<p>LINYMOM: you beat me to it…just thinking about the UMiami situation (and yes, I have warned a number of posters not to apply ED to no avail…)</p>
<p>I totally agree with rockvillemom about everything…with one caveat…</p>
<p>Get all info on individual schools admissions strategies…with certain EA/RD programs, you are at a huge disadvantage with RD unless your child’s stats are above the 25%…</p>
<p>I guess that just reiterates LINYMOM’s post…depends on the school…</p>
<p>Revised Lessons:</p>
<ol>
<li>Visit schools before the senior year.</li>
<li>Have at least one Rolling Admission school that is applied to by late September/early October.</li>
<li>Get the essays done over the summer. Your child will thank you for nagging them about this later!</li>
<li> Understand the benefits of EA/ED as they apply to your child and each school.</li>
</ol>
<p>Frustrated with teachers and their bullying tactics! I didn’t stand for it today 
now I feel awful for questioning the teacher’s expectations, response and bad decisions. I felt bad before and I feel bad now. Bully’s always win ahhhh now I feel a little better. I am not one to gossip and I had to just share. XXXXXXXXX is a poor excuse for a teacher, go back to your real life job that you were fired from!</p>
<p>Oh my! That does not sound good.</p>
<p>Hi Names. I will confess, when I found this thread, I began at the very beginning, and read a little each day (ok, maybe a lot!), and learned so much, even though it was always clear that my dd would apply to art school. I did not know whether they would be stand alone or part of a university (and they have been both) and I learned a lot about strategies, for visiting, communicating with the schools (dd writes each counselor she has met with almost every time something happens with her art, and with applying. I love this thread and tell all my friends with or without being Jewish about it! </p>
<p>LINYMOM, a hearty congrats to you and I will pick your brain when we get closer. I have never been to Sarasota, and have never really been a Florida person, growing up in San Francisco, but that could be about to change!</p>
<p>…I just caught up on the last two pages…glad I was here from the beginning!
First of all, MAZEL TOV to LINYMOM. I am so impressed that you are embarking on this adventure. </p>
<p>As for the parents on this thread, we are a very supportive group. There are many of us here who do not “fit” the title, whether in religion or academic status. The common denominator is that we are all happy to share what we’ve gleaned from past experience, are interested in learning from each other, and are (more or less) non-judgmental.</p>
<p>Revised lessons:</p>
<ol>
<li>Visit schools before the senior year.</li>
<li>Have at least one Rolling Admission school that is applied to by late September/early October.</li>
<li>Get the essays done over the summer. Your child will thank you for nagging them about this later!</li>
<li>Understand the benefits of EA/ED as they apply to your child and each school. </li>
<li>Prepare a “high school resume” with a brief description of your college/career goals to give to the people doing your recommendations and to attach with the applications (I kept a file in MS Word for each year in high school, so that we wouldn’t forget any activities.)</li>
</ol>
<p>Adding a few things to the lessons learned (#6 & #7)</p>
<p>Revised lessons:</p>
<ol>
<li>Visit schools before the senior year.
<ol>
<li>Have at least one Rolling Admission school that is applied to by late September/early October.</li>
<li>Get the essays done over the summer. Your child will thank you for nagging them about this later!</li>
<li>Understand the benefits of EA/ED as they apply to your child and each school. </li>
</ol></li>
<li>Prepare a “high school resume” with a brief description of your college/career goals to give to the people doing your recommendations and to attach with the applications (I kept a file in MS Word for each year in high school, so that we wouldn’t forget any activities.) </li>
<li> Have a financial safety that your child would be willing to attend.</li>
<li> If a school says something is recommended or optional treat it as required if it’s a school your child is really interested in.</li>
</ol>
<p>I still remember how happy I was to discover this thread when D2 was a HS junior. I had peeked at the HS Class of 2011 thread and has completely intimidated by the talk of all the AP tests the kids were studying for. My D was a good student, but wasn’t taking the most rigorous schedule and hasn’t set the world on fire with her first SAT scores. Things worked out well for her, and I’ve really enjoyed following the rest of “our” kids as they navigate the process. I think that the success we’ve seen so far this year is partly due to the strategies shared on this thread.</p>
<p>Adding to lessons learned (#8) </p>
<p>Revised lessons:</p>
<ol>
<li>Visit schools before the senior year.</li>
<li>Have at least one Rolling Admission school that is applied to by late September/early October.</li>
<li>Get the essays done over the summer. Your child will thank you for nagging them about this later!</li>
<li>Understand the benefits of EA/ED as they apply to your child and each school. </li>
<li>Prepare a “high school resume” with a brief description of your college/career goals to give to the people doing your recommendations and to attach with the applications (I kept a file in MS Word for each year in high school, so that we wouldn’t forget any activities.) </li>
<li>Have a financial safety that your child would be willing to attend.</li>
<li>If a school says something is recommended or optional treat it as required if it’s a school your child is really interested in. </li>
<li> If the first SAT scores aren’t great, try the ACT (and vice versa).</li>
</ol>
<p>I like our summary of lessons learned - here are a few more:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Use the new net price calculator tool that all colleges are now required to offer on their websites. This will give use a realistic ballpark of what FA you might receive. Better to know this info upfront - than to apply to colleges that simply will not work out financially.</p></li>
