Any college acceptance letters?

[SueDonJ]

We have 3 nieces and a nephew waiting on acceptance letters this year. Their parents are concerned with everything they're hearing about how the economy will affect this incoming freshmen class. I guess the expectations are that more high school seniors will be applying to state schools to save money, which means that the students who rely on state schools as their safeties may not be getting accepted. Have any of you come across that?

 

[thinze3]

The acceptance letter was never a big issue with our kids. We assumed they'd get in wherever they applied and they did. We just needed it so they could make the housing deposit.

That's great for you guys but unfortunately that is not the case for all.

In Texas the top ten percent of graduates from each high school are guaranteeed admission to any state school they choose. Consequently the top state schools, like University of Texas and Texas A&M, give up as much as 70% of there slots to the "top tens". If you add in athletes, out of state and international students, there are basically very few slots left for the average student (those not in the top ten percent).

Now, some high schools, like Bellaire HS, which is ranked in the top .5% nationally (per Newsweek), it is all but impossible to even crack the top 25,as the top 25% have 4.0 GPA's. Add this all together and you have quite a challenge trying to get into UT. You have a better chance of getting into some of the top tier out of state colleges.

Imagine having the grades and test scores that would put you in the top five percent nationaly but not being able to get into UT because your weren't in the top 10% of your high school.

 

[cpamomma]

Just a reminder for those of you with kids in college (or soon to be in college)...the FAFSA application is due Monday for California and some other states. Here is a link with the state deadlines: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/before003a.htm#state_deadlines

Good luck to all of you who are waiting. Just remember, once they are accepted, you need to pay. Don't forget to fill out the FAFSA application. It can help.

 

[Luanne]

Just a reminder for those of you with kids in college (or soon to be in college)...the FAFSA application is due Monday for California and some other states.

It was due February 15 for the schools dd applied to. So, ours is completed.

 

[Emily]

When filling out the fasfa, is it alright to wait passed the deadline to put in "real" tax return information. I filed my fasfa early but I have completed my taxes yet. I don't expect a large difference between what I reported and what I will actually file.

 

[UWSurfer]

I hate to say it, but up until a month ago I had never even heard the term FASFA before...and I've worked on a college campus my entire adult life!

I'm still not entirely certain what it is supposed to do. In fact, it's one of those catch 22's in that MY income is being used to determine what a "legal adult" who has little or no income may qualify for student aide.

I guess I really don't get it.

 

[Janis]

ONe of the things that FAFSA determines is what the family expected contribution to college expenses should be (the EFC).

Then, the financial aid offices in the schools use that information to determine what if any need-based aid they will provide.

The data is also used to help you apply for a variety of different grants and loans from both the Fed and State govts....

You may amend your FAFSA once your tax returns are completed...

 

[Zac495]

Does the FAFSA take a father and stepmother's income into account? My SS (who will go to college next year and did get accepted at Drexel and Penn State) lives with his mother who has been on SSI for as long as we can remember (that's another story). DH pays child support (of course). We're hoping SS gets a good amount since his custodial parent earns zero. Certainly my income should count? DH's ex-wife is banking on DH's income not "counting" either... ?

Congratulations to those who got into GREAT COLLEGES - meaning ALL colleges that make your child's heart sing! I have mixed feelings about the debate. I think the point was that bragging-right name colleges like Harvard, U of P, NYU, etc will not buy you happiness in life. Happiness in life is defined (in my humble opinion) by a job that plays to your strengths and makes you feel empowered and productive. You combine that with the even more important piece of life - people such as spouse and kids and great friends- and you have happiness.

I hope my kids choose a college that will give them those things. My son is only in 8th grade, took the SAT's , and rocked them. He is brilliant (not bragging - stating facts - his IQ places him in gifted program). But he would be unhappy (I think) at Harvard. I really see him at a place like Ithaca College - I think he'll meet cool, interesting, quirky people like himself there.

