<p>Collegefortwins I know what you mean, for us its the ACT. She needs at least 2 more points for comfort zone and to apply to Ohio University’s Honor program. I swear she has only glanced at her study book twice since school got out in early June.</p>
<p>I have a quick question. Do colleges look at the financial needs differently if one of the parents is retired?</p>
<p>^^ I believe so …the Net price Calculator ask for the age of the older parent.</p>
<p>My son has already read the required reading book - only one! AP English did not have any required ready - maybe they want the students to work on their college essays? He now just finished a book of his own choosing. I love that! I asked maybe you might want o start in AP physics - response…August! </p>
<p>S is also starting to be interested in looking at college websites ! Finally …I think now that school is out he can relax and focus on colleges …I want him to at least look at the college essay list so he can think about which one he wants to respond to. the GC suggested 3 - I think that is excessive - I will be lucky to get him to do two!</p>
<p>Collegefortwins - My son has been granted a “nag” reprieve. We dropped him off at a pre-college program this past weekend, and are literally hundred of miles apart until August 10th. I am hoping that I will enjoy the break from potential nagging just as much! I must admit I am anxious just reading about the other kids starting the application essays, but I have vowed to stay mum while he is away. I am finding that many of the schools he will apply to don’t use the Common App., so he will be busy when he comes home.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Not exactly.</p>
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</p>
<p>Yes, one can get need and merit-based aid.</p>
<p>Thinking of it the way the college looks at this may help:</p>
<p>Need-based aid is based, obviously, on need.</p>
<p>Let’s say it is determined that a family’s “need” (as the college perceives it) is $20,000. A package will be prepared (grants, work study, loans, etc.) to equal $20,000.</p>
<p>However, if a student qualifies for a merit award of $7,000, then the family’s “need” is no longer the same. Their financial situation has just changed. The “need’ is now $13,000.</p>
<p>Hopefully, that makes sense.</p>
<p>A college is not going to give more money than what the calculated “need” is.
Just doesn’t work that way.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Unfortunately, it is not a quick question.</p>
<p>Depends on what you mean by “look at needs differently.”
Retirement accounts are not recorded on the FAFSA, if that’s what you mean.
If you can be a little more specific we can probably answer.</p>
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</p>
<p>Age of older parent is used to determine the Asset Protection Allowance.</p>
<p>RE FinAid</p>
<p>Golffather gave a good example above. </p>
<p>Some schools stack need aid on top of merit aid…and the merit aid will reduce the need aid–because the need is being met with another fund.</p>
<p>Some schools–like our K1s- will reduce the student’s responsibility (work study and summer earnings requirement) with any outside merit aid brought in…however it never reduces the “family” (parent EFC).
SO if you kid has 8k in responsibilities according to the school and has 10k in outside aid–they do not allow that 2k applied to the “family” EFC.</p>
<p>Schools will look at aid using their own institutional method which means while the IRS allows certain deductions–the school will add it back in as available resources…</p>
<p>For example if you pay into a SEP…they add that back in. That’s not fair to a sole proprietor/business owner…as schools don’t add back in any payments made by an employer on your behalf into your IRA etc. However that’s how it’s done. Also if you make any charitable contributions to your church, feeding the poor/etc, supporting vets that’s added back</p>
<p>So understand that the #s your students package will include may not be close to the Net Price Cal. We have seen it off by 10k…using the exact #s submitted with CSS Profile etc.</p>
<p>I’m new to this site and still learning. I see the terms ‘safety’ ‘match’ etc. as they relate to schools people are considering. What do these terms mean? Thanks!</p>
<p>Here’s my take on the safety, match, reach (and please don’t hesitate to correct if I’m mistaken):</p>
<p>Safety: If you meet a specific criteria such as GPA or SAT/ACT score–you’re in. Or, you’re above the top 75% of all admitted students in test scores. My D’s safety is WSU where a 3.5+ GPA is an auto-admit.</p>
<p>Match: Your child’s SAT/ACT and GPA are right about at the 50% mark of accepted students. This school is a good match for your child, but not a guarantee to get in.</p>
<p>Reach: Your child’s stats are below the 25% mark of accepted students. Or, it’s a “lottery school” (ex: Stanford) where even kids with the highest GPA/test scores have no guarantee of getting in.</p>
<p>That said, there are still many other factors that come in to play re: acceptance.<br>
Examples:
- Your kid might be the #2 in the US in the 100 meter backstroke and is a highly recruited athlete.
- Your kid might be a jazz trumpet whiz and the band director of school XYZ would kill to have her in his jazz ensembles.
- Your kid wants to go to a large out of state college. In-state kids might get preference and only those OOS students with higher stats get in.
- You live in Wyoming and X school wants kids from under-represented states.
- Your kid is an under-represented minority or first generation college student.
- You’re a guy and the LAC he’s applying to wants to up their male gender acceptances.
- Your grandparents gave a bazillion $$ to X school and there’s a library with their name over the door.
- You have a passionate reason for attending the school. Maybe your essay, letters of rec, or extra-curriculars are impressive and will overcome a lower GPA or test score.
- Your high school sends a lot of kids to a certain school.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Wikipedia is your friend.</p>
<p>[College</a> admissions in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“College admissions in the United States - Wikipedia”>College admissions in the United States - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>That’s why this whole thing is such a headache sometimes. With a kid who has a 3.36 gpa there seems to be very few safeties. I use Cappex and sometimes it seems like “really” my kid has a chance at that school! This is our first child, I don’t want her to receive too many rejections but don’t want her to have to go to a school where everyone gets in. She is better than her gpa but only got on the ball last year, finished with year gpa 3.7 and 4th quarter 3.9. While I would love her to go to her number one choice I’m not very confident on her chances. Anyone else in this same boat?</p>
<p>To try and nail down the stats I have used cappex, the one that rhymes with fowler, un i go etc
I find the scattergrams vary so do the “chances” % vary.
