Daughter got accepted, not sure I can afford it

calmom
Fri, 07 Jan 2011 20:23:20 +0000

I think you need to be insensitive to small price fluctuations that would make, for instance, choice #2 a few thousand cheaper per year than choice #1

For many people, “a few thousand per year” is a LOT of money. We don’t consider that to be “small”.

The more we need aid, the less likely we are to think that “a few thousand” is insignificant.



To give an example from my personal experience: my mother was willing to pay 5k more for Swarthmore than for Carleton, although I would have been just as happy at the latter.



I’m confused --as you applied ED II to Swarthmore, how would you have a financial aid award to look at from Carleton? Or did your mother have a firm figure in mind as to what she would be willing to pay for each school before you applied?



students like its ED policies because it gives them an early response and a small admissions boost, which matters especially to the unhooked.



The bottom line is that ED succeeds because the college has managed to sell ED applicants on the idea that they aren’t good enough to compete with the vast majority of college applicants in the RD pool. It plays into fears and the idea that a “hook” is needed for college admissions.

I can see the attraction of an early response from a desired school – that’s why I fully support rolling admissions, EA, and other early-read programs. I just don’t think any student, ever, should be expected to commit themselves to attending a college at any time prior than the time the full COA has been disclosed to them. (That would include full pays who apply to a college in November, but end up paying whatever tuition increases are enacted the following March).

Again, that’s my legal training – in most contracts, the actual costs are considered an essential contract term, and contracts are generally not deemed binding where the actual costs and/or the manner of calculation aren’t disclosed with specificity. I don’t see why a 17 year old applying to college should be held to more onerous contract conditions than would be acceptable among experienced adults in a busiess setting.