<p>Why wait until then to apply? I would do it now. If you plan on living on campus at your financial safety schools, you better apply now or your chance of being placed in a dorm is going to be slim to none. Housing is usually based on a first come basis–meaning when the housing deposit is made. You really need to have one financial safety acceptance in hand sooner rather than later.</p>
<p>Because why waste the money when I can just apply in a little more then a month? I honestly do not think it will get to that point though.</p>
<p>The Earlham web site says COA is set fees of $47,930 plus 2-3k for books and personals. It looks like they met your “need” exactly. It’s tough to get more without a merit based full ride. It looks like they filled in with smaller scholarship and grant aid to bring package up to need.</p>
<p>early_college, The cost of getting those apps out to your financial safety schools is a drop in the bucket compared the chances of not having a doable financial package from any of your current acceptances.</p>
<p>nysmile, I agree with you.</p>
<p>I think that saintfan is probably right. Also, many schools gap, so given the EFC (only judging by the estimator), this might be considered a good package. That does not mean that you can afford to attend even if they perhaps met your need. It also does not mean that you would want to take on these loans. I would definitely cover myself by “wasting” the 50-75 dollars so I could sleep nights, knowing that my financial safety is secure. Still, I know that you feel differently.</p>
<p>Are you still deferred instate from Georgia College ? Is there still a chance of acceptance there? It 's interesting that you have all these private OOS acceptances but your instate school has not come through for you. You really may need to give more thought to instate safeties.Good luck!</p>
<p>When I looked on the FASFA, I think my EFC was around 8k (or a little lower). My family can afford 6-7k per year. I got rejected by GCSU. The only school I applied to in Georgia and I got rejected. It is quite aggravating when I know tons of kids who got accepted and didn’t bother taking one AP class and I’ve taken five.</p>
<p>BTW, Clark’s early estimator would make me pay 7k per year and HC’s early estimator would make me pay 6k per year. Both are affordable.</p>
<p>And honestly I’d hate either Valdosta or West GA. I know that for a fact.</p>
<p>We’ve advised all along for you to apply to financial safeties. We’ve said all along that online estimators do not show the true picture of official financial offers. </p>
<p>Logically, it doesn’t make any sense to leave your financial safety college applications to the last minute. We have been saying this to you for years. I have a very strong feeling that most of your financial aid packages are going to be similar or worse to the one offered by Earlham. I highly advise you to have a plan B solidly in place ASAP.</p>
<p>I’ll think about applying to VSU, but Earlham’s package was similar to their early estimator. I knew ahead of time it may be a bad package based on the estimator. And I did have a financial safety, but I got rejected. Also, there is always negotiations between colleges. Earlham wasn’t a top choice, so I’m not devastated.</p>
<p>It’s late, but it’s time to shift gears. You were rejected from your financial safety. Thus, you did not have any financial safety in place. Applying to one financial safety is never enough.
Knowing that your one safety application was rejected a while ago, you should have focused on alternative safety options rather than focusing on $50,000 plus per year private colleges.</p>
<p>“Could have, should have point” is water under the bridge. Get that plan B in place now.</p>
<p>I still have the same safety plan. I still don’t see a point in applying now when I can apply in a month. I just had a brief convo with my father and he told me not to apply just yet and that I should wait until I hear back from Holy Cross. He wants me to go there if I’m admitted. </p>
<p>And isn’t the saying “thou should love his/her safety”…</p>
<p>I think what people are saying is that your idea of a “bad package” might be skewed. It is possible that a pretty “good” package based on your financial and academic numbers is still unaffordable for your family. They have offered $28,450 in free money which brings the cost down to the equivalent of many in-state publics before loans. You need to decide if you value what private LACs offer more than you value your public options.</p>
<p>My idea of a bad package is if it doesn’t meet our EFC. Anything under 10k will work or be manageable. My in-state publics are still a lot less after they bring the cost down. Also, my parents have four kids (including a two year old toddler and another kid at a tech college). My dad owns his own business. He can go months without pay checks, it’s commission based. My mom is staying home with my little sister. My parents cannot afford to go all out for me when they have three other children.</p>
<p>You’re still not getting it. Maybe someone else can get through to you. If anyone on CC is able to succeed in this task, he/she deserves the title of #1 Poster of All Time.</p>
<p>Good luck to you.</p>
<p>I think you also forget that not everyone has the same opinion as folks on “CC”. The way of thinking, IMO, is way different then most American people. I’m just talking about the whole general elitist bias on this forum. Calmom and jkiwmom for instance have a lot of different views then you… But that’s okay! :)</p>
<p>Lots of people have been mentioning all along what you are now saying-there are many other people in your family and your parents should not have to go all out just for you. I hope it works out for you but please don’t underestimate travel/hotel costs for expensive OOS private schools . Again, good luck.</p>
<p>I understand. That’s why I’m saying Earlham’s package would be too much. Thanks for the support! :)</p>
<p>OK, Holy Cross costs 5k more than Earlham for basic tuition, room, board and fees. Their acceptance rate is 30%. Earlham acceptance rate is around 74%. How is that a better option and not a reach? Unless your reach is SCEA with an early December notification date you cannot wait to hear from your reach to apply to your safety.</p>
<p>Reading back I see that you are opposed to standardized testing. Keep in mind that some of the artsy, expensive colleges that are score optional are often geared towards a certain number of students who are relatively wealthy kids with “different” learning styles who may not need to go out and make a living straight out of school. I’m starting to sound like “annasdad” here, but it is what it is. If you don’t have a lot of money to bring to the table and you don’t have solid scores, you need them more than they need you. You could end up with a lot of “take it or leave it” middle of the road packages. You have applied to A LOT of schools but it sounds like you haven’t spent as much time courting some of the schools and getting them to fall in love with you.</p>
<p>EC, there are virtually no schools in this country that will meet your FAFSA EFC. Schools that “meet need” almost all do it based on a Profile EFC formula that they devise for themselves. If your plan was “get a school to meet my FAFSA EFC or go to a school I know I’ll hate”, that wasn’t a very good plan, I’m sorry to say. It sound like you may be able to afford a little more than your FAFSA EFC, but not much. I hope something will work out for you.</p>
<p>I don’t understand why you think Holy Cross is going to offer you a better package.</p>
<p>[FAQs</a> | Admissions | College of the Holy Cross](<a href=“http://admissions.holycross.edu/financial-aid/faq#5]FAQs”>http://admissions.holycross.edu/financial-aid/faq#5)</p>
<p>Straight from their website:</p>
<p>How does Holy Cross determine need?</p>
<p>“Your need is calculated based on the information you provide on your CSS PROFILE, Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), federal tax forms, and any other additional information you may provide directly to the College.”</p>
<p>“Typical financial aid packages are made up of a combination of scholarships and grants; student loan programs; and work-study. In most cases, financial aid does not meet the total cost of attending Holy Cross. Many Family Financing Options are available to help bridge the financial gap.”</p>
<p>PLEASE FOCUS ON THE LAST PARAGRAPH. Holy Cross costs over $52,000/yr. Do you honestly think they’re going to offer you more than $42,000 for EACH of your 4 years in a financial package?</p>