<p>This may be a dumb question but don’t your kids’ schools send in their scores? Out of my son’s list only two require the scores be sent directly from ACT or CB. The rest of his schools accept the scores being sent in with his transcript.</p>
<p>Emmybet, I think it’s because when we were Seniors after our few apps were done (in my day at least maybe you applied to at most 5 schools) we didn’t do anything for the rest of the year except have fun.</p>
<p>Nope, our public school doesn’t have anything to do with test scores. But they are so under resourced that I would not be comfortable delegating that much control to them. </p>
<p>We had a big submit this morning, for the Robertson scholarship at Duke/UNC. We only spotted that it has a separate application a couple of weeks ago–thanks yet again, CC. The application took over 2000 words of essays, but essays are rolling off the press much quicker these days. In terms of submitting more applications, we are in a holding pattern until EA results come back on the 15th. I don’t want to pay a bunch of $60-75 application fees only to have lightning strike and the EA pay off.</p>
<p>“Nope, our public school doesn’t have anything to do with test scores. But they are so under resourced that I would not be comfortable delegating that much control to them.”</p>
<p>Maybe that is it. My son is in a small private school with only 67 in his class.</p>
<p>And I think my son’s GC is trying to ride herd on almost 400, and dealing with everything from drugs to gangs to pregnancy to truancy…</p>
<p>I can scarcely in good conscience ask him to pay as much attention to my son as selective school admission requires–it is neither reasonable or ethical.</p>
<p>But when we go to him with a “need a transcript today” request, he always gets it done.</p>
<p>emily - you are right that I definitely applied to fewer schools than my D (but more than my one-and-done ED D1!). But I was at least as busy as she is. When I was a senior, I took 2 evening college classes, plus my regular day of school, was a 2-season athlete and youth coach, went folkdancing practically every night (after the college classes!) AND played professional music gigs on the weekends.</p>
<p>BUT I was under no pressure to get all As, nor did I prep much for standardized tests - you could get into top schools without everything being so intensely competitive.</p>
<p>So I understand busy kids. I wasn’t trying for ECs or to build my resume. These were just things I liked to do. And I did have a lot of energy, certainly more than I do now. Dancing was my social time, and playing music was how I made most of my spending money. Sports were fun. I took the college classes because I did like to challenge myself academically, but also I had used up all of the foreign language available to me at my HS, so it was do that or quit (it paid off, too, because I got massive advanced standing at my college for it).</p>
<p>I’ve vowed not to nag for the rest of my D’s app process, now that we’ve pretty much finished the part I’m involved in (sending scores and scheduling auditions). But I can’t just forget about it - I am a mom, after all! And then there’s my worry that she’ll be underprepared for her auditions - except she learned that lesson years ago. Most of this is MY problem - not only can’t I significantly affect her behavior (can’t extract words from her brain for essays), but I want her to have an outcome that’s a direct result of who she is and what she’s capable of. </p>
<p>So I mumble to myself a lot, and have a ton of mantras. Today’s is “Try to find something else to think about”!</p>
<p>Gosh, Emmybet…all I did was get high and hang out listening to music with my friends. </p>
<p>Oh, and we watched a lot of the Watergate hearings, too. Good times.</p>
<p>Emilybet, I was like you. Did EVERYTHING (theatre, forensics, newspaper, orchestra, church choirs), while sewing all of my own clothes (except for winter coats and jeans), with no thought of building a resume. It was just fun. And my high school was not difficult, so having a 4.0 was not hard.</p>
<p>Regarding SAT/ACT/SAT2 scores, our GC is sent these scores on a delayed basis (I don’t know the exact process) and they are listed on the transcript. These are considered ‘soft scores’ as they are not the official score report coming from the testing agencies. The schools that my kids have applied to have stated clearly that they will not accept these ‘soft scores’, or scores from the high school, only official score reports directly from the testing agencies. Our GC would have no way to access that account and authorize the sending of scores. As it stands, the ‘soft scores’ listed on the transcript are outdated and do not reflect the most updated test results.</p>
<p>I guess technically if the GC has been given access by the student and/or parent via username and passwords and wanted to pay the fees to send the scores they would be able to do so. I would not want to rely on anyone other than my student or myself/DH to make sure these scores are sent on time and to the correct universities.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice emmybet. I need to get my head in a better place, that’s for sure.</p>
<p>Hey, there is more than enough anxiety and fear to go around. This is a BIG DEAL. Of course we’re going to be worried.</p>
<p>My tongue is bloody for all the times I bite it, and my ears are ringing from my D’s responses for all the times I’ve said stupid things. Like everyone, I’m trying to keep a balance, so that we’ll all survive.</p>
<p>I just hope for everyone’s sake that we all can keep from being too hard on the kids or on ourselves. We’re all teammates working together. Against whom? Well, there are a couple of college bureaucrats I’m currently not too happy with right now … but fortunately I can rely on our GC, unlike some of the families here … and I’ll have a sore spot for anyone who rejects my kid … but I agree, living well IS the best revenge.</p>
