Parents of College Class of 2018 (A.K.A., "Is this the line to the poor house?")

[JeannieNM]

Congratulations to everyone on their DD/DS admissions and scholarships.

This holiday season has been hectic with lots of family in town and DDs friends home from college. I can't believe it is almost New Years.

DD has 3 academic admissions and much to our surprise 3 scholarships though she did not apply for any scholarships.

DD did her interview at her top choice school since she is applying for a BA there is no audition. The interviewer was very positive after the interview when we meet him though we are her parents so I doubt he would say anything discouraging anyway. They have an 18% admission rate school wide so it is a long shot though I think she would go there if she gets in.

We are in the waiting stage for most of the schools she has applied to. She has two more apps to finish this week. She starts auditioning the end of January through the entire month of Feb. We have decided to video audition for a couple of schools because DD was concerned about traveling every weekend for 6 weeks which is what it would take to audition live for all the schools that she still needs to audition for. She is working on the putting together the videos.

Hope everyone has a Happy New Year! Good Luck with all the upcoming decisions.

 

[madge]

still playing the waiting game here, too

DS ended up applying to 6 schools ... 4 state and 2 private liberal arts. He's gotten acceptance letters from all but 2, those should/will come after the new year. (he didn't turn in applications until just before the winter break) He's already ruled out one of the privates. So we're down to 5.

Now comes the hard part. Out of the 5 schools, only 1 has a non-competitve scholarship program. DS got that (very generous) award in early November, with an invitation to apply for the Honors program. So we're finished with that one for now.

The other 4 schools have competitive scholarship programs -- all with deadlines of January 14. DS has done everything on his part, now it's in the hands of the guidance counselors & teachers to do their part. That makes me nervous, considering that's only a week after we get back from break. I will feel much better when we get notification that everything has been submitted and on time.

 

[acebatonfan]

I submitted my application in to my one university last night. After all that happened to me this semester (rushed to the ER and was in the hospital for a few days, found out I am diabetic and missed a ton of school because of it, crazy blood sugar swings), if I do not get in, I have the option of doing community college for two years or taking a semester off to get my health back in order. On the bright side, if that happens, it would be at least $15,000 cheaper.

 

[madge]

it's time to fill out the FAFSA using last year's tax info ....

PS. I hate the FAFSA.

 

[elgerber]

it's time to fill out the FAFSA using last year's tax info .... PS. I hate the FAFSA.

How do people fill it out so early? I won't have w2 for weeks and I don't get all my investment tax docs until later February.

 

[madge]

How do people fill it out so early? I won't have w2 for weeks and I don't get all my investment tax docs until later February.

you use last year's information & come back and amend when you file your taxes. you just choose "will file" on the form.

 

[heartsy77]

I've got our taxes basically done. I won't file fafsa till I actually file return w/ IRS.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[madge]

I've got our taxes basically done. I won't file fafsa till I actually file return w/ IRS.

Everyone (high school and college) advises against that here ... maybe Kentucky has much more limited funds, I don't know. A friend works at a private LAC and he contacted me yesterday to make sure I did ours because their FAFSA depended funding is limited.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

We were told to file it as close to Feb 1 as possible. I won't even have our W2s until January 30.

 

[elgerber]

the FAFSA for me will be all screwed up anyway. My income has been changed drastically at my work, and now I will be making 50% of what I made in the past couple of years, with no chances of bonus or anything. But that isn't shown on the FAFSA.
Tuition is low at my dd's school, so I'm pretty sure the FAFSA won't do much for us anyway. I would have no way of estimating my taxes right now, as my company was bought, so we have multiple w2's coming, and the investment stuff is always all over the board.

 

[bittybabygrower]

You can use your 2012 to file and then homing and update when your 2013 taxes are done.

 

[Gina]

I did mine New Year's Day, because we're going to be so dependent on whatever finaid we can get, and I know how first-come-first-served those monies are. I had to very much guess on my son's 2013 income since the last paystub he had kept was from June (dummy me should have told him to hang onto the most recent ones), and had to estimate best I could on mine.

