<p>What is the CSS Profile? It was due Nov first, and I applied early action. What is the FAFSA? That is not due until Feb. Do i need to do both? I just want to apply for fin aid. Please tell me if my parents screwed me for this first round of apps. Thanks</p>
<p>See <a href=“CSS Profile Home – CSS Profile | College Board”>College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools; & <a href=“https://fafsa.ed.gov/”>https://fafsa.ed.gov/</a>. Both CSS Profile & FAFSA may be required by the school for your financial aid. So, do you need financial aid in order to attend the school that you applied EA?</p>
<p>If you need financial aid and your school requires CSS Profile by Nov 1, then you may not get the institutional financial aid. However, you may want to contact the school to make sure.</p>
<p>Contact your EA school. Many EA schools have a priority deadline for EA applicants for the Profile. BUT since its EA, you don’t really need to choose to attend until May 1. Contact the financial aid office Monday. Get the Profile done Monday. Ask the financial aid office if this will just delay receiving your financial aid award. </p>
<p>In order to get a financial aid ESTIMATE at the time of an EA acceptance, you needed to get the estimated CSS PROFILE completed by Nov 1. Since you missed the deadline, there is no longer a guarantee that you will get that estimate at the same time that you get your acceptance, assuming you are accepted. Since this is an EA situation, not ED, it is not as huge of an issue. You do not have to let the school know you are going there until May1, even if you are accepted early. </p>
<p>Everything is an ESTIMATE because the year is not over yet. You would use 2013 numbers instead of 2014 ones on the FAFSA, adjusting where you know there are going to be differences. You would use assets as of the date you fill out the PROFILE form. The school then comes up with an estimated financial aid package. The numbers will get adjusted when you file FAFSA which will use actual numbers from the 2014 tax return The FAFSA for the school year starting fall 2015 does not even come out until 1/1/2015. That form will be verified with your parents 2014 tax forms and your estimated aid package will be adjusted accordingly. Some schools use other ways to verify your estimate, so you just do what they ask you to do for that But almost all require that FAFSA because you cannot get federal money with out that form filed. </p>
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<p>YOU are the applicant. If YOU missed any deadlines, it wasn’t your parents’ fault. </p>
<p>Check with the school financial aid office. Just tell them you missed the CSS deadline, and you will get it in ASAP, and ask what the consequences are. Then have your parents get the CSS Profile in ASAP. They will have to estimate tax amounts for 2014, then go back and give the college corrections later (assuming you are admitted). That is just how it works for EA & ED schools… my experience has been whenever I have talked to FA offices about later paperwork that they just say to get it to them ASAP. Likely that will be what you will hear as well. Your FA package info may lag behind your admissions decision (if you get in), But that is probably okay, as it is an EA application and you have until May 1 to make a final decision anyway.</p>
<p>Thanks so much, folks! Mostly reassuring. The only thing is I realized I mistyped–I did apply ED and not EA. @cptofthehouse @intparent why does it make a big difference since I am, in fact, applying ED? As for my controversial bratty statement @mom2collegekids I apologize. I had just found out, and I was quite ticked off at everything. Although I do take a lot of responsibility, my parents have been through this with my four other sibs and told me they know all about it and would take care of it. Turns out, they did not know about the CSS Profile. Please don’t make blanket assumptions about people with very little info. The internet would be much more helpful and less contentious. But thank you for helping me to realize that it is not entirely their fault. I should have looked into it. </p>
<p>Well, it could delay getting your FA package. And you can’t confirm if you should accept an ED offer (should you get one) without seeing that package. You can ask for an extension on making the ED decision until you have seen your FA package, but the school could be justifiably unhappy about granting it since you didn’t get your FA information in on a timely basis. Get on it NOW and have your parents do it ASAP. I will say it is a daunting form when you first look at it, and maybe not something your parents can just whip out in an hour or so. You need to ask if they can please set aside some time (in the evening if necessary) over the next couple of days to complete it.</p>
<p>Have you run the net price calculator for this school (on the financial aid webpage)? Do you know if it is affordable to start with?</p>
<p>As an aside, once you get this CSS Profile form in, you should start a spreadsheet for every school you are applying to for what is due and when for financial aid applications. Every school has varying dates, what they want can be different, and the method for sending it can vary. But the financial aid website for each schools should give you their deadlines, so you can make that list and not miss any more dates.</p>
<p>
Do you understand the difference between ED and EA?
See <a href=“Early Decision and Early Action – Counselors | College Board”>http://professionals.collegeboard.com/guidance/applications/early</a></p>
<p>Well…ED is a whole other issue. As Intparent noted…you missed the deadline for the ED financial aid application form. This could very well mean that you will not get a financial aid award in time to make your ED decision should you be accepted.</p>
<p>Call the financial aid department ASAP tomorrow. You might not get much sympathy. Those deadlines have been on the websites since early fall. But tell them you will be submitting the profile NOW and ask what the implications of a late application are. They will tell you.</p>
<p>Schools have deadlines for a reason. I would strongly suggest that you look at ALL deadlines for your regular decision schools now. You do NOT want to miss those too.</p>
<p>ETA…it looks like you completed an ED application to Dartmouth…the very night it was due. I would suggest that you look at all deadlines and plan to submit at least a week prior to those deadlines. This will avoid computer snafus or other last minute issues. </p>
<p>See Early Decision Checklist by Date <a href=“https://admissions.dartmouth.edu/apply/choose-your-path/early-decision/checklist”>https://admissions.dartmouth.edu/apply/choose-your-path/early-decision/checklist</a>
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<p><a href=“https://admissions.dartmouth.edu/apply/choose-your-path/early-decision/checklist”>https://admissions.dartmouth.edu/apply/choose-your-path/early-decision/checklist</a></p>
<p>Did you use the checklist on this link? The Profile is clearly listed on it.</p>
<p>I do understand the difference. I just made a mistake in typing my original post. Thank you for the tips about getting organized. I will be way more on top of things now. I’ve been crazy busy with everything and have neglected to look into some details. As for the net price calculator, I used it, and this school was well within range (part of the reason I applied ED). Thank you again</p>
<p>If push comes to shove…and they tell you they will not be able to get a financial aid package prepared in time for ED…ask if you can switch your application to RD.</p>
<p>For the record, I submitted it the morning it was due. But of course I will, as I have said, be more on top of it now. I decided to apply ED a little later, so it was a little rushed. </p>
<p>
2014 Darmouth RD: 11.5% See <a href=“http://now.dartmouth.edu/2014/03/2220-students-offered-acceptance-to-the-class-of-2018/”>http://now.dartmouth.edu/2014/03/2220-students-offered-acceptance-to-the-class-of-2018/</a>
ED: 27.9% See <a href=“http://now.dartmouth.edu/2013/12/dartmouth-accepts-469-early-decision-applicants/”>http://now.dartmouth.edu/2013/12/dartmouth-accepts-469-early-decision-applicants/</a></p>
<p>I am well aware 
Does this pertain to my comment or the one above it? @4kidsdad </p>
<p>^Post 14</p>
<p>Yes, the acceptance rate is higher for ED applicants at Dartmouth. But an acceptance ED with NO financial aid is worthless to,this applicant.</p>
<p>Is the risk here receiving no aid at all or receiving the official award notice or award estimate at some point after the acceptance deadline or ED? I got the impression that it was the latter. But if the OP really might receive no aid because the form was late then I think it makes sense to go RD because there’s no real benefit in getting accepted if you can’t afford to go and you can’t get any institutional aid.</p>