My final word is that who cares what I think for him? It's his choice, and other than finances which we'll do our best to help. But he knows A's in HS will help with a financial package. That puts the choice back on him again.

 

[calgal]

Ellen, under all normal circumstances, your husband's income does count, and he would have to full out the forms by the deadline just like his ex-wife. Has your stepson provided your DH with the forms? They need to sort that out today, I think.

 

[wandering gnome]

fafsa

Ellen,

Your SS fafsa will be determined with whom his lives. In this case, by his mother and his step father if he has one. If at some point he resides with your that your husband and your income will be reported to fafsa.

 

[wackymother]

I think you should call or e-mail FAFSA with this question, or look on their website. My friend is divorced and someone--I think FAFSA people, or else the college financial aid offices--insisted on getting her ex-husband's information even though he sent an affadavit saying he would not contribute to their son's college education.

 

[Mosca]

When filling out the fasfa, is it alright to wait passed the deadline to put in "real" tax return information. I filed my fasfa early but I have completed my taxes yet. I don't expect a large difference between what I reported and what I will actually file.

Yes; you can estimate and update it later. (We went to a FAFSA seminar.)

 

[Luanne]

While the FAFSA can be updated, if you have to fill out the CSS Profile for any of the schools you child has applied to, that cannot be updated once submitted. You can use estimated values however.

 

[Liz Wolf-Spada]

FAFSA question: submitted, school sent information back about expected contributions, son is independent, but I'm doing the taxes on Turbo Tax and got boondoggled by dealing with business use of his car, it changed his income by adding $2000 taxable income. If he sends in corrected information, will it still keep his original filing date for getting financial aid? I don't want to do anything wrong here.
Thanks,
Liz

 

[jlr10]

We are in the midst of the whole college waiting game. AFter hearing all of the horror stories of bright kids not getting accepted into the schools of their choice - and that so much of the admission process is a guessing game and you never know how it's going to turn out

Am I the only one who thinks this is just a scam for schools to earn extra money? When our son was in high school they made it seem like he would be lucky to get into any college, and recommended he apply to all the state schools, with a minimum of 8 school, and probably more, to increase his chance of acceptance. The local state school had 60K apply for admittance, for I believe it was 9k spots. So that means they got approx $3.6 million just for receiving applications. -Just a thought

My son applied to 5 schools last year, was accepted at all 5, including the one on his "possible but not probable" list. The one he added to the list as the 'fallback' school (in case he was not accepted elsewhere) became his school of choice and he is happy as a pig in mud. It met the goals of all of us. For him: He wanted to go away and try to succeed without us over his shoulder all the time, but yet, is close enough to home that he can easily get here. For us: A school that is gearned towards his strengths and a state school that is reasonable in fees.

So why are we all bragging? Becauase we feel we had some small part in helping them get to this stage in their life. The hardest part (I hope!) is done, and their whole life is before them. We get to push them out of the nest and watch them begin to soar.

Congrats to all who have reached this point!

 

[Janis]

One thing that I have read is that some schools encourage thousands of kids to apply so that they can reject them. Having a high rejection rate places them higher on the US News & World Report ratings because it skews their "Selectivity" status...

Because of the ability to alter the ratings based on criteria that doesn't affect the education of the students, many schools are opting not to participate in the great ratings game.

 

[Karen G]

The hardest part (I hope!) is done, and their whole life is before them. We get to push them out of the nest and watch them begin to soar.

Trust me--getting them into college is NOT the hardest part. There will be harder stuff after that!

 

[Zac495]

Ellen, under all normal circumstances, your husband's income does count, and he would have to full out the forms by the deadline just like his ex-wife. Has your stepson provided your DH with the forms? They need to sort that out today, I think.

No forms have been given to us at all - my husband's ex is stating that my husband has nothing to do with the child in order to get him more money. I don't understand how that will help - I mean - government doesn't care if DH loves his son or not (he does) - they only care if he supports him (which is on record - he's paid child support for many, many years - never missing a payment.

