So.. we finish the PROFILE, hit Submit, and a screen comes up telling us that we can now use this info to fill in the FAFSA. Had we known that, we could have saved several hours and a few grains of our sanity. But I suppose, as they say, you live and learn.

This is my PSA- Learn from my mistakes. If you are filling out both the CSS/Financial Aid Profile and the FAFSA, save yourself a lot of heartache and do the Profile first. Then you can use that info to prefill your FAFSA.

Until then, I have some exciting news. I just found out today that I made finalist standing for the National Merit Scholarship. This is big for me because it means 1) I look better to the colleges who are still looking at my application, and 2) I might get free money.

Semifinalists were picked based on their PSAT scores, and then had to complete an application and write an essay. Right now, I’m 1 of about 15,000 who made it this far.

Program & Majors
This one should seem obvious, but it’s worth pointing out. If you know what you plan to major in, or what career goal you have in mind, it can help narrow down some of your choices. An aspiring music teacher doesn’t want to go to the school with no music or education programs. My friends, the future engineer and future vet, they want to go to NC State. All of the colleges I’ve applied to have a biology, chemistry, or biochemistry major, because that’s what I need. I’d prefer a biochem combination, but since I plan on specializing later on, I’m not going to let it play a huge role in my final decision between these schools.

Size, Proximity to Home, Co-ed or not
I used to think I wanted a really small college, but I changed my mind after this summer. I live in a small town now, and I like that big-campus-near-downtown feel. Even if I end up back here down the road from my parents, I want to spend my college years somewhere different and bigger. Its a matter of preference. Where do you live now, and do you want to stay in your comfort zone or branch out? Something else to think about is distance from home. I also used to think I wanted to stay really close to my family, and again I changed my mind. Now I know I could be happy in another state. Staying in NC has its advantages, like being able to come home on weekends, and also lower in-state tuition, but one of my schools is pretty far away.

For a lot of people, girl-only or boy-only schools are out the question. I was at one point considering (read, in love with) Meredith, an all-girls school, but I ended up not applying there. I like my guy friends, and the school wasn’t right for me for several reasons, including that. One of my friends is applying to another all-girls school, and I think she would flourish there. She would also be close to several other co-ed colleges, and she lists these things among the school’s assets. Again, its all about what is right for you.

‘Feel’
This is something you can’t really measure, and it isn’t listed on the college board website. The best way to get a feel for a college is to visit. It’s how I knew NC State wasn’t right for me, and how I fell in love with UNC Chapel Hill. Official tours led by current students let you get inside dorm life and give you the chance to ask questions you would never ask the admissions office. Students will usually tell you the good with the bad. My cousin led me on an unofficial tour of Chapel Hill, and I got inside her dorm and favorite hangouts. Now that I’m in, I’m going back for an official tour. Our school has a system where we get two days for college visits that count as excused absences during senior year (and one during junior year). Check with your counselor and you’ll probably be okay to leave for one day.

Making the List
When I finally made my list, I arranged them (mentally) in order of “Can I get in?”. I think its good to have a ‘reach’ school, that you know you might not get in, but that you’d love to go to. Two of mine are technically ‘reach schools’, but I couldn’t pick between the two of them. Chapel Hill was my ‘I’m pretty sure I can get in’ school, and Greensboro was my ‘Double safety net’ school. These schools all have their merits to me, and I’d be happy at any of them.

And that’s what it’s really all about. You have to spend four years at this school. Pick colleges that are going to make you happy.

It’s a fact. We just don’t know how to cope.

Tonight we’re expecting some sleet and/or freezing rain, and everyone is freaking out. The school system already has plans for like, four different scenarios. I’m pretty sure everyone up north is laughing at us as we scramble around the grocery store, emptying the shelves of milk, eggs and bread.. I guess it’s so we can at least make french toast while we’re trapped in our houses.

Seriously though, things could get pretty bad. It’s always when we’re not expecting much that we get piles of ice (never snow, we wouldn’t be that lucky). I’m holding my fingers for a delay tomorrow, but nothing major.

I’d suggest starting on this now, rather than later, because it can be hard to think back and remember everything you’ve done, and you might forget something.

-Driver’s license and vehicle registration
-Prescriptions and insurance ID card
-Important phone numbers and addresses
-Cell phone or phone card
-Electronics: computer, TV, DVD, iPod
(about the TV: I don’t plan on taking one, b/c my laptop plays DVDs, I can catch up with most of my favorite shows online, and there in the dorms I’ve been in, there’s a lounge with a shared TV. I didn’t miss mine at all this summer.)
-Artwork, posters, photos
-Linens, towels
-Laundry basket, detergent
-School supplies
-Calender, day planner
-Change for vending machines
-Favorite munchies
-Room supplies such as hangers, extension cords, surge-protector, alarm clock, message board with markers
-Personal items such as shower caddy, coffee mug
-Cleaning supplies
-Clothing (I really didn’t think I had to mention this one, honestly)
-Raincoat, umbrella
-Sports/recreational gear
-Camera
-Favorite books and CDs

Which reminds me, soon I’ll be posting about what went into choosing my college list. There’s a lot of stuff to consider. Also coming soon, hopefully, something I’d like to call “Why you should never procrastinate” (a Learn From My Mistakes Production). Stay Tuned!

