<p>hey people! my friend from China just received this e-mail from Smith's student financial services:</p>
<p>"Dear XXXXX (friend's name),</p>
<p>We have begun the process of reading your file to determine your
eligibility for need-based financial aid from Smith College, but have
found your International Student Financial Aid Application form is
incomplete. Here is a link to our form, please fill out each section
completely, including the Expenses section and submit it to our office.
We will not be able to determine your eligibility for financial aid
until we have received the completed form.</p>
<p>*****What does this mean? I know that Smith is not need-blind to internationals, so could this possibly mean that my frd's application won the favour of the admissions committee, thus the adcom gave the financial aid office people their approval to determine how much aid my frd should be awarded?
Any opinion is welcome. thanks!</p>
<p>The Smith forum isn't so busy that a post needs to be bumped after 22 minutes...</p>
<p>It could mean that Smith isn't making a decision about your friend until they have a completed financial aid appplication. I wouldn't take it as a sign of whether or not Smith wants to accept your friend at this point, but if she does want to attend Smith, she should finish her application as soon as possible.</p>
<p>Borgin is correct! The financial application probably just isn't completed. There is absolutely no indication from this letter that signifies anything different.</p>
<p>
[quote]
thus the adcom gave the financial aid office people their approval to determine how much aid my frd should be awarded?
[/quote]
An extraordinarily optimistic reading rooted in nothing but hope. The financial aid people can't wait to know who's admitted and who's not before doing calculations when the calculations themselves, in the case of internationals, can have a bearing on who's admitted, i.e., where a particular international student would be ranked and how deeply in the rankings the available financial aid would reach.</p>
<p>I read it more as a rebuke: If you're serious about Smith, get your act together and submit this information ASAP.</p>
<p>It’s nothing more than the standard letter (sans the word international in the case of a US student) mailed to all international and US students when they failed to include the necessary documentation. Admissions will send something similar regarding missing teachers recs, midterm report, etc.</p>
<p>It may be a standard letter but it is not a) something to be interpreted as positive and b) a sign that all is well. It says: "Get your missing information in so that we can do our job. It shouldn't be missing."</p>
<p>"It may be a standard letter but it is not a) something to be interpreted as positive and b) a sign that all is well. "</p>
<p>I didn’t infer it was positive or all is well. ;) But the letter is far from a rebuke. It's nothing more than a request to complete the aid forms. Reading more into it than that is silly. I'm sure the recipient has enough stress, and I find it unnecessary to add any more to what is already a very difficult time for most applicants. No big deal ;)</p>
<p>though....i really can't help feeling that the adcom has given the the financial aid office their head nod, because this is not the first time that my frd has gotten e-mails from the financial aid people (they asked her for other info. before) and also, my frd is actually asking for full aid... so all this attention from Smith makes us feel as though Smith wouldn't be asking for so much info. if they're not seriously considering... just my thought...</p>
<p>I would advice your friend not to read too much into things. When I applied ED, the financial aid office sent me an E-mail that seemed to suggest that they need to determine our financial need before admission decision can be made. I am an intel too by the way.</p>
<p>Congratulations blur! you must be so happy to get in ED! Now this is what i'm thinking, maybe the adcom has indicated their interest in admitting my frd, thus they told the financial aid office to evaluate my frd's need first before they make their final decision? i don't know....but if this is the case, then it's a good sign afterall!</p>