<p>I’m not at all familiar with these schools, but perhaps you could let her wait and apply to UMass RD if she is not happy with her EA results. In that situation, she might see the value of having an additional safety. IF EA schools come through, then no need to do UMass. If its possible, I would push her to apply to Clark EA though. The more done earlier the better!</p>
<p>Arisamp Its not easy to give an advice without knowing more about your D. I have read somewhere on CC, that you really only need one safety school, if it is really a safety and you can pay for it. If timing allows, she can wait for the EA decisions from her match schools and then apply to safeties, but would she feel that she had to settle for her safety school if this happens and dislike it even more? If she doesnt like the safety schools on her list, is there time to look for other ones?</p>
<p>May I join the conversation? I have been on CC for several years, but had to change my user name because of computer problems (I used to be “orjr”) and am an addicted daily lurker! </p>
<p>Current '11 S has managed to send in one EA ‘easy app’, but hasn’t done any work on the CA or essays. I’m trying hard not to be a pest! He has finished his school required ‘brag sheet’ and activities log, but hasn’t gotten two teachers onboard for rec. letters yet.
His school is a large comprehensive title 1 school where only about 70% of kids graduate and about 25% of kids go to 4 year college. BUT he is in a ‘school within a school’ IB program and doing the IB diploma.
I have so many questions about how this type of environment will be viewed by adcoms. His program is a killer - super work intensive - but there are many kids ranked ahead of him (rank is unweighted) who have never taken an IB class, don’t even have 4 years of math or science, etc. His school doesn’t offer AP classes, only IB so there is a wide gulf.</p>
<p>Arisamp-My S is also not applying to UMass. I almost feel it should be on there as a safety just because it is our state school but he already has several safeties. I think if you are not comfortable with her mix of schools and feel she needs at least one safety she should keep looking. There are lots of great schools out there. I can’t remember what your D is planning to major in so I can’t suggest anything off the top of my head.</p>
<p>Arisamp - My D has taken the same position with our state flagship. My compromise was that if she TIMELY submitted the EA app to the safety school that she likes and they give her the expected merit $, she does not have to apply to the flagship. If that doesn’t come through, there will still be time to submit the state school application RD. If she gets in at one affordable safety, I don’t see the need to apply to another.</p>
<p>I can’t believe you were treated so harshly fogfog!! I think we are all amazed at the amount of money we need for our kids college education. I was shocked when my D1 started a private LAC a couple of years ago. I am again scared to do the CSS profile for younger D. I just take plenty of deep breaths and then have a margarita:)</p>
<p>I do have one question about the ACT. D2 sent SAT and ACT scores on Wednedsay! Yea, however she has taken each test twice. Does she need to submit the different scores separately? I know this is an odd question but wasn’t sure. I assumed (I know never assume) that she requests and all of her test scores will be sent to that particular school or schools.</p>
<p>On a different note…Stick straight hair. Although now that I am getting gray hair (unbelievable) I have a few gray strands that are rogue. Not sure what to do.</p>
<p>Glad it is the weekend. Hopefully, D1 will continue to work on essays etc. Sounds like she is making lots of plans but they don’t involve the college app process. Sigh:( She did apply for the local Flagship. No concerns about getting in of course but she said it will make her feel better to know she is at least accepted to a school.</p>
<p>Official welcome Puma. My S is in a similar program. IB diploma program within a Title 1 school. Fortunately due to our AMAZING principal and staff we have a graduation rate of 96% (yes, Ninety-six % of kids who start as freshman graduate in 4 years). Many of the non-IB kids go to the local CC and most of the IB kids go to one of the Florida state schools. </p>
<p>The school profile sent to colleges along with the transcript explains the make-up of the school as well as the courses offered. It also explains how the ranking and grade systems work. You might want to ask your S’s GC for a copy of the school’s profile.</p>
<p>mamom - My heart goes out to you. Your folks are lucky you are so resourceful. Just recently I had a related situation with my dad re: buying all sorts of magic diet pills off the TV and Internet. I’ve had to get PC access to all his accounts too. Amazing how so many of us are in similar situations.</p>
<p>Hi puma, and welcome. Have you taken a look at your son’s school’s profile? A well-written profile would note the differences between the IB program and the comprehensive school, and explain that class rank is based on unweighted GPA. The counselor’s recommendation can also address these issues. Does the transcript include weighted GPA?</p>
<p>You can also ask the school counselors (especially those affiliated with the IB program) how students fare in college admissions. Schools that look holistically at applications will do right by your kid. :)</p>
<p>Arisamp, I feel your pain with the safety situation. Are you talking about Clark in Worcester?</p>
<p>Tessa, the College Board will send all SAT testing to colleges unless you ask them to suppress any test dates. The ACT, on the other hand, will only send one test date per request. If your D wants (or needs) to send all ACT results, she’ll have to explicitly request that other test date report. </p>
<p>mamom, total kudos to you for jumping on the fraud situation so quickly! We had a bit of a scare with my FIL. He got a letter saying he’d won a lottery and he’d need to provide a money order when the prize was delivered. He’d gone out and gotten the money order, worth thousands of dollars, and then proudly mentioned to us that he’d won a contest. :eek: He and my MIL are entirely computer literate, which I suppose is a good thing.</p>
<p>slitheytove, yes - talking about Clark in Worcester. It looks like a good fit for D on paper - she wants a reasonable sized research focused university. Planning on majoring in biology.