<li><p>Look at the Common Data Set for each college - simply Google “XYZ University Common Data Set” and you will generally find it. A wealth of information on acceptance rates, admissions criteria and test scores.</p></li>
<li><p>Apply to one or more schools where your child’s stats are at or above the mid-range. (You will know this after checking out the CDS). This will provide both an admissions safety school and a great chance at merit aid.</p></li>
<li><p>Start applications in August - particularly for any rolling admission schools. The Common Application becomes available August 1 each year and most other applications are available by mid-August. Anything you can accomplish in August will be a blessing in September/October.</p></li>
<li><p>If you are applying for need-based financial aid - check each college’s website very carefully. Deadlines and requirements vary considerably. Familiarize yourself ahead of time with FAFSA and CSS Profile. Don’t be intimidated by all of the acronyms - these are fairly straight forward forms.</p></li>
<li><p>Don’t pay for SAT/ACT tutoring prematurely. Just as you would not head in for surgery without the proper diagnostic tests - don’t get sucked into an expensive test prep program before you know what your child needs. Have them take both an ACT and a SAT junior year. Decide which test suits them better. Decide which sections of that particular test need work. Then - you can do some paid test prep to focus on that specific area. </p></li>
<li><p>The most important lesson of all - and the one that many wise posters taught me last year - is to love your child unconditionally - despite the occasional bad grade - despite their lack of interest in their college process - despite their innate ability to push buttons. No college admissions process is worth damaging the relationship you have with your teenager. If you find yourself veering towards the deep end with stress over the college process - take a deep breath and step back. The nest will be empty soon enough.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>AMEN to number 15 - This is the toughest one.</p>
<p>Good day of posts…</p>
<p>my lessons
16. Have your child pick a theme. This theme is their story. It should be what makes them unique. The theme should play out in interviews, resumes, and essays. It can be an after school activity, a charity, a learning difference, or anything. It may sound odd, but it makes sense. You want a story conveyed, that might resonate with admissions.</p>
<ol>
<li> Pick two or three schools and market your child to these schools. It is important to set your applicant apart. If these schools are a reach, you need to put a name and story to your child. Don’t rely solely on SAT and GPA numbers to sell your child. Demonstrated interest can be very important. Colleges want to admit kids who are going to enroll. They want high yields. We selected two schools that were reaches for my daughters. We visited, met with admissions, followed up, and set our kids apart. The results so far have been great. In one instance, my D1 personally delivered her application and materials. She told the admissions rep she flew there to hand it to her, because she wanted her to know how much she wanted that school. It worked. Now we hope for one more good result for D2.</li>
</ol>
<p>Those are my two cents…</p>
<p>Hi everyone, been AWOL with computer problems first, now some scholarship blues (me, not my D) and so I don’t have much to add at this point. Will go back and read 1-10 or whichever I’ve missed!</p>
<p>We are doing fine with admissions, just this Pitt not getting $$ yet is really slaying me. I feel like I sold her on Pitt because we heard she would have a great shot at tuition and now even the half tuition letters seem to have gone out and we’ve heard nothing. And I know I soundalike m whining so I’m staying away for that reason too. Just feeling kinda bad.</p>
<p>Promise to do some catching up over break…not feeling like very good company now.</p>
<p>Continued best wishes to everyone waiting and hearing!</p>
<p>sujormik- hope that you hear some news from Pitt soon. But- saw your post over on the Drexel decisions thread- great results there with $23,000 scholarship! Drexel might turn out to be cheaper than Pitt --actually when we visited there one of our student guides said that Drexel turned out to be cheaper than his in-state public (Rutgers). Let me know if you plan to visit and I’ll be happy to help you out with any local Philly travel questions.</p>
<p>We are still WAITING to even hear a decision from Drexel…applied back in the end of October and not a word.</p>
<p>Thanks pamom, Drexel was a free application and in Philly so it was pretty random for D.maybe she should look at it more seriously!</p>
<p>great list. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>ignore those around you who give you ‘the look’ or question, why that school or comment I have never heard of it. be proud of the school. it doesn’t have to be ivy league.</p></li>
<li><p>fit, fit, fit</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Love the list. I also want to add that although my S1 was an A student, my S2 is a low B/C student, and one benefit of this thread is that it has opened my eyes to a whole universe of schools I was not familiar with. We are from the midwest, and there are so many PA and other schools further east that I would not even know to look at if not from the experience of other posters on this thread.</p>
<p>Lessons Learned</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Visit schools before the senior year.</p></li>
<li><p>Have at least one Rolling Admission school that is applied to by late September/early October.</p></li>
<li><p>Get the essays done over the summer. Your child will thank you for nagging them about this later!</p></li>
<li><p>Understand the benefits of EA/ED as they apply to your child and each school. </p></li>
