<p>PMK - my high school recommended students apply to 7 colleges - 2 reaches, 4 matches, and 1 safety (and the school would only do a maximum of 7 GC reports).</p>
<p>My D’s counselor wants her to have a few match/safe schools but acknowledges that the list can be “top heavy”. I have not yet heard of a numerical limit. Hopefully it isn’t less than ten. </p>
<p>LIMOMOF2, I sympathize- seven is a really small number in today’s environment if applying to highly selective schools.</p>
<p>I think seven is a reasonable amount for most kids. My S got it in his head after we toured his safety last summer that he would just apply there because he liked it so much. Like someone who worries as much as I do could endure waiting for that acceptance letter! I overheard him telling people, “I just want to apply to my safety but my mom says her nerves can’t take it.” Lol. </p>
<p>My BIL teaches in one of the best school districts in the country and his high school is a highly ranked public. His kids apply to 8-12 schools! Of course, they are very competitive schools so I shouldn’t judge. I wonder if the recession will cut that number back a bit?</p>
<p>Also, how long does it take to do an application? From what I understand, he’ll fill out the common application and then supplements from each college. What have you heard? My son likes to write but he also likes to edit and rewrite and edit and rewrite. I’m wondering how much time is realistic per application?</p>
<p>PMK:</p>
<p>Well, not all U’s use the Common Application. Also, the supplemental essays for some U’s can be a challenge and/or numerous … especially if the student isn’t into writing, or expressing a passion in writing (perhaps more a problem with some boys than girls.)</p>
<p>My S told me a story from our neighbor, a Stanford grad. One of the short essays one year was, IIRC, to use a word to explain a part of one’s personality and expand on that. So an applicant wrote a one word reply: Taciturn. No idea if the applicant was from Maine or what else was in the application, but they got admitted. These days, with an admit rate of 7%, that might be a bit risky.</p>
<p>Back to early morning drives to school, since some of the AP teachers are nice enough to put on AP study groups before school hours. Those of us with student athletes who are busy after school hours appreciate these teachers.</p>
<p>Does anyone know whether back to back AP tests are any more draining that the SAT? This year my son will have back to back for AP Physics C.</p>
<p>FAP, Thank you for that info. I get this info from my head from goodness knows where and then eventually I just believe it’s correct. I love CC!</p>
<p>I can’t say about the AP tests and the SAT. S is taking SAT for the first time this Saturday and last year he only had one AP test. </p>
<p>What is APUSH? Is it a kind of study group?</p>
<p>FAP: Physics C AP is really one test broken into two 1 1/2 hour chunks. Somehow Collegeboard gets the double fee out of us.</p>
<p>PMK: </p>
<p>APUSH AP US History</p>
<p>EHAP European History AP</p>
<p>APES AP Environmental Science</p>
<p>AP US History study group. There are others. Last year, he did the study group for AP Euro, didn’t bother with AP Calc or AP Spanish if they had them. He ended up exactly as he predicted coming out of the tests: AP Calc BC: 5. AP Spanish Language: 5. AP Euro: 4.</p>
<p>Thank you! I asked my son and he didn’t know. Hmmmm…maybe I need to follow up on that as US History is one of his APs.</p>
<p>DeniseC:</p>
<p>Just wait until you see what the book publishers try to extract from our wallets for the textbooks in the math/science classes. Maybe they are just getting us ready with that pricing for the AP Physics C, although count me as one parent who’s not thrilled with that.</p>
<p>Me thinks while S is busily writing college essays, I will be looking to find or put together the quintessential list of where to purchase texts on the cheap.</p>
<p>I already have college kids who are painfully aware of textbook prices. They are way more savvy about finding the deals, used, online. Then a professor will insist that they get the hot of the press edition textbook that comes with the new software or will create textbooks that need to be picked up at the copy store for a set price.</p>
<p>pmk, I don’t think 8-12 is unreasonable. My kid - top 1% of the class, excellent SAT1 scores, perfect SAT2, 5’s on 10 APs still managed to get rejected from 4 out of 8 schools he applied to and he had two sure bet safeties.</p>
