Begging for aid after ED Forum

[North]

I'm a splitter and ED'd to UVA about halfway through this cycle. I didn't receive any merit or need-based non-loan aid in UVA's initial financial aid package last week. UVA has indicated that they'll be open to talking about/negotiating scholarships (with both RD and ED admits, according to reports from TLSers) after their deposit deadline in April. ASD is next week.

I signed away all my real leverage with the ED. So, is there any credited way to go about begging the administration for a tuition discount when they look at me again in April? Do any past EDers have experience with such groveling for a discount? Should I corner the Financial Aid directer at ASD? Write letters to the Dean? Daily phone calls and a refusal to take no for an answer?

I would be ecstatic if I got any $, though I understand that it's very, very unlikely. I'm as alright as I can be with UVA at sticker (terrified), but I'd like to know that it wasn't for lack of trying.

I'm open to general ideas for how to go about it. Step one, I'd imagine, is to free myself from any semblance of pride and dignity.

[Nickg415]

Interested in this as well. Similar situation at Penn. I might have an job opportunity in D.C. that I could take and defer for a year to save up money. I am thinking about letting Penn know about the opportunity while ensuring them that my ideal outcome would be to start my 1L this fall but the only thing that is preventing me are financial concerns. Doubt I'll get anything but any little bit would make the decision to forgo the experience in D.C. and chance to save up money a lot easier.

[Ruxin1]

I'm a splitter and ED'd to UVA about halfway through this cycle. I didn't receive any merit or need-based non-loan aid in UVA's initial financial aid package last week. UVA has indicated that they'll be open to talking about/negotiating scholarships (with both RD and ED admits, according to reports from TLSers) after their deposit deadline in April. ASD is next week.

I signed away all my real leverage with the ED. So, is there any credited way to go about begging the administration for a tuition discount when they look at me again in April? Do any past EDers have experience with such groveling for a discount? Should I corner the Financial Aid directer at ASD? Write letters to the Dean? Daily phone calls and a refusal to take no for an answer?

I would be ecstatic if I got any $, though I understand that it's very, very unlikely. I'm as alright as I can be with UVA at sticker (terrified), but I'd like to know that it wasn't for lack of trying.

I'm open to general ideas for how to go about it. Step one, I'd imagine, is to free myself from any semblance of pride and dignity.

Can't you withdraw and reapply next year without doing ED?

[rwhyAn]

I've never ED'd, but your leverage is in the fact that you don't have to go this year. Hold out as long as you can before depositing, and even after you deposit, tell them that you don't think you can afford it financially.

[North]

Interested in this as well. Similar situation at Penn. I might have an job opportunity in D.C. that I could take and defer for a year to save up money. I am thinking about letting Penn know about the opportunity while ensuring them that my ideal outcome would be to start my 1L this fall but the only thing that is preventing me are financial concerns. Doubt I'll get anything but any little bit would make the decision to forgo the experience in D.C. and chance to save up money a lot easier.

That's better leverage than nothing and not a bad course of action in its own right. I'd spin a similar story, but I actually do want to attend this fall. When I did a bunch of searching about this, I found a story where someone in my situation tried to use a job offer and financial concerns as leverage and the school respondent with "lol okay here's a deferment see you in a year lil breh" and not a bump in scholarship money. Scared of that sort of backfire.

Can't you withdraw and reapply next year without doing ED?

3.35/173 are almost universally WLed at UVA without an ED. UVA is the best school for me, given my goals (want to work in the southeast and maximize chances at biglaw and Fedgov work), so I decided not to risk it. Wasn't looking at much $ anyway with my split, but I still want to try.

I've never ED'd, but your leverage is in the fact that you don't have to go this year. Hold out as long as you can before depositing, and even after you deposit, tell them that you don't think you can afford it financially.

Could this backfire? I don't want to get slapped with a deferral or post-admit rejection (does that exist?) because I was too pushy.

That's essentially my concern here. I'd call them right now and say I wasn't going without a scholly, but I'm afraid of the possible repercussions.

