** Old Times:** SUNY postcard. Fill out basic info, check off your top 4 choices, mail it in, wait.
@STEM2017 oh now, thatâs the ticket!
My app story-
Noone in my family had ever gone to college. My mom worked part time cleaning houses and my dad was working in a factory at a sort of mid level supervisory job that he had risen to from the floor. It was clear I was pretty smart/headed to college but we had no clue how to make it happen. Parents sort of assumed I would live at home and attend Cal State Fullerton, and that was something they could afford or I could fund easily back in the day with summer work.
I took the PSAT cold, not thinking much of it. Decemberish, or whenever scores came back in those days I get a note to go to counseling. Donât think I had ever talked much to him before. âYou are goign to be a National Merit Scholar, you are well above the criteriaâ âUh whatâs thatâ followed by an explanation. Suddenly Iâm getting mail from all over the country. So being analytical me, I sat down and made a chart of schools that offered aid to National Merit Scholars and how much. I really liked the look of a little school in Oregon that was sending me lots of mail. I called them.
Willamette flew me from Orange County to Salem, OR and put me up for two nights, I visited classes, etc.
I applied to Willamette ED and named them as my choice for NM, also applied to 3 UCâs as a back up (with Santa Cruz as first choice), WU offered me enough cash aid that they were way cheaper than the UCâs, even back then. So I went. Graduated debt free in 4 years at only a little more than I would have spent at Cal State Fullerton.
I didnât know what Big MAC or âover matchingâ was back in 1987 but I guess I played the game.
I possibly have more than ordinary fondness for my alma mater as they really did treat me spectacularly well. And now I know they were on a quest to rise in those rankings, but I am still grateful at how much that quest helped me!
** Back in the day ** I only applied to one school. But in hindsight maybe itâs wasnât the best plan. What happened was I moved to CA from the east coast with my parents between my sophomore & junior year of H.S. Best things that ever happened to me but I didnât know this at the time. I was really sick of H.S and figured out a way to graduate a year early. Doubling up on English & By taking typing⊠(In typing class could get a full years credits in one semester since I already knew how to type.) Applied to one UC and decided if I got in I would graduate early & attend. If not I would stick around another year. Got into that school graduated early and went off to college at 17. I took the PSAT, the SATâs once. This was very self driven. Except my parents taking me to visit the school & helping a bit with the application they did very little. Donât remember it being that stressful because I had a backup plan.
Wish I had stuck around H.S another year and looking at more options. Freshman year was a bit more of a struggle socially that I thought. I really would have enjoyed a small LAC and had a good time in H.S. my senior year. I know many kids who did have a stressful time & applied to as many as 5 schools. Many of these friends went to top ranked schools like the Claremont & Swarthmore. My husband was even more lazy-fair about it. He basically was a sho-in to the school he attended. [Top ranked private university in the Bay Area.] Missing the application deadline to UC Berkley so didnât get in. And doesnât even remember if he applied elsewhere.
Well, if weâre sharing college app stories, hereâs mine. I also was a first-gen college student. (Was there aid for that then? If so, I didnât know and missed out on it.) I never filed for financial aid (my parents were convinced we wouldnât get anything but we didnât have any money) and took the ACT once. Never heard of anyone taking it more than once or anything like PSAT or National Merit. I visited one school with two classmates and filled out apps for that one and two others I had been to campus for school events. I only wrote one essay (no idea of topic) in ink on the application itself â I remember copying it over from my draft copy and stressing that I had to white out some errors on the yellow app booklet. Got three acceptances, chose an in-state with a small scholarship over OOS with full tuition and had a blast.
Back in the day - I went to one of the NYC specialized high schools and college was assumed. First gen and we were poor so no typewriter. I neatly handwrote 14 applications and applied for merit scholarships but understood that Iâd get enough financial aid everywhere. I also won a very nice outside scholarship. I remember pouring over the shiny college brochures and putting together my list - mostly elite liberal arts schools to get out of NYC and experience something different. Got into all, lots of merit scholarships, and went to the one that rolled out the red carpet the best. They treated me very well and I graduated debt free, within 3 years, and with a very nice resume. But I do remember the application process being stressful, including a lost letter of recommendation for a scholarship that resulted in tears.
