Daniel Barkowitz | March 27, 2008
"FASU6 - More Awards in the Mail, and CPW overview"
Today is another awarding day. Some stats:
At this point, we are averaging about 20 to 30 complete files a day, but we would love for that number to increase, so if you are missing any information for us, please make sure to send it in as soon as possible. As a Freshman, it is never too late to apply for financial aid (so you can still complete your application after May 1 and still receive financial aid for your Freshman year), but if you want to be able to receive your financial aid award prior to May 1, we will need to have your file complete in the near future. Otherwise you may need to make your decision about whether or not to attend MIT without your financial aid offer in hand.
With CPW coming up, I thought I would repeat our schedule for the weekend so that if you are able to attend CPW you can know how to interface with those of us in SFS (Student Financial Services). Much of this post is cribbed from an old blog post (almost exactly three years old) in which I outlined how CPW works for us:
Here's a brief description and highlight of what SFS will be doing during CPW (to translate, what those of us who work in “Student Financial Services” will be doing during “Campus Preview Weekend”).CPW is a wonderful time to see MIT at its best. I particularly enjoy seeing the wide variety of activities available in the CPW guidebook. Of course, no one can go to them all, and there are many that will be competing for your attention. I would like to point your attention to two particular events that I think are worthy of your consideration:
- Financial Aid Appointments -- During Thursday, Friday and Saturday of CPW, Financial Aid Officers will be available to meet with families during 20 minute time slots. These appointment times begin on the half hour and appointments can be made from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm (the start time of the last appointment of the day). The appointments will take place in Room 11-320. You can schedule appointments when you check in for CPW. We will staff a separate registration table next to the sign in for CPW (in the Stratton Student Center) and will book appointments on a first-come, first-serve basis. We do have ten of us seeing students, so there will be plenty of opportunity to book an appointment if you need one. Additionally there will be four people at the registration table, two to work with you on booking appointments and two financial aid officers to try to provide some "on-the-spot" counseling for those of you who may either just need a simple question answered or may not have time to book an appointment.
This of course begs the question of “Who needs to make an appointment?” If you are having difficulty figuring out how to afford your EFC, if you have specific questions about your financial aid award, if you need to speak with us about a delay in filing your application and understanding the repercussions of that delay, feel free to make an appointment to meet one of us. If you have general questions, though, you may want to wait to book an appointment until after you attend:
- The Financial Aid Information session -- On Friday from 1:00 to 2:00 pm in Kresge Auditorium, I will be presenting a session whose purpose is to address general questions from “How did we determine your award” to “What do I need to do know” to “How do I pay my bill” and “How do I find a job on campus.” This session will also (hopefully) provide you some time to ask questions. Parents and students are welcome! As we get closer to CPW, I'll try to post a pdf file of the PowerPoint presentation so if you are not able to attend you can take a look at it.
There's also a “meet the bloggers” event Friday night from 8:30 to 10:00. Maybe I'll have a chance to actually meet some of the other bloggers! Hope to see you there too!
Otherwise, keep your eyes peeled! You never know where you might see those of us from SFS!
If you are coming to campus for CPW soon, we look forward to seeing you. If not, you're going to miss a great event, but don't worry: MIT is so terrific that much of what happens during CPW is just a reflection of the breadth and depth of events available most every weekend.
Last, but not least, our review of any appeals for financial aid reconsideration begins on Monday. If you are planning on appealing your original financial aid award, please speak to your financial aid officer as soon as possible (see here for their names and contact info if you don't already have it). We will be holding appeal meetings to review appeals daily through the month of April (with the exception of the CPW weekend) and would love to speak with you if you feel you cannot afford your PC (you may want to see my previous post about what to consider if planning on appealing -- specifically focus on the section dealing with dilemmas).
If I don't speak with you tomorrow, have a nice weekend! I plan on participating in a town spelling bee tomorrow night. Adults compete after the kids are done and they give us difficult words. Anyone ever heard of hoomalimali?
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The author has filed this entry in the "Financial Aid" , "Making The Most Of Your Visit" section; check it out for further reading on this topic. |
Responses To This Entry:
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FIRST!!!!
Finally
Posted by: Natasha on March 27, 2008 09:02 PM
Second yessssssssssss
Posted by: Anonymous on March 27, 2008 09:03 PM
ooops....sorry for posting twice...I guess I was just too excited!
Posted by: Natasha on March 27, 2008 09:03 PM
It's an exciting time.
Posted by: Anonymous on March 27, 2008 09:05 PM
hoomalimali is something whose purpose is to attract positive attention, swear i didnt look it up...
Posted by: Anonymous on March 27, 2008 09:08 PM
Am I one of those 37 completed files from yesterday or today?
Posted by: Alex on March 27, 2008 09:10 PM
Alex, if you are the same Alex who posted about the question to Gary Ryan, then yes! I did check with him today and he said you two exchanged emails and that he never got the original email you said you had sent... Anyway, yes, and your award should be in the mail by our next award date, which is Tuesday.
Posted by: Daniel Barkowitz on March 27, 2008 09:13 PM
Anonymous, do you mean like this blog? Yes, you are right; that is the definition...
Posted by: Daniel Barkowitz on March 27, 2008 09:14 PM
Daniel, amongst allocating hundreds of financial-aid awards, how do you ever find time to blog AND to attend a spelling bee?
You should give out lessons in time-management.
Posted by: Natasha on March 27, 2008 09:16 PM
Two secrets:
1) I never sleep!
2) I have an amazing staff! I really need to do a post and introduce you all to the financial aid staff; you'll meet them at CPW and when you attend. They are great!
Posted by: Daniel Barkowitz on March 27, 2008 09:19 PM
Hello! So, just curiously, are "updated" award letters also going out? (Meaning based on 2007 info, if only 2006 info was available before.) Not that anything will probably change, just it's good to know these things as definitely as possible...
Posted by: Lauren on March 27, 2008 09:32 PM
Yes, those are sent out as we review your cases. If you are concerned if we have received and reviewed your case with the 2007 information, you should call us to confirm. Usually there is a change, although in most cases it is small.
Posted by: Daniel Barkowitz on March 27, 2008 09:35 PM
Come to the Meet the Bloggers...we'll have food...
Posted by: Paul on March 27, 2008 09:36 PM
So, when are we going to play DDR together? :D
Posted by: Steven '12 on March 27, 2008 09:41 PM
ok so if in your financial aid there is no mention of EFC it is not a mistake right? it just means that you should be able to afford the full cost?
Posted by: daniel '12 on March 27, 2008 09:53 PM
Daniel, there's a typo: "With CPW coming up, I though(t)" :-)
Posted by: Tanmay on March 27, 2008 10:10 PM
@ Steven '12
DDR RULEZ
A DDR party at CPW is pricelss
Posted by: Judy H. on March 27, 2008 10:20 PM
I am not going to be able to attend CPW because I am studying abroad in Austria and as part of my program I am forbidden to enter the US. I have talked to my financial aid person about an appeal but if me and my parents still have questions after I hear back would it be possible to set up a three way telephone financial aid appointment between MIT, Ohio, and Austria. Thanks.
Posted by: Julia on March 28, 2008 09:18 AM
*crosses her fingers that her aid letter was sent in the mail today*
Does the award decision get postponed if we filed a noncustodial waiver request??
Thanks so much for your help! Oh and, your staff is definitely great.. they've also been so helpful!
Posted by: Meghan on March 28, 2008 10:26 AM
I love u MIT!
Posted by: Zeina Siam'12 on March 31, 2008 05:19 AM
