What's done is done

Samuel had to decline the admission offer to his original top college choice due to lack of financial aid.

So we feel bad.

We feel like bad parents who didn't think far enough ahead to set aside $250K for each of our kids. 

We feel angry at the school, which we liked so much on the day Samuel got accepted, and which we kept trying very hard to like afterwards. We were willing to stretch beyond reason to make it happen. They didn't have to do much to close the deal.

But they didn't. 

We feel bad about feeling bad about it. We make too much money to get financial aid from a private school, but too little to actually pay for it. Poor us. That's why they have this new concept, called "state schools." Get over it.

Mostly we feel bad for Samuel. He's worked hard and put a lot of effort into the process, and getting the acceptance letter was such a big celebration for all of us. He did his part. 

Fortunately, Samuel applied to six other schools after getting the initial financial aid notice. 

He got accepted to five, with partial scholarships to four. They're all good schools. It will all work out.

Samuel will go to college. We will go deeper into debt. But not a quarter million dollars in debt. And ppllltttt to the college that shall go unnamed.