<p>Sorry to be late coming back but yes, my first post (#17) is missing a 0. I meant to say 200,000+ over 4 years. And actually that would be times 2 (2D’s) for 400,000. The size of that number still shakes me up ;).</p>
<p>“All through high school guidance pushed kids not to exclude private colleges from their search, and here we are and now have to make some big decisions about paying for it.”</p>
<p>As educators they do want to see the kids have the best opportunities possible. However, they don’t have enough information about each family’s financial situation (nor should they) to be in positions to really help us with the money aspect. Our guidance group did bring in the Fin Aid officer from our local community college to talk sense into us at a parent meeting, but that was it. The only one to talk about money with Happykid in the college search process was us, her parents.</p>
<p>I also think that some HS guidance counselors struggle to balance the needs of the individual students, and the needs of the high school. Many parents use the list of colleges/universities that accept students from a given HS as a rough tool to evaluate the quality of the school. I know that it made a positive impression on me as the parent of a third grader to know that so many grads of Happykid’s future HS got into College A and University B. It wasn’t until later on, that I realized that where students were admitted, and where they actually attended was completely different. Yes many are admitted to A, B, and C but the simple fact is that every single year the largest group of graduates (including those accepted at A, B, and C) choose to attend our local community college and the second largest group end up at the state flagship U. If I had seen a list of “Grads Attending” with the numbers attached, I might have had a very different notion about the quality of the HS.</p>
<p>*mom2collegekids, based on post #19 it looks like the D is likely to be an NMF. That’s why it’s very important for the family to quickly get educated about where that will give them the most financial leverage. </p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Yes, I saw that post earlier. However, the wording confused me a bit. Making NMSF involves more than a “letter” …it’s a big packet that needs to be filled out and an essay written. The letter that comes has more to do with making Commended. </p>
<p>But, maybe I’m reading too much into the OP’s post below, but it doesn’t sound like she was given the NMSF packet in the fall. Maybe the OP just used the word “letter” for “packet”.</p>
<p>OP quote:<br>
*She has 2160 SAT and I am not sure if a NM finalist, would we know that by now? She got a letter about it a few months ago that she was in the running.
*</p>
<p>But… 
If she did make NMSF, then there’s other good options as well. </p>
<p>And…OP…if your D did fill out the NMSF packet in the fall and she hasn’t gotten a rejection letter this week, she likely has made it and will be told next month. :)</p>