<p>The letter for my D2 came a few minutes ago via snail mail. The outside of the envelope says "You're In!" I didn't dare open it. She'd be mad at me if I did. She gets home from high school in a couple of hours. This is very good news. I'm so happy for her.</p>
<p>Congrats! Now comes the tough part…making a decision.</p>
<p>making a decision is tough, but waiting for the notification is tougher!</p>
<p>congratulations to Plainsman and your D2!</p>
<p>Where are you location wise?</p>
<p>^^^
About eight miles from campus. 
</p>
<p>Thank you all. Your children should get their envelopes by tomorrow. It’s a coincidence that we live so close to Muhlenberg’s campus, so fast mail delivery. Now comes the wait on financial aid decisions. The Office of Financial Aid told me today that it would be early April before financial aid decisions are communicated.</p>
<p>By the way, my daughter is ecstatic. But my question, of course, is will we be able to afford Muhlenberg? Time will tell, but this is good news.</p>
<p>I got my acceptance today too, Plainsman I also live very close to campus. </p>
<p>Very very excited to have received the letter (although I almost had a heart attack when I saw the small envelope!) but really, without merit aid, it’s probably not happening.</p>
<p>The non-loan portion of financial aid needs to be equivalent to the difference between our EFC, which is 27.5K, and what it will cost to attend in 2009, which is $45.5K (assuming she chooses to live on campus). If not, it will be Penn State-main campus and loving it. I figure Penn State will be about $23K. So I’m willing to pay a little bit more for Muhlenberg, if that’s where she wants to go (23K - 27.5K = 4.5K extra). </p>
<p>Even though I really like Muhlenberg, I don’t see it being more valuable than a Penn State degree to the tune of almost double the cost. Amherst or Cornell maybe, but not Muhlenberg. And probably not Amherst or Cornell, either. Penn State standardized test scores compared to Muhlenberg’s are identical in Math, slightly lower in critical reading, and slightly higher in average H.S. GPA. So, it’s a wash in quality of student body. You trade larger classes (for first two years) for big time corporate recruiting at graduation. And graduate or professional school would work equally well. My company’s general counsel went to Penn State undergrad and Harvard Law. Another wash.</p>
<p>Bottom line: I need 18K in non-loan aid to let my D pull the trigger on Muhlenberg. I’ll pay the EFC, even though that will be difficult, but not more, and I refuse to borrow any money, or let her borrow any, if the school isn’t called Harvard, Yale, Princeton or Stanford, and she didn’t apply to any of those.</p>
<p>As you can tell, the reality of the cost is just starting to hit me. The projected 2009-2010 cost to attend was included in the acceptance envelope.</p>
<p>For those accepted, did you online status change?</p>
<p>Congratulations!</p>
<p>Online status? We never checked, come to think of it.</p>
<p>Now I know why I never checked online…you can’t. I could not find a way to check one’s application status on the Muhlenberg College website. If someone knows how, I’d be interested in learning from you, just out of curiosity.</p>
<p>Hi, were these new acceptances for regular decision or early decision? Thanks!</p>
<p>If you would like to check the status of your application all you need to do is go to this website.
[CapStone</a> Online Information](<a href=“http://capstone.muhlenberg.edu/status.html]CapStone”>http://capstone.muhlenberg.edu/status.html)</p>
<p>Plainsman:Congrats to your daughter, I have enjoyed reading your well articulated posts here and on the Penn St forum.My D applied to both.</p>
<p>You make a compelling case outlining your aid needs for your D to attend and I would assume that your daughter will be a highly sought after enrollee for Muhlenberg. Hopefully they can come up with a package for you.The good news is that you have Penn St to fall back on.</p>
<p>Best wishes!</p>
<p>congrats Plainsman…know you were waiting for this one!!! GL with the FA…</p>
<p>Where do you get the student ID from?</p>
<p>TheatreMom: My D applied RD, so this must be the beginning of the RD notification period for Muhlenberg. I guess they didn’t fill up with ED applicants. </p>
<p>radius268: Thanks for the link. I’ll try it.</p>
<p>decision not yet posted online.</p>
<p>i logged in and get this message:Your application status is as follows:Your application is COMPLETE</p>
<p>Rodney: Thanks much</p>
<p>Brave Ulysses: I don’t know if she would qualify as “highly sought after” but I’m definitely hoping for $18,000 of non-loan help, so I can give my little girl a choice. If not, it’s Happy Valley here she comes! She has few qualms about Penn State. In fact, I paid the $300 acceptance-dorm reservation deposit in January, just in case. She prefers to be in an SLO (special living arrangement) and they go pretty fast, I’m told, so we couldn’t wait. If she goes elsewhere, I’ll lose the dough, but what can you do? Fortunately, Muhlenberg doesn’t give you the option of signing up for first come, first served housing choice. I think they make everybody wait until after May 1st. I can’t afford to gamble with $400 bucks for the Muhlenberg deposit until I know about financial aid. Suppose she goes to neither school? I would be out $700 for nothing!</p>
<p>By the way, good luck to your D. I assume she’s already accepted at PSU and is waiting for Muhlenberg?</p>
<p>Re: housing: apparently only ED get first come, first serve housing choice, if I remember correctly from their website…but I’m not sure you have to worry about housing there…</p>
<p>Plainsman, thank you!</p>