<p>I got a letter in the mail today from Student Financial Services saying: "Our office has reviewed your application for financial assistance. Unfortunately we will require additional information before we are able to determine your elgibibility for financial aid.."</p>
<p>I was deferred early decision. Is this indicative of me being accepted, or is that just wishful thinking? Why else would they send a letter around 10 days before they send out decisions asking for futher financial documents?</p>
<p>I think it’s just wishful thinking, because places like Cornell and the like have sent me letters and emails like that. I don’t think they are necessarily indicative of an acceptance.</p>
<p>It says “If blank, Penn student should complete this section.”</p>
<p>It also says my graduation date is 15/05 and refers to me as “student” instead of “applicant” throughout the entire form. </p>
<p>Most likely, however, Student Registration and Financial Services has the same form for applicants and admitted students. This makes the most sense. I think they should change the wording, though, because it’s very misleading. </p>
<p>Another thought I had: if Penn is need-blind, then they probably only look at financial applications of after they admit students. I assume they have made most of their decisions by March 18 (10 days and change before “d-day”, when penn sent the letter) and I wonder why they would ask for these tax forms from a student they know they did not admit. </p>
<p>Perhaps they look at financial applications before they admit students or perhaps they send out these letters to whoever is missing material without looking at their application status. </p>
<p>The way I am looking at this situation is that this request for tax forms probably means absolutely nothing. However, it can only be a good sign.</p>
<p>Also, if it took 6 days for that letter to reach my house then most likely they will not receive those tax papers until after April 1,2010 (they had to know that). </p>
<p>This is killing me! I am getting my hopes up again =/ ■■■ someone grant me some humility and tell me it’s only wishful thinking so I do not raise my expectations… again.</p>
<p>i think it might be a good sign. i got an email asking for 2009 taxes from uchicago–even though they don’t want it until april 15th–a few days before decisions came out, and then i got accepted.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if this helps or not, but when my sister was accepted she got a letter detailing her financial aid as a student (without any mention of her acceptance) a few days before the actual acceptance letter.</p>
<p>To get a better idea of what it means, I would ask, has your counselor ever talked to the admissions rep from your area since your deffereal. If so, how did those conversations go? Also, what are some of ur stats.</p>
<p>I’ve been in contact with admissions but I am not sure if my counselor has. He is really pulling for me and talks about penn with me everyday, but I never asked him to call for me. </p>
<p>Probably… but I will play the devil’s advocate:</p>
<p>my friend who was accepting ED got the same letter. No one else in my school who applied got it. Why only us?</p>
<p>I assume they already made their decisions. Why would they send a letter a week and change before decision day to someone they know who did not get in? With a week left to go, I bet all they are doing is evaluating financial aid for admitted students. </p>
<p>…The more I think about it, if I do not get in I think they should change the wording of the form. They should not say “penn student” instead of “applicant” and they should not mention that my graduation date is May 2014 from “The College” … I am still not 100% expecting to get in, but I will be annoyed with the letter if I do not. To repeat: I do not think I HAVE to get in because of the letter, I just believe the letter is very very very misleading.</p>
<p>I will let you guys know. I have already been accepted to my second choice, McGill, so it will not be too devastating if it turns out I do not get in. I already dealt with the deferral, so I can deal with round II of bad news if it does come.</p>
<p>i just saw ur fb chat msg and think that it means 99% acceptance but dont get tooo thrilled coz if i am wrong it will just be more depressing! hope u get in though :)</p>
<p>^that’s what my teachers said to me too. If I do not get in, however, I think my deferment prepared me to deal with bad news. One week, and I will know for sure. =]</p>
<p>FOLLOWUP FOR ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS 2010-2011</p>
<hr>
<p>If blank, PENN student should complete this section:</p>
<p>Date: March 18, 2010
Name: Benjamin J Gordon
Address: XXXXXXXXXXXX
City, State: Toms River NJ
School: COLLEGE
Graduation Date: May, 2014</p>
<hr>
<p>Our office has reviewed your application for financial assistance. Unfortunately we will require additional information before we are able to determine your eligibility for financial aid:</p>
<p>X-your parents’ 2009 Federal Income Tax Return, All Pages and Schedules Filed</p>
<p>X-Your parents’ 2009 W-2 Form(s)</p>
<p>It is important that you reply immediately in order to complete your application. No further action will be taken until we receive the requested information.</p>
<p>Same thing happened with me with Columbia. Well, not really. It was more just a personal email. If I were missing certain parts for fin. aid, why wouldn’t they just send me an automated, you know? But that’s me being a wishful thinker too lol. I think you’re in. Be sure to let us know I applied as well.</p>
<p>Yeah, i just do not understand why they would be attempting to formulate a financial aid package for me otherwise. </p>
<p>It could be that they send this to everyone who is missing those forms, but why would they waste money and paper sending it to everyone when they already know who was accepted by this time?</p>
I applied as well.</p>