Where is your 3.7ish weighted full-pay accepted?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate threads like this. The idea that “full pay” makes a lot of difference is both elitist and wrong. Most schools that take ability to pay into account only do it at the margins and most decent schools don’t do it at all. So, no, you can’t buy your kid’s way into college just buy showing you can pay the tuition.

So naïve. There are a small number of need-blind schools (most of which have both gargantuan endowments and "high rankings") where "full pay" truly doesn't matter. Every other school will take a student who will pay $60K in tuition over an equivalent student who will pay $20K or $40K. The vast majority will take a moderately weaker $60K candidate over a moderately stronger $40K candidate or a meaningfully weaker $60K candidate over a meaningfully stronger $20K candidate. Admission officers hate that, of course, but the schools need to keep their lights on. No margin, no mission.

How do the schools necessarily know whether you're willing to be full pay or not? Take Dayton, for example, which was mentioned on this thread. There is no question on the application whether you will be "full pay," obviously. Just because you don't qualify for aid based on FAFSA, and many, many people don't, does not mean that you will be willing to pay $60K for Dayton.

Applicants who don’t fill out the FAFSA and zip code analysis.

A lot of schools encourage "everyone" to fill out the FAFSA, though, and give some money just for completing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate threads like this. The idea that “full pay” makes a lot of difference is both elitist and wrong. Most schools that take ability to pay into account only do it at the margins and most decent schools don’t do it at all. So, no, you can’t buy your kid’s way into college just buy showing you can pay the tuition.

So naïve. There are a small number of need-blind schools (most of which have both gargantuan endowments and "high rankings") where "full pay" truly doesn't matter. Every other school will take a student who will pay $60K in tuition over an equivalent student who will pay $20K or $40K. The vast majority will take a moderately weaker $60K candidate over a moderately stronger $40K candidate or a meaningfully weaker $60K candidate over a meaningfully stronger $20K candidate. Admission officers hate that, of course, but the schools need to keep their lights on. No margin, no mission.

How do the schools necessarily know whether you're willing to be full pay or not? Take Dayton, for example, which was mentioned on this thread. There is no question on the application whether you will be "full pay," obviously. Just because you don't qualify for aid based on FAFSA, and many, many people don't, does not mean that you will be willing to pay $60K for Dayton.

So full pay means you will not be eligible for need based aid. The college may offer you merit or they may not. Your “willingness” to pay full price only comes in when you decide whether to accept the offer of admission without merit. It’s not like you say to U Dayton on the application, “The fafsa says I can afford to pay full freight, but your school is not worth it to me.” That likely would not go over well. Really, you tell your kid that if they don’t get merit, you won’t pay full freight for that school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate threads like this. The idea that “full pay” makes a lot of difference is both elitist and wrong. Most schools that take ability to pay into account only do it at the margins and most decent schools don’t do it at all. So, no, you can’t buy your kid’s way into college just buy showing you can pay the tuition.

So naïve. There are a small number of need-blind schools (most of which have both gargantuan endowments and "high rankings") where "full pay" truly doesn't matter. Every other school will take a student who will pay $60K in tuition over an equivalent student who will pay $20K or $40K. The vast majority will take a moderately weaker $60K candidate over a moderately stronger $40K candidate or a meaningfully weaker $60K candidate over a meaningfully stronger $20K candidate. Admission officers hate that, of course, but the schools need to keep their lights on. No margin, no mission.

How do the schools necessarily know whether you're willing to be full pay or not? Take Dayton, for example, which was mentioned on this thread. There is no question on the application whether you will be "full pay," obviously. Just because you don't qualify for aid based on FAFSA, and many, many people don't, does not mean that you will be willing to pay $60K for Dayton.

Applicants who don’t fill out the FAFSA and zip code analysis.

A lot of schools encourage "everyone" to fill out the FAFSA, though, and give some money just for completing it.

Sure. But the question was how schools know, and the answer is that they know when people don’t fill out the FAFSA. People don’t fill it out if they don’t need it, no matter what the schools say about encouraging people to fill it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate threads like this. The idea that “full pay” makes a lot of difference is both elitist and wrong. Most schools that take ability to pay into account only do it at the margins and most decent schools don’t do it at all. So, no, you can’t buy your kid’s way into college just buy showing you can pay the tuition.

So naïve. There are a small number of need-blind schools (most of which have both gargantuan endowments and "high rankings") where "full pay" truly doesn't matter. Every other school will take a student who will pay $60K in tuition over an equivalent student who will pay $20K or $40K. The vast majority will take a moderately weaker $60K candidate over a moderately stronger $40K candidate or a meaningfully weaker $60K candidate over a meaningfully stronger $20K candidate. Admission officers hate that, of course, but the schools need to keep their lights on. No margin, no mission.

