We are Illinois residents with a D who won't apply to U of I either. Check of the U of MN, they have a new tuition policy that only charges OOS students $2000 more a semester that in-state. I don't know what their tuition will be for 2009-2010 yet, but I think it comes out to be cheaper than Illinois. They are pretty free with merit aid (if we can go by what has been offered to D's older friends) for good students; I think their president is trying to raise the school's status and wants to attract out-of-state talent. They have rolling admissions and the merit award has come with acceptance for D's freinds.
colormehappyRegistered UserPosts: 214Junior Member
Do you think your son expects to get into UVA? It's definitely a possibility, but part of his resistance to more applications could be that he's so stuck on one school that he can't imagine not going there. If he is really fine with MSU and you think he could get excited about it, then two schools are fine. Still, I know I was very stubborn when I did my applications and refused to believe I wouldn't get into many schools (I even thought of Bryn Mawr as my safety!). I always knew deep down that I would go to Wellesley (much like your son seems to know about UVA), but it still would have been nice to have a lot of options. Your son might as well throw his hat into the ring with other schools similar to UVA but keep his focus on perfecting the UVA application. I think his genuine interest will shine through and may give him a boost. Good luck!
TooRealisticRegistered UserPosts: 149Junior Member
Again, this site is like the Master Card commercial says, "Priceless"
As to the not applying to U of I - it's the stupidest thing that I've ever heard. My husband's whole family went to big 10 schools and there's this huge rivalry between all of them, so he was raised on a sports-based hate of U of I and won't budge and my husband encourages this - he thinks it's funny???
Anyway, that's excellent information about U of Minn. I am trying to get him to look at UW, but he's resisting. He's not fooling himself about UVA - much better students than him have been turned away, and I have not sugar-coated it him (see my user name). He thinks that if he get in, it would be great, but if it's Mich State that would be good too.
Has anyone actually known a kid that onl applied to 2 schools in these crazy times?
anxiousmomRegistered UserPosts: 5,887Senior Member
I would strongly urge you to encourage your son to apply to at least ONE school that is a sure thing and is within a 3-4 hour driving commute. Sounds silly now, but even the most intrepid student sometimes changes mind about going so far away at the last minute. And have you factored in travel costs when looking at OOS school costs?
TooRealistic, my son only applied to one school, Indiana. The minute he set foot on that campus, he said, "this is where I want to go". Indiana also has rolling admissions and he knew within three weeks after applying that he was accepted. We're from Illinois too and he refused to apply there because it was too close to home. Indiana is only slightly more expensive that Illinois because of the surcharge at UI for his major and Indiana gave him some scholarship money.
If he would be happy at MSU, I'd say his plan sounds fine. I have to say that knowing where you're going to school by October first made for a stress-free senior year. My son is not a kid who second-guesses himself so I doubt that he'll have any regrets -- he has none so far and can't wait to leave in August.
Actually, my son (freshman this past year) insisted on applying to only one school, too. He visited, interviewed, and loved it; his stats were in the 75% range; he wanted a specialized program of study that only a handful of universities offer; and his overall application was strong with quirky ECs and lots of leadership. We (parents) forced him to visit and apply to one more school (which he did cheerfully, but sure that he would go to his first choice); in the end he also ended up applying to my husband's and my alma mater just to see if he could get in (but would never have gone there as they did not even offer the program he was interested in).
So he was accepted at his dream school, rolling admissions, at the end of October. And that was that. He was right. And sometimes (although probably not often) two applications can be enough.
Another vote for a serious talk about a financial safety close to home and cheap.
My D said this - what if someone in the family got very ill and I just didn't want to go so far away?
MSU may fit this bill for you, but if the local commuter school or community college is a no go, then I think some other close to home/inexpensive school is just cheap insurance against that change of circumstances.
If he will know early that he is accepted by MSU, and he would be happy to go there if UVA didn't pan out, then 2 is enough, provided it is financially feasible.
I would have been really nervous if my kids had only applied to 2 schools. Their top choices were uber-reaches, and they needed realistic fall-back options. Cost is a big factor in our family as well, since we are middle income, and H & I will be retiring soon. D applied to 10 and S to 8. D got her 3rd choice, since she was rejected by 1st choice and 2nd choice was too expensive. S got his 1st choice. However, until those last admissions/financial aid packages came in April, we had no idea where either of them would be going.