<p>mathmom:</p>
<p>Much as every parent on the board would like to wave the magic wand to make the college application process less hyper competitive than it is, this is something our kids will just have to grapple with. </p>
<p>I agree, 8-12 applications is not unreasonable for kids who have lists with uber reaches, or kids who must include financial safeties as well. My S will probably apply to 9-10, with 2-3 being of the “shoot for the moon” variety. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.</p>
<p>D is looking at 2 uber-reaches, 3 low reaches, 2 matches, and 2 safeties. I really do not want her doing more than 10 apps. If I find a rolling admissions school she’d be willing to go to, that number may get reduced.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Ugh, mathmom. That gives me (mom of a 2nd decile kid) a knot in my stomach. Happy ending? Is he happy where he ended up?</p>
<p>My younger son will probably apply to more rather than fewer schools. In his case it’s the uncertainty of his grades vs. his SAT scores. He’s a smart kid who works hard, but it doesn’t always show in good grades.</p>
<p>DougBetsy - he had four excellent choices and turned down Harvard for Carnegie Mellon. He’s doing fine and has no regrets. It looks like he’s got a good internship this summer, he’s been very challenged academically and he’s got more friends than he’s ever had before.</p>
<p>He wasn’t a perfect applicant - his essays were adequate, his ECs were all academic in nature and he was pretty much a computer nerd. The schools the turned him down were the super elite. (Caltech, Stanford, MIT - waitlist at Harvey Mudd). He had the advantage of being a legacy at Harvard. For a kid like him - he was deferred at both Caltech and MIT, not rejected outright, so I don’t think there was anything in particular wrong with his application, just not enough to excite the adcoms.</p>
<p>Pugmad,
Mathmom and share custody of our sons. 
Speaking of which, mathmom, you hadn’t mentioned the shoulder-length hair! S2 has that, too. ;)</p>
<p>S1 had ten on the list, dropped three after getting into two favorites EA. Went 4 accepted/1 waitlist/2 rejected. S spent a LOT of time writing and even more time editing essays. Doug/Betsy – S1 was a second decile kid w/stellar scores, 9 APs, 13 post-APs and serious hooks. S2 will also be a second decile kid.</p>
<p>S2 will probably have 10-12 schools – grades are not as strong, but is taking an insanely tough schedule. He talked to some other guys who got into some excellent schools – and their stats are almost identical to S2’s. Gave him hope for next year.</p>
<p>Hey zoosermom, we heard from Drew University today-April 29th, a denial letter!
Folded up rather crookedly & stuffed in an envelope-no date at top of letter, just says “Spring 2009” for the date. Some “Priority” application that was. To think I pushed her to meet the deadline of January 19th, but they couldn’t even meet the April 1st notification deadline. </p>
<p>Over the winter, H looked at some correspondence from Drew & remarked that they still used a “Daisy Wheel Printer”. (rather obsolete technology) H has worked in that type of manufacturing field so he does know printers! Perhaps the Drew admissions department is reviewing applicants with Stone Age precision as well! LOL</p>
<p>I do understand how the incredibly low acceptance rates make more applications nessicary. Infact, now that Princeton is on the list, we’ve created a new word. “Uber reach” just didn’t seem to capture the statistical reality, so now we call it the “Lottery Ticket” school. His application is his ticket and our expectations will be on the same level. </p>
<p>However, I will say at my BIL’s school, the culture of the kids who do need that many applications spills over to the majority of students who would be fine with six applications or even less. The pressure those kids are under is tremendous and most of it self/peer created. He really tries to get them to calm down and so do most of their parents, but it’s not easy.</p>
<p>Of course, the trade off for the pressure cooker enviroment is attending a high school where everyone is offered a truly spectacular education.</p>
<p>Slumom, That is terrible! They can’t even fold the letter correctly to show they took her application seriously? Their loss, 100%.</p>