Wait for a Wait-List, Pay More for College
Posted 08 Apr, 2008
With the “baby boom” generation’s children graduating high school in record numbers (3.2 million last year alone!) it is no surprise that college applications have increased proportionally.
This year college admissions offices have reported a deluge of applications-Princeton’s were up by 6%, Rice by 11%, Harvard’s by 19%, and Vanderbilt’s by a staggering 30%!
Waiting and Wait-Listing
While a few years ago students could expect their acceptance letters only a few months into the new year, this year’s college applicants have seen more unexpected delays than they’d like to. With so many applications to review and so many
potential admits, admissions offices have been forced to push back acceptance deadlines.
Still more difficult, some students who might have been easily accepted for a year with a lower application volume could find themselves waitlisted. (My son got waitlisted at his one of his first choice schools, Harvey Mudd.) That can mean waiting well into the summer to find out where your student will be attending in just a few short months!
Wait-Listing (Probably) Means Paying More
Important: Even if your student would still consider attending a school at which s/he was waitlisted, make sure s/he accepts an offer by May 1st from one of the schools that did accept him or her. You need to make sure your student has a definite spot in the fall. If your student does end up off the waitlist and onto the accepted list, s/he can always politely withdraw from the other school.
While it can be tempting to turn down other offers if your student gets off the wait-list and into a dream school, it most likely won’t be the best financial option for your family.
Colleges usually offer financial incentives (like grants or tuition discounts) to entice their top-choice students to enroll. If your student gets put on a wait list, he/she probably isn’t going to be offered monetary encouragement to accept a place. Instead, the school will expect the student to be flattered to have made it off the wait list!
Your best bet (from a financial standpoint) is to work with the schools your student has been accepted to. These schools are likely placing a higher importance on your son or daughter’s attendance than a wait-list school, and are therefore more likely to offer a favorable financial aid package!
All the best,
Deborah Fox
Deborah Fox is the founder of Fox College Funding, a nationwide company that helps families find creative ways to reduce their college costs.
photo: Winter Mail by Gary Scott
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With the “baby boom” generation’s children graduating high school in record numbers (3.2 million last year alone!) it is no surprise that college applications have increased proportionally.
This year college admissions offices have reported a deluge of applications-Princeton’s were up by 6%, Rice by 11%, Harvard’s by 19%, and Vanderbilt’s by a staggering 30%!
Waiting and Wait-Listing
While a few years ago students could expect their acceptance letters only a few months into the new year, this year’s college applicants have seen more unexpected delays than they’d like to. With so many applications to review and so many potential admits, admissions offices have been forced to push back acceptance deadlines.
Still more difficult, some students who might have been easily accepted for a year with a lower application volume could find themselves waitlisted. (My son got waitlisted at his one of his first choice schools, Harvey Mudd.) That can mean waiting well into the summer to find out where your student will be attending in just a few short months!
Wait-Listing (Probably) Means Paying More
Important: Even if your student would still consider attending a school at which s/he was waitlisted, make sure s/he accepts an offer by May 1st from one of the schools that did accept him or her. You need to make sure your student has a definite spot in the fall. If your student does end up off the waitlist and onto the accepted list, s/he can always politely withdraw from the other school.
While it can be tempting to turn down other offers if your student gets off the wait-list and into a dream school, it most likely won’t be the best financial option for your family.
Colleges usually offer financial incentives (like grants or tuition discounts) to entice their top-choice students to enroll. If your student gets put on a wait list, he/she probably isn’t going to be offered monetary encouragement to accept a place. Instead, the school will expect the student to be flattered to have made it off the wait list!
Your best bet (from a financial standpoint) is to work with the schools your student has been accepted to. These schools are likely placing a higher importance on your son or daughter’s attendance than a wait-list school, and are therefore more likely to offer a favorable financial aid package!
All the best,
Deborah Fox
Deborah Fox is the founder of Fox College Funding, a nationwide company that helps families find creative ways to reduce their college costs.
photo: Winter Mail by Gary Scott
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Subscribe by Email
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