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steve_a_gw

Waiting for the College Letters

steve_a
20 years ago

It's late March and those of us who have sweated through helping our kids get their college applications completed and sent off are now sweating out the results. I haven't posted here before, but I read and post occasionally in a lot of the other forums. My DD applied to 9 schools here on (and near) tne East Coast. So far, she's been accepted by 7. That's good news, but just part of the story, of course. As with most parents, cost is a big issue. We've done our homework (sorry for the cliche, but it seems appropriate in this case!) and I feel like I could teach a seminar in college financial aid. Maybe I will someday. Anyway, she's gotten some really good offers including merit scholarships. And some not so good ones, but that's ok. It's crazy how these schools dribble in the information and keep you hanging. "Great! You're in! You financial aid package will arrive in two weeks." "Here's a couple thousand dollars in scholarship, we may send more later." "You've been selected to receive our XYZ scholarship of $1,000, please submit a 500 word essay." It goes on. I'm a great user of spreadsheets, and I've practically worn out my computer at work, keeping track of the financial (and other) details of the college costs and offers. Of course its not about cost in the end, but about what's best for the kid, and where she decides she wants to go. For our daughter, that will be hard, because she doesn't have a clear vision for her future right now. I know that's typical. She has some major and minor areas of study, but nothing too definite. We'll help her the best we can, and try to get her visits (in some cases second visits) to at least 2 or 3 of her top choices. I just mainly wanted to share my experience and vent a little. Not to scare anyone, but it's incredibly competitive out there. Based on my DD's record and scores, the schools she applied to, and the fact that (so far) she's getting some merit scholarships but not the top ones (in most cases), there are some really super kids in the pool. If I have any advice to offer right now, it's to start saving early, use the 529 plans, start educating yourselves as your kids get into high school. Our school is incredibly helpful to the kids and the parents, but not all of the schools are. If you school doesn't seem to be, it's on you to educate yourself. There's lots of good help on the internet, from the College Board, the colleges themselves, etc. Don't pay for any of it. All we paid for was a SAT self-study course for her. Other kids may benefit from a live SAT course. OK, that's all for now. Steve

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