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waiting...waiting...waiting......


Elisabet1
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Yet another day of waiting. I made the spread sheet someone suggested last night. Only 3 of the colleges have data on the spread sheet (for costs and financial aid and all). Just waiting on the rest of the schools to release their financial aid packages. But I do think it is going to be down to one of two schools. We will see though.

 

Anyone else still...waiting? Anyone have the decision made yet?

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My son is waiting for decisions about admission to either the school or his preferred program from four schools. And he is waiting for scholarship and financial aid info from all of those plus two more.

 

At this point, I think it's down to one realistic/likely choice and a few other schools that are possibilities, if they give him more money than we anticipate. This could be thrown off if one of the schools he has yet to hear from comes through with an acceptance.

 

But, yes, I am really, really ready for this part to be over, the decision made (and the dorm shopping to begin).

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Waiting.

 

But DS doesn't have a highly preferred school that his hopes are resting on.  Instead, there are four schools he thinks he'd be equally happy with.  He already has an acceptance from one of them, and because it's a state school (UNC Chapel Hill) we know the COA is within our budget.  We've even gone ahead and signed a preliminary dorm lease for him (which can be cancelled if he decides to go somewhere else).  So ours is an expectant but totally non-stressful waiting.

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Waiting here. She has two acceptances, and she knows which one she is most likely to accept, but.....

 

1) she is still waiting for the merit aid details from one school. What is the GPA requirement? Etc., etc., etc.,

 

2) She is still waiting to hear from one program. This program has the reputation for being the last college in the country to notify -- the "notify date" on the admissions page is April 15 -- so we may be waiting a while.....

 

Chocolate.....

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Chocolate.....

Yes, chocolate and Jack Daniels!!

 

We have five of eleven decisions in. One more will be snail mailed next week, and I predict two more will be e-mailed next Friday. After that we still have three more that will be at the bitter end.

 

Waiting is TOUGH! I truly dislike the unknown!

 

Hang in there, girls!

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We have 3 of 11 decisions.

 

Like regentrude, one of dd's top choices releases Friday.  Then we have a "mailed March 24", a few March 27, a few April 1, and some "mailed in late March." Dd is getting crabby: she hates suspense, but takes bad news well, so the time leading up to news is way worse than the news itself - good or bad. Luckily this all falls in the middle of competition season, so she is too busy to do much harm. ;) The hardest part is the constant question from family, friends, other parents, strangers....

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Like regentrude, one of dd's top choices releases Friday.  Then we have a "mailed March 24", a few March 27, a few April 1, and some "mailed in late March." Dd is getting crabby: she hates suspense, but takes bad news well, so the time leading up to news is way worse than the news itself - good or bad. Luckily this all falls in the middle of competition season, so she is too busy to do much harm. ;) The hardest part is the constant question from family, friends, other parents, strangers....

 

Oh, yes, the questions....everybody asks. So, I have to explain the entire thing over and over again.

DD is very busy, too, with her class work, and has great friends to spend time with, so I have the impression that she is not dwelling on it too much. She is occupied with more immediate concerns such as projects and papers.

She is great in handling all the emails and paperwork and interviews, and I have the feeling her maturity has grown through the entire process. Seriously, looking at the fantastic time she is having at the local public U where she takes dual enrollment courses, the things she learns, projects she is involved in, friends she made and the good relationships she has formed with faculty members, I feel very reassured that she will have a great experience at any of the schools. So, while I am definitely full of anticipation and hope she gets her wish, I do not wait with anxiety, and I hope neither does she.

I am sending good thoughts to all who are waiting with us - may our kids end up at a college where they will thrive and grow. Whichever school that may be.

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I am not looking forward to receiving the aid packages. I have a pretty good idea of what the 4 schools will offer and I don't look forward to helping ds choose between the two least desired but most financially viable options. It stinks. I think I may run away to Austrailia.

 

I feel your pain. Without receiving a tuition exchange, we are left with less desirable options.

