<p>I have worked at universities for more than 20 years and I see no problem with a parent calling about this problem. Financial Aid is probably the appropriate office for this question and they are accustomed to talking with parents, especially the parents of incoming freshmen. (Most high school students cannot call during the day and do not have the experience/knowledge to discuss financial aid issues.) </p>
<p>Transcript reviews are somewhat difficult (I do lots of them) because every transcript looks different, it’s often not clear what a course is, grading scales differ, etc. It’s very easy to make a mistake like the one OP thinks probably happened here. Call! Today!!</p>
<p>I don’t think it particularly matters who makes the call - as long as that person is polite yet persistent about explaining the difference. In some ways, I think a parent might be better equipped to make it past the secretary/student worker screener and speak with someone with actual authority. There may be a legitimate reason that they scored the classes that way or it might be a mistake.</p>
<p>And OP - I think those scores are just fine and perfectly in line for merit consideration.</p>
<p>Quite a few of the schools my S applied to had automatic graduated scales for merit scholarships. When his ACT scores increased, I sent them in, and his merit awards were adjusted, and even had a different name.
Parent is the best one to make the call too since time is of the essence. The well could definitely run dry.
G O O D L U C K!!! Fingers crossed for you.</p>
<p>I think it is silly to tell an 18 year old to deal with FA office. It is YOUR income/asset/liability which determines your kid’s FA, why would you have your kid discuss your financial situation with people, wouldn’t you know better? Try to give some sensible advice.</p>
<p>I say call them. As the parent you are the one who is frontline for paying the bills and the college knows this. Our kids go to a high school that does not weight anything. I recalculated my oldest son’s GPA and sent a note to his first choice college after he was accepted and told them he would attend if they would use a weighted GPA for consideration of a auto scholarship which basically doubled the one that he had qualified for with his unweighted GPA. This was a college that used the reported GPA on the transcript and did not recalculate. I sent it to his assigned admissions rep and the finaid director. They did give him the discount. He attended. He graduated and we paid the full boat minus this “scholarship” for four years. $5000 over 4 years is $20,000 that was able to apply to the other two kids’ college funding. Go or it OP! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain…but I totally disagree with parents who recommend the kids do it. YOU are the one who is going to write those checks and despite common wisdom when it comes to money colleges in general do listen to the parents.</p>
<p>I had a girlfriend who had a full pay D at an out of state college and there was a minor skirmish going on with the college the D was going to attend in the fall. My girlfriend emailed admissions and finaid and basically said I can giveith and I can takeith away in a blink of an eye. Let’s get real…for many, many of us…it’s not our kids that are paying for college. They can fight the battles over classes, scheduling, housing and a multitude of other things…but my husband and I fight the battle over cost.</p>
<p>Smooth13: I hope you’ll get back to us and tell us if you/S called, and what is the outcome. I’m sure any information will be helpful to others who’ll be in a similar situation down the road.</p>