How do the schools necessarily know whether you're willing to be full pay or not? Take Dayton, for example, which was mentioned on this thread. There is no question on the application whether you will be "full pay," obviously. Just because you don't qualify for aid based on FAFSA, and many, many people don't, does not mean that you will be willing to pay $60K for Dayton.

Applicants who don’t fill out the FAFSA and zip code analysis.

A lot of schools encourage "everyone" to fill out the FAFSA, though, and give some money just for completing it.

Sure. But the question was how schools know, and the answer is that they know when people don’t fill out the FAFSA. People don’t fill it out if they don’t need it, no matter what the schools say about encouraging people to fill it out.

This is not true, as many people fill it out bc schools will say, "We'll give you X off of tuition just for filling out the FAFSA."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate threads like this. The idea that “full pay” makes a lot of difference is both elitist and wrong. Most schools that take ability to pay into account only do it at the margins and most decent schools don’t do it at all. So, no, you can’t buy your kid’s way into college just buy showing you can pay the tuition.

So naïve. There are a small number of need-blind schools (most of which have both gargantuan endowments and "high rankings") where "full pay" truly doesn't matter. Every other school will take a student who will pay $60K in tuition over an equivalent student who will pay $20K or $40K. The vast majority will take a moderately weaker $60K candidate over a moderately stronger $40K candidate or a meaningfully weaker $60K candidate over a meaningfully stronger $20K candidate. Admission officers hate that, of course, but the schools need to keep their lights on. No margin, no mission.

How do the schools necessarily know whether you're willing to be full pay or not? Take Dayton, for example, which was mentioned on this thread. There is no question on the application whether you will be "full pay," obviously. Just because you don't qualify for aid based on FAFSA, and many, many people don't, does not mean that you will be willing to pay $60K for Dayton.

Applicants who don’t fill out the FAFSA and zip code analysis.

A lot of schools encourage "everyone" to fill out the FAFSA, though, and give some money just for completing it.

Sure. But the question was how schools know, and the answer is that they know when people don’t fill out the FAFSA. People don’t fill it out if they don’t need it, no matter what the schools say about encouraging people to fill it out.

They also know because you don't check the financial aid box on the application.

We filled out FAFSA and there's NO WAY we deserve need based aid - but since some schools require FAFSA/CSS for merit scholarships and it was a such pain in the neck to really know what some of the schools wanted on that dimension, we just sent FAFSA/CSS everywhere but DC checked NO on Financial Aid box for all of their applications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate threads like this. The idea that “full pay” makes a lot of difference is both elitist and wrong. Most schools that take ability to pay into account only do it at the margins and most decent schools don’t do it at all. So, no, you can’t buy your kid’s way into college just buy showing you can pay the tuition.

I hate that this thread keeps getting hijacked! I’m interested in the posts that list schools bc my DS is in the same boat and I’d love more ideas for him (though he’s only a sophomore). Wondering if Penn State made anyones list in this circumstance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm assuming everyone is talking about GPA (3.7 weighted) at the end of Jr. year, right?

You can't assume weighted because most private schools don't weight. (They don't even give a real GPA but you can figure it out)

Also - for people who applied last year - I's assume they are speaking of GPA by the end of 1st semester Senior year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm assuming everyone is talking about GPA (3.7 weighted) at the end of Jr. year, right?

You can't assume weighted because most private schools don't weight. (They don't even give a real GPA but you can figure it out)

Also - for people who applied last year - I's assume they are speaking of GPA by the end of 1st semester Senior year.

Well, I was asking the OP to clarify their question. The "3.7 weighted" quoted in the OP.. is it at the end of Junior year, after sem 1 of senior year or end of senior year? I know different schools do things differently but this thread was started by OP with a specific question and I was just asking them to clarify.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate threads like this. The idea that “full pay” makes a lot of difference is both elitist and wrong. Most schools that take ability to pay into account only do it at the margins and most decent schools don’t do it at all. So, no, you can’t buy your kid’s way into college just buy showing you can pay the tuition.

So naïve. There are a small number of need-blind schools (most of which have both gargantuan endowments and "high rankings") where "full pay" truly doesn't matter. Every other school will take a student who will pay $60K in tuition over an equivalent student who will pay $20K or $40K. The vast majority will take a moderately weaker $60K candidate over a moderately stronger $40K candidate or a meaningfully weaker $60K candidate over a meaningfully stronger $20K candidate. Admission officers hate that, of course, but the schools need to keep their lights on. No margin, no mission.