[Nickg415]

Yeah having any negotiation backfire would be horrible but I feel like this would only happen if you give the school an ultimatum (If you don't give, then I wont go...). Unless you are actually this extreme I feel that schools expect students to ask for money and as long as you are reasonable in how you address it I cant see them pulling your acceptance or anything harsh.

[North]

Yeah having any negotiation backfire would be horrible but I feel like this would only happen if you give the school an ultimatum (If you don't give, then I wont go...). Unless you are actually this extreme I feel that schools expect students to ask for money and as long as you are reasonable in how you address it I cant see them pulling your acceptance or anything harsh.

Yeah, I figured as much. This is my last go at unearthing some institutional wisdom on this -- I figure some TLSer has to have tried in the past. If not, I'm hoping for general suggestions (in person? phone? letter? what do I say? that sort of thing.) and do(s)/don't(s) before I talk to them.

[Rahviveh]

I'm a splitter and ED'd to UVA about halfway through this cycle. I didn't receive any merit or need-based non-loan aid in UVA's initial financial aid package last week. UVA has indicated that they'll be open to talking about/negotiating scholarships (with both RD and ED admits, according to reports from TLSers) after their deposit deadline in April. ASD is next week.

I signed away all my real leverage with the ED. So, is there any credited way to go about begging the administration for a tuition discount when they look at me again in April? Do any past EDers have experience with such groveling for a discount? Should I corner the Financial Aid directer at ASD? Write letters to the Dean? Daily phone calls and a refusal to take no for an answer?

I would be ecstatic if I got any $, though I understand that it's very, very unlikely. I'm as alright as I can be with UVA at sticker (terrified), but I'd like to know that it wasn't for lack of trying.

I'm open to general ideas for how to go about it. Step one, I'd imagine, is to free myself from any semblance of pride and dignity.

Can't you withdraw and reapply next year without doing ED?

I heard you are bound to matriculate at a school no matter the cycle if you sign an ED contract. Does anyone know if this is true, or if it varies by school?

[North]

I'm a splitter and ED'd to UVA about halfway through this cycle. I didn't receive any merit or need-based non-loan aid in UVA's initial financial aid package last week. UVA has indicated that they'll be open to talking about/negotiating scholarships (with both RD and ED admits, according to reports from TLSers) after their deposit deadline in April. ASD is next week.

I signed away all my real leverage with the ED. So, is there any credited way to go about begging the administration for a tuition discount when they look at me again in April? Do any past EDers have experience with such groveling for a discount? Should I corner the Financial Aid directer at ASD? Write letters to the Dean? Daily phone calls and a refusal to take no for an answer?

I would be ecstatic if I got any $, though I understand that it's very, very unlikely. I'm as alright as I can be with UVA at sticker (terrified), but I'd like to know that it wasn't for lack of trying.

I'm open to general ideas for how to go about it. Step one, I'd imagine, is to free myself from any semblance of pride and dignity.

Can't you withdraw and reapply next year without doing ED?

I heard you are bound to matriculate at a school no matter the cycle if you sign an ED contract. Does anyone know if this is true, or if it varies by school?

UVA's ED contract uses language that seems to bind you indefinitely, but anecdotal experience from TLSers says that they don't actually hold you to it if you sit out a cycle and reapply.

[Kurst]

I'm a splitter and ED'd to UVA about halfway through this cycle. I didn't receive any merit or need-based non-loan aid in UVA's initial financial aid package last week. UVA has indicated that they'll be open to talking about/negotiating scholarships (with both RD and ED admits, according to reports from TLSers) after their deposit deadline in April. ASD is next week.

I signed away all my real leverage with the ED. So, is there any credited way to go about begging the administration for a tuition discount when they look at me again in April? Do any past EDers have experience with such groveling for a discount? Should I corner the Financial Aid directer at ASD? Write letters to the Dean? Daily phone calls and a refusal to take no for an answer?

You may want to PM FloridaCoastalorbust: he was in a similar situation last year -- ED'd to UVA since he was below one median, but ended up withdrawing from UVA to work. A plum job opportunity and UVA's lousy aid package helped him make his decision.