<p>There are schools that have the app deadline as “mailed by” versus those that have the app deadline as “received by.”</p>
<p>Wesleyan “recommends” a social sciences teacher recommendation and a math or science recommendation, whether or not the student has strengths or any intention of majoring in either of these areas. Not everyone is fabulous in every subject, and what is the point of a recommendation if it is not positive?</p>
<p>The interview is also a grey area for MANY schools: recommended but not required, won’t hurt your chances if you don’t have one (but will they actually help you if you do?).</p>
<p>Any college that asks, “Whats your daddy do?” Not on the financial aid application or FAFSA, but on the application for admission. UNC-Chapel Hill is NOTORIOUS for this. As if that matters? It should have no bearing on their decision whatsoever. It just advertises that they “have an agenda.”</p>
<p>Geesh!</p>
<p>UNC-Chapel Hill STRONGLY discourages paper applications and gives a preference to online applications. Trouble is, the online application is tedious, laborious and takes FOREVER! Then they screwed up the notification a few years ago and sent out WRONG EMAILS!</p>
<p>I think the concept is similar to that of SAT I which is, “if a student base is strong in Mathematics and English reading and writing then the student will be able to cope with the college material at ease”.</p>
<p>I think if you pay attention to most colleges SATII and recommendation requirements then you will see that if a student include math to their recomendation and SAT II they will be fine with applications at all colleges.</p>
<p>So choose the following:</p>
<p>SAT II Math II C, Physics or Chemistry or Biology, English Literature or US History
Teacher Recommendations: Math, English or History</p>
<p>Hollyert: If your talking aobu the “option” part 1 application for USC, its not due until October 15th.</p>
<p>How about not counting the ACT unless you also took the writing part?</p>
<h1>25 - POIH:
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<p>I think this is too restricted. Many of the ivyhope kids finish math classes in 9th or 10th grades and colleges don’t want recommendation from 9th, 10th grade teachers. Recommendations from teachers teaching economics, art history, US government, humanities are good too (and I think they maybe better than recommendation from a history teacher).</p>
<p>While I totally agree that the process is daunting and frustrating to say the least, I do understand the differences. There are certainly similarities among the colleges, but there are also big differences, and that is part of what we all look for when applying. So, it also stands to reason that there would NEED to be differences in the applications. Especially if a school uses the common app. There have to be ways for schools to hone in on what they want from their applicants. Not every student wants the same things in a school, and not every school wants the same things in the applicants.</p>
<p>I think the Common App should have the essay part optional so that every college can use it. This will help students fill it out early to create an application file with the colleges before sending test scores, recommendations,…</p>
<p>I am disappointed that the UC does not use the Common App. The UC personal statements and the Common App essays are not common.</p>
<p>Hee hee. It doesn’t get better for grad school. I’m applying to five different schools with five /completely/ different personal statement requirements (one needs to be 500 words minimum, another 500 maximum, one 750-1000 and another “in the space allotted” on a modifiable pdf in which the size of the text shrinks with every new line).</p>
<p>The expected recommendations are all over the place. From Rutgers, they should be “from people who can comment on your academic abilities rather than on your performance in the work place,” others prefer recommendations from past employers, and still others don’t bother to give a preference. Extra materials run the gamut from a “personal history statement” to “interview essays” with current professionals in the field.</p>
<p>Plus, I can’t keep straight whether they want the GRE scores or not; some say to send them on all accounts, other say to send them only if your GPA is below a 3.0. Who wants two copies of the transcript? Who only needs one? Who needs it to be sent to the grad school and who needs it to be sent to the department? Extra financial aid application or check just check the box on the regular one? Some sites contradict themselves–one school said it “preferred to receive the following in a single envelope” at the top of the page and “recommended submitting materials online” on the bottom!</p>
<p>Good thing I’m sending transcripts out in December. I don’t think I’d get in to any of my schools with the GPA hit I’m going to take by sacrificing studying to fill out these darned applications :p</p>
<p>As the parent of a junior at the University of Florida and a freshman at MIT, I recall the stress my sons and family have experienced. For the most part, the variations in college applications had to do with demographic questions. The most difficult task in the application process, however, was the creation of the essays, so standardization (i.e. the same essays usable for all applications) would relieve a lot of the angst and insomnia associated with the application process. The University of Chicago has always had very unique essay prompts (“The Uncommon Application”), but now it allows an applicant the option to use the Common Application (including the standardized essays) instead; schools with unique applications might take heed of this.</p>
<p>Otherwise, my advice is: get very organized and be very patient with your child!</p>
<p>I definitely agree that the basic application should be standardized for the sake of the students doing less busy work, but I think that should put more emphasis on good supplements.
I’m pretty sure I speak for a lot of people who value essays above all else; I have to. I have done well in school, but I don’t think it is representative of me at all as I am now because high school has been an upward climb. It is evident in my classes and grades, sure, but one could assume just from looking at my transcript that I couldn’t get it together as well as I could until I had to for college, when really I’ve just grown in my breadth of curiosity over the years, thought I was seeking what I wanted and taking advantage of opportunities, then really realized that what I needed to do was challenge myself in areas that are less specific and “interesting” (though I find most every class fascinating) to do what I want.
I love UChicago for the fact that they want to see how their applicants can convey their own ideas about education, themselves, or something completely random that provides another window into their electric minds. I wish my other top school had that, but I guess the struggle is to be poignant and concise.
So I guess that the common app is great for having to only fill out the tedious busywork once, but I think that supplements are extremely valuable; you should be able to prove why you belong at a school. Transcripts and extracurriculars say a lot about you, but clearly not everything. What is the point if you can’t say anything about your work?
So I hope your point is that the paperwork should be a one-time thing, and secondary to the part of the application that really needs attention.</p>
<p>wait!
Georgetown’s EA is Restricted?!?!</p>
<p>^ Georgetown’s EA is restricted in that students who apply EA to Gtown are forbidden from applying ED to any school, but they may apply EA to any other school if they choose to.</p>
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<p>Really? how about science teacher? I’ve tried google.</p>
<p>bump~~bump again</p>
<p>Berekely (and I guess the other UC schools) have several distinctions that make them different from the rest: the a-g requirements that include an art or music class (unless you qualify to apply by great test scores, but they still prefer you have a-g); no transcript or recs at all; and just the month of November to apply.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, and they probably prefer the correct spelling, too–Berkeley :)</p>
<p>I agree with post #5, and disagree with post #4’s call for a nationally standardized application because this suggests that all schools & all courses of study are the same; and it would make applying to a great number of schools too easy even though the applicant may just be fishing for an acceptance to an elite school without any real interest. Post #4’s suggestion could lead to acceptance rates of one (1%) percent at the Ivies.</p>