<p>In the Bryn Mawr pre-application, it asks when I will file financial forms. I apply in November, but I can’t file the FAFSA until January, right? What forms DO I submit with the application itself? I’m sure there’s a simple answer to this question, but I don’t know anyone who did ED, so no one can tell me.</p>
<p>You need to read the Bryn Mawr finaid website for the definitive answer. Most ED programs have priority deadlines. If the school uses the Profile (I think Bryn Mawr does) the priority deadline for submission of that could be quite early…about the same time as your ED application. The FAFSA cannot be completed until January 1. You and your parents should plan to file your FAFSA using a “will file” status that day using accurate estimates from the 2007 calendar year. Then all of you should complete your taxes and plan to amend the FAFSA as soon as possible after Feb 1 to reflect the information on your 2007 tax return. Re: early submission of the Profile…if it’s in the fall, you will also need to use accurate estimates for the whole 2007 calendar year. Amending the Profile is not easy…you do it by hand. But…as I started with…you need to contact finaid at Bryn Mawr. The deadline information for that school will be with that school.</p>
<p>Thank you so much for your help. I will check the website for a definitive deadline.</p>
<p>At the risk of being repetitive-
Don’t apply ED if you are not prepared to come up with as much money as it takes.
I am not familiar with Bryn Mawrs finaid rep, but private schools can use additional information to determine need and assets available for expenses.</p>
<p>The FAFSA may indicate your EFC as $10,000, for example.</p>
<p>But schools using PROFILE and their own forms that view even non custodial parents income as available, may decide your EFC is $15,000.
Even if they agree it is $10,000, your package may consist of loans, grants and workstudy.</p>
<p>Schools sometimes offer their own loans in addition to Stafford and Perkins loans.</p>
<p>Again, I am not commenting on Bryn Mawrs reputation, but some schools have offered generous aid packages freshman year, but for subsequent years may replace grants with loans, or gap between need and offer.</p>
<p>By applying ED you are committing to attend & the school no longer has the motivation to offer you a great finaid package for you to do so.</p>
<p>If my daughter for example thought that she would increase her chance of acceptance by applying ED I would encourage her to stress that preference in her essays by using relevant examples that emphasize it, rather than by applying ED, unless I knew we had the funds to back up her decision</p>
<p>Thank you for your feedback. Bryn Mawr says that when an ED student can’t come to an agreement with them about money, they will release them from the ED agreement. I have been told that this is typical of most schools.</p>
<p>The net-net is this…if money is going remotely going to be a problem, do not apply ED.</p>
<p>While this is true that a school will release you from your ED commitment, many of the elite schools do share lists so your not keeping your ED commitment may come back to bite you at other schools (may even bite your counselor because schools will think that s/he did not do their due diligence in explaining ED). </p>
<p>Also remember by the time you are released it ends up being too late to apply to many other peer schools which have a december 31 deadline</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>This could REALLY jeopardize YOUR college prospects AND the relationship your high school has with this university. First, ED is binding. Their version of what you can pay, and your version of what you WANT to pay may not be the same. They will compute your EFC and if they meet it (by the way…can include loans and work study), the will NOT release you from that ED contract…view it as a contract. AND once you are accepted ED, you MUST pull all other pending applications and acceptances (if any…because you are permitted to apply to rolling decision schools) and accept the ED acceptance. You may not even receive your finaid award until April. If that is the case, you will have NO pending applications or acceptances, and you will most definitely be scrambling for both an acceptance and any financial aid. AND students who pull out of ED contracts place a big black BLOT on their high school. Students applying in the future most likely will be penalized because of your backing out on the ED acceptance. IF YOU NEED TO CONSIDER FINANCIAL AID…DO NOT APPLY ED!!! And to NOT assume that backing out of an ED acceptance is an easy task…it’s not. AND do not assume that what the college deems to be your contribution will be compatible with what you think you can pay. It may not be. I think you are walking down a very risky road here.</p>
<p>Well, if all that is true, then my intervewer gave me a very false impression. I suppose I have to give this much more thought.</p>
<p>it boosts their “prestige” to have students apply ED- because those students are saying that this is their first and only choice school.
EA is much less binding.</p>
<p>The interviewer may have said that you can be released from an ED acceptance IF they do not meet your need. HOWEVER, the COLLEGE defines the need, not you. They have their formulas and especially for institutional methodology, the amount awarded, and how (loans and work vs. grants) can vary wildly. They COULD meet your need with a ton of loans, but they would be meeting your need. This would not release you from an ED acceptance. When you apply ED, you are basically saying “this is the school I WILL attend…period.” Unless you are prepared to say that and understand that finances can’t enter into your decision making process, do NOT apply ED. If you want to apply early somewhere, consider schools that have Early Action (EA) or rolling admissions. Neither of these is a binding acceptance, and you maintain the ability to compare finaid awards once they are received.</p>
<p>Yeah, I suppose I’ll have to do that (Apply RD). This whole process is so frustrating. I know exactly where I want to go, and it’s driving me nuts not to just DO it already! Does anyone else feel that way?</p>
<p>Allyscript…I know this isn’t why you started this thread…but I’m going to offer you some free advice. It sounds like you love Bryn Mawr and that is where you want to go. I have to urge you, however, to NOT fall in love with only one school. Create a balanced list of schools where you would be happy to be a student. Having one dream school is wonderful…but it should not be the only focus of your college search. The sad, but true, reality is that there are students who do not get accepted to that ONE dream school and it can be very disappointing if they don’t have others that they would be happy to attend. DD knew exactly where she wanted to go also, but she applied to five schools in total, and would have been happy to attend any one of them. She looked for schools that were similar in character to her top choice. I will add that her second choice ended up being the polar opposite of the school she is attending. So…you might also want to explore various options. Apply to Bryn Mawr…it’s an excellent school. It sounds like finances are a bit of a consideration as well. If that is the case, you absolutely should have one financial safety on that list…a school you would be able to afford to attend without any aid…or minimal aid.</p>
<p>Ally, </p>
<p>I can tell you first hand (as my D was accepted to Bryn Mawr) that if your application is strong, you will get in RD. Remember the application pool as a whole is getting a lot stronger and schools already know that the bulk of students are applying RD so ED will not necessarily increase your chances as many of those “spots” are going to hooked applicants (legacies, developmental admits, recruited athletes and the full freight payers)</p>