If you have a complicated situation, that means the calculator doesn’t really work, will they give you an accurate number in pre-read?
Also, if you get coach’s support for a school that does EA/REA/SCEA is it ethical to also apply to other schools to see where you get the best aid? I realize you can only use coach’s support in one place.
It’s ethical so long as you follow the SCEA / REA restrictions.
You must check the restrictions on applying to other schools if your student applies REA or SCEA. There ARE restrictions, and they are not the same at all colleges.
Adhere to the rules for the colleges your kid is applying to. Ethics do matter.
This is a great point. What one school calls REA is different from another school. You have to check the fine print for each school.
For sure! I’m assuming kid follows the rules for that school. I just wasn’t sure if there were additional rules or ethical guidelines for athletes.
If there is an FA pre-read I think you can expect that number to be reasonably accurate.
When do athletes usually hear about financial aid pre-reads?
Hopefully someone can answer with better knowledge, but I think it is more of a case by case basis and something you can discuss with the coach.
Not sure I agree. You can apply to more than one school, and coaches may or may not give support. Some coaches will only give support for ED but others may support an EA. You can certainly get financial pre-reads at more than one school.
Just be honest with the coaches in what you are doing. If you are going to ED but also apply to other schools, I think you should be honest about that to all the coaches.
Most coaches expect a response, and you can only say “yes” to one.
Two things:
“best aid” is different from “unexpected aid”
If committed to an ED school you can also apply to other schools and pivot if the aid is not as promised.
I’m asking about schools that don’t have ED. I get that applying ED is a commitment.
Its a commitment either way.
College financial aid departments don’t use the net price calculators. They use ALL of the information an applicant provides. So, you need to make sure you provide all the necessary information to the financial aid departments.
If you were hoping for professional judgement due to circumstances not covered in the need based awards, those aren’t usually done until after aid packages are released. Please discuss any extenuating circumstances with the financial aid department so that they can give you their best preread.
If they don’t have all of your information, the pre read does have the potential to be inaccurate.
My kids, at least my oldest, will apply for a NCP waiver at any schools that require Non custodial parent info. But the situation is complicated. My kids won’t be able to apply ED unless they know the waiver is accepted, so I’m asking about schools that are EA only.
And check and see…because some colleges require that NCP waiver be completed each year…because things do sometimes change between parents and student.
If it were me, I’d find out when the earliest date you can request a NCP waiver is…and get it done asap. Perhaps that will help.
This depends on the school. There’s no standard practice across all schools.
Here’s how it typically works at Ivies:
The coach will submit your FA pre read around the same time as your academic pre-read.
It is usually a full FA app (sometimes using prior year forms and formulas though). Some programs route it through the coach, others connect recruits directly to FA.
In both cases you can reach out directly to FA with specific questions on your situation.
You get the FA pre-read back before you commit and it’s typically very accurate.
You can do these FA pre-reads at multiple schools before committing. At Ivies, if one comes back “better” than the rest, the others will typically match. There’s a process for this at each of the Ivies; the coaches know it. At most of them, simply being recruited at, say, Princeton, even if it doesn’t proceed to a full FA pre-read, is enough for them to “match” what they think the Princeton package would be. Ask here again if this is an issue for you and folks can get deeper into it.
So, if you’re deciding between several Ivies you’ll know by summer before senior year what the FA packages will look like. You can then apply ED and get a likely letter without much if any risk.
Others know a lot more than me about D3s but there are some of those with similar processes.
I’m not asking about comparing offers between two schools that are recruiting. I get that a student has to choose between those options.
I feel as though I’m asking about two options.
NCP waiver isn’t granted. Cost is $88K. Kid goes to state.
No ethical issue there right? Even if you substitute an ED school like Brown for Georgetown, there would be no ethical issues right?
In state option offers a full ride scholarship. Kid decides he’d rather put that $120K towards grad school. Kid goes to state.
Is that ethical? I know it wouldn’t be ethical if, instead of EA at Georgetown it was ED at Brown. But is it allowed with EA?
Yes. Though you probably should let the coach know that if FA does not come as expected you cannot enroll. And you should reach out to FA office re NCP and do your very best to get clarity upfront.
No. The coach offered you support in exchange for you coming. If you are “shopping” you need to let the coach know that you are unable to commit. Coaches have a limited number of support they can give and would likely give support to someone else or they may end up with a hole it their roster.
IS it Georgetown? Bc my understanding is that Georgetown doesn’t account for coach support until RD. In that case you’d have your information upfront. Still, its not awesome from an ethical standpoint because the coach probably lost his second choice to another school at that point.