<p>The policy might be different for the ACT. With the SAT, you need to take action to suppress scores. With the ACT, you need to take action AND pay more 
to send all scores.</p>
<p>Does anyone know if the University of California requires that one send all scores? I believe, although I am not certain, that UC does not use score choice. So, then is it possible to just send the highest sitting and skip the rest?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>S has 12 on his list whittled down from over 20. Some of the free apps have been tempting, but I think we are sticking with 12. S is meeting with his GC next week to talk about his list. He won’t take anything off for her but maybe add a school we missed.</p>
<p>School requires a $5 fee for every school over 10. Not really a big detriment, imo.</p>
<p>Camathmom, I recall reading that UCs required all scores to be reported, but i can’t find the link at the moment.</p>
<p>My S has 10 on his list and, I am happy to say, 3 are finished from our end (paperwork handed off to GC for their portions that need to be returned). At S’s school, you get 3 free transcripts and then they charge $2 for each additional one–even if it is for a scholarship.</p>
<p>fogfog - I made a first pass at the CSS Profile today too. What a bear. FAFSA is so easy by comparison and you can figure out the math on the FAFSA calculation. I have no idea how the Profile folks take 13 pages of info, shmush it together to figure out what our FA should be. Did you make notes on the worksheet so you can figure out where to get your numbers next year or did you create a separate Excel file? I think I’m going to create a more formal document since I’ll probably have to do this for four more years.</p>
<p>Re: apps. My son is applying to 7 schools, all but one (state flagship - financial safety) he would be very happy to attend. Of the other six, I’d say he has a very good shot at 3 and the other 3 - he has the credentials, but they are small so there is definite risk involved. Two apps are done and the remaining five are all CA which will be submitted by Nov 1. It can’t come soon enuf!</p>
<p>SATs/ACTs - My son took both in middle school. My understanding is the CB deletes the scores unless you ask them not to. The ACT keeps them.</p>
<p>^
On the Profile–</p>
<p>I have printed out instructions,
and the “custom” instructions/step by step sheets.
Some things were hard to figure out–like which line is the tax deferred acct etc…I will keep everything–the instructions and a paper copy of the scratch work and the “final” (starting Profile)</p>
<p>DH worked some #s from the quicken we keep (and have kept for the past 17+ yrs) and we used our tax returns from 2009–we have both personal and business–done by an acct.</p>
<p>Some #s came straight off the returns, very few had to be calculated by hand/quicken
…for the 2009 #s.
For 2010, we have the quicken so started there and from the 2009 return could get closer to a pretty accruate #. As self employed/sole prop. (employee 1) we keep lots of records.</p>
<p>Also we have been watching the trends and markets of the house and real estate–so could get an easy quick # for the market values of per sq ft etc. We have current mortgage debt #s etc…and logging into the financial accts could look online at acct balances for us, kiddo1 etc.</p>
<p>For medical–we can see that in quicken…I am going to go to Costco to get printouts of some prescriptions records etc. We were able to get the others through Walgreens online.</p>
<p>It is really important to not use decimals etc…and right now the only problem I am having is the value of the real estate is less than purchase price and less than mortgage now…so the sheets keep asking me to “correct” that…</p>
<p>I emailed Profile for instructions and also noted in the special conditions/exceptions block the facts so it doesn’t flag as an error.</p>
<p>It is a bear. I think altogether we put in 5-7 hrs yesterday…(2-3hrs together x 2) + 1 more for me to clean up and fix typos after I put all of the info into the profile online draft…
Since reachy school has endowment–I am praying its worth the effort. Every little bit helps.</p>
<p>Thanks fogfog for your feedback. I basically did what you did. I input all the numbers then printed everything out. Then I made notes on the printout. I’ve got a bunch of questions for the Profile folks so I’ll either call or email them this week. </p>