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I'll admit to wishing we could win some super high $$ lottery so every Hive kid could go to their first choice school without finances being an issue.  :grouphug:  

 

(We rarely play any lottery, so the odds are even slimmer than advertised, but that doesn't stop me from wishing...)

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My son applied Early Action to his number one school - got admitted on January 3 with highest merit scholarship that school gives - the crew coach has been emailing and calling him welcoming him to the team, etc.......................then we get the financial aid packet this week.  It's 4 times the FAFSA's EFC.  So I put in an appeal but the financial aid office says they'll review it but only 1% of appeals are granted and then for not more than $1000.  My son is struggling with this - he accepts it, but is struggling.  Life sucks.  Now we wait, joylessly, for the end of March other colleges for acceptances and their packages.

 

 

Myra

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My son applied Early Action to his number one school - got admitted on January 3 with highest merit scholarship that school gives - the crew coach has been emailing and calling him welcoming him to the team, etc.......................then we get the financial aid packet this week.  It's 4 times the FAFSA's EFC.  So I put in an appeal but the financial aid office says they'll review it but only 1% of appeals are granted and then for not more than $1000.  My son is struggling with this - he accepts it, but is struggling.  Life sucks.  Now we wait, joylessly, for the end of March other colleges for acceptances and their packages.

 

 

Myra

 

How absolutely frustrating.  :grouphug:

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We're waiting too.  We only have complete financial aid info. for 3 out of 9 schools; none of the 3 will work financially, but at least they weren't the top choices. 

 

It is very frustrating, but we're just trying to be patient.  We are still optimistic that things will work out as they should in the end.

 

It's hard on these kids - they're told not to fall in love with a place, yet they are told to demonstrate interest.  So many mixed messages!  "Tell us in an essay why our school would be perfect for you", but don't get attached.  "We want you so much that we'll send you an email every day", but we'll actually defer/waitlist/ reject you.

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My son applied Early Action to his number one school - got admitted on January 3 with highest merit scholarship that school gives - the crew coach has been emailing and calling him welcoming him to the team, etc.......................then we get the financial aid packet this week. It's 4 times the FAFSA's EFC. So I put in an appeal but the financial aid office says they'll review it but only 1% of appeals are granted and then for not more than $1000. My son is struggling with this - he accepts it, but is struggling. Life sucks. Now we wait, joylessly, for the end of March other colleges for acceptances and their packages.

 

 

Myra

Myra, our situation was similar. One school's EFC was absurd.

 

I am thankful that ds is happy with the school that has offered him so much scholarship $$ even though it is a far different caliber school than what we envisioned at the beginning of the yr. I would never have thought that school would end up being where he would be attending.

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My son applied Early Action to his number one school - got admitted on January 3 with highest merit scholarship that school gives - the crew coach has been emailing and calling him welcoming him to the team, etc.......................then we get the financial aid packet this week.  It's 4 times the FAFSA's EFC.  So I put in an appeal but the financial aid office says they'll review it but only 1% of appeals are granted and then for not more than $1000.  My son is struggling with this - he accepts it, but is struggling.  Life sucks.  Now we wait, joylessly, for the end of March other colleges for acceptances and their packages.

 

 

Myra

 

Oh no, that's a shame.

 

I'm extremely lucky that, at the moment, what seems like my son's top choice is also among the most affordable. The out-of-pocket isn't as low as I had hoped, but it's manageable if I can bring in a little more income and if we take into account that there are some expenses we won't be paying while he's out of town (dance school tuition and competition expenses, mostly). However, there are a couple of schools that he liked from whom he is still waiting to hear whether he has been accepted to the school or to his chosen program. Both of them are, I believe, out of the realm of possible, financially. I'm feeling very stressed about the possibility that he may be accepted to one or both and we will then be in the same situation you are.

 

I don't know if it will be any consolation, but the research I've read says that the vast majority of students are very happy with the school where they end up, even if it's not the "first choice." Often, students say that, after the first few months, they can't imagine themselves anywhere but where they are.

