<p>Especially if it's your first time going through this, try to keep your financial papers straight -- it will make completing the forms much less stressful. We had a panicked evening in January when we were compiling a list of deadlines and found two of the schools my daugher applied to wanted signed copies of 2004 income tax returns by Jan. 15th (even though employers are not obligated to provide W2 forms prior to Jan. 31st.) We just decided that the arrogance of these schools had negatively impacted their common sense!!</p>
<p>Also if your child is working make sure they hold on to their check stubs - we ended up taking total yearly wages off our pay stubs to fill out Fafsa & Profile, but learned in the process that our daughter was shredding her pay stubs as soon as she received them!</p>
<p>Apply to financial safeties as well as emotional and academic safeties.</p>
<p>What good is an admission if you can't afford to attend? There are dozens of after-the-admissions-dust-has-settled threads bemoaning the fact that dream schools offered admissions but not enough money. Remember: Great stats might not result in expected merit aid. Hedge your bets with financial safeties -- depending on merit aid from competitive schools can lead to heartbreak.</p>
<p>In honor of my dear father (who quoted this to me throughout my life)
O what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive. (Sir Walter Scott)
Do not EVEN think about exaggerating or lying about ECs or anything else on your resume! Be yourself!</p>
<p>(I hope I got the code right -- haven't done that before!)</p>
<p>Notwithstanding the observation of T990 --</p>
<p>
[quote]
families that have saved for college...end up paying more than families that haven't <a href="originally%20from%20a%20post%20by%20Roger_Dooley">/quote</a></p>
<p>the peace of mind gained by having the money in the bank by the time your kids are ready for college is worth the frugality required to reach that point. Keeping life simple is a key instrument toward freeing yourself from the exigencies and anxieties of financial aid applications.</p>
<p>I'm also rather fond of another Thoreauism: "Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes."</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I'm also rather fond of another Thoreauism: "Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes.">></p>
</blockquote>
<br>
<p>Oh dear, just as S is considering senior prom. Also has been told by mom that there will be some occasions in college when jacket and tie will be required.</p>
<p>Re: deathbeds... the Keynes quote is one of my favourites. On his deathbed, while sipping bubbly, he said, "My one regret in life is that I did not drink more Champagne."</p>
<p>I agree with Pesto, 100%. If you read "The Millionaire Next Door" you'll see that many "closet" millionaires live frugally, drive slightly older cars, and put the cost of education as a top priority for how they spend their money. I guess it is our millenium's version of the 3 little pigs.</p>
<p>People who don't have health insurance will also frequently pay more for services than people whose insurance carrier has negotiated a rate. Unfortunately, sometines you get what you pay for, though good news is, that isn't true for education.</p>