<p>Well, SIL’s D has tomorrow or the next few days to call on the FA part so all is not lost on that end. I still find it bizarre that, according to some threads on CC, kids get offered FA aid at a school and then come to find they are not admitted. This is explained away by saying that FA and admissions are two separate operations. Well apparently colleges do a much better (?) job of keeping these apart than some banks do with their analysis and investment banking section, but I think it’s a rotten practice that gets kids hopes up, only to be dashed.</p>
<p>How can we spare our student’s this kind of day? I know I probably won’t be because my S at present plans to apply to at least one uber reach (or lottery or whatever we now call these schools with admit rates under 10%.) Probably the best we can do it try to ensure that S or D doesn’t fall in love with a place until the admit is in hand. </p>
<p>And help them keep it in perspective. Admits to Cal and UCLA still come with a lot of “bragging rights” especially in the admissions environment pressure cooker that currently exists.</p>
<p>I think the key is helping them not to fall in love until the results are in. DD will probably apply at a couple of shoot the moon schools - but if she is really happy with the alternatives then today won’t be so bad…</p>
<p>And I agree that there is nothing wrong with UCLA or Cal - hundreds of kids are equally broken hearted that they didn’t get into these schools.</p>
<p>If they don’t apply, the odds are 0%. The point is to keep those long odds in perspective, realize the situation may not improve next year, and realize that many, many kids with stellar qualifications will be among the big fish swimming in the applicant pool.</p>
<p>I feel fortunate that S1 had a list of schools he really liked and could envision himself at every one – albeit each one for a different reason. My hope is that S2 can find his way to that kind of a list, too.</p>
<p>I am looking at the acceptances and rejections on C.C at the uber-reach schools and realizing that my D will be extremely lucky if she gets in. OTOH, my D is hearing from kids one year ahead of her and is getting encouraged. I guess we will know in 365 days (I’m glad it isn’t a leap year- I checked!).</p>
<p>I’m excited that I can be a contributor on here again. Ds did his Eagle CofHonor this week so my time, hopefully, will free up so I can get in my dose of cc. The ceremony went really well. A couple of the men speaking on his behalf got all choked up, and my parents came in for the ceremony. Lots of leftover cake. :D</p>
<p>Ds just hit the button on his Questbridge app for summer programs. Cross your fingers. He had to write his first 500-word essay, and, wow, yeah, he’ll be spending some time on the college essays this summer for sure. It’s harder than I thought it would be. I mean, it was fine but definitely didn’t knock my socks off.</p>
<p>Just trying to catch up. Darn, I swore I would go to sleep early!
We drove 10 hrs. from So. FLa. to Atlanta (with stops). D is visiting Emory and Georgia Tech. Has no real interest in Georgia Tech, but it is here. The plan was to start back after visits tomorrow and go to UF. That is back 5.5 hrs from here! I would like to add U of Georgia to our visit, and drive there tomorrow afternoon instead and do that one on Thurs. and then UF on Friday. I am then meeting my husband in Daytona Beach for a long awaited weekend away with him. Problem is, D is so cranky and just wants to get this over with and get back home. I am getting the feeling that I should be the one applying to colleges, not her. I have WAY more enthusiasm for the hunt. Oh well, maybe tomorrow will bring some answers as to what to do and where to visit.</p>
<p>WhirledPeas, my parents and I are in flipped roles–I am way more enthusiastic about the college search, myself. Well, I’m way more enthusiastic than anyone else I know IRL. My parents tell me a lot to stop going on CC… they’ve long since figured out that it’s addictive.</p>
<p>WhirledPeas–You certainly logged in some hours on the road. Enjoy the Emory tour. I visited it with D last month(info session, tour, and she sat in on a class) and we were quite impressed. Also, the campus is beautiful. I hope you and your D get some rest tonight.</p>
<p>Keilexandra, LOL. My D tells me a lot to stop going on C.C! </p>
<p>She used to be in the “I don’t want to talk about college” camp but lately she is pretty enthusiastic about the college search. She was a very active ‘college visitor’ and I was proud of that. Her active involvement allowed me to walk way in the back of the campus tours, chat with other parents, or miss the tour entirely. She was up front, one of the few kids asking questions. And she was attending classes, taking notes, and observing. She is now really looking forward to college.</p>
<p>scualum, BC gets about 29,000 applications a year, does meet 100% of need, but has a housing shortage, juniors usually live off campus, then move back on. For Hampshire College, you could check out my visit report from November '08, they do meet about 99%of need. For Mt. Holyoke & Smith, we have known students to leave because they weren’t comfortable with the alternative lifestyle that is prevalent at women’s colleges. Wheaton over the last several years, has become known as a “suitcase school”. Although Providence & Boston can be diversions for Wheaton students. I would like to throw in Hamilton College (NY) my brother is an alum, a great school.</p>
<p>vp - my D is still in the “I don’t want to talk about college” camp. Still, on our visits last summer, she was completely engaged - up front, and asking questions. She hasn’t attended classes - we visited 4 schools over the summer, and one on a Sunday. She could have visited a class at the last school we visited, but instead she chose to spend time with a friend who attends that school. </p>
<p>YDS - Congrats to your son! I’m glad the ceremony went so well - wonderful news. And it’s so sweet that some of the men making speeches about your DS got choked up.</p>
<p>Keilexandra - too bad some of your enthusiasm for the college process can’t rub off on my D. She’s doing everything she needs to do to get into college, but she has never logged onto CC herself - though I have forwarded her things on occasion (not sure if she even bothered reading what I sent her). Also, she has no interest in visiting colleges, hearing about them, looking them up online, reading the mail that’s sent to her, etc. I’m sure the interest will kick in - the question is, when?</p>