I had looked at Holy Cross - and she liked it too - but then had a visit from a counselor there and she decided it was too catholic for her liking. We are not catholic and she would like more diversity in her college. I am trying to get her to go see Clark (and perhaps Holy Cross as well) - but her schedule dictates that this can only be done in Nov. Sigh…</p>
<p>One of her match schools has a fairly high acceptance rate and given her stats, folks have suggested that she could treat it as a safety. Her question to me yesterday was “Mom, do you think I really won’t get in there?”. I wish I had a crystal ball…</p>
<p>mamom - missed the drama with your dad earlier. Glad you caught this in time to prevent significant losses. You read about some awful stories about elderly folks getting taken for a ride…it’s sad.</p>
<p>TessaR: For ACT you have to send scores from each test date separately,and pay for each one. I’m not sure about SAT scores but I think that they send all scores unless you use score choice.</p>
<p>The state flagship discussion is interesting. I think many kids find them unappealing because so many kids from their HS go there. They generally offer the best value, so I do think it’s a good idea to have your kid apply. Most of the kids from my area that attend our state flagship love it, even though it’s only 30 minutes from home. Of course, my daughter doesn’t want to go there, but she’s going to apply just in case. She did like UMass when we visitied. I guess the grass is always greener…</p>
<p>Ordinarylives, saying a prayer for your D. Hope she is feeling better soon (and will get some needed rest this weekend).</p>
<p>arisamp, Did you look at the write up of Clark on the Colleges that Change Lives book? That’s what made my sister in law look at it. This past Spring while my son and I looked at Worcester Polytech, my SIL and her daughter looked at Clark. Coincidentally, each of our kids liked their respective schools. We drove around the campus on our way out of town and my SIL and niece told us how much they liked it and how friendly the students were. It’s not in the best part of town but the school has a good relationship with the surrounding area. The college itself looked very nice.</p>
<p>Hi, Puma. Welcome to the conversation!</p>
<p>arisamp, I do think it’s a good idea that your D visit Clark. The location is a bit gritty. My D1 took a look and didn’t mind the location at all, but it’s a turnoff for some. Maybe worth applying EA before she’s seen it? 
Clark is the only school we’ve heard of that offers study abroad in Antarctica. How cool (hahahahaha!) is that?</p>
<p>Not a research U, and not an EA school, but how about Muhlenberg? They’ve got a strong bio program. She’d have to interview for a shot at merit money.</p>
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<p>LOL, I’ve had this conversation! D1 thinks my caution means a lack of faith in her. It just means that I’m old and crotchety and suspicious and like to have lots of fallback positions and insurance. :D</p>
<p>Arisamp- My nephew graduated from Clark in 2008. He majored in Int’l Studies. He is rather laid back. Even tho he applied ED, he wasn’t very happy there. In particular, he did not like the surrounding area. Found it very rundown and unsafe. He did like the level of ethnic diversity. My S is applying to WPI which is in a different part of town.</p>
<p>Hi All
Hope everyone’s day has gone well. We have alot going on here the next few days…
I just want to get a good nights sleep…!</p>
<p>Check these cute pics
[Dad</a> makes world’s most incredible pancakes - Food on Shine](<a href=“http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/dad-makes-worlds-most-incredible-pancakes-2399613/#photoViewer=12]Dad”>http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/dad-makes-worlds-most-incredible-pancakes-2399613/#photoViewer=12)
Makes me wish my kiddos were little and I could make them pancakes again!</p>
<p>OrdinaryLives–as for Pastors, I do recall several items on the Profile you need to look for–one being if you have a housing allowance etc…</p>
<p>Spoke with kiddos GC today–and I guess at this point we need to decide how many schools kiddo applies to etc…</p>
<p>We’ll know more next week…</p>
<p>Thanks for the welcome and the reassurance! I do have a copy of the school profile, which is very terse - but I guess adcoms look at zillions of these and know what they’re seeing. The school does not weight grades, so the transcript includes a rank, but doesn’t include that it is unweighted. It’s all good. S is in top 10%, isn’t applying to the tippy top, and he can’t apply ED to his favorite because we’ll need to compare financials. So now, like the rest of you, I’ve just got to get him to stop doing homework and EC’s for a few minutes, and fill out some applications!</p>
<p>Like the others, I’ll say Good Catch with your Dad - scary and time consuming! So happy he has you to help and that he is willing to allow your assistance.</p>
<p>Apparently my GC forgot that I was applying EA, which is interesting since I told her my EA plans at the beginning of the year and had a required meeting with her last week because of my Nov 1 deadline. She never told me about the fact that the deadline to give transcript request forms to send to these colleges was today. She never gave me these forms since I never gave her informal recommendations (this was my mistake). Ugh.</p>
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<p>Sigh, S has used the exact same line on me when I’ve told him he has to apply to one of the UCs that guarantee admission to ELC students. Also, something overly dramatic along the lines of “I’d kill myself before I attended that school.” Love thy safety is not happening in our house, at least at the moment.</p>