Is anyone else getting this darn “Congratulations” popup message? I have to keep closing and reopening the site when it happens and it’s getting frustrating. I saw it mentioned in a dedicated post too, so I know I’m not the only one. Hopefully it’s not happening to the rest of you! 
It just popped up as I was reading your post. I gave up on CC because of it yesterday…yes, it seems the admins are aware.
An update on AES awards for UT Dallas (also posted on the UT GENERIC forum that very few people read)
https://aes.utdallas.edu/prospective-freshmen
DS applied early/mid Oct so I’m not panicking that he didn’t hear anything yet.
We are not to this point yet, but the question has been raised in our house: What do you do if you are NOT attending a school that has accepted you? Is not responding/depositing the same as saying no?
Yes, @bearcatfan , if May 1st comes and goes, and a school has not heard from you, they know you are not attending their school. You could let them know ahead of time, though.
Congratulations to everyone who has gotten an acceptance. That must feel so good.
We have 4 apps submitted and 3-5 to go depending on early results. Still trying to get S18 to work on supplement essays for some RD apps. A couple only want 250 words but he keeps procrastinating!! I would really like to be able to relax over Christmas break.
I think it was on this thread that someone had a great saying about loving the kid on your couch and not the one you wish you had. I love him but he is going to be the death of his Type A mom!
My D sent an email to admissions to let them know she was not attending, once she deposited at her other school.
@bearcatfan, nursing is pretty competitive to get in, especially direct admit. It might be helpful to let the school know once your D is sure she won’t be going there.
ME: Good luck working on your applications today. Nice you have this week off to finally do some.
DD: Oh, I’m hanging out with friends today.
ME: (inside) ~X(
How many outside scholarships are your kids applying to? Our S18 is applying to as many as possible, but man those extra essays are a hard sell for a $500 payout. Some of his college essays can be recycled or reconfigured to fit, but it’s a bit of a slog.
He has applied to about four so far, three major and one local that has the potential to go national if he moves on. It’s $250 for the local state winner, then $500 for the regional (multiple states together), then $5000 for the national award. I don’t know how many local awards there are,but there are 8 regional winners and 2 national winners.
I think we can probably convince him to do maybe five more, but it’s just a lot of work. Hopefully something comes of one or two!
@bearcatfan Our GC suggested emailing and politely declining, thanking them for the acceptance. It’s not only polite, it helps kids on the wait list and future kids from your school who will apply there.
@odannyboySF - BEEN THERE! :((
@RoonilWazlib99 D will be applying to two schools with potential merit money, but otherwise no outside scholarships for us. Too much school work and too many mandatory essays for college apps still to do.
As for notifying schools of D’s attendance (or not) at their institution, we’ll be keeping our options, if any, open for as long as necessary. At this point, we’re hoping at least one school will admit her, let alone 2 or more. 
Congrats on your kids’ acceptances. I’m looking forward to playing offer against offer with the financial aid offices.
@RoonilWazlib99 I’m motivating the Boy to apply to those outside scholarships though a flat out Bribe!
If he scores any $$ its coming right off the $5500 I’m making him borrow as a freshman.
The only chance for S to get some money from local scholarships is as a high school senior.
They have some specifically for teaching majors so he will have to try to apply to as many of those as possible.
Most are not renewable but everything that reduces loans helps.
They are later in the school year though.
DD is applying to many outside scholarships - so far three with another due this week…that is assuming I can get her to move out of her near perpetual state of inertia.
Our FAFSA lists our family contribution at about $20000, but we feel it is more accurately about $0. Two younger siblings going to private school leave nothing for the eldest to splurge on college.
For us, NMF free rides at UTD or UCF will be hard to pass up if DD is looking at $100000 debt in four years at a more prestigious school. I convinced her that work now on the outside scholarships might pay off with the incurred debt at the prestigious schools being something livable with.
It would really suck to be admitted to an IVY and then having to decide whether four years at the IVY is really worth $100000 in debt when UTD or UCF are sitting there for almost free.
@sekere62 I watched a friend go through this with her oldest, it was an eye opening experience. Her kid is amazing and got into several Ivy schools but parents made too much to qualify for much need based aid even with a disabled younger sibiling, they could not take on the debt required to make it work. She ended up in a great state flagship and loved it and left debt free, is doing amazing things and following her dreams.
BTW don’t forget the tax on those scholarships that are past tuition, books and certain fees. The kidee tax was another real wakeup call!
Hope your DD falls in love with UTD or UCF!
@sekere62 , EXACT same boat here. D took a shot at her favorite school with the late ED invitation, but if the Financial Aid isn’t within reach, she won’t be able to go even if accepted. 
UCF is one of her favorites and would be a done deal if it wasn’t 12-14 hours from us by car.
@3scoutsmom , is there a ballpark number for the tax estimate on a full COA scholarship to a school like UCF? How does this work? The kid files and owes the taxes on the non-tuition/books costs at the parents’ effective tax rate? (I sure hope that’s not the answer).
Yup! but it’s not that simple, they do get take a deduction that I’m still having a hard time figuring out what that is exactly as it is not a standard number though many like to say it’s a flat $6100 there are variables that go into figuring out the student’s deduction like student actual earned income so it’s not clear at all what that deduction is and the first $2,100 is taxed at the student rate.
The first year it’s not so bad because only one semester is in the tax year but watch out for that second year!
With the crazy things being talking about for tax changes who knows what it will be like in coming years!
Congrats to those with acceptances and any who got good aid (merit or financial need)! You must be (rightfully) happy & proud. My son has visited his last school before apps are due so we know the remaining universe of schools! Must finish ALL apps by mid-Dec. per his school’s decree. 5-6 left to complete - thankfully only a few have supplemental essays - getting close. No acceptances yet - most likely won’t hear till late Dec. and January. But he’ll feel so good to have all the apps he plans on submitting done. He may have to think about an ED 2 possibility - did not ED’s yet but it could help him and the pool of possibilities will narrow.
There is a thread on here about the Meningitis vaccine. I spoke to my old pediatrician’s office in NY today, and they said that for NY schools, it is mandatory (I’m sure there is some limited out), AND that if you don’t have it by the July before your kid goes to a NYS college, you won’t be able to register your kid for classes. I don’t know how accurate this is, but thought I’d pass it along so anyone who it might impact can check it out. I’m getting the vaccine (booster) for my D anyway because living in dorm conditions, things can travel fast.