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Thursday, April 28, 2011

The May 1st National Reply Date is, uh, Sunday

"Sonic" Franchise is property of Nintendo via SEGA
I've developed a twitch in my left eye that kind of makes it look like I'm trying to flirt with Sonic the Hedgehog. All of us in the office have, to some extent. This is due both to near-lethal levels of caffeine consumption and—more tangibly—the looming May 1st deadline. In the admission world, these last few days of April are called interchangeably: "Crunch Time," "Ulcer Week," and "Divine Punishment." We're madly processing deposits, scheduling last-second interviews, explaining the multilevel mysteries of financial aid, and desperately trying to match floating SAT scores with the proper applications.

You, too, are probably stressed—unless you've already paid the commitment deposit to a school of your choice, in which case you're probably kicking back with a cold soda and planning the color scheme of your dorm room. If you're not one of those lucky deposited students, you're probably waking up every night in a cold sweat, having dreamed that you're sitting for yet another SAT session but can't concentrate because for some reason you forgot to wear pants. So, let's help each other out. Read on for some things you can do to make all of our lives easier. 


1. If you've been admitted, pay, at the very least, your $200 commitment deposit. Today. Now, if you can. 
  • The $200 is mandatory. It can't be waived, and it can't be covered by financial aid. The point is that you have to pay it to let us know we can plan on you attending in the fall. If it's free, it kind of defeats the purpose of a "deposit."
  • The deposit will go toward your overall tuition. We aren't pocketing it to throw a really cool office party. You're paying $200 now that you won't have to pay when you register later.
  • The deposit for housing can be paid after May 1, if necessary. However, the longer you wait the less likely you are to get a spot in our residences. If you can pay both at the same time, do it. 
  • The deposit for housing is just like a deposit for an apartment. If you keep your unit in good shape, you'll get a commensurate amount back at the end of your stay.
  • If you're worried about post-marking and FedEx fees: you don't have to physically mail the form with a check. You can pay by credit card over the phone and fax or email the deposit form to us later.
2. If you've decided not to attend our (or any other) school, let the Admission Office(s) of the schools you won't be attending know. We/they will really appreciate the heads-up so we can stop bugging you to, well, deposit or give up your spot.

3. If you have financial aid questions, check your packet before calling. We are usually pretty good about providing all of the necessary information. If you're still confused, don't burst into tears—just call. We're here to help.
Also know that the financial aid package we gave you is subject to change, based on changes in your circumstances. For instance, if you've been awarded a scholarship (by us or anyone else) AFTER you were originally packaged, your aid WILL be adjusted. 
4. If you haven't received a decision yet, DON'T panic. We're not going to leave you hanging. 
  • Applications that were completed before May 1st will be given an extension so that you'll have time to respond, review your financial aid award (if applicable), and pay your deposit without losing a spot in our class. 
  • Applications completed after May 1st will be considered on a by-space basis. You still have [a very limited amount of] time to get everything in to us. 
5. If there are extenuating circumstances that are preventing you from paying the deposit, etc., call us. We'll work with you. 
We can't waive or lower the amount of the deposit or offer payment plans, though (see #1).

All right! We'll see you on the other side of May!

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