<p>The 2008 season for our DD is happily completed. Now is the time for the 2010 season planning. Here are some tentitive timelines and will greatly appreciate your inputs.</p>
<p>DS is also a very smart kid but he is little less outgoing. Our #1 thing is to help him to get involved in something he likes outside of classes.</p>
<p>Timewise, his next big test is PSAT. He will start to work on it in summer. If needs to, we will get him into some preparation classes to help him. last October, he got a high 190 in the real PSAT test.</p>
<p>Then, I think we will get him to take an ACT to get a feel. Will turn attention to SAT II if the ACT score is decent. </p>
<p>He will have completed one AP this year. GC and teachers recommend for him to take another 5 this coming school year. </p>
<p>According to his teachers, DS writes well. He may have a better chance of getting into top LAC. </p>
<p>Financially, our plan is to target 100% needs meeting schools first. With two overlapping years, this type of schools will give us the best deals.</p>
<p>So, all is completed with your daughter? Where is she going? I have followed your stories of her process for a long time and so would love to hear her decision.</p>
<p>If your son writes well, he should consider entering one of the national essay contests or even a local or regional essay contest. Someone else may know more about the Scholastic Writing contest. You put together a portfolio of your best work and gold keys and silver keys are awarded. For students who are interested in history, getting an article published in the Concord Review is an impressive accomplishment. The fastweb site might list more.</p>
<p>Getting national recognition often helps get into top schools. </p>
<p>Also look around to see if there are writing opportunities in your local community–many local papers,for example, like to have teen reporters. </p>
<p>I’ve written out “packaging” your kid before. This is one of the ways in which I think kids can do it and be true to themselves. If your S enjoys writing and does it well, look around for contests and opportunities to get published.</p>
<p>A lot is still up in the air because we don’t know what kind of test/GPA/EC range he will be in. </p>
<p>Based our DD’s results, I would think applying to safety school is a total waste of time and money. Casting a wide net on reach and match are the way to go, IMHO. </p>
<p>I do understand about the loan part of the FA. Some schools we contacted told us that they will split EFC between two kids but the gap will be mostly loans. So, the school’s policy toward splitting EFC will be something we will investigate first.</p>
<p>Jonri, we did make a push for him to write some for publictaion. It will take some times.</p>
<p>“I would think applying to safety school is a total waste of time and money.”
A safety school can be a FINANCIAL safety you know, i.e. a college where you son is likely to receive merit $$. That has no interest to you?? OK, it’s your money. But anyone who thinks that in THIS day and age a safety is a “waste of time” has his head in the sand, IMHO.</p>
<p>Based on my son’s results I’d agree applying to safety schools is a waste of time and money. Based upon the many, many other posts I’ve read there’s no way my youngest’s list won’t include a safety. Sometimes we do have a kid who hits the admissions jackpot, but count me as one parent who will be sure to err on the side of “safety.” I do agree that it is also worthwhile to cast a wide net on the reach and match schools, although I think you need to find the sweet spot where the quality of the applications will not be diminished by the quantity of work that goes into them. Judging from your description of your son, a LAC may suit him well. His being a male applicant would be of help in admissions. Does he like the idea of a small school, or is it just too early for him to really know yet?</p>
<p>Our financial situation is rather unique. If DS gotten a full ride in a lower ranking school, we would have to continue to pay $$ on DD during those two overlapping years. If we could split the EFC on two $$ schools, I think we will come out ahead.</p>
<p>"Sometimes we do have a kid who hits the admissions jackpot, but count me as one parent who will be sure to err on the side of “safety.” "
Exactly. To assume that a younger sibling will have the luck of a more talented older sister is folly. There have been too many posts over the years here on CC that prove you can’t think lightning will strike twice with younger siblings. More times than not, it doesn’t happen. Seems DAD has a lot more to learn.</p>
<p>“If DS gotten a full ride in a lower ranking school, we would have to continue to pay $$ on DD during those two overlapping years.”
A full ride? And you would complain about that?? Sheesh.