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My son applied Early Action to his number one school - got admitted on January 3 with highest merit scholarship that school gives - the crew coach has been emailing and calling him welcoming him to the team, etc.......................then we get the financial aid packet this week.  It's 4 times the FAFSA's EFC.  So I put in an appeal but the financial aid office says they'll review it but only 1% of appeals are granted and then for not more than $1000.  My son is struggling with this - he accepts it, but is struggling.  Life sucks.  Now we wait, joylessly, for the end of March other colleges for acceptances and their packages.

 

 

Myra

 

Has he told the coach that he's waiting to hear about financials? I would, he might put in a good word! 

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I am not looking forward to receiving the aid packages. I have a pretty good idea of what the 4 schools will offer and I don't look forward to helping ds choose between the two least desired but most financially viable options. It stinks. I think I may run away to Austrailia.

We are a little bit in that position.

 

Daughter got in to UT Dallas with the AES scholarship. That makes UTD the least expensive school. But, we just do not like it that much when we visit. It is close enough that we can hop up there on the weekends and such. To top it off, the guy they had tour us had poor grammar even though he grew up here (he was not an international student). 

 

The 2nd college down financially is affordable, but, it stretches us to our limit. To add to all this stress, she has a lot of AP credits, where 5 out of the 6 colleges being considered, she would come in with at least a year of credit, but she has no clue at all what she wants to major in. This week, she has been a computer science major, back to environmental science (she is working this week at the environmental science place), back to computer science, and then on to linguistcs. She changes her major choice so often that every school she applied to has a different major listed for her. But the point on these credits is, if she could figure out, or just PICK a major already, she could graduate in 3 years which would greatly reduce the financial burden and stress that we have been having with two in college.

 

Oh, and Baylor was off the list completely. She did not even finish applying for scholarships there because she decided she did not like Baylor (she was also influence by her dad on that one). Then, now, she has been chatting a lot with a boy from orchestra who is also a home schooler, and HE is going to Baylor and she is suddenly interested in Baylor again! I had to say no way to that. IF she had applied to those scholarships, and gotten them, then fine. But right now, she is off by close to $10K in what the financial aid is for the other college that she liked. Plus, I cannot go for her suddenly picking a different college for her to follow some boy she now has a crush on.

 

But really, when it comes down to it, we are just waiting on financial aid packages from the rest of the schools.

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Has he told the coach that he's waiting to hear about financials? I would, he might put in a good word! 

 

Yes, he sent an email to the head coach and the recruitment coach on the same day that I emailed the appeal's letter.  No response from them yet, but the college team is in Georgia for spring training right now so I don't imagine the coaches are on top of their emails. 

 

Trying to remain positive.  I've always told my boys not to select colleges until we get the financial packages - but they do anyways especially with coaches contacting him.

 

Thanks,

Myra

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We have 2 out of the 5 financial aid packages.  Those number don't look very promising.  My #1 choice for him came in at almost double the EFC (even with the highest merit scholarship they offer.)  In fact, it came in higher than the COA of the school my oldest goes to when he was our only one in college. 

 

I think he would be happy at several of the schools, but this one seems like the best fit overall.  I hope the rest come soon.  One of the programs ds has applied to has an April 1 response deadline.  While that school as a whole has a May 1 deadline, if ds goes to this school he wants this program.  So, in effect he either has to accept or rule out this school. 

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This whole process has been full of ups and downs; increased maturity and just 'growing up' by my son; and a clearer idea of what he wants to do and the opportunities that could be available to him at various colleges ... So in a way I'm glad it's a drawn-out process over, what, 7+ months. If my son had been accepted EA by what he thought was his dream school back in early fall, he might have been so excited that he wouldn't have applied to some of the other schools that had later deadlines, and which he now is leaning toward. 16 is such a young age at which to be making these decisions!

