Hey guys,
I was accepted to Stanford through the Restrictive Early Action application in mid-December. My parents are still working on filing their 2013 tax return (I know they totally dropped the ball), but they will have them done by the CSS priority filing deadline for REGULAR APPLICANTS. The priority deadline for REA is November 15th. My question is whether or not it will be a problem that I submitted my CSS Profile by the regular priority deadline instead of by the REA priority deadline in terms of financial aid package size. I really need the financial aid.
THANKS AGAIN!
Hayden
You should have posted in the Financial Aid forum, there are more ‘experts’ there.
But my opinion is that it will not affect your package. It has just affected the timing of the package. Do not miss any further deadlines.
If you had submitted the CSS it on time, then you would have an estimate in hand with your acceptance and they will just use your 2014 FAFSA and tax papers to update and confirm your aid. As for timing now, the 2013 data hardly matters as you should now have, or soon have, 2014 data. You have to make sure that your parents file their 2014 return asap. You should fill out CSS now, likely using 2014 data or as close as you have. Really you probably should contact them and tell them the status of your sending in required papers if you are still interested…
CONGRATULATIONS on your Stanford acceptance; it’s uber selective and a truly splendid opportunity that will likely benefit you for life. I agree you should honestly and apologetically update the FINANCIAL AID office, NOT Admissions. I suspect this sort of problem isn’t too rare and they’ll be quite understanding.
Hayden…do you mean your parents haven’t done their 2014 taxes? That is what they need to do for aid for the 2015-2016 school year.
In terms of deadlines…contact the school. They can best tell you the implications of missing your financial aid application deadline by four months or so.
You need to be contacting your school and asking THEM.
This is definitely a question for Stanford FInancial aid office, not for the boards. Though I agree with the answers here. Stanford meets full need, so it’s more the time, IMO, of geting your package vs not getting as much. If you had an aid estimate in hand, and it was adequate, you could have skipped doing any other college apps, which are now pretty much a necessity in case Stanford’s package is not enough for you to swing it. You need a school that you KNOW you can afford, because meeting full need, means meeting that need as the SCHOOL defines it, not your family, not the FAFSA EFC.
Your family needs to get the 2014 return done very soon as that is what is needed to complete the FAFSA as well ast the PROFIle requirements. You don’t get your final package until that info is complete. The 2013 form was for estimate purposes only. Anyone getting fin aid needs 2014 to get the real thing.
An advantage of EA vs ED is that if you do apply to other schools as well, you can compare packages in April and have other options. Hopefully, you have some finanical safety schools. Hopefully you also have some schools with good merit award options in case your need packages do not meet your family’s definitions of need, something that happens a lot.