<p>My biggest question relates to tax planning since I don’t know how the schools use these numbers. I can choose to put money into a Keogh plan this year or not. I can also transfer funds from a Traditional IRA to a Roth. Both of these impact AGI (one down, the other up). I don’t know if the schools are asking the questions they are to back out all of these items which really are just a transfer of assets from one pot to another.</p>
<p>Only 4 of 7 of the schools my DS is applying to require the Profile so this might only be a one shot deal. If he gets some money out of my efforts, it will be worthwhile.</p>
<p>Aniger and others with lots of schools…I don’t think it’s one-size-fits-all. We are at 6, but my D’s friend is at 14 and very determined to apply to all. Her parents have pushed back hard…they think she should trim to half that number. Finally she told them, “Look, I’ve done my homework, I have good reasons for this strategy, and I’m willing to pay for the apps and transcripts.” That was the compromise they all can live with. Mom and Dad pay for 7, she’s on her own for the other 7. I love to see a happy negotiation!</p>
<p>EmmyBet, you are being such a good, patient mom when it’s clear you’d be willing to walk on hot coals to get that essay written. I really admire your restraint, especially since your D has tech week this week.</p>
<p>I’m sure once the show is over, she’ll focus like a laser on the essays and apps. Kudos to you for giving her the time and space she needs (even though I hear you cracking your knuckles in the background). Hope she breaks a leg next weekend!</p>
<p>We were SO CLOSE to finishing all 6 apps, supplements, and music supplements today, but hit a snag. Cornell College inexplicably requires something none of the other music depts on D’s list do: before you can audition, you have to upload (to a website of YOUR OWN creation or usage, that they can access) a 10 min video or audio of applicant’s music performance. I don’t get the point, unless it’s to weed out some who they won’t grant auditions to.</p>
<p>I am SO not the techy mom. Fortunately we have a friend who may be able to help us with this, but what a pain!</p>
<p>On a happier note, we did get the music resume done (3 hours), and it looks pretty impressive.</p>
<p>Still dreading FAFSA and Profile. Busy week coming up…will probably dodge them until next weekend.</p>
<p>Parents, I’m just popping in here to ask a question as a desperate student. Am I in really big trouble? I see everyone else has finished ALL their essays and I’ve not even started my CommonApp essay! Is it too late?</p>
<p>Putturani-believe me not everyone has finished their essays, many of my D’s friends haven’t even started, ha ha!</p>
<p>Putturani, I would guess that more than half of this group has kids who have NOT finished their essays, rather than the other way around. Some have not started.</p>
<p>Don’t panic. Take a deep breath. The most important thing you can do today is to make a plan. When can you carve out an hour or two to write a first draft essay for the Common App? I think if you can schedule that for sometime before next weekend, you’ll be in good shape for the next steps. Post again and let us know how you’re doing, and if you need more help with scheduling and process. Good luck!</p>
<p>Definitely haven’t started essays here! Only some lists and a little thinking about it.</p>
<p>Listen to momofsongbird. She is great at breaking tasks down into manageable increments.</p>
<p>mosb - so sorry about the video thing. I hear you on that one. My older D took a stab at a conservatory application (she goes to a school with a dual degree), and she had to make a tape for a pre-screen. It was a lot of work! I do think sopranos are looked at as the “unwashed mob,” along with violins (they were specifically the two types who had to be pre-screened).</p>
<p>I hope you can get this done, but I’m sorry it’s on your plate now. Cornell College is such a cool school, though.</p>
<p>Putturani - When are your first applications due? Are you applying EA or ED to any schools or only RD?</p>
<p>Kudos to those of you whose kids made progress on ‘the process’ this weekend. Mine, like so many others, had school obligations which took priority. S’s next deadline date is Nov 1. Tick tock.</p>
<p>Putturani</p>
<p>You are not late if your apps are RD…otherwise–like FLMathmom says…Nov 1 is approaching. Check out your schools and see if there are supplemental essays as well.</p>