Luckily mine is very uncomplicated, no investments or really anything other than basic job income. Most of the property taxes/mortgage interest/student loan stuff changes very little from year to year anyway. I just wanted that FAFSA filed and on record -- I can easily amend it later!

 

[elgerber]

I did mine New Year's Day, because we're going to be so dependent on whatever finaid we can get, and I know how first-come-first-served those monies are. I had to very much guess on my son's 2013 income since the last paystub he had kept was from June (dummy me should have told him to hang onto the most recent ones), and had to estimate best I could on mine.

Luckily mine is very uncomplicated, no investments or really anything other than basic job income. Most of the property taxes/mortgage interest/student loan stuff changes very little from year to year anyway. I just wanted that FAFSA filed and on record -- I can easily amend it later!

Sadly mine is all over the place. up until now I have been purely commissioned, so my income is all over and I've had varying tuition payments, and I'm not sure if I can count any of them on this years taxes, and the investment stuff I can never predict. I can play mega guestimate on some stuff I guess.

 

[madge]

I did mine New Year's Day, because we're going to be so dependent on whatever finaid we can get, and I know how first-come-first-served those monies are. I had to very much guess on my son's 2013 income since the last paystub he had kept was from June (dummy me should have told him to hang onto the most recent ones), and had to estimate best I could on mine.

Luckily mine is very uncomplicated, no investments or really anything other than basic job income. Most of the property taxes/mortgage interest/student loan stuff changes very little from year to year anyway. I just wanted that FAFSA filed and on record -- I can easily amend it later!

same here!

Erica -- maybe fill out what you can, and see how far you get. I've heard FA offices can be helpful if there are extenuating circumstances when finances change.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

I guess I'm not worried because I know we won't qualify for any aid. I'm doing this strictly because the schools require it.

 

[madge]

I guess I'm not worried because I know we won't qualify for any aid. I'm doing this strictly because the schools require it.

we won't at the state schools, but will at the privates. that's how it went with our oldest ... I don't anticipate it being any different with my my middle DS. in fact, our EFC stayed almost the same. still laughable.

 

[bittybabygrower]

Ditto to not getting anything but a loan lol But it is also used for some scholarship things.

 

[JeannieNM]

DD received another academic and artistic acceptance (to the same school). Online it says she was excepted with distinction- not sure what that means. I am happy for her. While she won't hear from her top schools until the end of March each acceptance helps build confidence for the Feb round of auditions. She is working on finishing her last two apps and arts supplements. Then this weekend she has to start her videos.

Hope everyone is having a good week.

 

[madge]

DD received another academic and artistic acceptance (to the same school). Online it says she was excepted with distinction- not sure what that means. I am happy for her. While she won't hear from her top schools until the end of March each acceptance helps build confidence for the Feb round of auditions. She is working on finishing her last two apps and arts supplements. Then this weekend she has to start her videos.

congrats to your DD!

Hope everyone is having a good week.

like nearly everyone in the Eastern half of the country, we're waiting to go back to school after winter break ... we've gotten no call about tomorrow, so I'm hopeful that means we're back on schedule.

January 15 is the big scholarship application deadline for all of the schools DS is considering. He's got one essay hanging out there, but if he wants to apply he needs to get the thing written tonight so he can request what he needs from the guidance office ... it may be too late for that.

First semester report cards come soon. Still waiting for physics grades to post to Infinite Campus.

that's about all from here.

 

[Bluestars]

DD received another academic and artistic acceptance (to the same school). Online it says she was excepted with distinction- not sure what that means. I am happy for her. While she won't hear from her top schools until the end of March each acceptance helps build confidence for the Feb round of auditions. She is working on finishing her last two apps and arts supplements. Then this weekend she has to start her videos.

Hope everyone is having a good week.

Congratulations! I hope she has good luck with her top schools too.

My son got a nice scholarship offer to one of his schools. It's not the one he wants to go to though. We are still waiting to hear from them. It's nice to know he has options if his first choice doesn't work out. We are playing the waiting game and could wait as late as March.