process. I reminded him to ALWAYS start cheerful in tone, to repeat his pleasure that they’re considering him, and then work into the problem issue.</p>
<p>Well, I guess I should back-up and acknowledge that yes - we feel very lucky/blessed to be in this situation - merit $$ would be wonderful and acceptances are validating and terrific. BUT given that, it just seems crazy that the schools would put kids in this last minute position. I DO need to say that this is MY frustration - NOT my son’s - he is perfectly oblivious as he is too busy with EC’s and school and has confidence that all will work out. Me too - but I know that somewhere along the line a professional decision was made at these schools to place kids in the position of having to jump high on last minute command. Just feels bad to me.
OK - to answer questions: GC is in first year, but appears very sharp except for not as confidential as I’d like. Could try to have such a conversation, however no way to know what he’d actually say.
And yes, the admit in hand, however the financial merit not being revealed.
And of course - your counsel on being POSITIVE is a must!!</p>