<p>Morning All. I had forgotten that kiddo had good drafts done for the school that doesn’t take Common app. Kiddo finished those yesterday and will set them aside–to be re read in a few days. I think the GC may take a look too.</p>
<p>Next up with be the supplements for any Com App schools #s 3-7/8.</p>
<p>Have a great morning.</p>
<p>Putturani:</p>
<p>You are definitely not alone! My daughter (the one who is applying to 15 schools — 11 not counting the UCs) has not even started her essays! She is taking the SAT for the 2nd time this Saturday and has decided to not do anything before that other than make sure her grades stay high and study for the SAT. Come Sunday morning, the essays begin! She is planning on one EA school, so she will be very busy!</p>
<p>Guess it runs in the family though. I’ve been avoiding starting the financial aid forms. Next weeekend it is!</p>
<p>Putturani,</p>
<p>Don’t worry-I can verify S has not completed (or started) essays, completed common app, finalized college list, or studied very much for the SAT’s Saturday.</p>
<p>His procrastination did catch up with him though! He realized that maybe Mom was right and asked if he could change to the SAT II’s this weekend instead of the SAT-well poor little dear missed the deadline for that by about a week. Hope it only took this one snafu for him to learn not to delay.</p>
<p>I share the exhaustion felt by many on here.</p>
<p>Poor S was bombed all weekend with school work and he was complaining! I asked him what he was expecting with the course load he was taking-and of course couldn’t resist reminding him of why he should have gotten what he could have gotten done this summer-which I am sure he didn’t appreciate. Well too bad kid-live and learn. I find our relationship very strained at this point. </p>
<p>I don’t know what his strategy is to raise perfectly good SAT scores anyway other than getting all questions he knows the answers to since he hasn’t studied-and he has left himself one shot at the SAT II’s.</p>
<p>His words tell me he wants to go to a certain type of college but his actions tell me a whole different thing. If I am being redundant I apologize-I don’t get on here often. I did opt not to pay for any college credits being offered at the HS for classes he is taking since I couldn’t really find out if too many will affect Freshman status and aid, and I am unsure how many schools will even take what they offer.</p>
<p>It’s tough doing all this against the backdrop of all the other things in our lives we have to handle.</p>
<p>I know though in the end he is going to be OK and I am just letting more go-he’s going to have to sink or swim at some point-now is as good a time as any.</p>
<p>I bet he swims!</p>
<p>On the school web site, there is an announcement for meetings with a rep from “*Tuff *University.” Pretty cool name for a university, only I’m *pretty sure *that they mean “Tufts.”</p>
<p>^ Ha
Re Tufts…did you see the optional video apps the kids did last year. Some were amazing, just amazing. Some were quirky, simple and still great.
Others–you didn’t see much personality/effort at all.
Some of my favorites were the math dancing girl, the girl and her shoes, and the guy w the blue jumbo flying helicopter, the girl w/ the crayons…
One I did not like was the guy who is a dj for raves…</p>
<p>Kiddo struck Tufts off the list early—so we dont have a video to edit…</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKOaGKdsIa8&feature=related[/url]”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKOaGKdsIa8&feature=related</a></p>
<p><a href=“Flight of the Jumbo - YouTube”>Flight of the Jumbo - YouTube;
<p><a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube;
<p><a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube;
<p><a href=“Amir Mosallaie - Tufts Video Supplement - YouTube”>Amir Mosallaie - Tufts Video Supplement - YouTube;
<p>It is amazing what these teens produced!</p>
<p>Well, actually, we have three done now, but the first one was to a school that’s not really on the radar – it was somewhat of a “practice” app. Last night, we got two done to the #1 and #2 choices. Both use the Common App; one school had a supplement and an athletics supplement – both were fairly simple; the other school had no supplements. The first one had a waived fee (due to submitting early); the second had a fee that I could pay online straight out of the checking account. </p>
<p>The next couple of schools on the list are reaches, so we may wait until DS retakes the SAT on Nov. 6 to see how those scores look.</p>