FAFSA Concern â We are going to be full pay. However we would be delighted for DS to get merit aid. So I am reluctantly filling out FAFSA for schools that require it. So far I am aware of GATech & CMU. But I am trying to get a better idea of how colleges use FAFSA info. I came across an article that now makes me nervous:
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/10/28/colleges-use-fafsa-information-reject-students-and-potentially-lower-financial-aid
It suggests the order in which colleges are listed on the FAFSA form may be used by admission folks and if the college is not listed high enough, they might deny admission bc they sense it is not the studentâs top or high choice (yield protection). Hmmmm. So maybe I should just sit on this and wait? GATech deadline for FAFSA seems to be Jan 31. Admissions decision are some time in January â hopefully before that deadline. Need to really investigate to make sure we do not send FAFSA to any schools where not required for merit aid - wish it was easier to find out. The HigherEd article suggests listing colleges on FAFSA in alphabetical order.
** Back in the Day - cont⊠** The craziest back in the day story is the one my older brother told me recently. I was a bit oblivious at the time and HAD NO IDEA.
My older brother wanted to take a gap year but my parents would not let him. Itâs wasnât as common then & I guess they were worried a gap year equated not going to college. They used the money they had saved for college as a carrot. (You want this $$ you go now.) So my brother hadnât filled out ANY applications to university by early spring. His guidance office called someone she knew in admissions at [Large private school in Boston] and talked them into admitting him. He was very like my S17 (great test scores) but inconsistent grades. I canât imagine this school would do this now, unless maybe you gave a huge donation along the side. (My parents didnât grease any palms⊠but they did pay full cost.)
Itâs no surprise my parents have no idea how complicated the college application process is.
@CA1543 they changed that last year, the only people that now see the order is the state for state aid, not the other colleges on the list.
@CA1543, that is one of the reasons I am leery of filling out the FAFSA.
@4beardolls they changed it because everyone complained about that. Colleges can no longer see who is on your list - only the state if you want state aid and why they advise putting your state school first.
I filled out FAFSA (pretty easy once you get your ID) and CSS Profile (not as easy, much more intrusive) because S17 has schools that require each. Our EFC is close to $36K so there will be no âneed basedâ aid for us.
I grew up in the Bay Area of CA and applied to 3 schools. UCLA, UC Santa Barbara and San Diego State. I got into both San Diego State and UCSB but chose San Diego State because it was a fraction of the cost. I had never visited SDSU and saw the campus for the first time when I moved into the dorms!
The application process is definitely different now!
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@4beardolls â and GT says that need is considered when making merit awards. I am glad they are forthcoming with that info. There are many, many reasons I do not want to file FAFSAâŠ
@jpc763 â if your EFC is $36K and COA is $65K ++, why would you not receive need-based aid? Or only looking at instate schools that cost less than your EFC? Please feel free to ignore if that is an intrusive question!
I am enjoying these app stories from back in the day.
@Fishnlines29 â that would be helpful to verify - is there some official explanation of what colleges see that you are aware of regarding FAFSA?
@CT1417 - Good question. Our EFC is actually $39K and my sonâs FAFSA said he could get a 5500 Direct Stafford Loan Estimate. Baylor has a COA of $58,528 and they gave my son a $20K scholarship so I guess you are correct. Maybe some schools will give aid. I really donât know how the whole thing works but am learning by reading up on here.
@jpc763 â I know nothing about the process either, which is why I inquired. Thanks!
We are full-pay but I had hoped he stood a chance of merit at a few of his schools. I am not thrilled with OOS full-pay rates at state schools, but I will reserve final judgment until after decisions are in and we can do a deep dive when visiting again.
One of the reasons I filled out the FASFA was the hope my D would qualify for work study. She looked on a job posting site at one of the Universities she is applying to and there were a lot more work study positions than not. Also the work study position seemed to be more interesting positions. However my EFC is high, multiple times the COA.
So, since I have a high EFC, is there a chance my D could get a work study award?
No, I donât think you can get work study unless you have demonstrated need.
@CaucAsianDad, My D15 was offered the opportunity for work study. Our EFC was ridiculously high. We would have been full pay if not for her merit scholarship. We were only offered subsidized and unsubsidized loans (which we declined). So I would say that yes, your D may have a chance at work study.
@youcee, your friends âsuntan psychâ class would have been held in the upper quarry, a lovely outside ampitheater. 