<p>My father and I filled out and submitted the FAFSA in January, and thought that that was all that was required (at least for now) to apply for financial aid at Princeton and the other schools I applied to. However, I just found out that Princeton requires a separate application as well: the Princeton Financial Aid Application, which was due Feb 1. Is there anything I can do? Will the fact that I submitted the FAFSA (due April 15) make a difference?</p>
<p>You can call the financial aid office and explain you submitted your FAFSA in January, but didn’t understand there was an additional form. Ask if you can send it it now. (You will not be the first person to call and ask this… and probably not the last.)</p>
<p>Excellent but brutal learning experience. We all have to comb through college websites and see if there are odds and ends that need to be done. It’s not just financial aid – it can be dorm deposits or consideration for departmental scholarships or parking decal application deadlines. </p>
<p>Please know that there are hard and soft deadlines. Some schools are fierce and mean if you miss a deadline. Others are very accommodating. Let us know what PRinceton is. . .</p>
<p>Thankfully, it appears that both Caltech and Princeton have soft deadlines. All the same, I am now committed to scouring their sites for any even remotely pertinent information that I may have missed prior to this delightful experience.
Thank you for your help!</p>