<p>So this might be a dumb question, but do you add a school to the FAFSA list even if you don't know whether you have been accepted yet or not?</p>
<p>Yes. In order for most selective/private schools to offer you an aid package at the time of admissions, they have separate deadlines for aid (typically ranging anywhere from Feb 1-Mar 1, though it differs by school).</p>
<p>For public/state schools, aid is typically limited, and a lot of grant money is determined on a first-come first served basis, so you’ll want to estimate numbers and file FAFSA as soon as possible.</p>
<p>Not dumb at all - most people are in that same situation unless they went all ED or EA (and have heard back from all.)</p>