IDOC requested by Harvard! What does that mean?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I'm an intl' student who has been deferred to regular decision.
I applied for financial aid and have just received an email from the CollegeBoard asking me to supply additional financial documents (asked by Harvard).</p>

<p>Does that mean something about my application status???</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

2

<p>No, it has nothing to do with the status of your application.</p>

<p>For financial aid, you need to fill out the CSS Profile section. Once Harvard has received it, they will ask the student, usually in February, to send additional financial documents to verify the CSS, such as a tax return. Other colleges require tax returns as well, but they usually do not use CSS to ask for these documents.</p>

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<p>Okay, thanks for ur answer.</p>

<p>They didn’t ask anything when I was an early applicant though.</p>

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<p>I’m not really sure about the SCEA financial aid; I am an international too, and I have just filled out the CSS. At the end, they notified me that Harvard would request additional documents (iDoc), so that’s how I knew the answer. Good luck with your application!</p>

5

<p>Thanks, you too!
are u gonna translate your documents?</p>

<p>It says: A complete signed copy of your parents’ 2011 federal income tax return (or a translated copy of their country’s equivalent)</p>

<p>Does that mean that I don’t HAVE to translate them?</p>

6

<p>No, I think you do have to translate. They state either a federal income tax return (which is for the US) or a translated copy. Also, if you send it in the original language, they might not be able to read it ;)</p>

<p>By the by, I just (like, 10 minutes ago) received my own request for those documents.</p>

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<p>Even i’m an international student and got an IDOC request by Harvard today.</p>

<p>I just wanted to know that is it like to cross-check with what we wrote in CSS? Is it a step towards a possible acceptance(because they wouldnt be asking for forms from someone if they are eventually gonna reject them, are they?</p>

1 Like
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<p>Yes they would. IDOC just complements the CSS Profile. And it’s College Board who is asking you, because Harvard and some other schools require these documents from every applicant seeking financial aid. Unfortunately, this has absolutely nothing to do with admission status :-(</p>

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<p>Just to echo what perseverence said, collegeboard sends that email to everyone who has colleges on their CSS Profile that require the IDOC. It has nothing to do with admissions.</p>

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<p>And IDOC doesn’t start asking for stuff until February. They want signed 2011 tax documents, which nobody has until January at the earliest</p>

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<p>I don’t have 2011 tax documents. I’m an international and I won’t have these documents till June, 2012. Any idea what documents I should submit?</p>

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<p>I’m an int’l student. I find that the documents required by the IDOC are not suitable for me to fill in. Is the IDOC compulsory? Can I just ignore it and not send anything to the College Board?</p>

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<p>No point asking us about requirements, but I did notice they ask for <em>translations</em> of tax documents not in English.</p>

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<p>If you don’t have the 2011 tax returns, send either the 2010 tax returns or a statement from your parents’ employer stating their annual earnings in 2011.</p>

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<p>Hey guys!</p>

<p>I am sorry for hijacking the thread, but I have a problem with IDOC. A major problem.
I come from a EU country whose mail services are exceptionally unreliable. However, the address given by the IDOC contains a P.O. Box, so I cannot use a courier such as DHL or FedEX to send the documents. Essentially, I cannot send them in any way. What should I do in this situation?</p>

<p>I emailed the College Board - no response.
Should I email the Harvard Office of Financial Aid directly and ask them if they could accept my documents via fax?</p>

<p>Thank you so much for helping me. :)</p>

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<p>Must I send the required documents to the IDOC? Can I send them directly to Harvard?</p>

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<p>If you got the email saying to submit to IDOC, you’d better do it.</p>

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<p>You can log into IDOC here <a href=“Institutional Documentation Service (IDOC) – CSS Profile | College Board”>Institutional Documentation Service (IDOC) – CSS Profile | College Board;

<p>Welcome [Student Name]:
Your IDOC ID is: [Unique IDOCs number]
The financial aid office at one or more of your college(s) or scholarship program(s) collects additional documents from students and their families through the College Board’s Institutional Documentation Service (IDOC).</p>

<p>**What do I need to do? **

  1. Read this information carefully. Print it out and keep it for your records. Do not return it in your IDOC packet.
  2. Print a copy of your IDOC Cover Sheet. You must print it as a one page document.
  3. Assemble a packet consisting of your Cover Sheet and one legible copy of each of the required documents listed below. Some of the documents are available on this site by clicking on the links.
  4. Mail one packet to the address on the Cover Sheet. All of your college(s) and program(s) listed below will have access to the documents in your packet that they have requested.</p>

<p>Who requires my information?

