E-mail from seminary

amother

Mon, Feb 19 2024, 2:07 pm

We got an e-mail from one of the seminaries we applied my daughter to that I think is utterly inappropriate. Basically says that there are limited slots ad limited scholarships that go fast. Answers will be given on March 2, and it is a very stressful time.
There ss an optional form to be sent in by Feb 22 pre-committing to send to this sem IF she is accepted, and insinuating that it will help toward acceptance if filled out. Askes for CC number so they will charge the $4500 deposit on March 1 if she is accepted and there is no getting that back.

Isn's this against the vaad? I feel very not good about the e-mail. It is my daughter's first choice, but still......

amother

Oxfordblue

Mon, Feb 19 2024, 2:11 pm

amother OP wrote:

What’s the vaad rules?

amother

Birch

Mon, Feb 19 2024, 2:22 pm

In an ideal world, they would admit all qualified applicants and finances wouldn’t be a barrier.
They are saying to your DD, we want you. Commit and the seat is yours. If not, we will not reject (or waitlist another girl and give her the spot)
We need you to commit with money because too often a girl says yes and then gets a different offer and takes that other one and now they rejected a girl they would otherwise have not rejected. They are also saying Seminary is a luxury and is expensive, if you don’t have the means to pay, don’t count on aid and don’t buy it. One shouldn’t buy a pair of expensive shoes and take them out of inventory and hold them until they are no longer in style and then say to the store, well I want them and can’t pay-oh but now nobody else wants them either so give me a sale price.
You can’t buy a house without a deposit. If you see one you want and it is going fast, you can’t say to the seller, hold it for me while I try to get a down payment and mortgage, and don’t give it to the other buyers.

My only issue is if answers come out a specific date, I see the benefit of this but it is not playing by the established rules and it’s going to be unfair to some part of the population.

amother

Begonia

Mon, Feb 19 2024, 2:27 pm

amother Birch wrote:

The problem is, you can't really say that nowadays. I think there are two girls in my daughter's entire grade who are not going to seminary. You can't tell me they aren't making money hand over fist on the backs of cash strapped parents, via this luxury-turned-necessity.

amother

Dustypink

Mon, Feb 19 2024, 2:39 pm

BH Yom Yom wrote:

I understand wanting a deposit if she is being accepted early (like colleges might do with early-action or early-decision, so they have some commitment that the student does plan to attend), but to demand a deposit like that and then not refund it if they end up not accepting the girl? Really not OK.

They said they only charge the CC if she is in fact accepted
So there is only a non-refundable deposit taken once she gets in

amother

Purple

Mon, Feb 19 2024, 2:51 pm

The problem is that this seminary is trying to jump the line and control who they end up with even more than normal.
The vaad and all the seminaries agreed that acceptances will be on March 3.
For fairness for everyone.
This seminary is trying to jump ahead with the pre acceptance to guarantee that they don't have anyone turn them down and they don't have to do a round two.
That's really unfair to everyone involved.

The seminary will fill. I have no worries.
Just maybe not 100% the perfect class.

I would report to the seminary advisor.

amother

Charcoal

Mon, Feb 19 2024, 3:04 pm

I would ask your HS if this is normal and how to handle it. But if you wait 2 weeks until all acceptances come you will have to give a similar deposit and be given a similar timeframe to respond. If it's her first choice then I would lock it in and be done.
If it's against the rules agree upon in the process that is for those who coordinate to deal with. Not for you to shoot yourself in the foot over. To me this sounds like guaranteed acceptance for your daughter
Also, if they are offering you a scholarship maybe they can only give it with pre commitment so they know how many they can offer other girls
-a mother sitting and waiting for answers on March 2/3

amother

Birch

Mon, Feb 19 2024, 3:06 pm

amother Begonia wrote:

The sems my DDs went to were not making money hand over fist. Either the schools are very different and provide differently, cost a very different amount, or you have no idea what it costs to run things.
And 25% of DDs class didn’t go for a variety of different reasons, none of them being my business. It is a privilege and a luxury, not a necessity, and you think that it is adds to the peer pressure to go.

Chayalle

Mon, Feb 19 2024, 3:12 pm

They want to get the girls they want to accept on the first round.
What happens is, if they wait for 3/3 (or whatever the date is) some girls will make a decision on where to go based on other factors - for example, where their friends are going, or other girls they heard of that they may or may not wish to be with. If they are tied in their choices for first between two seminaries, that can play a role. Let's say a seminary has x slots and y applicants, they want to make sure they get as many of their slots filled from THEIR top choices. If they accept a girl who declines them, they have to make a choice to accept someone for round 2 who was not initially their top choice.

amother

Lightcoral

Mon, Feb 19 2024, 4:50 pm

Chayalle wrote:

True. BUT, it's also possible that a girl that might be their first choice considers them their second choice...and those ppl are extremely turned off... they specifically have a March 3rd date for everybody so that people know right away all the places that are accepted to and you respond based on who you got into and who you didn't and this Seminary is trying to game the system.

amother

Mon, Feb 19 2024, 6:27 pm

Yes, I feel like they are trying to game the system. I heard it is against the vaad which now puts a bad taste for this sem in my mouth, but still is DD first choice. I think she will be happy in her second choice as well, though. Our sem advisor said they shouldn't do this and we should not send in the form. I hope that doesn't make my daughter miss out, but I also really don't like the idea of locking in without scholarship and acceptance info from everywhere

this is the wording of the e-mail:
Being that parents often have difficulties reaching the registration office on the day of acceptance, and scholarships are not guaranteed and may run out, we are offering the following option. Filling out the statement below and returning it before February 22, 2024 will guarantee your slot if you are accepted, and guarantee you scholarship if you were granted one. Furthermore, even for those who are not scholarship dependent, being that there are limited beds in SEM NAME and ה"בלע tremendous demand, it would ease our decision making to know who is a serious applicant. Those wishing to, can please fill out the below and return by February 22.
I, _____________________________________,from _______________________________________(high school)
am a serious applicant and if accepted I will IY”H be attending SEM NAME. Below are credit card details for the initial non-refundable deposit in the amount of $4500, collectable on Friday March 1st. There will not be any credit card processing charge for these payments. (A check received by February 22, dated for March 1, is acceptable as well. If not accepted, it will be torn up.)
Cardholder’s Name __________________________________
Credit Card # ________________________________ Exp Date ___/_____ Security Code _______
Billing Address _________________________________ Zip ____________
Email _____________________________________________
I hereby authorize this credit card to be used for the amount of $4500 collectable on Friday, March 1, 2024
Signature _____________________________ Date __________