Have you broken an early decision contract?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know of someone who broke it. That school put the word out and other schools revoked their offers. Kid did their first year at the local community college.

So funny that people don’t want to believe this but chose to believe the no repercussion stories. Schools rescind offers all the time for problematic behavior, and Ed is just one of the reasons it can happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/18/your-money/paying-for-college/early-decision-binding-nyu.html#:~:text=Here%27s%20a%20news%20flash%3A%20These,t%20always%20know%20the%20facts.

Would anyone be willing to post the article please? Behind firewall.

the key part is that when pressed, everyone agrees that you can withdraw for financial reasons

"the most prominent entity in the field — the National Association for College Admission Counseling — offers up crystal clear language that schools can (and do) use in their early decision agreements: “Should a student who applies for financial aid not be offered an award that makes attendance possible, the student may decline the offer of admission and be released from the early decision commitment.”

That isn't the same is matching the calculators, it's whether or not you can actually afford it.

DP. But, it also says:
"First, use schools’ net price calculators before applying to see what kind of aid they estimate that you will get if you get in. If the actual offer matches and your family circumstances haven’t changed since applying, it isn’t ethical to walk away because of the price. After all, you were warned."

Don't use this article as a free pass to use the higher ED admission rates for what amounts to an EA app. That's what some sly dogs are thinking!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some colleges require that the school guidance counselor sign the contract after the rejection period terminates, agreeing that the school won't send out the final transcript to any other colleges. You can't enroll without it.

By the rejection period....if you need financial aid, and the aid awarded is not enough to attend, you can reject the admission and aid package and then are free to await results from other colleges. However, you must reject the package BEFORE you get results from other colleges.

Years ago, our high school messed up and failed to send transcripts to X college. X college would not let any students register for class until the transcripts were received.

I know in one well publicized case, the student ended up going to St Andrews because it doesn't--or at least didn't --follow US rules.

It actually isn’t whether financial aid is generous enough as the out, it is whether the financial aid differs from what the school’s calculator said it would be.

No one in the article, even when pressed, uses that language.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is a gifted version of the article https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/18/your-money/paying-for-college/early-decision-binding-nyu.html?unlocked_article_code=1.CU0.DEco.X8xk5e2FIbSk&smid=url-share

It's always nice to share. Thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS backed out of an ED decision last year. He was accepted ED at one school. He didn’t receive any financial aid. He was subsequently accepted to another school with a much lower cost of attendance. He told the ED school that they did not meet his financial needs. He is now attending the subsequent school. No repercussions. The counselor supported DC’s decision, as the ED school would’ve cost our family much more than the ED school. High school sent the transcript to the school he know attends.

But, surely you and your child knew that the ED comes with the agreement to attend regardless of the FA offered, correct? Did the school fail to meet the cost based on FA calculators? Did a parent lose a job?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/18/your-money/paying-for-college/early-decision-binding-nyu.html#:~:text=Here%27s%20a%20news%20flash%3A%20These,t%20always%20know%20the%20facts.

Would anyone be willing to post the article please? Behind firewall.

the key part is that when pressed, everyone agrees that you can withdraw for financial reasons

"the most prominent entity in the field — the National Association for College Admission Counseling — offers up crystal clear language that schools can (and do) use in their early decision agreements: “Should a student who applies for financial aid not be offered an award that makes attendance possible, the student may decline the offer of admission and be released from the early decision commitment.”

That isn't the same is matching the calculators, it's whether or not you can actually afford it.

DP. But, it also says:
"First, use schools’ net price calculators before applying to see what kind of aid they estimate that you will get if you get in. If the actual offer matches and your family circumstances haven’t changed since applying, it isn’t ethical to walk away because of the price. After all, you were warned."

Don't use this article as a free pass to use the higher ED admission rates for what amounts to an EA app. That's what some sly dogs are thinking!

That language in the contract is the important part. This is what Emory says, but it seems standard:

"Should a student who applies for financial aid not be offered an award that makes attendance possible, the student may decline the offer of admission and
be released from the Early Decision commitment."

https://apply.emory.edu/pdf/EarlyDecisionAgreement.pdf

No mention of the calculator or the aid offer matching the website. Now that FAFSA disregards siblings, there can be a huge gulf in what the calculators say is affordable and what is affordable and different schools will treat it differently.

[Anonymous]

My DS decided not to attend his ED school. He just notified the school. No repercussions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some colleges require that the school guidance counselor sign the contract after the rejection period terminates, agreeing that the school won't send out the final transcript to any other colleges. You can't enroll without it.

By the rejection period....if you need financial aid, and the aid awarded is not enough to attend, you can reject the admission and aid package and then are free to await results from other colleges. However, you must reject the package BEFORE you get results from other colleges.

Years ago, our high school messed up and failed to send transcripts to X college. X college would not let any students register for class until the transcripts were received.