<li><p>Prepare a “high school resume” with a brief description of your college/career goals to give to the people doing your recommendations and to attach with the applications (I kept a file in MS Word for each year in high school, so that we wouldn’t forget any activities.) </p></li>
<li><p>Have a financial safety that your child would be willing to attend.</p></li>
<li><p>If a school says something is recommended or optional treat it as required if it’s a school your child is really interested in. </p></li>
<li><p>If the first SAT scores aren’t great, try the ACT (and vice versa).</p></li>
<li><p>Use the new net price calculator tool that all colleges are now required to offer on their websites. This will give use a realistic ballpark of what FA you might receive. Better to know this info upfront - than to apply to colleges that simply will not work out financially.</p></li>
<li><p>Look at the Common Data Set for each college - simply Google “XYZ University Common Data Set” and you will generally find it. A wealth of information on acceptance rates, admissions criteria and test scores.</p></li>
<li><p>Apply to one or more schools where your child’s stats are at or above the mid-range. (You will know this after checking out the CDS). This will provide both an admissions safety school and a great chance at merit aid.</p></li>
<li><p>Start applications in August - particularly for any rolling admission schools. The Common Application becomes available August 1 each year and most other applications are available by mid-August. Anything you can accomplish in August will be a blessing in September/October.</p></li>
<li><p>If you are applying for need-based financial aid - check each college’s website very carefully. Deadlines and requirements vary considerably. Familiarize yourself ahead of time with FAFSA and CSS Profile. Don’t be intimidated by all of the acronyms - these are fairly straight forward forms.</p></li>
<li><p>Don’t pay for SAT/ACT tutoring prematurely. Just as you would not head in for surgery without the proper diagnostic tests - don’t get sucked into an expensive test prep program before you know what your child needs. Have them take both an ACT and a SAT junior year. Decide which test suits them better. Decide which sections of that particular test need work. Then - you can do some paid test prep to focus on that specific area. </p></li>
<li><p>The most important lesson of all - and the one that many wise posters taught me last year - is to love your child unconditionally - despite the occasional bad grade - despite their lack of interest in their college process - despite their innate ability to push buttons. No college admissions process is worth damaging the relationship you have with your teenager. If you find yourself veering towards the deep end with stress over the college process - take a deep breath and step back. The nest will be empty soon enough.</p></li>
<li><p>Have your child pick a theme. This theme is their story. It should be what makes them unique. The theme should play out in interviews, resumes, and essays. It can be an after school activity, a charity, a learning difference, or anything. It may sound odd, but it makes sense. You want a story conveyed, that might resonate with admissions.</p></li>
<li><p>Pick two or three schools and market your child to these schools. It is important to set your applicant apart. If these schools are a reach, you need to put a name and story to your child. Don’t rely solely on SAT and GPA numbers to sell your child. Demonstrated interest can be very important. Colleges want to admit kids who are going to enroll. They want high yields. We selected two schools that were reaches for my daughters. We visited, met with admissions, followed up, and set our kids apart. The results so far have been great. In one instance, my D1 personally delivered her application and materials. She told the admissions rep she flew there to hand it to her, because she wanted her to know how much she wanted that school. It worked. Now we hope for one more good result for D2.</p></li>
<li><p>ignore those around you who give you ‘the look’ or question, why that school or comment I have never heard of it. be proud of the school. it doesn’t have to be ivy league.</p></li>
<li><p>fit, fit, fit</p></li>
<li><p>Don’t second guess yourselves. No woulda, coulda, shoulda. Do your research - make your decisions and choices - and live with the results.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>sujormik - it sounds like congratulations are in order on Drexel! And hopefully you will hear good news on scholarships from Pitt soon. </p>
<p>We are a little disappointed here that S2 did not receive a merit scholarship from Elon - I had done considerable research and thought he would/should get it. I have since learned that he just missed the cutoff - by 30 points out of 2400! One thing I had not counted on is that cutoffs do vary from year to year - and in his case - a slight movement upwards knocked him out. Of course, that led me to second guess our decision to have him only take the ACT twice. Had he taken it one more time - and gotten just one point higher on English or math - he would have had this scholarship. Which leads me to:</p>
<ol>
<li> Don’t second guess yourselves. No woulda, coulda, shoulda. Do your research - make your decisions and choices - and live with the results.</li>
</ol>
<p>I want to add that I really liked socaldad’s advice on picking a theme. We often hear it described as a “passion” but theme works as well. I think that anything you can do to distinguish yourself from the crowd is of value. Think of it this way - the admissions office has a pool of applicants with similar test scores and GPAs. They all have good ECs and essays. How do they pick which of those students to admit if they are all qualified? So many times it is just a random crapshoot. But if you can do something to differentiate your student - gain that increased visibility - without going overboard - that could be a great strategy.</p>