<p>momjr: My son goes to Maryland! He is a junior in their school of journalism and has had a very positive experience so far. It’s a large, pretty campus with a lot going on. He goes to DC quite frequently, too.</p>
<p>Have you seen the thread about Recruiter’s top 25 schools? I’m pretty sure UMCP is on the list.</p>
<p>Yes it was. UMCP was #8, specifically engineering, accounting, comp sci, & business.</p>
<p>^That’s great news - it’s #8! My son will likely graduate a semester early… hoping to get a jump on all the other graduates who will be needing jobs in June.</p>
<p>Oregonianmom: How does your son like the School of Journalism? My daughter may apply to that school. She’s not really sure what she wants to major in, but her strenghts point in that direction, and I know that the Maryland program has a great reputation.</p>
<p>That’s great news about #8 in recruiting. Unfortunately, I don’t think my daughter would consider one of those majors.</p>
<p>If you follow the link on the thread, there are a few related articles. One talks about why college recruiters are turning to state schools in general. On the initial list they listed those four specialities for UMCP, however I believe that the school as a whole is very well thought of by recruiters.</p>
<p>momjr: My son likes the J-school very much. They’re pretty tough on the students, which if you ask me, is as it should be. There is far too much shoddy news reporting going on these days! Hopefully UMD graduates will make a positive impact in the world of news reporting. The J-school building is brand-spanking new and really nice. My son is also in Honors and has had some really interesting honors courses. He likes journalism, but I know if he had to choose over again, he would have applied to the Gov’t & Politics program. Poli sci is a huge interest of his, but since students apply directly to the program and start taking some major classes freshman year, it makes it difficult to switch majors (within these types of limited enrollment majors, anyway).</p>
<p>D put the brakes on college applications when the school found out they had a GPA calculation problem which meant a rank problem (gotta love Texas…King of Rank). They have it figured out but “official” GPA’s and ranks won’t be released until end of this week which is fine, except it has been an excuse for D to stop all progress (Mom, I can’t submit them until I get my GPA)…yeah kid but you can finish your essay…lol.</p>
<p>While my S is busy doing what he is supposed to be doing (I hope), I decided to take a look at the FAFSA forecaster. I got all the way to the end and got an EFC #, but then I was asked to ‘submit’ it. Can anyone explain what that means and what the advantage of doing that is?</p>
<p>^^ I don’t think you want to submit/or can submit anything until you have your numbers for 2010—and would do the forms after Jan1.
Just use the approximation software for now.</p>
<p>Still EFC can be shocking!!</p>
<p>fogfog-that’s putting it mildly. I went into a severe anxiety attack after seeing that in fact we would get no aid other than the loan everyone is eligible for!</p>
<p>The EFC thing is scary but if your kids are at the top of the applicant school with their stats and the school traditionally offers the majority of students good chunks of money in institutional aid (merit aid), private schools can be almost as affordable as state schools. You just cannot usually expect merit aid at a reach school. This is why a financial safety is a must. I’ve told my son a few times that he should not fall in love with any school until we see what the bottom line is. Well, with the exception of in-state Public’s.</p>
<p>^^ Ahh, but how can you tell someone not to fall in love? ;)</p>
<p>My understanding is that the FAFSA form for Class of 2015 is not avail until Jan 1, 2011. I put numbers in the FAFSA Forecaster which is supposed to give a good approximation of the EFC and it will transfer your info to the real FAFSA come Jan 1. </p>
<p>At the end of the Forecaster, I was asked to submit it. I don’t know what that means. Perhaps it puts it into the gov’t’s system so it can tfr to FAFSA come Jan. Does anyone know? If not I’ll call them later.</p>
<p>We honestly told our son very early on, no school that was beyond our in-state tuition and explained to him the types of schools where he could expect merit aid, and what type of FA we would get ($0, which stinks but took away any shocker… we had to do a FAFSA for H when he started grad school). We simply didn’t visit, nor did he consider, schools that were unaffordable.</p>
<p>That’s how you tell someone not to fall in love.</p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong…It’s hard not to take an engineering kid with the stats who has earned the right to even be in the probability pool of some of these great schools, but how fair would that be? Luckily he has some great options that he’s happy about, we haven’t visited the schools we can’t afford, so that’s the route we took. We’ll do the same with our younger son.</p>
<p>^^We also are not even looking at any reach schools. I know there are some that she’d love, and D has great stats, but there are lots of terrific schools where she has a good shot at merit aid with her stats and she’s loved each one that we’ve visited. A couple of interviews at some of the schools have confirmed that she will find a place we can afford with merit aid that will make her very happy. We’re fortunate that she’s so flexible and doesn’t complain about our limitations at all. And it’s her hard work that is making her a candidate for merit aid at a small private LAC (which is what she wants). Now if she would only get moving on her applications …</p>
<p>We are back at school today. Have a draft of essay and common app draft but lots and lots more work to do. College list down to 16 so probably done. Still thinking where to apply early… Scary how much needs to get done in next few months. So many supplements and one non common app school. Well, he will just have to get it done somehow but I predict lots of drama and stress. I note most of kids mentioned in this thread who are doing apps pretty much independently are girls…</p>
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<p>Yesterday I told my D that she has until Sept 25 to get the common app done, then she can add ACT scores (if they improve) the next week, then be DONE with it. She’s only applying to two schools and she’s in one of them. If she can just get the app and the essay done, her spare time will be her own - no more nagging from me. Seems like that would be a great incentive - we’ll see!</p>
<p>Missypie- I think the end of nagging was my d’s main incentive to get the app done! ;)</p>
<p>The EFC is a serious issue here too–I am praying…</p>
<p>Kiddo was seriously grumpy this am–stayed up late doing hw.
still hasn’t sent the thank you note to the interviewer of a school…and the guy will be writing a report—sigh…Now the note is finally written and not addressed–I even gave kiddo a post-it with the address on it–NOPE still not done…
I am NOT going to own this–this is kiddo’s stuff…just a bit disappointing as kiddo did make time for a phone call to the “serious like” interest this weekend! Thankfully that serious friend is a good student too…still–get the thank you note done…pleeeease~!</p>
<p>I dont think anything has been done with the apps–though one school which has an individual app–doesn’t use com-ap—kiddo took the forms in for the GC and teachers…so thats done.</p>
<p>As far as the weight loss–I am glad I have company in it—Won’t we all look great in thos grad pics!! Don’t want to look “long in the tooth” on our kid’s big day…nor be huffing/puffing lugging stuff at move in…</p>