<p>Does anybody have to send the CSS profile to a lot of schools? I have to send it to 8 schools, $18 for each one! I think their fee is crazy high! It comes out to $103 minus the initial $18 and the $5 for processing or something... so in all I will have paid $126. This seems a bit much just to send an application. Is it just me, or are others irked by this?? I feel bad asking my mom for this kind of money. Don't they realize we are sending this application because we NEED money, not because we have it to spend?
Sorry, I needed to vent a little. Does anyone else feel this way?</p>
<p>Can you maybe narrow your choices somewhat? So you won't have to pay so much? Just wondering.</p>
<p>"Don't they realize we are sending this application because we NEED money, not because we have it to spend?"</p>
<p>You are SOOOO RIGHT!!</p>
<p>Hahahah I KNOW RIGHT!! I don't think I am getting any aid, but of course my parents wanted me to apply anyway...but then they were like, dude, we're going to end up LOSING money to the college board yet again! LAME!</p>
<p>dude!
If you think $18 dollars per school is too much $$$ just wait till you get a look at what they charge for textbooks!
they're wacked!</p>
<p>this is totally lame. They've got us wrapped around their little finger. I know what business I am getting into, the college admissions process. I could write a book like three easy steps to get into the ivies or start my own collegeboard type thing. Those people are the winners here, I actually kind of admire them.</p>
<p>$126 is a very small investment if it helps you gain financial aid for college.</p>
<p>It pays to read the school's website carefully. My son applied to 11 schools. 8 turned out to take the profile. Out of the 8, 3 had alternate freee forms to use online, and 2 of the schools had deadlines after the admissions decision will be made,so they can wait. </p>
<p>collegboards.com are not going to tell that some schools don't require theprofile,only that they use them.</p>
<p>$126 here too but what are you going to do? it would have been easier to take if the additional child tax credit was for 18 years old and under and not just for kids under 17
or if the tuition and fees deductions applied to application fees, sat and act testing fees, and college board profile charges. I was told by the irs today the they are not deductable</p>
<p>if $18 per school is too much to deal with- what the heck are you going to do when you see the financial aid offers?
Most schools don't meet 100% of need and even the ones that do usually have loans and work study as part of the package.
If $18 is really that big a problem I suggest instate public schools where the student is sufficently above the average to warrant merit awards.
Or community college for two years- you can save a boatload of money that way.</p>
<p>emeraldkity- I think that the problem with the $18 per school is the idea that they are charging that much just to send the report to the school- and then they even charge a processing fee. It's not that $18 per school is a big deal financially, at least not for me. You're right, we will have much heavier costs next year and beyond. But it's just that college board has taken so much money from us already. And in theory it doesn't make sense to charge money for requests for money.</p>
<p>If you are lowincme I beleive you can get waivers fr up to 4 schools for prfile
IMO unless you are a special case and applying to terribly competitive audition programs and the like- I don't think you should be applying to that many schools that require it anyway as it looks like you aren't sure where you fit.</p>
<p>My D applied to 1 school that required Profile and 4 Fafsa only schools. We didn't want to spare any more money for the applications let alone the aid forms
Considering AP tests are about $80 ea and IB tests about double that, I don't think $18 is that big of a deal for people who want schools to give them money.</p>
<p>hell yea its expensive - this was first time when i was happy that i am applying as int'l student - i had to send just 4 CSS profiles :P I think it should be less - price similar to paying for Sats but thats just my opinion:)</p>
<p>tashi87, thats exactly my point! I can pay the money, its no problem. I just believe that their fee is way too high just to send an application. By the way, I e-mailed one of my schools and they said that since there is a fee, it is my decision whether or not I want to file the CSS profile.Thanks for the advice Radar, i'll be doing some of my own investigating!</p>
<p>For me, its more the principle of the thing. </p>
<p>The majority of schools require us to take the SATI, and many at least 3 SATII's, which you can only do with CB. So, we go pay for the test(s), then its time to dish out more $ if you need your scores sent to additional colleges (eventhough we have our own copy, and our schools have their copies and include the scores in our "official transcripts" -- these are not acceptable of course) oh, and hopefully you won't ever need to "rush your scores". So then you're done with the apps, but then its finacial aid time. So if you need to file a css profile, its back to CB. $23 for EACH profile (not $18 btw) -- its the same information, come on, just how many times do they have to "process" it? Really, its just a PDF file of your information which they pass on electronically -- its not like CB does the actual number crunching or use FedEx for delivery each time.</p>
<p>IMO the service doesn't merit the charge, especially in the case of the profile, where CB is just a "middle man". At minimum they should include a set number of colleges in you original submission, just like they do for the SATs. Then if you choose to send it to additional colleges, charge a reasonable fee. Or why not give you the option to submit online OR print it yourself and mail it? When its time to update your estimated numbers with your actual tax return numbers CB tells you to handwrite the corrections on the profile and mail it directly to the colleges ... so what's the difference?</p>
<p>This isn't about whether one can or can't afford to pay these fees. For me its about being offered no options, no choices. I find it rediculous that the only options are:
A- don't file the profile (thank you, but I don't have suicidal tendencies) or