U of Minn is a great school, but keep in mind that it gets pretty cold up there and there is more snow than here in Illinois. Climate was a big issue for my S in his choices of where to apply.
The applications for MSU come out in August. MSU is close to many hospitals and has clinics on campus also. MSU has something set up so students don't have to pay for a couple visits to the campus clinic or an ambulance in a emergency.
cptofthehouseRegistered UserPosts: 27,895Senior Member
There are many kids who just apply to one school, sometimes ED or EA and that is it when accepted. Some kids already know where they want to go, and if the school is open enrollment, they just sign up.
I would encourage you to apply to both U of M and UIUC. not necessarily because of needing a safety, but because they are seriously some of the easiest applications you will ever see. The University of Minnesota one doesn't even have an essay, and might take you all of 15 minutes to complete. Heck, you could even fill it out for your son if you really wanted to. And UIUC only has two extremely short essays. If you don't mind paying the application fees (&SAT/ACT score reports), it's definitely worth the very small amount of time it takes to send them off. Always nice to have options.
Additionally, speaking as an Illinois resident, after financial aid UIUC was my most expensive school, and U of M my least.
My D only applied to one school, as the youngest she has watched the proces unfold with all it's stresses for the older sibs. She picked one rolling admit LAC type school with merit money, FAFSA only. Knowing from her sister's awards that this would be somewhere close to affordable.
She did the early no essay app and was in by Oct w/merit $. We then kept tossing out other options she might pursue, other good schools to investigate, etc. Nothing in Dec, nothing in Jan, her last possible alternate school had a March deadline, by March she decided she was happy with her #1 choice.
It worked for her because she had seen so much about the school options with her sisters and had been in school visits with them. They went to Ucs and she is thrilled to NOT go to a large public. It worked because she was clear on what she did want and because she did keep considering adding other schools along the way, comparing each one to the one where she is already in and determining whether or not it was worth an essay to have that option!! It never was and she's an English major
I agree that you should consider another 1 or 2 match schools.
My gut feeling is that your son will be accepted to MSU. (I am an alum and we are great Spartan fans in our Long Island house!) Great school, great education with lots of choices of major as I suppose the other Big Ten's are. I was a transfer OOS and made friends quickly and it never felt like a huge school except if a class was across campus in the winter! We bundled up and the cold was always manageable.
From what I know, my son was accepted (for last fall) with better stats and given scholarship opportunities you may also receive. They gave him lots of perks (in state tuition, job teaching or doing research, etc...) you may get some of the same.
My old roomie's son (same age as mine) started there last fall. From what she told me along the way, with a 3.5 GPA, I assume unweighted, (at least for instate) he and his friends had to submit mid year grades before the acceptance letter was sent.(He got in with the 3.5 and 27 ACT. While the stats at MSU have probably risen like everywhere else, I think the size of the school helps a lot with the kids on the high end of the spectrum, like your son. They have lots of spots to fill and don't need to be so selective of the top kids, they can let them all in!!!
(Just an FYI- things have gotten so crazy. Lots of kids on Long Island that we know did not get in to their match schools. A friend of mine had her daughter rejected from 2 of her safties (told on the tour that she'd be in Honors College) but accepted at a reach with merit $ for community service. They were all small schools by the way.)
Apply ASAP- Strive to have the MSU app in Aug/Sept. Get your app done, send scores, and as soon as school opens in the fall, make sure the guidance office sends your grades and recs. (One problem we encountered with MSU when I called to see if all materials were received as they were not noted on line was that there were many mailbags that had not even been unpacked yet and it would take a couple of weeks to update the system. You can avoid this by applying early.
As far as UVa- great school. Good luck. (Son applied and was accepted. No merit $.) (May want to add UMaryland which is very popular here although it will be a match with no guarantee. Being from IL may help you there as being from NY hurts us here. May want to add another big ten safety- Indiana is super popular here. Also, Ohio State (even though we had a big anti-OS chant at MSU!!)
I hope your son gets accepted at both. You can't go wrong with either one of them.
Why not Pitt's Honors College? The sports did not thrill my D but they might your son. Different vibe than the other schools and merit $$ available depending on his scores.
Replies to: 2 Schools Enough?
As to the not applying to U of I - it's the stupidest thing that I've ever heard. My husband's whole family went to big 10 schools and there's this huge rivalry between all of them, so he was raised on a sports-based hate of U of I and won't budge and my husband encourages this - he thinks it's funny???
