To how many BSs should we apply

ChoatieMom
Wed, 01 Nov 2017 00:17:42 +0000

If your family SSS indicates that you could be full pay, you will be expected to be full pay at all schools. No school will fill an unnecessary gap just because you asked. We didn’t think we could be full pay, so we applied for partial FA to all schools. Both NMH and Choate called us just before M10 to say they would like to admit our son without FA; if we could somehow swing it (the SSS said we could), they would send an admit letter. If we couldn’t, they would send the rejection letter. So, some schools will give the option if they want the candidate and think you can write the check. But I’m with those who advise not to put your application in the FA pile if you can possibly avoid it.

Side note: If you are accepted as a full-pay student, you will be expected to be FP every year you attend. We’ve seen sad stories here of people who apply FP to increase admissions chances thinking they can get FA later. It doesn’t work that way except in cases of significant, documentable changes in finances after matriculation–which doesn’t include blowing the bank on the first year of BS.