<p>AmandaK - Congrats to your son! Around here, it’s not uncommon for the band or theater kids to get homecoming or prom king or queen. In fact, for homecoming the king wins by raising the most money for his choice of a charity and the queen is chosen by popularity. For the prom the queen is the person that raises the most money for a charity and the king is picked by popular vote. </p>
<p>Oregonianmom, I’ve heard the same thing as fogfog - to list the peer schools which your student is applying. So far, I’ve only seen a couple of schools that ask that question.</p>
<p>My older kids both chose schools that were a day drive or a plane ride away. Neither of them were very good at keeping in touch and skype was not something they were interested in doing. It was particularly hard to adjust to my oldest child being gone, but much easier with number two. #3 has more in-state schools then his brother or sister ever had on their lists, but the ones he likes the best are out of state. As soon as he decides, you can bet I’ll be making travel arrangements for the first parents weekend if it’s not close.</p>
<p>Uh oh, I just noticed a small typo in D’s common app essay - that she already submitted to her ED school. She left out an “a” before a word. We both went over that essay several times and didn’t see it. I hope they don’t notice!</p>
<p>fogfog, you could ask on the financial aid forum Seriously, people there are really knowledgeable, and some of the posters work in FA offices. </p>
<p>My guess would be that the 401k doesn’t count as an asset, but that FA offices look at the income they are drawing from the 401k and pensions, investments, etc. That’s even before looking at real estate. I suppose they could have structured things in such a way that they have no taxable income, though that doesn’t sound possible since a 401k is funded with pretax dollars. Though they wouldn’t owe anything to the Feds, a college FA office doesn’t care if you are receiving income that’s tax-exempt or not. It’s all income to them.</p>
<p>Found a definition that might help some of you. If the parents’ combined AGI is $31K or less & one parent is a displaced worker then EFC is zero. In general, a person may be considered a dislocated worker if he or she
is receiving unemployment benefits due to being laid off or losing a job and is unlikely to return to a previous occupation;
has been laid off or received a layoff notice from a job;
was self-employed but is now unemployed due to economic conditions or natural disaster; or
is a displaced homemaker. A displaced homemaker is generally a person who previously provided unpaid services to the family (e.g., a stay-at-home mother or father), is no longer supported by the husband or wife, is unemployed or underemployed, and is having trouble finding or upgrading employment.</p>
<p>fog - IF the non-working parents are taking distributions from their IRAs, pensions or annuities, and have income from non-retirement assets in excess of their Income Protection allowance or they have non-retirement assets in excess of their Educational Savings and Asset Protection allowance, they are paying something.</p>
<p>FlMathMom - Thanks for the links. And allow me to join you in the procrastination camp. Son made progress on his applications. Finalized another two. AND got a haircut . He also got contacted by an interviewer from his EA school.</p>
<p>I OTOH was planning to finish the CSS, but for several reasons didnt even look at it this weekend. Other things I am procrastinating about: 1) ordering a yearbook 2) ordering his cap and gown for graduation 3) scheduling senior pictures session.</p>
<p>Omom a missing a wont make or break your Ds application. If it makes you feel any better S left out the in his resume that he attached to 2 applications that he already submitted.</p>
<p>Done with all my FAFSA reading, analyzing and updating of Forecaster. The Forecaster EFC is $1,800 higher than my spreadsheet calculation. I think the Forecaster assumes a certain minimum contribution from students even if they have no income.</p>
<p>While I was slaving away and not nagging, my S finished the CA including 3 of 5 supplements. #4 is not due til Jan and we are visiting #5 school in 2 weeks so he is holding off on those supps. He wants to wait a week before hitting Submit so we both can review CA one more time. He even worked on a few scholarships. WOW.</p>
<p>ShawSon seemed clueless for a couple of years in HS that a classmate, sweet, smart (now at an Ivy), slightly quirky (like ShawSon) was evincing interest (including coming over and reading sci-fi/fantasy books to him – his favorite genre and he’s highly dyslexic). She fell asleep one night on his bed leaning against him and reading. So, he comes out to ask, “What should I do? XXX has just fallen asleep on my bed?”</p>
<p>He was sick for much of senior year and she started going out with one of his friends. [I think she gave up after two years of trying]. At the last minute, he asked out another girl to the prom – she was the hot girl of freshman year but they talked on the phone for an hour a day that year because they were both in all the same honors classes. “We’re just friends.” She was free because she had left for homeschooling.</p>
