<p>I can speak to Drexel...my older daughter applied (she graduated HS in 2006), received a quick reply and a good scholarship offer. She would have been able to attend Drexel for a similar price to Penn State. She had a similar score to yours, actually a little lower. Her Math score was quite high and her Critical Reading score was quite average! She had already completed Calculus AB, Stat and both Computer Science APs by the end of her junior year and had also attended Gov School at Drexel.</p>
<p>She was considering Drexel but preferred the program in her field (Information, Science and Technology) at Penn State.</p>
<p>I'd say to apply now and update later. As I recall Drexel sent back a decision very quickly! It is a good school and I know they offer merit money.</p>
<p>I received and filled out one from the University of Minnesota - Twin cities. There was no essay at all, just a 4,000 word maximum list of all of one's "activities, honors, achievements," etc, that couldn't fit on the 4 slots allotted for school-sponsored and non-school-sponsored activities. Right after filling it out, I was concerned that it was an early decision, binding-type thing, but after review, it seems like it wasn't. This thread confirms that for me. I may fill out the Drexel one later today.</p>
<p>We also used them and they were great...one came almost after we sent the original one (Fordham) My son liked reminding me that my nagging to get the regular EA app in on time almost had him miss the free one. : ) We also got Drew, Tulane, Marist, and others, but my son just used Drew, Fordham before November and knew both decisions by December 20th.</p>
<p>Yes, RPI's application didn't have a fee waiver, but it did have a shorter essay and a quicker turn around time. It made it like rolling admissions. I do believe RPI medal winner's probably get a fee waiver as well as the special application. (My son wasn't the medal winner in his class.)</p>
<p>just a reminder to follow-up if the student is accepted.........and they are planning on applying for financial aid at that school......that the fafsa will need to be sent to the school before the financial aid package can be completed and sent out. check to see if the school requires their own financial aid application in addition to fafsa as well. tulane surprised with a nice financial aid package in the late spring. case western also sent out a pretty good financial aid package. also be sure to see if separate scholarship applications for merit aid are required at the schools and be aware of the scholarship deadlines.</p>
<p>the financial aid package can include institutional grants and scholarship $$'s, loans, and work study. </p>
<p>check the common application website to see which admission apps may be free or lower in cost. also check the school's own website. students can also ask for the application fee to be waived. some schools will do this........so it never hurts to ask.</p>
<p>you might check these schools to see if they offer priority apps.......
st. olaf, loyola-chicago, marquette, truman state, univ. of tulsa, trinity univ.</p>
<p>Thanks, condor30, that's a good reminder. I'm sort of pushing off all the financial stuff until son gets this whole application process is done (it's a huge job in and of itself). Figure, once he's got his essays/apps in we can start to address the (big & complicated) financial piece.</p>
<p>Anyone have a checklist? I was thinking something along the lines of:</p>
<p>1) Get 2008 taxes done by accountant, early (l think this is what you do?).
2) Make chart of all schools w/financial aid/scholarship deadlines & links to the pages where student can download/fill out forms.</p>
<p>lavieboheme and mathmom -- I looked over the Candidate's Choice app from RPI and I think it doesn't look like there is a fee waiver. My daughter was the medal winner from the high school....so I think I assumed it would be a fee waiver but I don't think it is. I don't have it in front of me but will confirm this. My daughter will apply anyway though in hopes of some academic money in addition to the RPI medal -- not sure if she will but she's wide open to considering many (public and private) schools.</p>
<p>"As a Rensselaer Medalist, your $70 application fee is automatically waived. Plus, you will enjoy a personalized application with a streamlined design that has fewer questions. "</p>
<p>jolynne.........
at some schools, the priority date for premier scholarships is november 1. don't delay on getting the scholarship applications submitted as you don't want to miss the deadlines. also, some schools require a separate application for honors programs and honors colleges.......so you'll want to research that too.</p>
<p>fafsa........i believe you can actually fill it out using estimated numbers and then update the info. later after the taxes are completed. look at the fafsa website for further info. and to see the date for when you can first access it.</p>
<p>css profile .........info. on this is available at collegeboard. i think you can fill it out in late fall (it will be come available on the collegeboard site about that time)........some schools have their own deadlines for submission of the css profile for incoming freshmen. </p>
<p>remember.........some schools require their own financial aid form to be completed in addition to the fafsa. some schools do require a css profile, some do not.</p>
<p>so really........be prepared to be completing fafsa, css profile, and also school's own financial aid form possibly.</p>
<p>it is all pretty daunting.......good that all of you are starting early to work through the process. best of luck !</p>
<p>what seemed to work well was to set small goals........getting the first 3 apps done.......and then the next 3...........and so on. it seemed less overwhelming for my d that way. </p>
<p>include safety, match, and reach schools. i had never even heard of those terms before finding cc.</p>
<p>lavieboheme -- Thanks....I looked over the application and didn't see the fee waiver mentioned but it must have been in an email or letter. </p>
<p>OK -- I just put my hands on the letter - it definitely says the fee is waived and lots of encouragement to apply Early Decision which my daughter is not intending to do.</p>
<p>Anyway, this is purely anecdotal, but my GC (who is pretty experienced) said he has never had any of our students turned down by a school that offered a priority type app, though they have been by other safety/low match schools. I think the priority apps are mainly sent by safety schools, not safety/low match schools.</p>
<p>The only disadvantage I can think of is that completing the apps is a waste of time, but for most applicants, the number of safety schools is too low, so this is hardly a major problem.</p>
<p>Back to the RPI, candidates choice. D gets sent these on a weekly basis. I don't see the advantage to it. The cost is still $70, to me the notification looks like it is the same time line (see text below), and you now have to fill out new "easier" questions. I think I's rather tell D to send in the common app that she will have already filled out. Please tell me what I am missing.</p>
<p>"Welcome back to your Candidate’s Choice Application. All the information you previously saved is still here, so you may continue applying where you last left off!
Please remember, in addition to your completed application, we also must receive your School Report (including official high school transcript, SAT or ACT scores, and first marking period grades), Academic Recommendation, and $70 application fee.
The deadline to submit your application Early Decision I is November 1, 2008, Early Decision II is December 15, 2008, Regular Decision is January 15, 2009. Let’s begin!"</p>
<p>smoda61 -- There is a fee waiver for Rensselaer Medalists. Other than that -- I agree -- doesn't look like there is much advantage to the Candidate's Choice Application.</p>
<p>At least I know that I am not crazy. It is too bad also because S received at least one worthwhile "special offer" 4 years ago. I think it was Northeastern. It was easy application, no fee and early notification. D has been sent the RPI which does not make sense, and University of Rochester (she was a Bauch and laumb winner) which may be further than she is willing to travel. I guess we are sticking w/ regular APs.</p>
<p>Thanks, condor30, I'm keeping your advice in a (newly created!) file for 'financial stuff' to use once the admissions has cooled off. Helpful.</p>
<p>As it is--the real only thing left to do is for son to upload his essays!!! He did one school this weekend (Drexel--after getting a letter that his app was under review--apparantly sans essay...he got moving very quickly!). </p>
<p>PBailey--your GC advice is nice, but I'm not sure in our case RPI is really a safety (w/gpa req's--although test scores are good). Son did visit there in the spring, so I think that's why we got it (in fact, they said that on the letter). Just trying to keep a positive (yet realistic!) attitude toward it all. :-)</p>
<p>Btw, for a lot of schools w/online apps -- today, Sept 1st -- is the day the apps go up (Rutgers, UICU, maybe U of W).</p>