<p>My parents and I have been, unfortunately, at a total disconnect with regards to the whole financial aid process and college applications (thankfully, I do not think aid will become much of a deciding factor, since I don't qualify/need much). </p>
<p>As it turns out, do to a number of factors (a long list that's too complex to get into on a public forum), my parents won't have their 2012 tax returns filed until late March, right around the Ivy League/T25 schools' decisions time. Most of my school are need blind, as all but my safeties are T25 or Ivies.</p>
<p>Will I still get a decision for admission come late March? Or will I automatically be waitlisted/rejected or something for not having my finaid stuff in? </p>
<p>I've heard that while schools don't take financial need into account (meaning of need blind), they still want to send finaid offers out with admissions offers. A couple of my schools are 'need aware', namely WashU in St. Louis, and I'm afraid that my chances are definitely crippled there.</p>
<p>Any opinions? Sorry if my question is common/idiotic - I'm just that unaware of how finaid stuff works!</p>
<p>I am sure that someone, far more knowledgable than I will respond, but I think your parents can use estimates for the FA forms and then send in final figures.</p>
<p>You will get your admissions decisions even IF you don’t get your financial aid forms done. Of course without those forms, you won’t get any aid either. If you don’t need the aid, and can pay the $50,000 per year cost of attending those top 25 schools, then you never have to complete the forms.</p>
<p>As noted above, your parents and you CAN complete the FAFSA and Profile forms using your best estimates of the 2012 tax year. Then you can update when you get the taxes done. The deadlines for filing these forms for consideration dor institutional aid have likely passed, but you can still complete them for most schools. </p>
<p>You will get only an estimated award based on estimated application forms.</p>
<p>^Ahh, I see. I guess then I can turn in everything other than the IDOC/2012 tax return in tonight/tomorrow. Will I be in the clear for now with just the FAFSA/CSS with estimates?</p>
<p>Get a PINs for your parents and yourself and start filling out the forms using estimates. Yes, if you have checked the box saying you are applying for financial aid and your info idoes not get to the schools, it can gum up the works. You may not get your letters or get turned down for incomplete forms. I know some kids to whom that happened–for them it did not matter because they had aborted the admissions process to those schools anyways. But in your case, you want the admittance and the aid packages. The will be estimates and changed when the actual info come in, but you gotta give the school fin aid office something. I suggest you do this ASAP.</p>
<p>Also, if you do not have some schools on your list that will definitely accept you and that you can afford with out any conditions such as aid, I strongly suggest you add some. Those are the most important schools on anyone’s lists. You can end up without any acceptances, or acceptances with inadequate aid to make it possible to go there.</p>
<p>I also suggest that you run some numbers on the schools’ NPC and see what you can expect. For schools that meet full need and don’t give merit money, the results are usually pretty close to what you can expect in aid. If those numbers are not looking doable, you may have a problem. You need to know what your parents are able and willing to pay as well. Do you have a non custodial parent situation or a family business in the picture? Your definition, your parent’s definition of need may differ from that of the schools’ and their is what counts when they say they meet full need. They don’t give you want you say you need.</p>