I just read the next two posts - so it's clearly unclear. I'll have DH make a call... THANKS ALL!

 

[Mosca]

While the FAFSA can be updated, if you have to fill out the CSS Profile for any of the schools you child has applied to, that cannot be updated once submitted. You can use estimated values however.

CSS for this session uses data from the 2007 tax year. Those should be complete.

 

[Luanne]

CSS for this session uses data from the 2007 tax year. Those should be complete.

I waited to submit the CSS Profile until after our 2008 taxes were completed. There was too much difference between 2007 and 2008 for us to use the 2007 numbers.

 

[Mosca]

I waited to submit the CSS Profile until after our 2008 taxes were completed. There was too much difference between 2007 and 2008 for us to use the 2007 numbers.

Huh. Cornell needed the CSS Profile on Jan 3 2009. No way I had even minimal documentation then. I thought that they combined the CSS and the FAFSA to get a 2 year picture. We also had to fill out and mail in something for IDOC; copies of the 2008 return, all 1099s and W-2s, etc., along with income affidavits. That was Notre Dame and Holy Cross specific.

And I'll vent a little here. It's HER responsibility to tell ME when this stuff is due. There's nothing like finding out on Feb 9th that Villanova needs the FAFSA on the 7th... and then finding out on the 23rd that there is a Villanova SPECIFIC form that had to also be in on the same date!

Now, Villanova does say that it is a priority thing; priority goes to those on time, and others get awards if there is money left over. From what I've heard, that happens... maybe not in this economic climate, but in other years it's been common. Villanova is notoriously stingy in its awards anyhow.

But guess what... guess where she ain't going, if money becomes an issue. I'll be damned if we pay all the money at Villanova, especially if there are any offers anywhere else.

 

[capjak]

My son got his acceptance for Elect Eng. from University of Illinois Champaign, Purdue and Wisconsin U.

He will be attending U of I, very happy for him as this was his first choice and it has a very good Engineering school..

 

[pjrose]

Imagine having the grades and test scores that would put you in the top five percent nationaly but not being able to get into UT because your weren't in the top 10% of your high school.

And imagine the opposite situation, being in the top 10% of a horrible school, thus gaining automatic admission despite not having a good educational background. A few years ago I had a college student who could barely put together an English sentence and completely flunked every test, scoring ~25-30%. Really nice person, polite, always attended, etc, but absolutely unable to do college work - practically illiterate. It turns out he was from one of the worst inner-city schools, in the top 10% of his class, but with SAT scores as low as you could go. It's a shame, because he deserved a chance, but without a ton of remedial work he wasn't able to succeed, so he was being misled about his potential for a college education AND it was taking away a place from someone like those you mention.

 

[pjrose]

DH and I are both college profs, at medium-sized state schools. DS showed no interest in looking at colleges, and sometime around 10th or 11th grade I told him it was about time to do some college research, as he couldn't just assume he'd go to one of our schools.

He said, no, I assume I'm going to Albright College. I'm an Albright descendent on my mother's side, and DH's father is an Albright alum (the two connections are coincidental).

Years ago when DS was probably around 10 we were at a dinner at Albright with the granddad/alum, and the then president handed out little pins with the college mascot and told the kids to bring back that pin when they were ready for college. Of course it was just a pleasantry, but DS took it literally and there was absolutely no way he was going to even consider anywhere but Albright. We forced him to tour a few other campuses - imagine tugging a mule somewhere he doesn't want to go.

Anyway he applied, interviewed, was accepted (with a phone call!), is there now, and loves it. Fortunately we started contributing to college funds when both kids were infants, and he also got some scholarship money, so we were able to swing the costs which are considerably more than the state schools where we teach.

 

[kewanee]

My son is only a Junior, so no applications yet. I'm curious as to how many schools people apply to? An earlier post said 14, and another one said 3.