<p>Moonmaid, since you seem to be an expert on the CSS, I was wondering:
You said you already updated it once but haven’t done the FAFSA yet. Why do the CSS first? Isn’t that the more difficult one to update? My understanding is that you can’t go in and update it online. You have to actually hand-write the corrections and send it in for many schools. I’m waiting as long as I can and praying for a W-2 soon so that I don’t have to make those manual corrections. My S applied to 11 schools that require it.</p>
<p>Hello all!</p>
<p>My ears perked up when I saw the recent CSS Profile/FAFSA talk. :)</p>
<p>I am now waiting to submit the CSS Profile for about five schools but think I made a mistake by submitting it early to at least one school, possibly two. One of the schools started sending emails about needing it as soon as DC submitted the app, claiming her file was incomplete without it. I’m now not sure they needed it as early as I sent it. For the other school, DC applied under an early notification option(get an indication if acceptance is likely or not about a month early). It was outdated within 24 hours of us sending it in due to an expected asset change.</p>
<p>The FAFSA was so easy compared to the profile. That has been submitted for all schools as it seems fairly painless to go in an update it once the taxes are done.</p>
<p>Student4ever I feel your pain! My D was still writing essays last night and started cutting the list of schools to which she is applying! Worse, she discovered two glaring errors in apps she had already submitted. I am tearing my hair out. Can’t wait till this process is over for better or worse.</p>
<p>jrmama496, if your estimates are close enough, not all schools that require the Profile will require you to send them the updates. They will get your updated FAFSA, so if the numbers that changed are also on FAFSA, that may be sufficient. Also some of them may require you to submit tax forms and such via IDOC and may use that to update your numbers instead of having you re-send the Profile updates. That said, I want to wait as long as is reasonable before submitting Profile, to minimize any changes.</p>
<p>So D’s school only updates transcripts with final grades once a course has been completed. Although school runs on modified block scheduling, APs are year long so only one of her courses will be complete next week and it’s her lowest grade. Her schools require mid-year reports but it seems pointless and confusing to send an updated transcript with only one grade. Any suggestions on how to handle this? Do you just email report cards or is there another form guidance can submit?</p>
<p>One of DS’s early schools asked for a mid-semester report, which our school does not do. So his counselor asked us to make a copy of his report card, which the counselor then mailed. So it was not an official transcript, but it was from the counseling department, in a school envelope, etc.</p>
<p>I would ask your GC about this. Now that I think about it, our DS has a similar issue with only 2 of 4 courses being updated on the transcript right now. I suspect the schools want to see mid-year grades from the AP courses that are not completed. I also suspect that both your school and mine knows how to handle it. But especially in your case @Overtheedge, where the one course updating on the transcript is not one of your D’s strongest, I’d make sure that it is standard for your school to send all of the grades.</p>
<p>Congrats eyemamom and others with apps finally submitted and/or new acceptances! </p>
<p>We are full pay too (and not comfortably so, ouch), but we always do the FAFSA. </p>
<p>I work at a state university, and used to work for another – both of which require a FAFSA for any scholarships to be awarded. The scholarships weren’t all need-based, but both schools funnel all monetary awards through Financial Aid offices, I guess to make sure the students aren’t eligible for federal or state aid first(?). I still think of the bright students who should have won departmental awards, or awards for high GPAs or service, but didn’t get considered because they had no FAFSA on file. </p>
<p>It’s worth checking to see if this is the case at the Us our sons/daughters eventually choose.</p>
<p>Partyoffour, we are also (not comfortably) full pay. I told DS to check “no” on Common App question about if applying to financial aid. Now reading your post, I think maybe I will still have to fill out the FAFSA if the school requires it for the merit scholarship. Can I still fill out the FAFSA even if we checked “no” on Common App?</p>
<p>So…sitting here at work & just read on the music major page that Juilliard is starting to send out audition invitations to those who have passed the prescreen. Aaack! This is my D’s super reach for vocal performane. Neither she nor I really thinks she’ll get in, but just to be invited to audition in NYC would be so exciting. Hard to concentrate on work now…</p>
<p>4beardolls…fwiw…DS14 has been awarded merit scholarships from 2 schools, neither of which did we have a Fafsa on file…also checked the not applying for financial aid box as well…must depend on the school</p>
<p>Yes, you can still fill out FAFSA if you checked “no” on the asking for financial aid box. You can even take out federal loans if you want. You just probably won’t be eligible for the school’s own need-based aid if you checked “no”.</p>
<p>FWIW, our college counselor told all parents, regardless of income, to check “Yes” on the “Applying for Financial Aid” question. I doubt checking “No” will change a merit award for a potential student. Still, my experience at both of my jobs has been that having a FAFSA on file is a good idea because your kid will have more opportunities to apply for scholarships and awards as he/she progresses. </p>
<p>Also, FWIW, I am not an admissions or FA employee. I am an instructor/adviser. My experience here has been in helping students seek out scholarships when I learn that they may be qualified and/or if they need financial help to stay in college. In every case, they needed a FAFSA. In many cases, their parents refused to provide the tax information necessary to file one “because you won’t get anything anyway.”</p>
<p>For a school where admissions are not need-blind, my understanding is that checking “yes” can hurt your chances.</p>
<p>A benefit of having a FAFSA filed is that your student can get a federal loan later if they end up needing some extra cash to, say, put down a deposit on next year’s apartment. To move off-campus, my DS1 had to put down 3K a <em>year</em> in advance. He had turned down loans for the fall, but then asked to get some in the spring because he used up a good chunk of his summer earnings putting down that deposit. I don’t know if there’s any flexibility to get loans at a time that is not the start of a semester, but you might be able to if you haven’t already taken out as much as you are entitled to take.</p>
<p>I fell into the category of thinking “won’t get anything anyway”! I should have had DS check the “yes” box on financial aid. Originally, I thought by checking “no”, there might be a slight admission advantage.
Is it too late to change after DS already submitted all his applications?
On the other hand, if he check “yes” to financial aid and I don’t fill out the financial information, what would happen?</p>
<p>If you’re just filling out FAFSA for your student to be eligible for scholarships and loans, you don’t need to worry about which box your student checked. If you really do want to apply for financial aid, you need to contact each school and ask them about changing your answer. </p>
<p>OTOH, if a student checks yes, but then doesn’t apply, nothing bad happens, except for any slight disadvantage saying they were going to apply for finaid might have had in the admissions process.</p>
<p>Just found out my D got accepted to U Delaware for nursing! Total surprise! Didnt expect to hear today, but we check the portal a lot, and there it was. Pleasantly surprised to be accepted to the nursing program too because while she has good stats for college in general, nursing can be so competitive, and we heard UD has only 12-20% acceptance rate for nursing, so we were hopeful but not expectant. Now D has so many great college choices!!! What to do…what to do!</p>
<p>Anyone know if it matters if there is a problem if you have two FAFSAs to complete and all the numbers don’t match up? I will be completing DS’14 now, but FAFSA for DS’12 doesn’t need to be done until March/April.</p>
<p>Congrats cakeisgreat D!!!</p>
<p>Thanks, mathmomvt and partyoffour!
I thought I gave myself the “get out of the jail card” from filling out the darn forms. I guess I will still have to do the FAFSA now.</p>
<p>My son finally finished and submitted his LAST FINAL ESSAYS for his LAST FINAL SCHOOL to apply to. Hallelujah - my career as a college search and application parent is over after 3 kids! Of course now there is the scholarship and FA mom role to play out. I am so ready to be done with all of this!</p>