Parents of the Class of 2019

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

We haven't started the FAFSA yet, I'll probably work on it this weekend. Next week is fall break for the kids, so DD is going to finish up her essays, she has an appointment with her AP Lit teacher on Tuesday during break to go over them and edit, which is great! She also has the SAT subject tests that we totally missed the last time around because we forgot, on Saturday. Requests for transcripts are in, letters are almost done, and the common app is done, just need to update the last few things and hit the button!

 

[mjkacmom]

I got the FAFSA done today too, but I wasn't too worried about it. Between finishing my degree in 2016 and DS starting college last year, it has become almost as routine as filing taxes. And our EFC was a happy little surprise; I expected to be higher even with having two kids in college at the same time. But I'm still dreading the CSS!

5th year in a row here.

 

[Colleen27]

5th year in a row here.

I got a one year break year before last, otherwise I'd be right there with you. Three years for me and now into the second for the kids. I'm looking forward to being done with the FAFSA almost as much as I'm looking forward to being done with paying tuition.

 

[bigbabyblues]

This made me laugh. How do socks look stupid?

I have no idea! He said something about the fog made them look odd--they used a fog machine. He hates to have his picture taken, has never taken a selfie, etc., and he wants 2-1/2 hours of pictures taken again.

 

[mjkacmom]

I got a one year break year before last, otherwise I'd be right there with you. Three years for me and now into the second for the kids. I'm looking forward to being done with the FAFSA almost as much as I'm looking forward to being done with paying tuition.

We still have 5 more years!

 

[design_mom]

We still have 5 more years!

I'm just embarking on at least 7 years in a row. This'll be my first. Afraid... very afraid.

 

[bjscheel]

I heard that the data retrieval tool for IRS wasn't working yet on FAFSA. I'm going to wait a while.

I've done it twice, for DD20, though we didn't need to. It's gone smoothly for me in the past.

 

[mjkacmom]

I'm just embarking on at least 7 years in a row. This'll be my first. Afraid... very afraid.

2014 - 2025 if everything goes as planned, many with 2/3 at the same time!

 

[yeahdisney]

FAFSA, the IRS retrieval tool worked yesterday.

 

[Colleen27]

FAFSA, the IRS retrieval tool worked yesterday.

Worked for me too. I have heard that it doesn't work with the mobile app but I haven't downloaded that to try yet because it also can't do renewals.

 

[soccerdad72]

I'm just embarking on at least 7 years in a row. This'll be my first. Afraid... very afraid.

8 for us - although with only a likely one year overlap, when our younger son will be a freshman and our older son is doing his 5th year (for engineering).

 

[bigbabyblues]

I received an email this morning that his FAFSA was processed successfully and has been sent to the schools he requested, but they recommend that we go back and update it using the IRS Retrieval tool, since we were eligible to use it but didn't. We didn't because it didn't work! I think this can be a job for DH.

 

[lovesdumbo]

DS is taking SAT for a final time this morning. He didn't study as much as I had hoped but he seemed to have a good attitude about it this morning which can have a huge impact.

We've got to work on common ap, essay & Eagle Scout project when he gets home.

 

[PollyannaMom]

DS is taking SAT for a final time this morning. He didn't study as much as I had hoped but he seemed to have a good attitude about it this morning which can have a huge impact.

We've got to work on common ap, essay & Eagle Scout project when he gets home.

That was supposed to be our weekend too (minus the Eagle project), but DS got sick last night, and is missing the test.

He wants to try for Nov. 3rd, but at least he's already taken it once, so if we can't reschedule, we'll take it as a sign.

 

[MerissaAndMomLoveDis]

DS is taking SAT for a final time this morning. He didn't study as much as I had hoped but he seemed to have a good attitude about it this morning which can have a huge impact.

We've got to work on common ap, essay & Eagle Scout project when he gets home.

Good luck and best wishes to your son, and to everyone else’s kiddos on this board who are testing today! Your weekend sounds BUSY. This testing and college app stuff is so exhausting. I thought we would be done by now and further into applications.
My DD is taking two SAT subject tests this morning. This is the first testing I felt that she was tremendously nervous about and not confident. She asked me to drive her to the test site (she has her license and could have easily driven herself to the familiar location), and that did not seem like a good sign. Whatever happens, this is it for testing—one school on her “list” requires two subject tests, none of the rest do—so she said if she bombs them she just won’t apply to that one school.

That was supposed to be our weekend too (minus the Eagle project), but DS got sick last night, and is missing the test.

He wants to try for Nov. 3rd, but at least he's already taken it once, so if we can't reschedule, we'll take it as a sign.

