<p>Thank you for the kind words and encouragement, I guess I’m bitter because I’m feeling misled. All the things we should have done, and yes, applying early is one of them.</p>
<p>I was actually told by the VP of admissions at Providence that given my sons situation (drastically improved GPA his junior year) that we shouldn’t apply early, and that’s why we didn’t. I’m thinking now that that was really bad advice.</p>
<p>I’m also feeling misled by naviance and every other database that gave us every indication that the colleges he applied to and fell in love with were well within his range.</p>
<p>Mostly I’m feeling that a really great, considerate, kind, hard-working, capable kid was denied opportunities that he very much deserved, and when that kid is yours, it’s tough to swallow.</p>
<p>ctmom2boys, don’t beat yourself up too much. The admissions process has so many variables, there are certain generalities people say to follow, but you can’t really know for sure. For S, we decided not to apply early anywhere because he was really making an effort senior year, and though some colleges may not count the senior year much, we felt it would be a positive he could use.</p>
<p>I think this strategy was mixed for us. He may have missed out on more generous merit than an EA applicant, (we were not doing ED) and that meant we could not afford some schools. For the school he is ending up going to, I think it helped his application, and merit is not a consideration there.</p>
<p>WIthin his high school it was a mixed bag. Grades, stats, EC’s did not always equate to admissions that you would expect. You do your best to predict, but it hurts when you want goods things for your child and you have these set backs.</p>
<p>I hope things work out for you on the waitlist. I know the economy has affected us and where we can send S.</p>
<p>martina99, our son also did not apply anywhere early, and though there were multiple reasons for this, it was mostly because we felt pretty sure his midyear report was going to help him more than the early app would. So far the results have all been good, and I think Rochester, at least, would probably not have admitted him based on his transcript through junior year. </p>
<p>So ctmom, while the advice to wait because of your son’s rising curve may not have worked out the way you were hoping, I think it’s good advice in many cases, so don’t be too bitter with the Providence veep about it. Applying early is kind of a mantra around CC, but it really isn’t for everybody.</p>
<p>ctmom I am still a teensy bit bitter about a rejection my D received last year from a school where I thought she was a shoo in. Sorry, we feel for you we really do.</p>
<p>martina and ctmom, just curious, did your sons visit and interview at the schools where WL’d, or in martina’s case, where the merit aid was not there?</p>
<p>Interestingly, we visited most of the schools my son applied to, attended info sessions and he interviewed. We were looking for a good financial aid package so he applied to a bit more than the average number of schools. To accomplish all of this, we started the process very early. It took a lot of research and planning, and we still made a few mistakes. My son did not get merit aid at 2 private schools, one of which we did NOT visit and where he did not interview. The financial aid package at that school was an admit/deny. All of the other private schools where we visited and he interviewed, offered merit money with the exception of one school. Even his reach school (I am shocked that he got in) offered a merit scholarship.</p>
<p>As far as naviance, a lot of info is missing: applying needing financial aid or not, recruited athlete, URM, parent is an alumnus and donates money, unique skills (ie: plays the French horn). </p>
<p>I know a student who was a B- student who got into a very difficult school (one that students with 3.3 would not realistically be considering) and he got a full ride to attend. The reason is that he is an amazing musician who won all kinds of awards. He even got into some trouble that resulted in a suspension at the end of junior year of high school. It did not matter. This school wanted him and his talent. None of this is reflected on Naviance.</p>
<p>Thanks MaryAnn. Being deferred EA was very hard. I think it is a risky business actually and am not as huge a supporter of EA as I was prior to this experience. I like many of you only saw the positive for EA, but there are definitely negatives from deferrals that you might not have to go through when applying RD. With EAs colleges are really sifting through the best candidates and places like UVM I think are pretty cut and dry about a cutoff point. Our 3.0-3.3 students without some huge hook might not even meet what they are looking for. Then what happens is your child’s application is sort of red flagged and put under more scrutiny. Yes, you showed desire by applying EA, but you also then have to really prove that you deserve to be there, and if you don’t measure up doing xyz, that can also go against you.<br>
The UVM waitlist statement warns that there will not be financial resources outside of significant financial need and most of the package if offered would be in the source of loans. It also recommends that because of this that you make other plans, just in case you cannot afford it if admitted off the waitlist. Pretty grim wording!
It’s okay though, since St. Michael’s would be a much better fit size wise. And agree, my son needs to focus on the schools he’s already been accepted to as well.</p>
<p>And sorry, I’ve already heard this in the past 24 hours and I think it’s hogwash. Let me know what you think:
“Kids end up where they are meant to be.”