I have been in the CDS of every school on K2s list and also looked at the college fed data on navigator.</p>
<p>As I mentioned–the gpa is the issue for k2. </p>
<p>Whats interesting is that schools that accept kid with the same test scores claim these students have much much higher GPAs.
I wonder about grade inflation and rigor because K2s scores and GPA make sense with respect to k2s hs profile. If kids at K2s school were in the 3.8-4.0+(weighted) range and not over 2100 that would be a concern</p>
<p>…so why kids who are supposedly making that GPA as admitted students and are clearly sub par on tests raises eyebrows
(which again is why the school profile is so important to tease out grade inflation) </p>
<p>…so for us, even if K2 doesn’t have that 3.8 gpa–and yet has the scores… (mid 50% or better) and k2’s gpa/scores matches the hs profile…it’s the best we can do.</p>
<p>There will be only 1 or 2 reaches for K2 (bottom 25%)
and mostly many of matches (scores) so we can see where the chips fall and how much of a ding the gpa will be</p>
<p>sigh</p>
<p>It’s 5 oclock somewhere-- how about I buy the first round! 
cheers</p>
<p>We’re in the same boat as you, fogfog. D’s scores look good at many schools on her list but the GPA is not there. I agree with you, as a teacher I know for sure that grade inflation is a huge issue. Makes it hard to pick clear safeties.</p>
<p>I thought of you as I got my mail today…first priority app arrived!</p>
<p>^^
I am in same situation ! low GPA compared to test scores! I haven’t seen S’s weighted and that may help at some schools. S’s GPA is a 90 on a 100 scale. He and I decided that it was probably equivalent to a 3.4 - 87-90 is a B / 91-92 is a B+ I was really hoping he would raise his GPA to a 91 but that did not happen! </p>
<p>NewFaith - I have been told that many schools look at the Junior year and first part of Senior year and like to see improvement. Your D had a great year and schools may take that in to consideration. You may want to chat with admissions at the school that she is interested in. </p>
<p>I am really ready for that cocktail ! But at home - feeling really poor today! lol</p>
<p>I am so ready for that drink. Our school grading system is 94 A- so there are a few B’s that are 91 to 93 range. Before junior year she had a 93% but low 3.1ish if I remember. It should be an interesting voyage until next May.</p>
<p>Last year my D was preparing to apply to colleges and I was in your shoes. I was totally freaked out about the reach, match, safety thing - especially as she had a 3.3, mediocre SAT scores, and was in the bottom half of her graduating class (although it’s a very affluent/educated school, and almost everyone goes to college). The high school grading scale changed after her sophomore year from a 6 point scale to a 10 point scale. On the upside, she had perfect 4.0 on 25 hours from the local community college. She got into every school she applied to. Someone told me that it’s easier for B+ and A- students looking at “good” colleges than an A student looking at “great” colleges, and I think they were right. </p>
<p>I also asked pointed questions during admissions events, and realized many colleges reweight for pre-AP and college bound level classes, which her high school did not (they did 1 point for AP and Dual, nothing for pre AP or college bound). With that recalculation, her GPA would skyrocket to 3.8. I think many schools report that recalculated grade to look better. The CDS, if available, gives a much more accurate picture than the admissions brochures. I also think the colleges really do look at the high school’s profile. Ask your guidance counselor for a copy.</p>
<p>Very exciting … let’s just hope our family of four is still alive after 3,600 miles over two weeks in a car! Our route is this:</p>
<p>Austin College
Sewanee
Emory & Henry
Roanoke College
Lynchburg College (2nd visit)
Hampden-Sydney (2nd visit)
University of Richmond (2nd visit and wishful thinking at best)
Earlham College (this one is for my husband, whose family gave beaucoup bucks back in the dark ages; it wouldn’t be a good fit for S, but it won’t hurt to look at it for comparison)</p>
<p>Plus throw in a couple of days visiting my family outside Washington, DC, and a couple of days sightseeing along the way.</p>
<p>Eastward ho!</p>
<p>Have a great trip Heikedog and be sure to let us all know what you think when you return!</p>
<p>I wish I could take a couple of GPA tenths and pass them off to your kids in exchange for 100 - 150 SAT points… We appear to be in the opposite boat to many of you.</p>
<p>Oh, for reach, match, and safety…</p>
<p>Reaches are all the lottery schools (< 20 - 25% admission rate) and schools where your youngster is in the lower bit for stats + schools where you really aren’t sure if financing will work out (acceptance reach and/or financial reach).</p>
<p>Matches are the schools where your youngster is in the 50% section of stats and you have a reasonable thought that you might get financing if needed. </p>
<p>Safeties are schools where your student is in the top 25% of stats and there is a higher acceptance rate to more or less ensure they will get in + they are definitely affordable.</p>
<p>Oldest’s schools were all safeties for admission, but iffy on the financing. Financing worked at his top choice school.</p>
<p>Middle had one reach admission-wise (lottery school - he was waitlisted), one match (where he’s at - though some would have said it was an admission safety for him since their admission rate is about 31%), and the rest were safeties admission-wise, two were safeties financially.</p>
<p>Unless youngest adds U Miami - VERY doubtful considering their dropping some grant aid to a fellow 2012 student for their second year - all of his schools will be admission safeties (not looking a high stats schools), but no financial safeties. That scares me… but we’ll see what happens. There’s always a gap year.</p>