Where I’m at so far:

Finished with the FAFSA- the Free Application for Student Aid. Like the name says, it’s completely free, and it helps to find you free money and loans. You can start submitting them on January 1st of each year, using last year’s tax returns (they need a lot of information from those). You can also start working on it ahead of time (like December), you just can’t hit that ‘Submit’ button until Jan. 1st. They say that the sooner you get it in, the better, because the free money goes first. And I want free money. Later, we’ll have to go back and update with this year’s (current) tax returns.

Almost done with the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE- Two of the schools I’ve applied to require this for need-based aid. It’s a lot like the FAFSA. Except they require even more information. I live with my mother and stepfather, and while the FAFSA only required the basics about my dad (address, phone, etc.), this has a completely separate form for noncustodial parents, so he needs his tax returns also. This thing is fully customizable, with different forms depending on your situation. This one can’t be edited once it’s submitted, unlike the FAFSA, so we’ll have to wait until this year’s returns come back to complete it.

Merit based scholarships with the college- some schools you apply to will automatically consider every applicant for merit-based scholarships. This is good, because it means less work for you. Not all are like this though, I would check with each and every school’s individual web page. I’m working on an application for UNCG, and it’s basically an add on to my original application, with an essay, list of favorite books, etc.

Other scholarships can be found through the school, guidance counselor, a local website. I’m lucky to have a great guidance department who keeps all this information organized for me in the office and on the web. You just have to keep an eye out for any sort of scholarship or award that you could qualify for. $200 doesn’t sound like much, but add it to the $500 from that other thing, and the $350 from something else, and this little bit and that little bit and you can come up with a pretty big chunk of change.

And I guess that’s it. Paying for college is about as fun as it sounds. But so far, it’s survivable.

So.. I had a thought. I thought that I’d start a list here documenting all the things I plan on taking with me next year. Luckily, my experience this summer, plus numerous dorm-tours, have helped me to figure out what I will and won’t need/want. Maybe it’ll help me stay organized.. though it’s not likely.

Things they give you:
Most colleges will provide:
-a bed and mattress
-room for clothes (dressers, wardrobes or closets)
-a desk and chair
-if you’re lucky, a bookshelf

Furniture wise, you don’t really need anything, but I think it’d be nice to have another chair. The desk chairs aren’t very comfortable for sitting around chatting, so a bean bag or something could come in handy. My cousin has a small couch (actually, the end of a sectional) in her room. But space is a scarce commodity in a dorm, so that’s something to keep in mind too.

Appliances
At some schools, you have the option to rent microfridges and other appliances, but you’re likely better off just buying them. We paid less than $100 for a minifridge and barely $30 for a good, small microwave. Most places don’t allow you to have hotplates or anything like that.

Also, depending on where you go, a fan might be a good investment. My dorm this summer didn’t have air conditioning, and it was the middle of July. Up north, it wasn’t so bad, but it did get hot at night, and at those times that fan was my best friend. At any of the colleges where I have applied, I know I run the risk of having no A/C. This is fine, since I won’t be in school during the summer, but I’ve been told that the first few weeks (and the last few) of each year are usually fairly warm (and the weather in NC is always unpredictable), so I think I would have ended up buying one anyway.

Linens
So far I’ve collected..
-Bedclothes:
Sheets/Pillowcases/Comforter
A cotton blanket to add during the winter
A foam mattress pad- This summer, when I couldn’t sleep due to the city noise (I’m used to sheep, not car horns), I’d come into the common room and see that my roommate was awake and sitting on her bed. She’d invite me to come sit with her.. and I’d fall asleep. I soon discovered that her bed (complete with mattress pad), was much more comfortable than mine (even with two people in it). So I asked for my own this Christmas. Again, not a necessity, but it will be nice to have.

-A soft blanket to use while sitting around/studying/watching movies/etc.

-Towels and washcloths- Distinctive colors are good: This summer, I was sharing a bathroom with three other girls. And the other three all had white towels and washcloths. Luckily, I had borrowed mine from our camper, so I had assorted neon colors. Being a horrible germaphobe, I felt a lot better grabbing my hot pink towel off the rack every time I took a shower. It was a horribly loud color, but at least I knew it was mine.

Electronics/Entertainment
-Laptop
-Aforementioned Bluetooth adaptor for laptop, and a small stereo which connects to laptop via Bluetooth, and also docks my mp3 (thanks, Santa )
-A desk lamp
-A lava lamp (which I will insist on taking, even though it’s rightful decade is long gone)
-Alarm clock
-Surge protectors- because two sets of outlets probably won’t cut it..
-..actually, that’s pretty much it. I think I’m covered.

Personals
Things like pictures, posters, little figurines you can’t bear to part with, favorite books, etc. Mom and I have already started discussing which movies I get to take when I leave. I feel like I’m in the middle of a divorce settlement… “You can have Johnny, but I get to keep Heath.” Any who.. Again, I try to remember that space is at a premium.

Organizational
This is the area where I need the most work. So far I have a bulletin board. Yep.. I’m waiting until I get into my room, so I can buy things to fit my specific needs. But here’s the general idea:
-Shelving- my cousin suggests short shelves to put on the desk, and a unit like this one (only with more squares and cloth drawers)
-Hooks- the kind that are designed for closet doors can be hung from a lot of other things, including the frame of your bed. Also, Command strip hooks keep marks off your walls and furniture and can be stuck nearly anywhere.

And that’s about it. I’ll be adding to this list between now and next August.