Nonsense. Maybe folks think it’s a nice thing to say, but I disagree with it. Kind of like when your parent dies and someone says, ‘He lived a long life.’ [oye]
Maybe kids land somewhere and are happy, but college is all what you make of it. You have to make the best of your situations no matter what and try and do the best you can.<br>
[Sorry for the dead parent analogy, my father-in-law is critically ill and we are so very close to him. It’s hard when people learn that he is 84 and say ‘the wrong things’, or their demeanor totally changes because well, he’s old right? Okay, inside voice climbing back inside now!]</p>
<p>My son did not apply to any OOS publics because we knew that we could not afford them. We can’t even afford our instate publics (unless there is really FA, which I doubt. We’ll see because my son was admitted to one instate public). We have 4 offers from pivate schools that are significantly less expensive to us than our instate public’s sticker price.</p>
Agreed, northeastmom. I have to constantly remind myself when looking at a Naviance chart that there’s a whole story behind each of those dots, and I’m only seeing one small part of the story. It can give you a good rough idea of your kid’s chances, but you can’t really lean too hard on what you see there. For instance, on our HS’s Naviance, Clark and Wheaton look like safeties–but I am not going to be surprised (though I will be disappointed) if either rejects our son.</p>
<p>
I agree wholeheartedly, but then I’m an agnostic. I think it’s truer to say “kids can make a success of wherever they end up.” Even this probably isn’t universally true–I’m sure there is such a thing as a disastrous mismatch of school and student–but I suspect it’s true for nearly everybody.</p>
<p>LOL. Well, I’m an Irish Catholic and I abhor those old sayings ‘in the name of God’. But that’s another thread entirely! I’m okay with the whole Footprints poem, however. ;)</p>
<p>Also, our Naviance, too, is skewed because of weighted grades. It does give you a ball park, but if your red circle is flanked by Xs or waitlist dots, it is cause for pause. I actually love having Naviance. The hard thing is that so many kids cross-apply without intention of attending [but do need their safeties, too], that it makes it even harder for our kids. If you have 40 kids from the same school applying, it would be only natural for the admissions offices to select from the top of that crop, then to admit all. The pros/cons of a highly competitive high school, when you don’t have a competative kid!
ps: I love looking at Naviance dots and saying, ‘Hey that’s my son!’ Okay, on the good graphs, and I’m leaving Princeton off that list…hissssss. Long story.</p>
<p>We visited 4 of the 6 schools, not the safety and an OOS public. He did not interview at any. S had no special hook, not into many EC’s.</p>
<p>He was looking for Chem E, not too far from home. Also, we have a high EFC that we can’t meet. Given those constraints, realistically we were looking at in state public or a private that would give him $$$merit, not likely for a competitive major. </p>
<p>It turned out his best option was UMASS Amherst. I was expecting him to be at best a general admit, then he’d have to work to transfer in to the engineering program. I believe because of his great mid year report, he was actually admitted into the Engineering program. </p>
<p>Another reason for getting in also I think is the truly excellent recommendation written by his AP Chem teacher. To look at S’s transcript by itself would not warrant much of a wow! I would think. I wish I could post this letter, it was really a work of art. He talked about S’s positives and potential and made it seem like S had much to offer as a future scientist (and he does!). He was realistic about S’s negatives in that he is absent minded and tends to get wrapped up in projects, not attending to some details like homework.</p>
<p>And S made it a point in his essay to say that he learned not only Chemistry, but that his teachers taught him not only Chemistry, but the need to follow through on things and keep his committments. And he showed that by his mid year report.</p>
<p>Of course, this is all speculation on my part, but it’s my best guess.</p>
<p>Another awful financial aid package today. Are our kids that different than ones that are going to get scholarships to play field hockey at DIII colleges? I feel sick to my stomach. First the angst about just getting in, then the reality that if you want to come that badly, you’ll pay full price…I mean take out loans on your house. Sorry for the vent. I’m going to have to let this all sink in for a few days…</p>
<p>When I go through this for my 3rd son in a few years, it will be with a much different outlook. I have to admit it was much more fun with my oldest. Sometimes ignorance is bliss…</p>
<p>D-3 schools do play merit money games for their athletes. I know a couple of kids (outstanding local athletes) that were C+ students and whose parents would not have qualified for any financial aid but they got very good merit aid at small LAC’s.</p>
<p>Yes, we visited Loyola and my son sent several emails expressing that it was his first choice…sigh.</p>
<p>My husband and I are trying to put a positive spin on this, but S is very, very upset. I told him I registered him for accepted students day at UVM (S’s response to that was a grunt) and asked if he wanted new snowboard equipment for graduation and he just shrugged.</p>
<p>We have zero hope of him getting in at Providence, I honestly don’t know how much more rejection this kid can take. Waitlisted or rejected at every target school, schools that everyone thought he would get into.</p>
<p>His overall GPA is 3.3, but that’s because his freshman and sophomore years were less than stellar due to his inability to get better than a D in French. He seems to have a deficiency when it comes to foreign lanquages. His junior year GPA averaged 3.8, this year it’s 3.6, SAT is 1890 so he’s capable and qualified of succeeding at every school he applied to. Unfortunately it looks like he’s not going to get the chance to prove that.</p>
<p>Any suggestions for pulling him out of this funk? We’re not even going away this weekend (we were supposed to) because we don’t want to leave him alone in case he gets another rejection letter in Saturday’s mail.</p>
<p>Remind him that it may not be that he isn’t qualified, but there isn’t room for all the qualified applicants to begin with. It is difficult I know, this is our 4th time around for this admissions season, waiting for all the RD ones now!</p>