B- limit the schools you apply to (well, some of us DONT know exactly where we fit or need to have several financial aid packages to compare & determine where we'll be going).</p>
<p>What it comes down to is that they can get away with charging whatever they want, because we have no other place to go for these services. I think that having to pay any amount of $, under these circumstances, is a total rip-off.</p>
<p>Umm, I wonder if they charge for the IDOC too? Gotta look that one up.</p>
<p>No they not charge for the IDOC.</p>
<p>The collegeboard is a business, but rather (and someone has to be paid to gather the information and send it to multiple schools for the approximately 2 million kids who apply to college each year, not counting returning students) the issue is that many studnets are not doing thier homework on the admissions and application process, what the school's requirements are and how much it is going to cost to fulfill those requirements. Like most things in life a person has choices, if they don't want to spend the $18 per school, they can look for schools where the profile is not required, don't file the paperwork and don't get the aid. Schools always take cash for tution payments, so any time youare willing to write your check, your college willl not turn away your tuition.</p>
<p>I can tell you this, my daughter applied to 7 schools and the $131 was a small price to may when the the college that gave her the least amount of need-based grant/scholarship aid gave $30,726 (we are not complaining in our house)</p>
<p>It boggles my mind that students, apply for 15-20 schools and don't consider the cost of applying (application fees, CSS profile fees, releasing scores, postage, etc) because it really does add up</p>
<p>The net-net is this,</p>
<p>We all make choices. There are schools that do not require the SAT or SAT II's, so you can always look into chosing one of those schools that do not require them.</p>
<p>There are also schools that do not require the CSS profile, you are also free to apply to those schools also.</p>
<p>I fyou feel that it is so egregious to have to deal with the college board and give them your money ask they are nickle and diming you through out this process, *** avoid *** schools that have SAT's/ CSS profiles as part of their admissions financial iad process.</p>
<p>tashi87, I agree. That $18. should be backed out of the aid that is eventually offered, & secondarily (in May or whatever), billed by any other colleges who received the profile & replied to the family. I think that's the only fair way. And if the Collegeboard tells anyone they "can't" do it that way, they should be reminded that this happens all the time with regard to (1) score reports that are sent <em>prior</em> to payment received [happens all the time], and (2) last-minute test-site/test-date changes or additions that <em>later</em> get billed to the family after the test has been taken.</p>
<p>I was shocked when I saw the prices for CSS profile. Crazy.</p>
<p>I understand the point these kids are trying to make. They feel they are stuck between a rock and a hard place and they are venting their concerns here. </p>
<p>
[quote]
The net-net is this,</p>
<p>We all make choices. There are schools that do not require the SAT or SAT II's, so you can always look into chosing one of those schools that do not require them.</p>
<p>There are also schools that do not require the CSS profile, you are also free to apply to those schools also.</p>
<p>I fyou feel that it is so egregious to have to deal with the college board and give them your money ask they are nickle and diming you through out this process, avoid schools that have SAT's/ CSS profiles as part of their admissions financial iad process.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>If these are the only choices students have, they are quite poor. In the end they are all detrimental to the students' goals and needs. I'm sorry, but it seems you are suggesting one thing: be quiet and don't complain.</p>
<p>We have a friendly reminder posted in our office that reads "If we don't take care of the customer, somebody else will." Unfortunately, these kids don't have "somebody else". </p>
<p>My net-net is this:</p>
<p>Life is often not fair, this is one of many examples you will find along the way. Carefully pick and choose what is right for you, especially when the choices are poor or limited. If you can, bite the bullet and do what is within your means to accomplish your goals. Continue to express your views.</p>
<p>With the exception of probably 50 colleges in the country (mostly the Ivies, Elite Lac's and a some other tier one schools) the vast majority of the over 3000 colleges in this country does not require anything from the college board.</p>
<p>You do not have to be quiet or complacent about anything which you are spending your money for. The college board is telling your that they charge for this service and it is still up to you, the consumer to chose whether or not they want to choose the service. There is always something else because we are consumers of higher education, some colleges may not be what you believe that you want or need, but there is always something else. I don't think that students need to apply to 20 schools (because you can only matriculate at one), but they will continue to do so .</p>
<p>Most of this gripe is almost the equivalent of monday morning quarterbacking. I don't feel that it is fair that if the shool accepts you that they still get to keep your application fee, but hey its part of the process. </p>
<p>You wrote, </p>
<p>If you can, bite the bullet and do what is within your means to accomplish your goals. Which is the advice my daughter used in the process, because we as their parents (at least not this parent) is not working with unlimited funds. You can easily run up thousands of dollars in fees if you let the admission process take on a life of it's own.That is why parents and studnets must sit down and discuss the process.</p>
<p>Many students will receive admission and financial aid decisions in april and then blame their parent for 'screwing" because the parent is not willing to take on massive debt. So in the words of Roseann Roseannadanna..Well Jane, it's always something, if it's not one thing, it's another.</p>