<p>I just called my son’s GC to confirm and he told me most colleges accept scores sent from the school with the transcript. He has a list in his office with all the schools and he checked off for me which ones we had to have sent from ACT. Only 2 out of 9. He told me most public high schools just don’t want the responsibility (and the liability) if something goes wrong. He even told me there have been a few times the colleges have called him and said they hadn’t gotten the scores yet and has just given them over the phone.</p>
<p>Thanks for all your kind words, folks. Whew. I feel like I can breathe a bit now.</p>
<p>
So what is everyone doing as far as sending SAT/ACT scores or mailing LORs for Jan 1 deadlines? I am planning to submit/mail everything either Mon, Dec 6 or Mon, Dec 13. The actually apps probably won’t be submitted until the last week of the month. </p>
<p>I have two concerns - if the scores and LORs arrive before the app will that cause confusion in the Admissions Office? If I wait we might miss the Jan 1 cutoff. One school has 3000 undergrads, the other 800.</p>
<p>Opinions???</p>
<p>emilybee, i had my son email his four early schools w/ his Nov SAT II score – he attached a pdf of the report and told them that he had ordered a rush service of the official report. two of them have already responded saying that while they’ll put his score in his file it won’t be considered official until they receive the official report. so yes, it seems that some schools require an official report from CB. Also, my son’s scores are not on his transcript. his school does not allow that but in any case, even if it did this score wouldn’t have been on it since that was sent before the nov 1 deadline and he just received the sat II score last week.</p>
<p>My S’s private school does not list scores on the transcript. Never asked why but I assume it is because some kids want all scores submitted, some superscore and some are applying to test optional schools, GC would have a hard time keeping track. I paid the extra $29 in October for S’s June scores to be sent quickly, and they all arrived at the schools in what looked like different periods of time. I thought I read somewhere that some schools want paper reports of the schores and some like them electronically. I suspect those getting paper scores can take varying periods of time to get them matched up to the applicants file. Those they get them electronically get them in batches in predetermined time periods. I read somewhere that CB does not send individual scores but only the batch reports. No idea if that is true, but I read it online, it must be true, huh? </p>
<p>Despite having some acceptances under his belt, I am anxious for S to hear from all his schools. But, I am trying to think about other things so I am not constantly checking his accounts online and running home to check the mail. ;-)</p>
<p>Back in the “old days” I applied to one school EA (or whatever they called it back then) and ended up being the first one in my class to get an acceptance. I remember my GC embarassing me by interupting my English class to tell everyone about it. Isn’t the worse thing I have been embarassed by in my long life.</p>
<p>RM. we submit nothing to the schools besides the CA and Supps. Everything else goes snail mail from the GC. </p>
<p>The GC simply asks which score(s) the student wants sent. My son told him to only send his Oct. ACT and that will be the only one going on his transcript. </p>
<p>As I said two of my sons schools require his scores be sent by ACT (Binghamton and Bates.) All the rest will accept them on his transcript.</p>
<p>FlMM, my son’s school recommends sending out all scores for the Jan 1 deadline by today. as i mentioned in a post above, i sent them last week when my S received his last SAT II score from the nov sitting and a week later, CB still has them pending and not sent. i think they send in batches. so, yes, it’s a good idea to send as soon as you can. i wouldn’t worry about the sat arriving before the applications. my son sent out 5 early apps, all of which received not only his scores but also a mailed recommendation from his summer mentor. once he sent his app in later and followed up, all scores and the letters were filed appropriately. </p>
<p>like emmybet, I had a ball in high school w my extracurriculars. I was in the corps of the Boston Ballet company, played the piano (began college as a piano performance major before switching to art history), was an equestrian, and lived abroad every summer w/ my grandparents who lived in Italy. But I too took the SAT once w/out studying for it, took the APs and SAT IIs w/out studying and studied for school but not the 4-5 hours a night that my S does. I didn’t have his grades or his scores. Still, I managed to go to an excellent woman’s college in MA. It was relatively stress-free and since none of us had an activity sheet, resume for college, who kept track of what they did? Yet, from what I hear on this thread, I think our kids are certainly stressed by the testing and homework load but all seem to gravitate in their ECs to what they love, just as we did. My S does what he does b/c he decided to for the fun of it. The only difference: he needs to keep track of dates and whatever else for the CA.</p>
<p>RenaissanceMom, D1 was planning on waiting to send scores (ACT) until she’s heard from her ED school. What are the other ED-applying students (and families) here doing? Are you sending the score reports up front? Or, are you waiting until Dec 15?</p>
<p>A while back (page 444) the subject of sending SAT scores, timing, method, etc., came up. Here is an exerpt:
</p>
<p>I sent several scores before applications were submitted and all of them were quickly matched up. I would do this sooner rather than later given the date…but then I rushed scores for RD in October so… ;)</p>
<p>ST, I too was originally planning to send the SAT scores after S1 heard from his early schools (dec 15) but I was advised not to wait by his counselor. I didn’t want to waste the money but I guess relative to what I’ll be spending on his college tuition, this is a drop in the bucket. I also thought we could wait to send out other apps but she advised us about certain schools where it’s a good idea to send in the app early to get an interview b/c they are arranged on a first submitted, first serve basis; better to get interview than not.</p>