 

I've been envious of people whose kids had a well-defined passion (marine biology, say, or CS plus theater) that helped them narrow down schools. My son has just recently realized (thank you, TWTM!) that he would like to minor in classics and/or German. Thus the tech schools he thought he preferred suddenly look less attractive ... and the very large public uni that offers 57 different foreign languages plus a large classics department suddenly has jumped up the queue! At this point, if he does get admitted (a long shot) to any of his reach schools, he'll have some hard thinking to do .... but it would be a wonderful problem to have. As it is, I think he's "loving his safety," and so far (but we don't have much hard data yet  :glare: ) the cost is way cheaper (although certainly not "cheap"!) than the private schools he's considering ...

 

Anyway, he should hear this weekend from 2 reach schools, then the 3 remaining public schools around 3/28, then two more private reach schools at the very end of March ... I'm predicting some wait lists in his future, and am very thankful he is excited about the large, relatively affordable, close option ... which he wasn't even going to apply to, a few months ago  :huh: . Somehow I thought we'd make a rational list, he'd hear from the schools, and then make a decision. I didn't realize the admissions offers would come one by one starting in January ... I was remembering how I heard from all my schools, by mail, on April 1st (back in the old days), and then I had just a few weeks to decide. Although now the process is more drawn out, my son has time to focus on one school at a time and really investigate it in more depth, as he hears from each one. 

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We have a decision made - finally - but many of his friends have known for a few months where they're going. Crazy! I have one friend whose son is still deciding, and I keep reminding her that nationally she's in the norm. Something about the Alabama kids; they all seem to know what school they're attending by December! I think it has to do with the fact that so many of them either go to AU or UA.

 

Good thoughts for all of you still waiting!

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We have a decision made - finally - but many of his friends have known for a few months where they're going. Crazy! I have one friend whose son is still deciding, and I keep reminding her that nationally she's in the norm. Something about the Alabama kids; they all seem to know what school they're attending by December! I think it has to do with the fact that so many of them either go to AU or UA.

 

Good thoughts for all of you still waiting!

Don't you mean they have known since birth. ;)

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I was staring at the calendar today and realized that dd2 may not hear from her last school until one month from today. April 15. REALLY? She is so ready to make the decision, and I am so ready to know where we have to drop her off in August.....

 

Realizing that we may have 31 more days of suspense does not make me happy.....

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 She is so ready to make the decision, and I am so ready to know where we have to drop her off in August.....

 

 

My son is in that boat, too. He's just ready to be done with the whole process.

 

Because we were initially still considering him a junior this past fall when I started requesting info for him from various schools, he's still getting mailings encouraging him to think about schools for next year. He got a new one just a couple of days ago, took a minute to look at the photos and commented that a couple of them looked really cool . . . then sort of came to his senses, tossed the brochure onto the dining table and said, "No! No more. I'm done!"

 

Whether for good or ill, the field was narrowed a bit yesterday. He received notice that he was not accepted into the musical theatre program at one of the more selective schools at which he auditioned on this last trip. He's already been accepted to two others, and I kept telling him he'd get turned down by someone eventually. But it was kind of a bummer, anyway.

 

It seems, at this point, having invested as much as we all have into the academic applications and the scholarship applications and the auditions, not to sit tight and look at all of the options side by side before making a choice. However, knowing that there is one school the he really likes at which he has already been accepted to the program of his choice and that has already offered just barely enough scholarship money to make it a realistic -- if stretchy -- financial possibility, I think it would take something out of left field to make him change course.

 

But still, we wait . . .

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Since conceptionĂ¢â‚¬Â¦  

 

That is sooooooo the truth.

 

My ds was a little disappointed, he was kind of looking at Dordt College in Iowa and they didn't come up with enough money. He wanted to get out of football culture! Unless you've lived here. . . . it is unbelievable how many local kids make their college decisions based on that factor. :(

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That is sooooooo the truth.

