I’m a California high school student, and I was matched with a school 2000 miles away in Michigan by a full tuition scholarship program. I still applied to 3 UCs and 2 CSUs as backup, because I didn’t hear back til mid January. I applied ED because it doubled as my final application for the scholarship program (ED was required) and at the time, I was certain it was what I wanted.
However, I am thinking about logistics and costs and, should I get accepted into my top UC, it makes more sense to stay in state. The only aid I will receive from K-Zoo will be the full tuition scholarship and I don’t qualify for anything more through FAFSA either. My older sister attends a UC and her COA is significantly lower through middle class scholarships and other things she applied to. Additionally, I’m getting cold feet about 1, moving so far from home, and 2, moving somewhere so extremely different.
I’ve read that violating ED agreements can lead to other acceptances getting rescinded. Ending up at a community college would’t be the end of the world but it’s not what I prefer - so I’m hoping there are ways around it? Some Trainers in my scholar program have mentioned students dropping because, “there were just other routes that made more sense for them at the time.” I’ve also heard you can get out of ED agreements for financial reasons (so long as you appeal first) but I know for certain I won’t be getting any need based aid to cover my room and board.
If anyone knows more about getting out of ED, any advice or help is greatly appreciated :’D
I’ll be very blunt. You didn’t give what I would consider to be an ethical reason to simply violate your ED agreement. You knew what you were signing up for at the time, and nothing material has changed. Like, you didn’t mention anything about changed financial circumstances, or getting a surprisingly low aid offer after using their NPC. if you had simply wanted to keep your financial options open, you should not have applied ED.
Assuming that summary of your situation is correct, I personally think you should give it a chance. If it really isn’t working, you can transfer. But you made a committment to try. And I think there is a good chance it will work out a lot better than you are currently fearing.
You mention that you were in a scholarship program that required ED. You should talk to your advisor in the scholarship program about your situation. It may be that they can help you out since they forced you in. Or it could be that your obligation is not just to the ED school, but also to the program, and that you must immediately withdraw those other apps.
You’ve been accepted ED and committed to another university. You are required to withdraw all other pending applications. So those UC applications should be withdrawn per the ED agreement that you and your parents and your hs counselor agreed to.
Please do not do this on your own and speak with your advisor in the program regarding next steps. You will not be the first person in the program to rethink their commitment to a university so far from home. Plus none of us know the “rules” with this program (as you didn’t identify) and if they allow for applications to stay in play for your home state universities to allow you to truly evaluate costs.
I also know families don’t always think through the cost of leaving home for college - there will be plane tickets and most likely additional clothing expenses for severe cold weather gear - all of this can be a hardship and hopefully your program provided a reasonable estimate.
Yes. At my kid’s school, they will actually inform the ED school that you are in violation of the agreement because you haven’t withdrawn the other apps.
Even if the family says they can’t afford the school and/or if those pesky life circumstances get in the way? Seriously, not trying to be difficult. No counselor can push back against those reasons, because those types of details are not for the counselor to necessarily be aware of.
Students are supposed to inform the counselor if there is a reason they cannot go to the ED school. By now most if not all ED accept deadlines should be past, no? If there is an accept on the ED school, no communication to the counselor and other apps are not withdrawn yes they will. They have sent out 2 emails in the past week or so about this so anyone with a genuine issue should have communicated to the counselors by now.
Students can get an extension as they negotiate FA, but I would assume they would tell the counselor that. If the family sent in the enrollment deposit, I would be less sympathetic.
Big picture (I know I’ve posted this before)…who does it serve to ‘make’ a student attend a school they don’t want to, when they can freely transfer after one semester?
We are not the people that you should be talking to. You should be talking to your trainers, not to some anonymous strangers on the internet.
I know more about this system than anybody else on this site, and I can tell you that nobody here, including me, can really give you even a fraction of the good advice that your trainer can.
Your Trainers are not the enemy. They are not people who you need to avoid and you don’t need to hide your feelings and calculations from them. They understand you and can help you make the right decision for you.
You are really thinking of all the wrong things. Stop thinking of how difficult it will be, and how much easier it will be to find something close by. Start thinking about how you can do this.
You were selected from thousands of other nominees because of leadership potential.
Be that leader. Make decisions based on what is RIGHT for you, not based on what feels good now. That right decision is talking with your trainer.
Again:
TALK TO YOUR TRAINER!!!
Call them NOW. They will be happy to talk with you.
BTW, if you were not given any financial aid from Kalamazoo, you have little chance to get a better price from any college here. Room and board are $13K a year, which is more or less what your parents would pay. Most schools will charge you that or more.
PS. I am a volunteer interviewer and resume coach for Posse, and my kid was a Posse Scholar at at Middlebury, and that was like nothing that she’s ever seen. I knew her Posse, and many others, and I know what this entire thing is.
Sorry @MWolf this is about UCB or UCLA etc look a lot better than K.
The scholarship and logistics are a nice sideshow but like many others - oh I got into a higher ranked school….if OP gets into one, that’s clearly why they are asking, let’s be honest.
They signed an ED agreement and got into K mid January. That they didn’t withdraw is flat out wrong.
A reminder that this is supposed to be a friendly and welcoming site. The OP is asking a a specific question. Please keep your comments focused on that. TIA