<p>We are waiting to hear back from my daughter's first choice. It's hard to know what to do at this moment except to wait. I have never done this before. I guess we are supposed to give this school a downpayment by May 1. Do they give us a bunch of papers that we need to fill out for the balance above the EFC by May 1st too? I am not sure how all of the financing, loans etc. all fall into place by May 1 when it seems like it is just around the corner! Gee, I hope we here back by the end of the week from this school. Thanks as always.</p>
<p>You will need to send a deposit to whatever school your D chooses to attend in the fall by May 1st. The deposit (from my limited experience) runs from $300-$500. Do not assume the college will meet the difference between your EFC and the COA. You may be expected to pay more and you may be “gapped” with loans even if they state they met your EFC. Carefully compare FA packages, see who offers grants/ merit aid vs those that offer a lot of loans which you must pay back at some point in time.</p>
<p>And be sure to compare your aid award to the school’s direct billable costs (tuition + room + board), not just their cost of attendance. Schools can use very different figures for book, transportation and incidentals.</p>
<p>Did your D’s first choice school have a date on their website telling when they will notify? Double check, if it’s past that date she should call.</p>