<p>D’s interest slowly increases. Some of her friends have gone on recent visits plus she relayed some of the ivy news to me last night. We had a brief money talk and said we have to add a few lower priced options.</p>
<p>*Mandatory Step One: * After school, go the Harvard board and MAKE your student read the stats of the kids on the 2013 accepted/rejected/waitlisted thread. Perfect scores and stats rejected and waitlisted, LOTS of kids with 800 in Math and CRs in the 600s rejected, rejected kids who didn’t have very high stats at all where you wonder why they applied, other kids accepted with SATs in the 1900s. Favorite quote from an accepted kid with a 1980 SAT: “A true dream has came true.” </p>
<p>Optional Step Two: Take your student to Vegas and explain gambling, odds, etc.</p>
<p>Yes, reading the stats, there are some accepted kids who are so gosh darned perfect you think “Duh, of course they got into Harvard.” But then you read the stats of other gosh darned perfect kids who didn’t get in. Anyone who reads all of the stats together would wonder, “What the heck…” Just make sure your student remember the randomness of it all when they’re waiting at their computer at 5 pm next March 31st.</p>
<p>thank you for the suggestion missypie. I have considered having my D read the decision threads for the schools she is interested in. My hesitation is that the posts are stats and EC oriented, they will all say the recommendations and essays were great, and you don’t have the context on the schools. We have several kids at our school who got decisions yesterday, I know my D is talking to them or at least hearing their outcomes, I think I might just stay with that and keep away from showing her the threads here. But yes the lottery talk will be done :)</p>
<p>missypie: I have been looking through the Harvard board and I am seeing a general trend: Harvard is looking for really smart kids with really good academic records but who also have a genuine, strong, and long standing involvement in the world outside their own school. </p>
<p>Most ‘normal’, ‘gosh darn perfect’ kids apply themselves diligently in school, take challenging courses, get high grades, do well on the SAT, and excel in a bunch of extracurricular and volunteer activities that have been arranged for them by their school or parents or church or scouts, or similar external entity.</p>
<p>The ‘Harvard’ accepted kids do that too, but they are more likely to have shown some initiative and leadership of their own. Many tend to have held a job through school and/or managed to get themselves involved in community service, political activism, or done something else of that nature. And this tends to be stuff that nobody asked them to do, they just found it within themselves to do it. </p>
<p>Honestly, as a parent of a ‘harvard hopeful’, I do not recognize someone like my child among this year’s accepted students. And nothing <em>I</em> do can change that. Nor do I want to- I want my kid to be a good fit wherever she goes, and if she doesn’t ‘fit’ at Harvard then I don’t want her to go. I am happy to have a ‘normal gosh darn perfect’ kid, whether or not she is perfect enough for Harvard :-)</p>
<p>I have noticed this mostly about the harvard admits. The other ivies tend to be more ‘accepting’ of your usual straight A high achievers. Obviously, these are just my observations. Others might read something else in the results.</p>
<p>vp, I think you are right about the Harvard admits and it held true of my son too. While some of his afterschool activities were helped by parental connections - he worked on them very independently and they went beyond the usual. We did things like say, “You should ask ___ if you could work for him this summer,” but that was about it. When he got that job he far and away exceeded their expectations, including doing the critical work over spring break one year that allowed the company to meet a deadline that the other company vying for the job said was impossible. </p>
<p>From our school, the Harvard admits tend to have pretty amazing resumes as well as being among the top students in the school.</p>
<p>Agreed. That’s why reading the stats can be such an eye opener for kids and parents…seeing the “perfect” high school resume with the traditional fantastic HS ECs (class president, etc.) rejected. Of course, it may also be a bit of encouragement for the brilliant kid who just can’t get into high school activites but has done something else wild and wonderful.</p>
<p>Must go look at the Harvard board to see what all the talk is about. But I direct your attention to the post on this forum titled something like, “It’s going to be a difficult day.” There IS something suggested in there that we as parents can do NOW, and that’s not get so wedded to a school that if our child doesn’t get in he/she doesn’t feel like a failure or that they’ve failed you.</p>
<p>I am staying in the parent area for now, today at least probably this week. Lots of good threads cropping up. Not all happy threads, many sobering ones, but very worthwhile to read…</p>
<p>YDS- meant to congratulate you on the Eagle award ceremony. How wonderful to have that all completed and done before the crush at the end of the year. Is he going to continue with his troop through next year?</p>
<p>Yes, he plans to. He’s going to Philmont in July, so he’ll definitely be active through then, plus he has lots of extra badges, so he should earn at least one palm without a lot of extra effort. To get the second palm, he’ll have to earn a couple more badges, I think. After this crazy junior year, when he’s had so much on his plate, staying active through senior year should be a piece of cake.</p>
<p>AP question: How much time are your kids (really, should my kid) be putting into outside study for these tests? I asked him this morning where they were in the class in terms of starting to review/study (based on what people on cc posted, it seems pretty common to devote the last few weeks before the test to review). Sounds like in two classes, they’ve started to review, but in two classes they’re still learning new material. He didn’t mention the other two AP classes.</p>
My parents tell me a lot to stop going on CC… they’ve long since figured out that it’s addictive.</p>