<p>Hey guys,</p>
<p>I was wondering, do colleges email you when they need these documents? Like tax returns, balance sheets, and other such things? Cause I only sent the CSS profile and an explanation letter, and that's pretty much everything there was on the checklist. So should I expect to be contacted about documents or am I screwed because I should have sent them before?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>if you completed the css profile stuff, they’ll send you an “IDOC” number, and then you log into IDOC, print a cover sheet, send THEM all that stuff, and they’ll send it electronically to some of your colleges, not every college uses IDOC - you need to check with the FAO’s to find out if they use IDOC or not… IDOC became available in early Feb, and I’ve already received my IDOC number and sent in my papers. It took about a week to have it posted and sent to my IDOC schools. The deadline for most schools is March 1 so you’re running out of time.</p>
<p>Oh god, I think I shat a brick. Do I get this number through email?! I haven’t gotten squat from any college in a month. Also, I’ve sent documents to some schools, and I’ve just sent them via email, not through anything…</p>
<p>“IDOC is only available to students that participating colleges and programs select and the College Board notifies for participation. Do not enter the site unless the College Board notified you that at least one of your colleges or programs participates in the IDOC Service.” this is what I got from the website. Now, I still don’t know if I should worry or not, because I haven’t gotten an email from Collegeboard, but at the same time, shouldn’t I have gotten it?! Do they really not need documentation from me?</p>
<p>well, clean it up, and then go online! check the website for EACH college, go to the financial aid section, and read it very carefully. My dad printed out the requirements for each college, put it in a file, and then checked it off one at a time just to make sure nothing was missed or skipped… although there are similarities, it seems that lots of colleges have some kind of twist or other. For instance, Trinity college in Hartford CT wanted 2010 tax forms by feb 1, and I would never have known unless I read it myself and faxed them on time. International students sometimes have a differrent procedure than US applicants, so you have to follow the correct links on each website. If you’re still unsure, pick up a phone and give 'em a call…</p>
<p>I’m applying to lots of schools, so I’m getting very familiar with application status checks online and financial aid update sites for lots of schools… My experience is that when it comes to APPLICATION</p>
<p>the college board emailed me my IDOC number in early february, it’s not something I had to ask for. Perhaps you didn’t get an IDOC number because none of your schools use the IDOC system. ONly half my applications use IDOC for financial aid…</p>
<p>I hope some of this helped. Good luck, and get clicking!!! ;)</p>
<p>oops, pressed send too early… what I was going to say is that when it comes to APPLICATION materials, the schools are pretty good about contacting you to complete your files, but Financial aid offices hardly ever contact me about getting in the stuff - if we want the money, we’re gonna have to work for it!!!</p>
<p>Thanks so much! Oh gosh, I hope they still take documents, because some have deadlines till february 15, but not even that deadline is clear. I mean, I’m not sure if the profile had to be sent by then, or documents as well. Why did I apply to 20 schools, this is insanity. And I don’t even have tax returns, just a balance sheet! And nothing for 2011, because taxes get filed in April.</p>
<p>Also, no matter how much I try cleaning up, going to every schools’ website and seeing passed deadlines makes a new wave of bricks come shatter on the floor.</p>
<p>well… I know how you feel, i’m in it with you too! I’m applying to 23 schools, 6 in CA and 17 in the northeast, DC, and Virginia. I made a deal with my dad though - I get the applications done, and HE needed to do the tax stuff and follow the financial aid… but I think he’s going crazy. I check the files to see what he’s doing, and I ask about my favorite schools… Good Luck!</p>
<p>Good luck to you too! 23 schools, wow, I’d definitely lose track, even if it’s just 3 more than me. Also, man I wish my parents could help out, but they don’t speak English. They should give me merit aid for the work I’m putting into this xD hahaha</p>
<p>If you need aid, you file by deadlines, not wait till April.</p>
<p>Waiting untill April wasn’t my strategy, but I wasn’t aware that I had to send my documents as I was not given a deadline or anything.</p>
<p>Also, every time I checked my application on a schools’ tracking system, supporting documents were not on the checklist for financial aid. And by that I mean that they weren’t there, not that they were not checked off</p>
<p>Holyoke has deadline for tax forms by March 1st(for example).
[Forms</a> & Deadlines :: Student Financial Services :: Mount Holyoke College](<a href=“http://www.mtholyoke.edu/sfs/forms_deadlines.html]Forms”>http://www.mtholyoke.edu/sfs/forms_deadlines.html)</p>
<p>I know about them, I sent my documents to them, Washington and Lee, Harvard, and a few others. But I must’ve read on one college’s website that they will contact me for additional materials, and my subconscious made me believe that that is available for ALL schools. Damn subconscious.
Thank you for the link, though! I got to check and make sure that I did in fact send my documents</p>