PollyannaMom, I am so very sorry to hear your son is sick and can’t test today. I hope he is feeling better soon.

***
After the test today, we are going shopping for a homecoming dress and giving applications and essays and all things college a rest for today. I love my daughter to the moon and back and love being a part of her high school experiences, but dress and shoe shopping...not so much. Shopping for major event dresses is the equivalent of a root canal in my experience.

 

[tink1970]

Shopping for major event dresses is the equivalent of a root canal in my experience.

LOL! That's my DD so when she must...it's painful.

DD is off to Boston, so hopefully that goes well. She doesn't enjoy time with her father so was a little anxious about 4 days with him.

FAFSA is kicking our butts...how many MDs does it take to fill out? So far-2 and we're 90 min into it. Sigh...

 

[MerissaAndMomLoveDis]

LOL! That's my DD so when she must...it's painful.

DD is off to Boston, so hopefully that goes well. She doesn't enjoy time with her father so was a little anxious about 4 days with him.

FAFSA is kicking our butts...how many MDs does it take to fill out? So far-2 and we're 90 min into it. Sigh...

DD bought a homecoming dress yesterday!!! We were only out about 3 hours, so way less painful than past dress shopping has been. She already has shoes and a purse that will work well with it.

I hope your daughter has a great trip. We did a college visit trip combined with touring historical sites in and around Boston in summer 2017. We crammed so much into that trip. It was fun, but also very helpful to narrowing down “the list” of schools she will apply to.

*********
I spent last night going to each college on her list’s websites to do a final check to verify what testing must be officially sent—for example, does it require all scores from both ACT and SAT, all scores from either ACT or SAT, only your best score, or self report instead of official scores. I figured DD is so slammed from so many different directions, that was something I could do to help. Planning to get those scores ordered and sent today and check one more thing off the checklist.

 

[design_mom]

Congrats on the dress shopping success!

I spent last night going to each college on her list’s websites to do a final check to verify what testing must be officially sent—for example, does it require all scores from both ACT and SAT, all scores from either ACT or SAT, only your best score, or self report instead of official scores. I figured DD is so slammed from so many different directions, that was something I could do to help. Planning to get those scores ordered and sent today and check one more thing off the checklist.

Can you tell me how that sort of thing is worded? I just looked up the 2 colleges that DS is applying to that have November 1 deadlines. One superscores and another one doesn't. But it doesn't say anything about requiring all scores, etc. I assume you just send the ones you want to be considered. (DS's scored best in all categories on his most recent ACT, so that's the only one we need to submit, I think.)

 

[MerissaAndMomLoveDis]

Congrats on the dress shopping success!



Can you tell me how that sort of thing is worded? I just looked up the 2 colleges that DS is applying to that have November 1 deadlines. One superscores and another one doesn't. But it doesn't say anything about requiring all scores, etc. I assume you just send the ones you want to be considered. (DS's scored best in all categories on his most recent ACT, so that's the only one we need to submit, I think.)

My kiddo also has one ACT that has the highest composite and all individual sections highest, so it would be the one test that puts forth her best out of the two ACT and one SAT she took.

There was one school I could not figure out. Also, I saw elsewhere in college confidential that only Georgetown is requiring ALL SAT and ALL ACT. For the rest, I was able to find it clearly worded if the school required ALL of SAT OR ALL of ACT. Some also clearly said they would take the highest composite ACT. If it said “we encourage you to send all so we can superscore”, then I took that as you don’t have to if your best is all in one sitting. For the rest, unless it clearly said send ALL ACT, I assumed we could just send the one best. To be honest, for some schools it was easy to find, for others it was not at all easy. Hope this helps!

 

[lovesdumbo]

DS got sick last night, and is missing the test.

He wants to try for Nov. 3rd, but at least he's already taken it once, so if we can't reschedule, we'll take it as a sign.

That stinks that he was sick. Good luck in Nov!

Good luck and best wishes to your son, and to everyone else’s kiddos on this board who are testing today! Your weekend sounds BUSY. This testing and college app stuff is so exhausting. I thought we would be done by now and further into applications.
My DD is taking two SAT subject tests this morning. This is the first testing I felt that she was tremendously nervous about and not confident. She asked me to drive her to the test site (she has her license and could have easily driven herself to the familiar location), and that did not seem like a good sign. Whatever happens, this is it for testing—one school on her “list” requires two subject tests, none of the rest do—so she said if she bombs them she just won’t apply to that one school.

Hope the subject tests went well. DS felt pretty good about the test but he did in June but then get hit with the harsh curve on that test. Hopefully he added a few points to his score. At least scores are out quick this time.

Congrats on dress!