[List of colleges that College Board sends all documents to]</p>

<p>When is my IDOC packet due?
Individual colleges and programs may publicize a different date. Check each college’s or program’s information to ensure that you meet their specific dates and requirements. To ensure timely processing, your packet should be received by the College Board no later than:
March 1, 2012
If the above date has passed, mail your IDOC materials to the College Board as soon as possible.</p>

<p>What Documents Are Required?
One legible copy of each of the following documents is required:

  • A complete signed copy of your (the student’s) (and your spouse’s if married) 2011 federal income tax return (or a translated copy of your country’s equivalent), including all required Schedules and all Partnership or Corporate returns, is required if you filed or will file a federal income tax return for 2011. Do not send tax worksheets unless required for submission to the IRS. Do not send state tax returns or previous years’ returns unless you are specifically instructed to. If you (and your spouse) are not required to file a 2011 federal or equivalent income tax return, you must submit a Non-tax Filer’s Statement and supporting documentation.
  • A complete signed copy of your parents’ 2011 federal income tax return (or a translated copy of their country’s equivalent), including all required Schedules and all Partnership or Corporate returns, is required if your parents filed or will file a tax return for 2011. Do not send tax worksheets unless required for submission to the IRS. Do not send state tax returns or previous years’ returns unless you are specifically instructed to. [/ul][ul]If your parents are not required to file a 2011 federal or equivalent income tax return, they must submit a Non-tax Filer’s Statement and supporting documentation.
  • One copy of each of your (and your spouse’s) W-2 forms. Send only one copy of each form.
  • One copy of each of your (and your spouse’s) 1099 forms (all versions). Send only one copy of each form.

[ul]One copy of each of your parents’ W-2 forms. Send only one copy of each form. One copy of each of your parents’ 1099 forms (all versions). Send only one copy of
each form.[/ul]

[ul]A completed Verification Worksheet (Dependent).
[/ul]</p>

<p>Packet completion checklist:

  • Have you printed your Cover Sheet on a single sheet of paper? We cannot process your packet without a Cover Sheet or if you send in a two page Cover Sheet.
  • Have you included one legible copy of each of the required documents?
  • On the Cover Sheet have you clearly printed the SSN (if applicable) for each parent submitting documents? If you are married, have you clearly printed your spouse’s SSN (if applicable)? If their names were not pre-filled, have you clearly printed their full names?
  • Have you printed the SSN (if applicable) for the document owner (student, parent, spouse) in the upper right corner of each document submitted? Do not print the student’s SSN unless he or she is the document owner. (It is his or her personal tax return, W-2, etc.)
  • Have you and your parents signed all appropriate tax documents?
  • Have you copied each document on the front side of a separate 8 1/2" X 11" sheet of white paper? Copies must be full sized - no reduction or enlargement.
  • If W-2s are requested above, have you copied the W-2 form from each employer on a separate 8 1/2" X 11" sheet of white paper? Do not copy more than one W-2 form on a single sheet of paper.
  • Have you copied the front and back of any document (especially tax forms) that has two sides?
  • Have you included one copy of each of your required documents (including all W-2’s, schedules, and corporate or partnership returns) in one packet? Do not send the requested information to the College Board in multiple mailings. Do not send duplicate packets. Do not send duplicate documents. Only information from the noncustodial parent, if requested, may be submitted separately with a separate Cover Sheet.
  • Have you clearly provided your name and return address on the envelope? This address may be used to follow up with you about your packet materials.
  • Have you addressed the packet to the following address? Do not send your packet to another College Board address. It will delay the processing of your information.

College Board IDOC
P.O. Box 4017
Mt. Vernon, IL 62864</p>

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<p>^CSS / IDOC advises sending documents to them under the cover sheet, via Air Mail from destinations outside of the U.S. </p>

<p>Found at the bottom of the shaded instructions to the right on the cover sheet.</p>

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<p>I applied to six colleges that require IDoc. I was sent an email saying that three of the colleges are requesting IDOC information. Why not all six?</p>