Ok Parents, is this normal?

Parents Forum
1

<p>As you may or may not remember, this is our first endeavor at the entire college process so I am a bit confused.</p>

<p>Son #1 has applied to 6 schools. (2 in each category of reach/match/safety)</p>

<p>He has rec'd acceptance letters from 2 schools, and scholarship and Financial Aid info from 2 others.</p>

<p>Is it normal to get the Scholarship Offers and Financial Aid information BEFORE you get the acceptance letters?</p>

2

<p>I've not heard of that, but I am not near as experienced as many of the other parent posters. You say scholarship and financial aid info - is it info, as in general material about financial aid and merit money, or is it a specific offer of such funds for your S? If it is the former, that is quite typical. If it is a specific offer (as in School X will give you $10,000 in aid in the following combo of grants, loans and work/study), that usually comes with the acceptance or thereafter. If you've gotten a specific aid offer, I would call, or ask the GC to call for him. Perhaps starting with the fin aid office, saying, "We are so glad to have your offer but haven't as yet gotten a formal acceptance...."</p>

3

<p>It is specific money amounts offered to him in the form of scholarships. One for 10K a year for 4 years at one school, another for 12K at a different one.</p>

<p>States for further aid we have to fill out the FAFSA and they will do need based from that. One school gave us the estimates on the Need based aid in addition to the scholarship info. They based it from a form we had to fill out and fax in after they rec'd his application</p>

4

<p>Congratulations to you and your S! I'd say call the schools on Monday!</p>

5

<p>Yes, some do this. My son began the interview process for a full-ride scholarship program at 1 school, and received a plane ticket to fly to another school for a similar program before he was officially accepted to either. At the second school the letter even said that his scholarship was contingent on his acceptance by the admissions office (the scholarship was in the engineering school). We assumed both of the offers meant he would be accepted, and he was, but it was still a little strange.</p>