<p>My students want to apply to both Early Action And Early Decision programs. As none are wealthy, they feel it is not problematic because were they admitted, they would receive aid. I have strongly advised against this. Am I wrong!?
fortworthwoman</p>
<p>When you say “my students”’ does that mean you’re a counselor? I wouldn’t let kids get away with anything that will reflect poorly on you, and it does if you let them break the rules.</p>
<p>Early Action would be okay if it is non-binding.</p>
<p>EA would be OK. ED is not a good idea unless it is one of the rare schools with fabulous guaranteed need-based financial aid that they obviously qualify for. Important for students to realize that the schools-- not their families --determine whether the school has met their financial need. It can be difficult to back out of ED even if one didn’t get the aid one feels is needed. When students back out of ED, it reflects badly on the school and counselor, too, and some colleges will punish schools by not accepting other students from that school if anyone backs out of ED. Such punishments can last for years.</p>
<p>^ Unless the reason is that the FA offer is not enough to support attendance. Here’s what the Common App says about it:
<a href=“https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/docs/downloadforms/ED_Agreement.pdf[/url]”>https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/docs/downloadforms/ED_Agreement.pdf</a></p>
<p>FAFSA/PROFILE simply don’t capture every family’s situation. Schools decide what they’ll offer, based on such standard financial measures; families decide if it’s enough, based on their own situation. Schools don’t want to lose top needy students because of fear of punishment; if there are known cases of punishment, we should name the schools so students can avoid them.</p>
<p>An article on the subject:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/education/edlife/strategy.html[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/education/edlife/strategy.html</a></p>
<p>It’s important to realize that the school, not the parents, determines what the family can afford. If, for instance, a family with a six-figure income believes it should pay only $5 k a year for their kid’s college or believes its kid should get a full ride, I highly doubt that colleges would be sympathetic and easily allow the kid to back out of ED. There are many families who through ignorance or a sense of entitlement have grandiose ideas about what financial aid their students will receive. </p>
<p>If money is a concern, that’s why in virtually all situations, one shouldn’t apply ED.</p>
<p>“The most acceptable excuse officials cite for backing out of an early decision commitment is a financial aid package that a family considers too low. The financial aid letter is often the first time a family sees all the costs lined up, says Eric Maguire, director of admission at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. “Some families are finding their aid packages are not aligned with their expectations. If so, we certainly enable them to break their commitment.””</p>
<p>“It’s important to realize that the school, not the parents, determines what the family can afford.”</p>
<p>A small change: It’s important to realize that the school, not the parents, determines what the family should be able to afford. This is because of the standard financial measurements applied. E.g., schools don’t consider family lifestyle choices such as debt burden; families often won’t sell their homes in order to get out from under a huge mortgage that a school would think too big. The self-employed can present a challenge when trying to determine what they can afford.</p>