Anyone have akid caught in a BIDDING WAR between two rival schools?

[JFSinIL]

After emailing Illinois Wesleyan yesterday the news that he was going to Augustana (they come in almost $4,000 less per year), the admissions person at Il. Wes.who has been working with John called in a PANIC last night to find out why - she said she will storm over to Financial Aid and will call John back tonight. She wanted to know the entire Augustana offer - this could get interesting. John is caught between two school that are real RIVALS for the same caliber of local kids. If Il. Wes. improves their aid to be the same cost to us as Aug. - do we then tell Aug.?

 

DS is pretty sure he wants to go to Augustana now over Il. Wesleyan... they have a cadaver lab :glare: that intrigues him, plus he could take Swedish as his foreign language. And they do three sets of classes a year, vs. two semesters at I.W> - so potential for more variety of classes.

 

Of course, there is more going on in Bloomington, since we have a big state u just blocks from Il. Wes. Augustana is in the middle of (boring) Rock Island.

[Michelle in MO]

It's interesting that you mention this!

 

I don't know if our experience qualifies as a bidding war, but dd got one very good scholarship from one state university and another scholarship (not as much) from another state university. When I called the second state university with some other questions, I mentioned that we were wavering in our decision between the two schools. I was not trying to "hint" for more scholarship money by any means.

 

Anyway, I found it very interesting that, two days later, we received another letter from the second school in question which stated they were giving her more scholarship money per year.

 

We're still undecided, but the letter from the second school seemed perhaps more than coincidental.

[mcconnellboys]

I don't know about the schools, but I will just say this: I LOVE Bloomington! If my son stays in the major he's interested in right now, he may go to IU for grad school! (There's a great used bookstore on the square, by the way!)

[Sharon in MD]

At this time last year we were trying to finalize our decision. Ds had 4 offers on the table, two of which were serious contenders with each other. It came down to a decision between Drexel and the Meyerhoff Scholars program at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Although the Meyerhoff program was arguably the more prestigious program, Drexel was our son's heart's desire, but, even worse, the offer from UMBC was better financially. I encouraged ds go to Drexel and plead his case to get the Drexel offer up to the UMBC (in state school, by the way) level. They responded favorably and he is very happily completing his freshman year at Drexel. It has been EVERYTHING he wanted and more. I think it is very important to consider your kid's heart in this. Where does he feel he belongs? What are the key attractors?

 

For our son it was mostly experience based....he really wanted the co-op opportunity. Drexel is a co-op school, but UMBC encourages similar opportunities...but they are more like summer intern programs. Our son wanted real research opportunities as a freshman....only Drexel offered that kind of thing to him...

 

Overall, I think you have nothing to lose by playing the schools against each other....BUT...I do think that the chip that has the greatest weight should be what your child thinks is the right fit.

[creekland]

Overall, I think you have nothing to lose by playing the schools against each other....BUT...I do think that the chip that has the greatest weight should be what your child thinks is the right fit.

 

:iagree: When my son turned down school #2 he told them his reason was due to the specific program at school #1, not the finances. School #2 came back with more financial aid anyway, but we didn't let it affect our decision because school #1 still seemed like the better fit for what my son wanted to do. Unless one really needs the $$ or is evenly torn between schools A & B (not 1 and 2), I'd stick with best fit.

[Susan in IL]

LOL!!! I kind of thought they might do that - it really is a big rivalry.

[Annie G]

The biggest turnoff about Augustana is the location, but their program sounds great. Don't forget the Augie Choice money, because that would certainly provide him the funds for a nice academic adventure.

We lived between IW and ISU for a couple of years- it was a really nice area! Too bad you can't teleport Augustana to an area like that. Dd loved visiting Augustana but the surrounding town was just too small for her.

[JFSinIL]

DS told the IW lady on the phone (after she said it would be another week before the Fin. Aid folks had their act together to make him a better offer) that he would prefer to just stick with Augustana - he has already been on-line looking for a roommate, been talking about the school with folks who have gone there - he just wants the selection to be DONE. Plus they have a cadaver lab - and yesterday he was at NIU doing the one-day high school program in their cadaver lab. He loved it! :glare: He hopes to get a work study job at Augustana's lab. (creepy)

 

So ds cut off the potential nerve-racking bidding war in its infancy - and I am glad! This has been a long six months!

 

I agree the surrounding town is boring, etc....however, ds doesn't go anywhere where we live now (more interesting, and a train ride from Chicago) so doubt it matters.

 

Now the next kid in line...a rising Junior... is talking college road trips!!! AAARRGH!!!!

[Jane in NC]

 

Now the next kid in line...a rising Junior... is talking college road trips!!! AAARRGH!!!!

 

May I just say that I really look forward to sitting on the beach with a book this summer--and not thinking about the college application process!

 

You have my greatest sympathy.

 

Jane (still waiting for Dear Son to decide)

[Michelle in MO]

May I just say that I really look forward to sitting on the beach with a book this summer--and not thinking about the college application process!

 

You have my greatest sympathy.

 

Jane (still waiting for Dear Son to decide)

Me too. I'm so tired of school myself, and tired of thinking about colleges and college decisions. I also have decisions to make for next year for our two other girls. Just plain tired of the whole process.

 

I can't wait to do some really mundane things this summer! :)

[creekland]

Now the next kid in line...a rising Junior... is talking college road trips!!! AAARRGH!!!!

 

We're going to be there with you, but I've told my rising junior his trips will be spring of his junior year to allow for his CC classes fall of jr year (+ hopefully he will zero in more on exactly what he wants for research and better know what to look for in a school/lab).

 

This summer we're just going to be concerned with getting oldest off to school after some last "visit family" trips.

[dhudson]

Ladies, from a Mom who is just looking at college stuff (with a rising 8th grader) thank you! The thought that colleges might have a bidding war over more scholarship money is really encouraging!

 

You have all made my day. Now going to go and encourage my ds to work harder.:001_smile: