When one applies for FA, does it impact final decision of acceptance ? Do schools let someone know that they are accepted but only without FA. Sorry if my question is confusing, trying to understand if answering oneself as looking for FA, Will it impact decision one way or another. TIA!
Except at a handful of need blind schools, yes, needing FA impacts chances of admission.
A school may admit a student and offer less FA than a family think they need, but they rarely admit someone wo an FA offer at all if that student clearly would qualify for FA.
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There are situations when a school might accept a student without enough or any FA (known as “gapping”). The most common is that the family and the school perceive need differently, and this is based on financial documents provided for FA. Often in these cases, the family can afford it but not in a way that fits with its financial priorities.
Usually though, if you need FA and the school can’t provide it, you will be rejected. It serves neither the student nor the school to make an offer that is an impossibility.
If you applied for FA and don’t need it AND there’s no way for the school to know that – perhaps your grandparents are willing a nd able to pay – the school will evaluate your application with the FA profile provided. It may reject you because they don’t have FA for you, but it is unlikely you will know that this is the reason. If you are in a situation like this, my advice is to be upfront now about your lack of need.
Some schools may let you know you are on the FA WL on M10. This means that your acceptance will be conditioned both on having an opening and FA. One can often make a speedy ascent to the top of the list by coming up with tuition. Note though that many schools don’t have this practice.
The very short answer is that it definitely helps be be full or near full pay. You are competing for a seat but not funding.
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My D24 was waitlisted at her top two choices. We went back to admissions for both schools and offered to pay full freight and she was moved off the waitlist at both schools and attended her top choice. So yes, it is definitely a factor. So we ended up paying twice as much for her high school as we are currently paying for her college. Lol.
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It may or may not, depending on how interested the school is in a particular FA applicant.
Even the schools that cannot afford to be need blind accept some students who need over 75% FA.
Too many people apply to the “need blind” schools, worrying that they will otherwise not get in due to needing FA.
However, if those same people apply to schools where they will be considered a “star” of some sort AND a great “fit”, they will have a higher probability of being admitted - with FA.
Thanks all for some great suggestions. I am super green in this area and struggling to understand. We can afford the tuition but it’s a stretch. So can i just apply as no FA and when (&if) we get admitted, can we request for any kind of assistance ? Or is it that the decision of FA Vs no FA has to be made upfront ?
In general, no, you can’t ask for FA after you have been accepted as FP. There will not be $ available. Sometimes, if a family’s situation changes between years, their FA will be adjusted, but schools manage enrollment and FA budgets very carefully, so changes to FA really need to be rooted in changes of circumstance (job less, death, illness, etc.)
If you need FA to make it work, you should apply for it now. The school will not give you more than they think you need, so if you need $15,000, you won’t be considered for a full scholarship. Btw, most schools struggle to enroll kids in the middle of the economic spectrum and they want them to even out the “barbell” wealth distribution, so you may not be as disadvantaged in this process as you’re thinking if you are asking for some FA but not a lot.
If you need FA to make it work comfortably but can otherwise afford it , then you probably need to accept that your family will need to make sacrifices. Most FA is the result of donor largesse, and their intent wasn’t to allow scholarship recipients to maintain country club memberships and ski vacations, but to give life-changing opportunities to kids who need it. (Not saying this is what you are doing, btw, just offering that lens to help you think through your need. A second home can be mortgaged, but a pet can’t be starved!)
Some schools have a net price calculator on their websites, and that could give you an idea of what you could expect as an FA award if accepted. That could be a good place to start – if it says you wouldn’t be expected to pay 100%, you have your answer about whether to apply for FA.
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Thanks a lot, this is helpful. So during the application process, will we have an option to mention that we are looking for partial FA and not full FA ?
Absolutely! I think – but it’s been a while since I’ve seen an application – it’s a yes no question on whether you need FA but you have to separately complete an FA application, in which you provide a pile of financial information so they can decide how much to give you. You don’t say how much you think you need. (Perhaps someone else with recent FA experience can chime in here!)
Typically, at the end of the student interview, the parent will be invited in, and you can also share concerns/questions aboutthe FA process.
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Thank you. Unfortunately we were not very well prepared for the parent portion of interview and did not ask about FA. I will probably call/e-mail admissions office and ask about the same.
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Oh, neither were we when we did this! It’s not a problem to reach out, so you’re all good.
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