 

My ds was a little disappointed, he was kind of looking at Dordt College in Iowa and they didn't come up with enough money. He wanted to get out of football culture! Unless you've lived here. . . . it is unbelievable how many local kids make their college decisions based on that factor. :(

 

Middle son was totally turned off by both UA and Pitt due to "football culture."  Both schools had the same spiel - "If you aren't a football fan coming in, you will be by the time you leave."  He couldn't figure out how that would be attractive to anyone NOT already a football fan.  We had to remind him that the academic options at both schools were still worth applying to and considering - and that he truly wouldn't have to become a fan if he didn't want to.

 

Part of what he liked about URoc was that when football was mentioned it was along the lines of, "Yeah, we have a team.  I'm not quite sure how they're doing.  Sometimes they give out free t-shirts to kids who go to the games to try to get more to attend."  He instantly felt more like he was with "his people."  ;)  I don't think he's ever been to a game.  It's possible, because he's working with the freshmen and has a couple on his hall who are on the team.  I know he went to a soccer game for that reason - but just one game.  None of us in our family are big team sports fans for any sport.  Perhaps it's genetic.

 

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Well, my ds has zero interest in football.    We don't watch football or go to games, so really, ds has very little actual knowledge about football at all.   He was assured that there are plenty of students that aren't into the football craze.   Guess we'll find out.   Our reality is that finances are the driving force.   No option.  

 

Sorry about those with bad financial options.    It is always my greatest dread.

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Well, my son's been turned down for two tuition exchange options. We are only waiting to hear from one more. That is his first choice. If he doesn't get that one, it will definitely present us with some difficult choices.

 

:grouphug:   I do hope it works out.

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Well, my ds has zero interest in football.    We don't watch football or go to games, so really, ds has very little actual knowledge about football at all.   He was assured that there are plenty of students that aren't into the football craze.   Guess we'll find out.   Our reality is that finances are the driving force.   No option.  

 

I think your guy is going to do terrific.  They have a great program and he's already sifted to the top.

 

You will have to let us know how the football deal turned out though.  ;)

 

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Well, my son's been turned down for two tuition exchange options. We are only waiting to hear from one more. That is his first choice. If he doesn't get that one, it will definitely present us with some difficult choices.

 

Hope the third one works out!!   Those tuition exchange options are tricky b/c of the limited major options.

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Okay, we now have 5 of 11 decisions: 2 no and 3 yes. Just 6 to go. :]

 

Accepted to University of Michigan, and to two undergrad engineering schools (Rose-Hulman, Kettering.) U of M is her first choice right now, but I would prefer to see her go farther away and someplace smaller. Rose-Hulman and Kettering gave her lots of merit scholarship money, which we expected based on her scores, activities, etc. (and gender. *grin*) We are waiting to hear this week from Olin, as she went to Candidate's Weekend. Then five more decisions.

 

Denied from two schools/programs that were big reaches based on her math test scores but not on her awards/activities/research. I figured we should see what role test scores really played. :D

 

In the meantime, she had a huge breakthrough in her research project, so she is even more distracted from the college admissions process right now. Very helpful for nerves.

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 Something about the Alabama kids; they all seem to know what school they're attending by December!

 

2 words - Roll Tide

 

;)  What more do they need?  Shoot - I kinda wish *I* was a 'Bama graduate just so I could say that with some authenticity.

 

We got our first financial aid package yesterday for the most expensive school.  They added a school-based grant and small work study, which was nice, but also provided for $25K in student/parent loans.  Yikes.  Ds's career of choice is not a lucrative one.  sigh.

 

His first choice school, even though it's a state university, will likely be even more expensive since it is out-of-state and they are not offering anything by way of merit scholarships.  Ds's only hope there is that 3 faculty members have called him personally and said to let them know if he needs them to talk to the financial aid office.

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Oooh, UPS delivered a package from Olin today! :) She was accepted with just over $47,000 in scholarships and grants, which put us below our EFC even. They will bring her out to visit again, and I think we are going to take them up on that.

 

Now that there's more than one serious offer to consider (U of M and Olin) she is getting stressed. :(

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Oooh, UPS delivered a package from Olin today! :) She was accepted with just over $47,000 in scholarships and grants, which put us below our EFC even. They will bring her out to visit again, and I think we are going to take them up on that.