Your EFC would probably be lowered so that total $$ paid out is the SAME for both kids as it will be for your D alone. That is how it works. You won’t receive any ADDITIONAL discount on financial aid for having 2 kids in college at the same time beyond the spliting of your EFC between both students, unless other circumstances change as well-job loss, health expenses, etc.</p>
<p>^^MPM, I am not complaining. I don’t understand this, everytime I said something some of you always accusing me complaining. I am discussing, NOT complaining.</p>
<p>Let’s assume we pay 20K for DD the first year and our contribution goes up ~5% every year. In the total 6 years, Year 1 20K, DD; Year 2, 21K, DD; Year 3, 23K, both DD and DS; Year 4, 25K both DD and DS; Year 5, 27K, DS; Year 6 30K DS. In 6 years, we will pay 146K for both kids at top elite schools. If DS got a FR at a LOWER tier school, we will still have to pay $89K.</p>
<p>So, if we could find a school that split EFC, we are looking at extra 57K for DS for 4 years. Any FR in top 60 schools are very very difficult to get. So, if we take the more reach and match approach, this plan may work out better.</p>
<p>BTW, the total of 146K is less than three years of full COA for one student. Why should I complain at all??</p>
<p>I’ll admit I’m confused. So are you hoping that </p>
<p>a. your son will get a free ride at a lower ranked school
or
b. are you thinking that a free ride for him will not be possible unless he goes to a lower ranked school, so you would like him to get into a higher ranked school that meets 100% of need, thus enabling you to split the EFC between the two children for two of the years?</p>
<p>I think you mean B, but am not sure. </p>
<p>Now, so far as inputs instead of questions :), I thought an important part of your original post was getting him involved in something outside of classes. I do think that really helps with admissions and scholarships, but think that it needs to be something the student is genuinely interested in. With a more shy kid sometimes it does take a gentle parental nudge to get them to try something that, once they try it, they will love. Too much nudging backfires for my more shy kid. What are his interests? Perhaps someone will have suggestions based on those.</p>
<p>Thanks 2Blue. It is b with a minor difference. I think it will be difficult for any one to get a Full ride these days. So, in the selection of schools, I don’t think it is wise to target a number of schools to get a full ride.</p>
<p>Again, based on my experience with DD, I don’t think I will be doing any “nudging”. We will get on CC and do a case study. Doing something he truely likes and it will help him get into college. I think he will understand that quickly.</p>
<p>Got it now, and I agree that those full rides are pretty darn elusive. Your timeline seems reasonable to me for a rising junior with some caveats. For my youngest I’m going to buy a PSAT prep book, show it to him and let him decide where he takes it from there. He’s seen from his older brother what this experience is like and what role test scores play along with everything else. Telling him he has to study wouldn’t work at all for my kid. He has to make the choice and deal with the consequences. That’s how he is, and he knows it is up to him to make the kinds of schools he wants happen. Your kid may be quite different. I think the ECs really help, and don’t know what he has done thus far, but think they would play a role in developing the list. </p>
<p>Once he has a sense of what he wants I also think it helps to dig around in the Common Data Sets of the schools to find ones with fewer male applicants. And I’m sure you will be checking the schools’ FA websites to see if they break out how much is typically given at various income levels.</p>
<p>DadII, there’s a thread for 2010 parents, you should join in.<br>
I’m in the opposite situation from you. My older daughter is a less stellar student than her younger sister, but D2 has no intention of reaching and doesn’t have the personality to fall in love with a school, so I’m cautiously optimistic. Her grades are ok-ish, soph PSAT was either 207 or 212 and she has interesting ECs, so we’ll see. I wish you as much success in your son’s quest as with your daughter’s!</p>
<p>DadII, I look forward to the development of your 2010 case study.</p>
<p>Here’s the good news: there is plenty of time to devote on making a correct assessment of your son’s chances. </p>
<p>Here’s the bad news: you can’t rely on faulty assumptions. For starters, you cannot assume that your EFC will be HALVED. Again, you’ll have to figure out the differences between FAFSA’s EFC and the figures used by the CSS/Profile schools. Rest assured that your combined EFC at two CSS schools for both children will be higher than for your daughter only.</p>
<p>Oh, and fwiw, your declared position on the value of having a REAL safety is the strongest indication that this community is still failing in showing you the light. The absolute easiest part of the entire college application is to “bag” that safety and the small investment pales in comparison to the collosal peace of mind it brings to a senior during the fall. </p>
<p>On the other hand, it’s nice to see that you added LAC to your vocabulary.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>S ends up being pressured to attend one particular school because the FA package works best with D’s FA package. So D got to choose her college but son does not resulting in resentment in S.</p></li>
<li><p>S or D decide they made a mistake and want to attend a different school but they can’t as FA for both is wrapped into the other.</p></li>
<li><p>S or D get sick or need/want to take a year off but this will affect FA for the other.</p></li>
</ol>