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Joined: 02 Feb 2009
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Re: Serious question regarding withdrawing from early action
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11 Sep 2012, 21:00
Well - there is another angle, the financial angle. Which will probably apply more to international students than domestic as the latter can easily get loans. I am not in this boat (Read Columbia ED, atleast for now), but thinking about various caveats etc., I think this one makes sense.
You may not be able to arrange for the finances in time, especially for International students. What I mean by this, and this specifically applies to Columbia, is that you don't have a US cosginer to help you take the loan (Columbia does NOT grant loans to international students without a US cosigner). There is NO way the school can force you/sue you etc. for not attending if they see you cannot financially support your education, AND the school can't do anything about it (loans, scholarships etc.)
Now the question that will come is, you must have thought of your co signer problem before you applied. Yes, for sure, BUT that does not mean your co signer cannot back out when the time actually comes to put pen to paper. As an international student, at Columbia, this reason will remain valid. I am sure the school won't be happy about it, but then you are asking them for help and if they can't give it to you, they'll have to let you go.
Further, this happens all the time in various situations - you take an offer of employment at X, get a better salary at Y, and take that. You burn bridges of course, but then you obviously have thought of that when you renege on your offer.
Thoughts?