I'm getting ready to apply to the Columbia's ETP for 2010. I was just wondering who else was applying and what you were doing to make your application stronger! Also where else are you applying and what do your stats look like (GPA, GRE, experience, etc) ? I'm getting nervous as I start the whole application process and just thought I'd turn to the forums for some support and guidance!
I'm looking forward to sharing the journey with y'all! Hope to hear from you soon! :)
Thanks for the site! I actually did also find it after by going to main Columbia nursing school page and clicking on students. Hopefully now that we have our UNI we can get to things from one main page. And Dizzy, thanks for the advice too, I actually did see that email from Jose and did activate my UNI but did not see the part on holds until I went to the SSOL site through the students page. Just gets confusing with all the different sites that launch from different links, but pretty sure I have it all sorted now so thanks for the help everyone.
hey, we are consider as a undergrad this first year right? so the federal loan interest will be 4.5% then. correct?
Also, the message from the federal loans, it's the exam same thing for subsidized and unsubized. i thought unsubsized means interest is accuring while you're in school, but both of them says no interest if you're at least a half-time student. why is that?
Lastly, does anyone know what the policies and interest rates are for the student private loan on the finaid package? there's nothing on there about the private loan.
FYI, I spoke with Student Health today and they said that they put a hold on everyone for immunizations that will be lifted once the office has gone through the health profiles/physicals that we sent in...
sfrntobe - no problem! all these e-mails get me jumbled up too, so I thought telling you which e-mail we got that information might be able to give you a point of reference just in case for later on. I actually just bought my one-way ticket to JFK yesterday and it turns out I will be flying out of SFO! :) I'm from SoCal but will be driving up to SF since my sister is one lucky girl and gets to inherit all my furniture and MY CAR! It'd be nice to meet up with some of you SF'ers if you're still in the area.. maybe some of us are on the same flight! I'll be in the bay area between May 23 and fly out May 30th in the afternoon.
Iowayu, you're right - UNsubsidized loans do accrue interest while you're in school. The best thing to do with these loans is to pay off the interest while you're in school so the principal (total) amount doesn't increase. If you don't pay at least the interest during this time you'll end up paying interest on interest... bleh. The most attractive federal loans you can get are subsidized (no interest accrues until your 6 month grace period is over and you begin to pay back the loan).
As for private loans, you'll need to do research to find the best one... it varies since it depends on your credit, the terms of the loan, etc. I wrote earlier that I've found Wells Fargo's MedCap loan to be the most appealing, so I would recommend taking a peak at their site, or calling one of their loan specialists so they can answer your questions. Sallie Mae had REALLY high interest rates (11%) so that turned me off completely!
Dizzy, I will be right on your heels on the May 31st flight that leaves at 7 am! I am around and will be done working that week so if you are in SF would be great to meet up at some point.
I - I think for the unsubsidized loans it is 6.8% and the perkins, nursing, and subsidized loans are all 5%. Also, just to reiterate what everyone is saying, I too got a great rate with the Wells Fargo MedCap and it was very easy. I am also waiting to hear back from Chase to see what rate they will offer me, but technically they could be lower (starts at 3.75% whereas Wells starts at 4.75%). I'll post up here if I happen to get a lower rate with them. For that one it is just Chase Student Loans. Also FYI, I found these loans by using this website for reference, http://www.finaid.org/loans/privatestudentloans.phtml.
I am curious to see if anyone else had the same experience as me with applying for a Chase Select Private Student Loan. After I applied and submitted my self-certification form, I checked online to view the status of my loan. It said that the next steps were to accept the loan and sign the promissory note. It mentioned an approval disclosure form but I couldn't find it anywhere online. I called Chase and asked about the approval disclosure form and what my interest rate would be. I was told by the gentlemen on the phone that I was approved for a 3.76% interest rate, which is great and the lowest rate they offer, but I asked why I didn't see that margin + index indicated anywhere on my promissory note and why I didn't receive a copy of the approval disclosure form. He said that I don't get that information until after I signed the promissory note and the bank contacts the school to certify the loan; the info will be mailed to me as oppose to having it available online. I explain to him that it doesn't make sense that I have to sign off on it before I have anything concrete. I need some sort of documentation that indicates that I am (conditionally) approved for an X% rate and X term because what if I'm comparision shopping or I want to know ahead of time what I am getting myself into before signing my life away. He was insistent that I sign the promissory note before I get anything written. This sounds very shady to me and maybe there was a miscommunication but if that really is the case then Chase can technically hit me with a much higher interest rate if the margin is not stated on the promissory note. Is this correct or did I just misunderstand the guy?
shoot, no. I didn't even think about that. i emailed chase and they wrote back telling me to call them. i'll see what they tell me the second time around.
For Chase once you sign the promissory you then still have the option to accept or cancel the loan. I signed the promissory but just canceled mine since my Wells Fargo rate was still lower.
I always go up the chain of command (my sister taught me well!). I know they HATE it and it makes me seem rude, but it usually works :). To get into my last prereq class here in CT (I was registering from CO), I ended up having to talk to the dean of students... Lets just say, I only have 2 weeks of class left!
In the end I figure if they are going to be making money off of me, I deserve GREAT customer service. Especially in this case where they will be making a HUGE amount off of you! Good luck!
I applied too. I just checked the status, said the same thing that the next action was to accept the loan. I called and the woman said that I'm supposed to get a package via the mail w/all the details of the loan..interest rate/terms etc. I asked if she could tell me what interest rate I was approved for and she said that she cannot disclose that over the phone. Apparently this portion of the application process cannot be done online (strange, since everything else is online). She said that within 3-5 business days ..I will get the package.
I never got a package in the mail (has only been a couple of days) but she did confirm the interest rate over the phone. I have found different answers when I called at different times, if you call back and say you want to know your interest rate, you may be able to get it over the phone sooner.
It'd be nice to meet up with some of you SF'ers if you're still in the area.. maybe some of us are on the same flight! I'll be in the bay area between May 23 and fly out May 30th in the afternoon.
sfrntobe
26 Posts
Thanks for the site! I actually did also find it after by going to main Columbia nursing school page and clicking on students. Hopefully now that we have our UNI we can get to things from one main page. And Dizzy, thanks for the advice too, I actually did see that email from Jose and did activate my UNI but did not see the part on holds until I went to the SSOL site through the students page. Just gets confusing with all the different sites that launch from different links, but pretty sure I have it all sorted now so thanks for the help everyone.