Anyway, that's excellent information about U of Minn. I am trying to get him to look at UW, but he's resisting. He's not fooling himself about UVA - much better students than him have been turned away, and I have not sugar-coated it him (see my user name). He thinks that if he get in, it would be great, but if it's Mich State that would be good too.
Has anyone actually known a kid that onl applied to 2 schools in these crazy times?
Thank you all again
If he would be happy at MSU, I'd say his plan sounds fine. I have to say that knowing where you're going to school by October first made for a stress-free senior year. My son is not a kid who second-guesses himself so I doubt that he'll have any regrets -- he has none so far and can't wait to leave in August.
Just make sure he applies EARLY.
So he was accepted at his dream school, rolling admissions, at the end of October. And that was that. He was right. And sometimes (although probably not often) two applications can be enough.
My D said this - what if someone in the family got very ill and I just didn't want to go so far away?
MSU may fit this bill for you, but if the local commuter school or community college is a no go, then I think some other close to home/inexpensive school is just cheap insurance against that change of circumstances.
I would have been really nervous if my kids had only applied to 2 schools. Their top choices were uber-reaches, and they needed realistic fall-back options. Cost is a big factor in our family as well, since we are middle income, and H & I will be retiring soon. D applied to 10 and S to 8. D got her 3rd choice, since she was rejected by 1st choice and 2nd choice was too expensive. S got his 1st choice. However, until those last admissions/financial aid packages came in April, we had no idea where either of them would be going.
U of Minn is a great school, but keep in mind that it gets pretty cold up there and there is more snow than here in Illinois. Climate was a big issue for my S in his choices of where to apply.
Additionally, speaking as an Illinois resident, after financial aid UIUC was my most expensive school, and U of M my least.
She did the early no essay app and was in by Oct w/merit $. We then kept tossing out other options she might pursue, other good schools to investigate, etc. Nothing in Dec, nothing in Jan, her last possible alternate school had a March deadline, by March she decided she was happy with her #1 choice.
It worked for her because she had seen so much about the school options with her sisters and had been in school visits with them. They went to Ucs and she is thrilled to NOT go to a large public. It worked because she was clear on what she did want and because she did keep considering adding other schools along the way, comparing each one to the one where she is already in and determining whether or not it was worth an essay to have that option!! It never was and she's an English major
My gut feeling is that your son will be accepted to MSU. (I am an alum and we are great Spartan fans in our Long Island house!) Great school, great education with lots of choices of major as I suppose the other Big Ten's are. I was a transfer OOS and made friends quickly and it never felt like a huge school except if a class was across campus in the winter! We bundled up and the cold was always manageable.
From what I know, my son was accepted (for last fall) with better stats and given scholarship opportunities you may also receive. They gave him lots of perks (in state tuition, job teaching or doing research, etc...) you may get some of the same.
My old roomie's son (same age as mine) started there last fall. From what she told me along the way, with a 3.5 GPA, I assume unweighted, (at least for instate) he and his friends had to submit mid year grades before the acceptance letter was sent.(He got in with the 3.5 and 27 ACT. While the stats at MSU have probably risen like everywhere else, I think the size of the school helps a lot with the kids on the high end of the spectrum, like your son. They have lots of spots to fill and don't need to be so selective of the top kids, they can let them all in!!!
(Just an FYI- things have gotten so crazy. Lots of kids on Long Island that we know did not get in to their match schools. A friend of mine had her daughter rejected from 2 of her safties (told on the tour that she'd be in Honors College) but accepted at a reach with merit $ for community service. They were all small schools by the way.)
Apply ASAP- Strive to have the MSU app in Aug/Sept. Get your app done, send scores, and as soon as school opens in the fall, make sure the guidance office sends your grades and recs. (One problem we encountered with MSU when I called to see if all materials were received as they were not noted on line was that there were many mailbags that had not even been unpacked yet and it would take a couple of weeks to update the system. You can avoid this by applying early.
As far as UVa- great school. Good luck. (Son applied and was accepted. No merit $.) (May want to add UMaryland which is very popular here although it will be a match with no guarantee. Being from IL may help you there as being from NY hurts us here. May want to add another big ten safety- Indiana is super popular here. Also, Ohio State (even though we had a big anti-OS chant at MSU!!)
I hope your son gets accepted at both. You can't go wrong with either one of them.