I’m pretty sure FAFSA is different from CSS. I will be looking into CSS later this month.
@tigerman333 A lot of colleges have certain aid cutoff dates. For instance, my local in-state knows that if people really want to go there, they’ll have completed their application by November 1st, so if you apply by then, the college will consider you for all possible aid. After that, you can still get some aid, but not as much, since the biggest portion will have been given to those who applied early, AKA the people who really want to go there.
Check the websites of the colleges you are considering to see if they have any information like that posted. Then, plan around that.
Yeah, CSS Profile opened a week earlier than the FAFSA. It’s much more in depth than the FAFSA and you have to do it through College Board. Also, one important difference between the CSS Profile and the FAFSA…if your parents are divorced or don’t live in the same home, the parent you don’t live with will have to complete the noncustodial profile for most schools that require the CSS Profile.
Overall, thought the FAFSA was much easier than the CSS Profile…although there was a shady part of the FAFSA that asked me if I wanted to skip questions about my mom’s and my assets. I said no because most schools will ask for that information later anyway to verify (if they are a FAFSA only school)…
Anyways, so yes, for NYU and some other schools, they want both the FAFSA and the CSS Profile… CSS Profile gives them more information (but also costs money if you’re not low income) but I think they still want the FAFSA because that’s how their students receive federal aid and Pell grants/Stafford loans.
Ok so on the September ACT I got a 33 C (35E, 31M, 31R, 35S) but my writing score was a 7! I took the SAT back in May and got a 1340 and I didn’t bother to retake it but my essay scores on there are 7, 6, 6. I’m applying to Harvard REA and I’m not sure whether to send my SAT since my writing on there is much higher but the overall score is so much lower that the ACT. What should I do?
Can you send both @camelot39 ? I would send ACT if I had to choose.
@camelot39 everyone’s essay scores for the new sat and act are screwed up. Colleges that require the essay portion have been saying that since everyone got screwed over, they just want to see that you took it. I agree with @MissSuzyQ , your act score overall is better.
@MissSuzyQ I can send both but I wasn’t sure if I should because my SAT is so much lower. I only wanted to send the SAT because of the writing.
@alyse16 Really? That’s such a relief. If they’re only looking to see that I took it, then I’m just going to send my ACT. Thank you!
Wait are ACT essay scores out of 12 again? I though they were out of 36? Because my ACT essay score is a 23/36 which somehow equates to an 8 on the essay? It’s kind of werid because my composite score is a 33 but my writing score is a 23? So I hope colleges understand that the new sat and act essay scores are werid…
@Sandy12345 Yeah, my writing score was much lower than my composite (a 36 overall and a 29 on writing), but I took it in March. Maybe it’s always like that?
Hi I am from HS class of 2018 coming here for some advice. I have taken Math II and Physics subject tests and scored very well. Most of the colleges recommend or require 2 subject tests. So is it necessary to take any more in another subject (say humanities)? I am going into STEM field and colleges mostly recomment 1 Math and 1 Science .Any adivce?
@polarisgirl From what I’ve heard, extra subject tests is like extra rec letters - colleges really don’t consider them that much after you get the recommended amount. If you got good scores on those two, then it should be pretty obvious that you’re a good student, and anything else would be overkill. Work on boosting your application in other ways now with things like research or Science Olympiad rather than taking more tests.
Good luck next year!
I rewrote my entire common app essay, but the new one sounds much better (albeit a little more cheesier)
U.S. Senate Youth Program Test & Interview next Wednesday… it was hard last year. There were weird questions like “Who delivered the minority opinion in (Forgot) v. New York?” and “Who was the first woman elected to the House of Representatives?” Scared…
Looking at my grades from the past couple years and the colleges i want to apply to and i feel like i might be shooting way past the stars
Thanks a lot @Dax123. Everyone I know is going for that 3rd subject test. I don’t want to waste more time in another subject test but will rather work on SAT and other ECs.
Ugh college
We have homecoming this week and honestly I wish u didn’t have to go just because that means I’m going to be yet another week behind on apps…
@SugarSmarts Homecoming is only on one night, so you still have time to do other things 
@SugarSmarts You have to go to homecoming? Why can’t you just skip? Or like @neoking said just go and hace fun because it’s only one night.
Anyone else doing the Khan Academy breakthrough junior challenge?
Submitted app to Yale!