<p>He came back during his freshman year in college and was working on a portrait of a girl in his dorm from a photo. He said he wanted to finish it because she had asked him to draw a portrait of her. She’d seen him working on drawings for his drawing class and he really is quite talented. Somehow, I’d guess that she really had in mind sitting for him while he drew her and that the request was less about getting a portrait and more about starting a relationship, but ShawSon remained oblivious. Well, she has a nice portrait now.</p>
<p>Who knows, olderwisermom? ShawSon’s intellectual skills are awfully impressive. Not sure about reading female interest.</p>
<p>ShawD on the other hand has ample social skills. </p>
<p>The good news: She got her first application in for a rolling admission school that said she’d hear positively 3 weeks after her application arrived. Her school still has to do her part as well.</p>
<p>Oregonianmom: I wouldn’t lose sleep over the typo in your daughter’s essay. They’ll probably read it so fast they won’t notice. Good luck to her.</p>
<p>The reason you and your child missed the typo originally is because the human brain fills in missing words for us. If the admissions officer is reading for content, likely his/her brain will fill in the missing word as well.</p>
<p>Some of you may recall that I reported last weekend as including a “meltdown” re college essays. This weekend has been absolutely huge. I think 4 supplements submitted–including the first choice EA, the PROFILE submitted, and the Common App is one click away from submission. The difference in mood and productivity is profound. </p>
<p>This has been a family/team effort, between the financial stuff, the organization, and the proofreading. My heart goes out to those kids who are trying to navigate this system by themselves because I have no idea how far they could possibly get alone.</p>
<p>The student will have to provide a minumum amount of $, even with no income and no summer earnings… It is “expected”…also, any assets, savings from birthday $ etc…the student will have to use it as well…the school will tell you how much they expect from that asset each year… Depending on the school, the school will offer an on campus job as well.</p>
<p>I think we will have our student take an on campus job…we will see… The sport is in season year round, so we know time will be tight between classes, practice and competition…</p>
<p>The acct that has our student’s birthday money–which has little (however 17 yrs of $25 birthday checks, that sort of thing)–instead of draining it now,-- we will have our student begin to use part of it for the new laptop necessary to go to school and other school needs. </p>
<p>Several, including swimming compete all the time
…seems they are either swimming long distances, short distances, training, training, training…
Golf and tennis can go year round…</p>
<p>Wow, I didn’t realize that about swimming. You swim moms must have the cleanest pores in town. And trust me when I say that here in Minnesota, golf and tennis do NOT go year round!</p>
<p>Good work, UT84321! I bet it feels like a huge weight off your & your child’s shoulders. I cannot imagine a high school senior trying to navigate the FinAid waters alone. It’s just so complicated. As for us, we will be sitting down next weekend with the Profile and the institution’s forms, but I am 99% sure I’ll do it all by myself. I may have D fill in the ED school’s form in her own handwriting. Plus then she can see for herself what all is involved.</p>
<p>Just got an email from one of S’s teachers that he completed and submitted his recs. Yeah! Of course, S still has to finish his essays and suppliments. </p>
<p>I had the meltdown this weekend. Trying to get winter/cold weather stuff out, summer stuff put away. Unfortunately all that happened was beds got made with flannel/fleece sheets, some electric blankets got put on and most of the winter clothing is still sitting on my bedroom floor. House is a disaster. Was asked at the last minute to help out in the snack bar for flag football during time I wanted to spend listing the hundreds of books my kids are done with on ebay. I just can’t say no. And I am frustrated trying to list all the deadlines and requirements for merit aid for 12 schools. S still has work to do on his main essay and I am not happy. I got most of the books listed on ebay today, but didn’t get food shopping done. H wanted help with Profile which is almost done, yeah! </p>
<p>Back to work on my spreadsheet with dates and requirements for merit apps. I could use a big piece of cake right now.</p>
<p>Congrats UT. Great job to you and everyone else who made some progress this weekend.</p>
<p>Cute story - My S overheard a classmate asking their English teacher for some ‘simple advice’ (his words) re: writing essays. S told me she had no idea that you have to ‘show not tell’ and not repeat info already in application. Afterward he offered to have lunch with her so he could help her with ‘the process’. It made him sad that her parent wasn’t helping her, but he was happy he was able to.</p>
Seriously, people there are really knowledgeable, and some of the posters work in FA offices. </p>