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Conventional wisdom says an applicant to a selective school should be enthusiastic and, if true, let the college know that it is his/her #1 choice. Colleges like enthusiastic applicants, and admitting students for whom the college is a first choice will maximize yield.

The posters below, however, suggest there is a dark side to this approach: colleges might actually provide less financial aid to a candidate they think might attend anyway. Anyone have any supporting or conflicting experience?

By California Mom (Calmom) on Monday, April 22, 2002 - 03:27 am: Edit

I hate to say it, but my son's first choice was a college that does not guarantee needs based aid to all students. He made a strong point of saying that the college was his first choice on the application papers. He got in, was found eligible for financial aid, but was not given the aid. (If he had been given aid, it would have been a $15,000 grant, so this is a big chunk of money)

I later learned about colleges that "leverage" aid to attract candidates, sometimes using complex formulas to figure out exactly what sum of money is likely to entice candidates. I honestly believe that my son's firm proclamation in the application worked against him -- the college probably figure that he would find a way to come. (Their acceptance letter promised aid for the following year, but said they were out of funds for the first year -- however, a talk with the admissions rep for his area confirms that he was a strong candidate.)

In hindsight, I think that if my son had indicated strong interest in a way that also telegraphed that he was looking seriously at comparable schools, the aid picture might have been different. I will never know for sure, but I do plan to play things a little closer with my daughter -- at least at any college that doesn't guarantee aid or where there might be merit aid.

Every single other college my son applied to offered significant financial aid.

I mean, showing interest was fine. But maybe my son shouldn't have given the impression that he was ready to rob a bank for the privilege of going to that college. Because apparently that is what they expected him to do.

By future reedie on Wednesday, May 29, 2002 - 03:56 pm: Edit

I had the exact same expirience as your son. I got into my first choice, Reed College after telling them that I would do just about anything to be there if accepted. Though I qualified for what would have amounted to about a $25000 grant, I was not offered any aid for my first year, though I am guaranteed to recieve aid every year thereafter. I had decent stats, 1440 SAT, National merit semi finalist, A.P.s and outside college classes,(I took a full course load of college classes my last year in highschool, somewhat mediocre grades, an art portfolio that has been recognized on the national level. I was offered substantial need and merit aid everywhere else I applied. So now I am probably going to be in debt for the rest of my life just to pay off my first year of college, and I really wish I hadn't seemed so eager.

By Dadster on Wednesday, May 29, 2002 - 04:18 pm: Edit

Interesting dilemma! Do you play it cool in the application to avoid getting shafted in the aid process, or do you express unbounded enthusiasm to maximize chances for admission? One approach might be to say something like, "Your college is my absolute #1 choice, if I can afford it...", but that might hurt admissions chances, too, in a non-need-blind environment. I guess nobody ever said college admissions was simple!

By California Mom (Calmom) on Sunday, June 02, 2002 - 02:33 am: Edit

Oh, future reedie, you "guessed" the college. My son had his heart set on Reed, too - and he said something on the application form about selling a kidney if they would accept him. My son's stats are close to yours, too.

Did you ask about a wait list for financial aid? After I called the Reed admissions office, they said that my son could be on such a waitlist, and that they would even refund our deposit if the financial aid didn't come through.

But then Sarah Lawrence sent an offer that we couldn't refuse ... so it was bye,bye Reed.

I wish you luck. Reed obviously is under-endowed, and they also weed out a lot of students freshman year -- so I think their policy is to try to get as much money as possible from their freshman class. My son is very cautious about spending money, so it was easy for him to shift focus, and he had a wonderful first year at what was originally his second choice college.

For anyone else interested in Reed: they do guarantee aid to Early Decision applicants, so for someone who really means it that they will go with or without the aid, ED is probably the best option.

By bolton on Friday, January 17, 2003 - 01:33 pm: Edit

We had a totally different experience. My son fell in love with a school and wanted to go ED We were worried that his enthusiasm for this school would decrease the money offered for merit and financial aid. He had looked at about 16 schools over the summer, did some interviews, went on the tours, but with this school he was ready to pack his bags. He was being even being recruited by several Ivy League schools for D1 sports. We were worried but decided to let him make the decision. The school (Muhlenberg) said that their policy was to offer the best packages to ED students, and that enthusiasm counted. He went ED, and had a great package. Things went great!