<p>I just hate this part of the college admissions process… kids struggling to get their essays and apps done, agonizing over last gasp testing, along with all the other stresses of senior year. I can’t WAIT for April, when the shoe is on the other foot and our kids will be the ones doing the picking and choosing among their acceptances. Sure, there will be a few disappointments. But if they are choosing wisely to pick reaches, matches, and safeties, they will have some great choices in the spring. Can’t wait for that (the downhill part of the process, I think). Just had to say so. 
I knew you would all understand!</p>
<p>Yes, can’t wait. What I despise is how some of the teachers believe their role in the college admission process is paramount, restrictions on words of essays, recommendations.</p>
<p>One told her class anyone who submits an essay to her for editing over a certain word count will be sent to the trash. Meanwhile the essay will be graded as an exam. “I don’t have time” Well then don’t offer your editing skills.</p>
<p>We have one who refused has personally known my kid since birth, who refused to do a rec, not looking for favors, my kid is in his class.</p>
<p>I hope it really is April for everyone. Our April was the most stressful month of all because of the waitlist! We were still making far away visits to schools never visited and stressing over the waitlist (sending in some info, etc). Luckily, my son was accepted off the waitlist by early May, surely due in part to all the effort in April.</p>
<p>Things just become so much clearer by April. My oldest decided on a certain major, which meant eliminating all but two of his acceptances. Second child had a favorite when applying, but was deferred. Ended up being accepted after first semester’s grades, even though they were slightly lower. Third child has just applied to one school, but says he doesn’t really want to go to college, which is very painful for this cc mom.</p>
<p>samiamy==maybe that teacher is really doing your child a favor as having too long of an essay can count against your child for admissions :D. We haven’t heard that one from any teachers here though.</p>
<p>DD will have her decision by Nov 1st so that shortens the process for her!! DS has one April notification school on his list so his will be drawn out. He will have the rest of his acceptances in by the end of the month most likely.</p>
<p>I don’t do very well with the not knowing part :D.</p>
<p>That part was nothing, easy and no excitement at all. Did not get into #1 program and just went to #2. Now, 6 years later after being much more familiar with both, stated that it was one of best decsions of her life, awesome 4 years with great results. If you have your preference list already in front of you, then it is straignt forward process.<br>
Did not happen that easy with Grad. School as admission to any is precious. No preference list, hard time making decision.</p>
<p>I went through this last year. It’s like you visit schools and they all act like their school is absolutely nearly impossible to get into, then you apply and interview and feel like you are begging them to let you give them 50k for the privelege of darkening their doorways.</p>
<p>But it all flips around once the acceptances come in and you are in the power position of choosing. </p>
<p>It’s hard to believe now, but if you made a solid, realistic list your child will have options and in 6 months you’ll be talking about dorms, meal plans, bed bath and beyond, etc.</p>
<p>It’s become harrowing for college admissions as well. It used to be much simpler but now there are so many “phantom” applicants that trying to find out who is truly serious is becoming nearly impossible. For some of the smaller schools, it’s important to let the admissions people know you are truly interested and want to go.</p>
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<p>I was always puzzled by this metaphor. I know what it’s supposed to mean, but logically it doesn’t make a lot of sense.</p>
<p>“I was always puzzled by this metaphor. I know what it’s supposed to mean, but logically it doesn’t make a lot of sense.”</p>
<p>When a shoe is made to fit a specific foot (right or left), it would be uncomfortable to put the shoe on the other foot (right shoe on left foot or vice versa). So it does make a lot of sense when used to describe a situation in which a reversal of conditions will cause the other party to be “uncomfortable”.</p>
<p>I prefer: the ball’s in your court</p>
<p>Mmm… not me. That just implies a handoff with no hard feelings, and it is someone else’s turn. 
The whole college admissions process reminds me too much of sorority/fraternity rush. Simpering to get their good graces, then hopefully having some to choose from once they decide if you are good enough.</p>
<p>I am not suggesting a change in the process. But I dislike this part of it.</p>
<p>With respect to #8 above-- and the problem with the phantom applicants is that colleges do end up passing on many applicants who would seriously love to be on their campus, and end up under-enrolled or snagging from their waitlists but not always getting the mix of students they wanted on their campus; or else some schools accept too many (for example, American University) and end up having lots of students in forced triples.</p>
<p>Definitely a lot more fun for the students after April 1 though!</p>
<p>"…they all act like their school is absolutely nearly impossible to get into, then you apply and interview…’
-Some programs are close to impossible to get in at any school. These have 10 - 15 spots and over thousands of applicants. However, if one applies smartly, there are choices at the end…</p>
<p>Actually, April is an agonizing time for some families. Their students have been accepted at colleges that they really like, but they have to choose other schools for financial reasons.</p>
<p>It sounds like the OP’s child won’t be in this situation, which is great.</p>
<p>But I think it’s important for kids and their families to be sensitive to the fact that other families are in this situation, and that it’s difficult for them. Similarly, students who apply ED and are accepted at their ED schools need to be sensitive to the fact that they have classmates who could not take advantage of ED for financial reasons.</p>
<p>When my son was accepted at his first choice school, which was our flagship state university, he could talk about it as much as he wanted, and didn’t have to hide how pleased he was because pretty much everyone he knew could afford that school (although many chose to go elsewhere). Money didn’t enter the conversations.</p>
<p>But when my daughter was accepted ED at a private university, she had to be very tactful about it both in December and April because many of her friends did not have the options she had because of reasons that had to do with family finances.</p>
<p>The most stressful time for us was in December, when son was waiting for an early acceptance decision. April came in close second. He didn’t have a favorite school and had to reject 8 great schools. It wasn’t easy.</p>
<p>"When my son was accepted at his first choice school, which was our flagship state university, he could talk about it as much as he wanted, and didn’t have to hide how pleased he was because pretty much everyone he knew could afford that school (although many chose to go elsewhere). Money didn’t enter the conversations.</p>
<p>But when my daughter was accepted ED at a private university, she had to be very tactful about it both in December and April because many of her friends did not have the options she had because of reasons that had to do with family finances."</p>
<p>-Many privates offer much higher Merit awards than state flagships. However, there are some state schools that offers whole lot of Merits also. Just need to research if finances are under consideration. D. did not apply to a single UG that would not give substantial Merit to her (based on our research). She got them at every school (including the one that did not accept her to selective program, this private actually gave her the most money).</p>
<p>Marian–it’s really sad that your DD’s friends couldn’t be excited for her. Around here the private schools are very generous with merit aid so getting in and attending one doesn’t mean you are rich or poor. I’m glad that the kids can just accept that some kids are going to Harvard and some are going to the local community college and it is what it is without making judgements about those kids.</p>
<p>^the same here, but it is different, for example, in NYC. My Granddaghter in a process of applying to …High Schools, forget college for now. Very very competitive aplying to PUBLIC HS’s in NYC. She has a choice of 5, some are almost impossible to get in. There are no tuition, they are publics. I can’t even imagine what we will hear in 4 years about college. However, as she follow my D’s footsteps, she might have a cool head on her sholders and do not apply to any Ivy’s /Elite, but instead research shich ones are offerring good Merit packages. however, D’s environment was not near as competitive as the one in NYC, more so probably in Manhattan middle school with very high percentage of Asian students.</p>
<p>I get that public celebration can be very tactless for either students who can’t afford certain schools, or possibly denied when your kid was admitted. We have been through this once before, so are aware of that. Could be tough choices to be made between acceptances, too, but at least the choice is my D’s and not the ad coms’ at that point!</p>