<p>OK, today I called every school in the USNWR top 20 that offers ED and asked about their policy. There was only one school in that group where I could not reach an admissions counselor. That’s 11 schools. Every single one said they do release the commitment if it is for financial reasons AND NOT ONE SENDS A LETTER. I specifically asked each and every one if there were ever letters sent, and they all said no. Only one, Emory, said they send a letter if they determine the student was not adequately informed when applying, but not for financial reasons since the FA package is only “an estimate”. One even said “Goodness, no. Who would do that?”. There were a couple of “Absolutely not” and “Of course not” replies.</p>
<p>So you can see this is not the norm. Again, personal financial information is supposed to remain confidential. I am quite sure that when submitting the financial details to the school, American agrees to keep this information confidential. It is probably required by law. By sending this letter, a foreseeable result could be that the student will be asked why. In answering truthfully, the student is then revealing information about their family’s financial situation that they may not want known. It may not be detailed information, but that is not the point. They are not supposed to have to reveal ANY financial information to these high school officials. I admit having all these things falling into place to create this situation is unlikely, but certainly not impossible. The principle remains the same. It is unfair to penalize a student in this manner for being in an unfortunate financial situation.</p>