 

Now that there's more than one serious offer to consider (U of M and Olin) she is getting stressed. :(

 

How exciting, Angela!

 

Congratulations to you & your daughter! Olin sounds like a super good fit for her. :) We loved it when we toured with our dd a few years ago. Pretty campus, extremely cool labs, and an honor code that really seemed to be taken seriously. Even the cafeteria food was yummy. We know a young lady in her second year there, & it's been a wonderful experience so far for her.

 

Happy decision-making!

 

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Oooh, UPS delivered a package from Olin today! :) She was accepted with just over $47,000 in scholarships and grants, which put us below our EFC even. They will bring her out to visit again, and I think we are going to take them up on that.

 

Now that there's more than one serious offer to consider (U of M and Olin) she is getting stressed. :(

That is wonderful!!! I hear Olin is a great school!!!

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Oooh, UPS delivered a package from Olin today! :) She was accepted with just over $47,000 in scholarships and grants, which put us below our EFC even. They will bring her out to visit again, and I think we are going to take them up on that.

 

Now that there's more than one serious offer to consider (U of M and Olin) she is getting stressed. :(

 

Oh super super cool, angela!  Olin seems like a homeschooler's dream, from what little I know about it.  That is fabulous!

 

Nan

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Wow - we just saw the financial aid offer from ds's top choice and it doesn't even cover half of what's left after EFC, not that we can afford that anyway. I feel sick. We told ds we would call and see if they'll offer in-state tuition, but even that doesn't put it within reach of what we could manage - not even close.

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Wow - we just saw the financial aid offer from ds's top choice and it doesn't even cover half of what's left after EFC, not that we can afford that anyway. I feel sick. We told ds we would call and see if they'll offer in-state tuition, but even that doesn't put it within reach of what we could manage - not even close.

Ouch! I am so sorry.

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What I want to know is where are those financial packages we were told we'd receive by "mid-March?"

 

I'm working hard to be patient about the rolling decisions that were supposed to be available within about three weeks of my son submitting the video auditions and the last of the application materials, despite the fact that tomorrow will make it exactly three weeks. I mean, really, they couldn't release the decisions any earlier at all?

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Wow - we just saw the financial aid offer from ds's top choice and it doesn't even cover half of what's left after EFC, not that we can afford that anyway. I feel sick. We told ds we would call and see if they'll offer in-state tuition, but even that doesn't put it within reach of what we could manage - not even close.

 

:grouphug:   Informally listening to kids at school, I'm thinking schools are getting stingier with their $$, both merit aid (which is posted at our school) and financial aid (being talked about currently).

 

I wonder how much of that is due to getting more foreign students coming in.  Those are often full pay.  It could be interesting (depressing?) seeing statistics from this year.

 

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What I want to know is where are those financial packages we were told we'd receive by "mid-March?"

 

I'm working hard to be patient about the rolling decisions that were supposed to be available within about three weeks of my son submitting the video auditions and the last of the application materials, despite the fact that tomorrow will make it exactly three weeks. I mean, really, they couldn't release the decisions any earlier at all?

I'm sorry. It is soooo hard.

 

Here is an interesting tidbit. Some of our state u's have admitted they are running late on this due to the winter. No joke. Usually state u's never really take snow days. But, we've had so many bad ice storms, record snowstorms, counties running out of salt, entire snow removal budgets used up by the beginning of February, etc. that some of the schools have actually accrued 5-10 snow days! I would imagine this has impacted admission and financial aid departments just a bit during crunch time. There were two snow days off just a week and half ago because of power outages from the ice.

 

Crazy, crazy year!

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I'm not so patiently waiting for financial aid for my second year. The numbers will make a difference in if I'll be able to go full time or have to work full time. Ds will be a high school junior, so I know there is no way (mentally & physically) that I can stretch myself to work full time, school full time, and homeschool him through this crucial year. 

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