I know in one well publicized case, the student ended up going to St Andrews because it doesn't--or at least didn't --follow US rules.

It actually isn’t whether financial aid is generous enough as the out, it is whether the financial aid differs from what the school’s calculator said it would be.

No one in the article, even when pressed, uses that language.

Perhaps not, but every seminar I’ve attended on college financial aid does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some colleges require that the school guidance counselor sign the contract after the rejection period terminates, agreeing that the school won't send out the final transcript to any other colleges. You can't enroll without it.

By the rejection period....if you need financial aid, and the aid awarded is not enough to attend, you can reject the admission and aid package and then are free to await results from other colleges. However, you must reject the package BEFORE you get results from other colleges.

Years ago, our high school messed up and failed to send transcripts to X college. X college would not let any students register for class until the transcripts were received.

I know in one well publicized case, the student ended up going to St Andrews because it doesn't--or at least didn't --follow US rules.

It actually isn’t whether financial aid is generous enough as the out, it is whether the financial aid differs from what the school’s calculator said it would be.

No one in the article, even when pressed, uses that language.

Perhaps not, but every seminar I’ve attended on college financial aid does.

It's not part of the contract

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some colleges require that the school guidance counselor sign the contract after the rejection period terminates, agreeing that the school won't send out the final transcript to any other colleges. You can't enroll without it.

By the rejection period....if you need financial aid, and the aid awarded is not enough to attend, you can reject the admission and aid package and then are free to await results from other colleges. However, you must reject the package BEFORE you get results from other colleges.

Years ago, our high school messed up and failed to send transcripts to X college. X college would not let any students register for class until the transcripts were received.

I know in one well publicized case, the student ended up going to St Andrews because it doesn't--or at least didn't --follow US rules.

It actually isn’t whether financial aid is generous enough as the out, it is whether the financial aid differs from what the school’s calculator said it would be.

No one in the article, even when pressed, uses that language.

Perhaps not, but every seminar I’ve attended on college financial aid does.

It's not part of the contract

Every contract is interpreted through a lens of what is reasonable behavior or acceptance of the terms. Colleges let you know the cost beforehand via calculators.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some colleges require that the school guidance counselor sign the contract after the rejection period terminates, agreeing that the school won't send out the final transcript to any other colleges. You can't enroll without it.

By the rejection period....if you need financial aid, and the aid awarded is not enough to attend, you can reject the admission and aid package and then are free to await results from other colleges. However, you must reject the package BEFORE you get results from other colleges.

Years ago, our high school messed up and failed to send transcripts to X college. X college would not let any students register for class until the transcripts were received.

I know in one well publicized case, the student ended up going to St Andrews because it doesn't--or at least didn't --follow US rules.

It actually isn’t whether financial aid is generous enough as the out, it is whether the financial aid differs from what the school’s calculator said it would be.

No one in the article, even when pressed, uses that language.

Perhaps not, but every seminar I’ve attended on college financial aid does.

It's not part of the contract

Every contract is interpreted through a lens of what is reasonable behavior or acceptance of the terms. Colleges let you know the cost beforehand via calculators.

If we're going for rules of interpretation, in adhesion contracts an ambiguous term will always be construed against the drafter of the contract. The can define affordable, those chose not to. None of that matters because an ED contract is not actually a contract. Gentleman's agreement is probably the term that best fits

[Anonymous]

Just another incidence of selfish, dishonest people.

Lie about race, lie about creating fake non-profits and activities, get someone else to write the essay, lie about intended major, etc, etc. it hues on and on for people that suck and have no qualms about being dishonest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just another incidence of selfish, dishonest people.

Lie about race, lie about creating fake non-profits and activities, get someone else to write the essay, lie about intended major, etc, etc. it hues on and on for people that suck and have no qualms about being dishonest.

And usually hurts subsequent students at the dishonest students high school. Which is why most ethical college counselor s won’t play along.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just another incidence of selfish, dishonest people.

Lie about race, lie about creating fake non-profits and activities, get someone else to write the essay, lie about intended major, etc, etc. it hues on and on for people that suck and have no qualms about being dishonest.

And usually hurts subsequent students at the dishonest students high school. Which is why most ethical college counselor s won’t play along.

NP. Listen the whole idea of ED is on shaky ethical ground, so let’s not act like colleges are the moral actors and students are the wrong ones. Colleges are businesses and families need to watch out for themselves

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that any school that poison pills a student at other schools is just begging for a lawsuit.

If a student drops an ED for any reason other than finances, the school is most likely going to penalize your HS and any future ED/RD students applying. So while you are "fine" you have essentially screwed over the next 5+ years of students wanting to attend that university.

Simple rules, don't apply ED unless you are 100% certain you want to attend, and if you make more than $200K, you cannot withdraw for financial reasons so expect to pay full price, if you cannot do that, then you simply cannot ED to that school. Wait and apply EA/RD