Common App transcript process and FAFSA delay impact on college admission decisions

Went through this last year w/ my daughter. For transcripts, your son needs to ADD his guidance counselor to his Common App account. The counselor gets an email, uploads transcripts once, and they go to all schools he applies to. Super easy but HE has to initiate it! And yes, schools can absolutely accept him before FAFSA is processed. My daughter got 3 acceptances in December even though we didn't finish FAFSA til January. They just sent the financial aid packages later.

To clarify the transcript process: Your son needs to first list his high school in the Common App, then add his counselor (with their email address). The counselor receives an invitation to upload his documents (transcript, school profile, recommendation letter). Once the counselor uploads these materials, they're automatically sent to ALL schools your son applies to through Common App - he doesn't need to request them separately for each college. Regarding your FAFSA timing question: Yes, admissions and financial aid operate on separate timelines. Your son can absolutely be accepted to schools before FAFSA results are available. Most colleges will send an acceptance letter first, then follow up with a financial aid package once your FAFSA is processed. Just be aware that if he applies Early Decision (binding), he'll need to commit before seeing the aid package, which can be risky financially. Early Action (non-binding) gives you more flexibility to compare aid packages.

LOLOLOL Common App is THE WORST!!! My kid's counselor uploaded the wrong transcript twice and almost ruined everything. Make sure your kid checks that everything looks right after the counselor uploads it!!! And FAFSA being delayed til december is total bull****. How are families supposed to make decisions without knowing costs??

If you're worried about getting financial aid info before making decisions, you should also look into each school's Net Price Calculator on their websites. They're not perfect but can give you a rough estimate of what aid might look like before FAFSA is processed. We found them to be within about $3000 of the actual packages for most schools my son applied to last year. Also, if your son is applying to schools that require CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA, note that CSS Profile is already open (unlike FAFSA). Many private colleges require both forms, and CSS Profile can take even longer to complete than FAFSA.

Yes, CSS Profile is primarily required by private colleges and universities. About 400 schools use it, including most highly selective private institutions. You can find the complete list on the College Board website. It's more detailed than FAFSA and does cost money to submit ($25 for first school, $16 for each additional), though fee waivers are available. Since it's already open, I'd recommend completing it soon for any private schools on your son's list.

For anyone struggling to reach Federal Student Aid reps about FAFSA questions, I've been using Claimyr recently and it's been a game-changer. Since the new FAFSA rollout has been so problematic, getting through to an actual person has been nearly impossible. Claimyr holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available. Saved me hours of waiting on hold. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ if you want to see how it works. Website is claimyr.com.

Yes, once I got through to an actual FSA rep, they were quite helpful. The challenge was just getting through! With the December opening this year, I expect phone lines will be absolutely swamped. The rep I spoke with was able to explain some of the key changes to the new FAFSA and helped me understand how the Student Aid Index (SAI) differs from the old Expected Family Contribution (EFC). If you have specific questions prepared before your call, they can usually address them efficiently.

i'm going thru the exact same thing except i'm the student not the parent lol. my school counselor is NEVER available and keeps saying she'll help with common app but then cancels meetings. if your kid's school uses naviance they might need to match their common app account with naviance first before the counselor can upload stuff. that's what i had to do and it was confusing af

One important thing to note about the December FAFSA delay: Early Decision applicants should contact the financial aid offices at their top choice schools directly. Many institutions have contingency plans for ED applicants given the FAFSA delay. Some are offering estimated packages based on prior year tax information or providing extensions to the binding ED commitment until after aid packages are available. Communication is key - don't assume all schools handle this the same way! And regarding Common App, there's a specific page where your son can monitor document submission status for each school. Have him go to "My Colleges" tab, select a school, then "Recommenders and FERPA" to see what's been submitted and what's still pending.

As someone who just went through this process with my daughter last year, I want to emphasize how important it is to stay organized with deadlines! Create a spreadsheet tracking each school's requirements - some want CSS Profile, some don't, and submission deadlines vary. Also, don't panic if the FAFSA delay means you don't have aid info by early decision deadlines. Most schools are being flexible this year given the circumstances. My biggest tip: have your son set up his Common App account NOW and add his counselor immediately. The earlier you get this ball rolling, the less stressful November will be. And yes, definitely stick with Early Action over Early Decision if financial aid is a major factor in your decision!