<p>The FAFSA and the Profile are like a colonoscopy…the prep is the toughest part.</p>
<p>FlMathMom: Thanks for the best laugh I have had today!</p>
<p>Missypie, thanks for posting that tax info. I heard about it on a Chicago radio finances show while in the car yesterday. Nearly drove off the road.</p>
<p>They explained everything that’s in your post and emphasized that if you fall into one of those categories (don’t we all?) and file before mid-to-late February, you WILL be filing amended returns later. In fact, they pointed out that you won’t even be getting any brokerage 1099s on non-deductable retirement accts until well into February.</p>
<p>They didn’t wrestle with the situation of many of us on cc: if we want the best shot at need-based scholarship $, we have to try to file early…but now it looks like we’ll have to file amended taxes later, plus amended FAFSAs plus amended Profiles. Geez Louise, this gets more excruciating every day.</p>
<p>Amanda, she-who-must-not-be-named sounds like a loathsome creature to me. How low! </p>
<p>Regarding the new family conversation topic at your house…sounds like it’s time for, “WHO WANTS ICE CREAM??? MOM’S BUYING!!!”
:)</p>
<p>I love the sense of humor here. The $ stuff makes me go bug-eyed. I have nurtured the apps and auditions so that stuff is in DH’s to do pile thank goodness.</p>
<p>Amanda K, about she who must not be named, wish her all good things far, far away. That is my way of not messing with karma but still taking care of a problem. Sent someone to Poland that way. Just sayin.</p>
<p>Sorry your son is hurting. Hope he finds someone worthy of his affection.</p>
<p>FlMathMom laugh of the week!</p>
<p>The only good thing about this is everyone is going to be late. Wouldn’t it be nice if the powers that be would actually think of the huddled masses when passing legislation and waiting until the last minute to do so?</p>
<p>FlMathMom: Thanks for a good laugh!! </p>
<p>amandak: Love LeftofPisa’s idea of wishing “she who must not be named” good will and good riddance! Your son deserves much better. Might need to have some chocolate with that ice cream. </p>
<p>As for the taxes, Profile, and FAFSA, I originally thought that the only thing worse than doing everything once was doing it twice. Now it looks like I may actually have a shot at doing it 3 times! Once for the Profile that was due 1/1, once to file the tax return, and once to update the whole thing. Yippee.</p>
<p>
Shoot me now.</p>
<p>FIMath - Thanks for the laugh!! I did feel like that. Today’s a new day…and a new form. Today I will complete the Profile. Ranting will come later, no doubt. If the forms won’t be finalized and one particular school requires your 1040 to be sent by 2/15…guess, I need to make a phone call, I don’t wanna amend taxes!
She-who-must-not-be-named has been courting my ds for at least a yr while she was someone else’s gf, once the claws were into ds, he became a zombie devotee. Present is off desk and apparently into backpack today so…ugh, I guess s-w-m-n-b-n is back.</p>
<p>Morning All</p>
<p>So if I am reading this correctly–we really cant do the taxes til late Feb AND cant do a proper FAFSA until then—
or we do it all and then have to file amended returns and amended FAFSA…</p>
<p>sigh</p>
<p>I am going to calculate my taxes (but not submit), file FAFSA saying I “will file”, then when the taxes are submitted, go back and change to “filed” on the FAFSA. My taxes are fairly uncomplicated though, and the schedule A changes won’t affect me because I don’t claim sales tax. I see Form 8863 for the American Opportunity education credit for 2010 is not online yet either. So at least I don’t plan to have to file amended tax returns, and hopefully won’t have to change my FAFSA numbers, just change my tax filing status.</p>
<p>Re Post 8258 by LeftofPisa - the ‘unchecked boxes’ might not be an oversight on your D’s part - some of the colleges elect not to receive info that is entered on the CommonApp - I gave my student a hard time for not checking some of those boxes and then realized that he HAD checked them on the ‘master’ commonapp, just that that particular college didn’t want that info. so it didn’t get uploaded to that college’s app. Does that make sense? So I guess a college that doesn’t want to know about ‘financial need’ becomes truly ‘need blind.’</p>
<p>Ok, I survived Profile. Too early for a drink? I particularly liked the final questions where you are asked to list kiddo’s #1 choice, #2 choice… So, if you are my #1, I am more likely to get aid? Or will #2 want to win your heart? I’m just thankful (unlike FAFSA), there was no “and your EFC is $$$$$$” which would again throw me into hysterical laughter. “Hey Honey, guess what your government thinks we have to spend on college!!” LOLs as my kids would say.</p>
<p>^^Do the colleges see the answer to this last question? Can I leave blank. We aren’t getting any financial aid and I don’t want the answer to this question effecting his admission or merit aid.</p>
<p>It said at the end what colleges receive answers to what questions - and yes, in our case, only one (UM) would see the answer to that so guess what, yep you are #1! Not sure about opting out, didn’t try to leave it blank.</p>