How do the schools necessarily know whether you're willing to be full pay or not? Take Dayton, for example, which was mentioned on this thread. There is no question on the application whether you will be "full pay," obviously. Just because you don't qualify for aid based on FAFSA, and many, many people don't, does not mean that you will be willing to pay $60K for Dayton.

Applicants who don’t fill out the FAFSA and zip code analysis.

A lot of schools encourage "everyone" to fill out the FAFSA, though, and give some money just for completing it.

Sure. But the question was how schools know, and the answer is that they know when people don’t fill out the FAFSA. People don’t fill it out if they don’t need it, no matter what the schools say about encouraging people to fill it out.

This is not true, as many people fill it out bc schools will say, "We'll give you X off of tuition just for filling out the FAFSA."

Why do they want you to fill it out so badly if you are not applying and won’t qualify? Are they using the info for development purposes? Selling it? Not doubting they push because I’ve seen it. I just don’t understand their motivation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate threads like this. The idea that “full pay” makes a lot of difference is both elitist and wrong. Most schools that take ability to pay into account only do it at the margins and most decent schools don’t do it at all. So, no, you can’t buy your kid’s way into college just buy showing you can pay the tuition.

I hate that this thread keeps getting hijacked! I’m interested in the posts that list schools bc my DS is in the same boat and I’d love more ideas for him (though he’s only a sophomore). Wondering if Penn State made anyones list in this circumstance.

Private or public school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate threads like this. The idea that “full pay” makes a lot of difference is both elitist and wrong. Most schools that take ability to pay into account only do it at the margins and most decent schools don’t do it at all. So, no, you can’t buy your kid’s way into college just buy showing you can pay the tuition.

So naïve. There are a small number of need-blind schools (most of which have both gargantuan endowments and "high rankings") where "full pay" truly doesn't matter. Every other school will take a student who will pay $60K in tuition over an equivalent student who will pay $20K or $40K. The vast majority will take a moderately weaker $60K candidate over a moderately stronger $40K candidate or a meaningfully weaker $60K candidate over a meaningfully stronger $20K candidate. Admission officers hate that, of course, but the schools need to keep their lights on. No margin, no mission.

How do the schools necessarily know whether you're willing to be full pay or not? Take Dayton, for example, which was mentioned on this thread. There is no question on the application whether you will be "full pay," obviously. Just because you don't qualify for aid based on FAFSA, and many, many people don't, does not mean that you will be willing to pay $60K for Dayton.

The question is on the common app.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tufts

Oh, so jealous. My 3.9, 1500 SAT kid was rejected ED. He ended up BU Honors which is fine but he loved Tufts and was pretty depressed after getting rejected. He was thinking about trying to transfer but now he has some good friends and I don’t think he feels like starting over again.

Aside, but when you apply ED, does that mean you're applying full pay (or at least regardless of aid)?

Yes. Because they decide what you can pay. NEU provides a financial pre-read.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tufts

Oh, so jealous. My 3.9, 1500 SAT kid was rejected ED. He ended up BU Honors which is fine but he loved Tufts and was pretty depressed after getting rejected. He was thinking about trying to transfer but now he has some good friends and I don’t think he feels like starting over again.

Aside, but when you apply ED, does that mean you're applying full pay (or at least regardless of aid)?

Yes. Because they decide what you can pay. NEU provides a financial pre-read.

You calculate EFC before applying ED. If they do not meet EFC, you have a decent argument to get out of the agreement because you can’t afford it. If they meet EFC. then you are on notice about what they assume you can pay and you are unlikely to be able to get out of the agreement. That is why people say it is for rich people because you do not have the opportunity to compare financial aid or merit packages (you are unlikely to get merit because they know they have you on the hook).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate threads like this. The idea that “full pay” makes a lot of difference is both elitist and wrong. Most schools that take ability to pay into account only do it at the margins and most decent schools don’t do it at all. So, no, you can’t buy your kid’s way into college just buy showing you can pay the tuition.

I hate that this thread keeps getting hijacked! I’m interested in the posts that list schools bc my DS is in the same boat and I’d love more ideas for him (though he’s only a sophomore). Wondering if Penn State made anyones list in this circumstance.

Private or public school?

Private

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We could easily afford full pay but would never have considered applying to a school where ability to pay is taken into account. Those kind of schools are for losers.

What are you talking about? Tons of top schools are need aware- MIT, Georgetown, BC, Carnegie Mellon, etc

None of those are need aware for domestic students. MIT is also need blind for international students.