<p>From the way I have read our 10 colleges’ financial aid instructions, the 2010 tax returns we send them need to be signed and complete, but do not need to have been actually filed yet, which is a relief given that 3 require receipt of 2010 tax returns by February 15. Thus, while we may need to amend our FAFSA and CSS, and send the final 2010 returnif for some reason what we originally send the colleges changes, there is no reason to file the 2010 returns with the IRS before they are ready, and no reason to worry about the delayed filing mandate for those of us who itemize deductions. Having never, in recent memory, filed a return prior to October 15 of the following year (most partnerships can’t get K-1s out even by April 15), I can’t even begin to contemplate trying to get something filed in February, and the thought of filing an amended return is too terrible to contemplate.</p>
<p>If anyone thinks I’m wrong about sending a completed, signed but unfiled 2010 return to a college, please let me know.</p>
<p>S finally got his license today! Yeah. My Father gave us his car a few months ago when he stopped driving so we even have a car for him to drive…when we let him. Unfortunately for S, H found cigarettes in S’s room yesterday and although we had previously told him he could drive to school today we had to rescind. He isn’t going to drive every day, most days he will ride with friends. But, he really wanted to drive today, his first day as a licensed driver. …sigh I know not letting him drive today is not going to get him to quit smoking, but we felt he had to be punished. I never expected to be the parent of a smoker, H & I do not smoke. It is not allowed at his school. I know threats will not make him stop, I am just hoping he meets a cute girl who won’t tolerate it soon.</p>
<p>I thought I’d start early and did my profile a while back, but I don’t think I remember my pin?! Ugh. Maybe I wrote it down somewhere. My D calls home each day before cheerleading practice to check if anythings came in the mail. She’s expecting to hear from 3 more schools between now and the 15th, and even though one is not her favorite, she’d still like to be accepted. It’s funny how the 6th school, which she won’t hear from til March, is off of her charts, she wouldn’t even go unless it was the only school she was accepted to. She loved it at the visit, but then loved others more. Probably should have saved the money we spent applying there.</p>
<p>Hopefully my husband’s forms will come soon. I am the bookkeeper for the company I work for, and am self employed in my own business, so MY W-2’s will be ready this week. </p>
<p>I’ve been thinking a lot about “what I’ll do better next time” with my younger D. And then I feel badly like I’m giving up on my older D or that I’m disappointed in her success. I am proud of what she’s accomplished, I truly am, I just get frustrated when I think back over her high school career, how she fought me about EC’s and clubs, and how her grades could have been so much better. She did not prep at all for the PSAT’s, and could have prepped more for the ACT’s and SAT’s that she did well on, but frankly, not spectacular. (Certainly not by CC standards. Do you think these students are telling the truth about their grades? I just want to reach out and smack some of them, they have so much attitude…) Things will be very different with my more studious younger girl, but I think I’ve learned a lot this past year. Seeing what would have been available to her with top grades and scores really made me think about this. </p>
<p>Anyway, just trying to catch up on the posts as we were away in DC for the holidays. Missed the big storm, this bothered the girls more than myself. You guys keep me laughing!</p>
<p>32578233: That’s the way I read that, too. I need to submit the FAFSA by 2/1 at at least one of S2’s schools, so we’ll run a copy of the 1040 for that and send it with the FAFSA information. We don’t plan to file with the IRS until 4/15 as we expect to owe a hefty sum and don’t want to pay earlier than necessary.</p>
<p>I had to have the Profile done by 1/1. If there are changes to the 1040 after I file the FAFSA, I’ll have to go back and revise both the Profile and fAFSA. Super!</p>
<p>{{{mamom}}} I bet that is a disappointment. I think you were right to set your boundary as hard as it was. No, it won’t stop him but it will convey your disappointment and that’s an important message to send. I am surprised by the intelligent kids who are smoking these days. I smoked as a teen/20-something but somehow I thought today’s kids were smarter than that. Hopefully its just a phase/role he is playing around with and he will move on before he gets hooked.</p>
<p>Thank you Samuck! That makes sense. The Common App makes things really easy in some ways but makes me crazy in others. Do you know if there is a way to go back and see if a school opted out of those questions? No biggie. This is a minor enough point that I think I can just leave it alone. She didn’t check no to merit aid so I figure if she is eligible for something they will offer it. And if not, we will be asking!</p>