<p>^^^^ Lol. Yeah, it’s less special knowing that.</p>
<p>D13 met with her GC today for the “college talk”. GC immediately made D angry by discouraging her from applying anywhere outside our state. WTH? I understand keeping the talent within our state…but we’ve tried to teach our kiddos to weigh ALL their options. </p>
<p>The info GC handed out reminded the kids to take their ACT in December. Wow. I guess we are wayyyyy ahead of the game!</p>
<p>No AP award, no info on NMSF. I have no patience! Waiting for both before sending in first app. Good news though, it looks like numbers are lower this year for NMSF qualification.</p>
<p>Woohoo!! DD just joined the group of Alabama acceptances. I think I’m more excited about this than she is. Not that it isn’t a serious contender. She is just focused on other things right now… like a physics test tomorrow. Maybe the actual packet will be do more to excite her. Now we need to get serious about finding a time to go visit…</p>
<p>Ezilyamused: That would annoy me too. I understand encouraging kids to apply instate, but I DON’T get discouraging them from applying elsewhere just because it isn’t instate.</p>
<p>Congratulations to your D STEMFamily</p>
<p>Thanks Galaxy. I am extremely impressed with Alabama’s efficiency. D’s transcript couldn’t have been mailed before last Wednesday. Alabama recorded it as received yesterday, and the Honors College/Scholarship links were there today. </p>
<p>On the other extreme, we were told last spring at an info session at ASU that it could take 6 weeks for them to approve an application for admittance once the parts are all there. Their application isn’t any more complicated than Alabama’s and admittance is based purely on test scores and GPA.</p>
<p>In case any of you are wondering about NMSF status and are not tracking the NM forum, state cut-off scores this year are running 2 to 4 points lower than last (so far).</p>
<p>Hi! I guess I’m a little late in the game here, but I just found this site and want to thank you all for the information I’ve garnered this evening in reading these posts. </p>
<p>My D just started her senior year and has taken the SAT, has maintained a 4.0 with a rigorous curriculum (5 of 6 AP classes this year and last), has a top leadership position and is very active with her school’s nationally ranked math team, and has played 2 varsity sports every year (this year just 1, but she’s captain of that team). </p>
<p>She scored 590 reading, 720 writing, & 800 in math. She’ll be retaking the SAT in Nov, is taking SAT subject tests (math/physics) in Oct, and is taking the ACT in Sept.</p>
<p>Here’s the problem, she’s having a hard time narrowing down the list of schools to apply to and I’m concerned she doesn’t have a viable “safety” school that would have a generous financial aid package that would allow her to go away to school. </p>
<p>She wants to study engineering (likely mechanical) and is considering the following (which we have to whittle down due to cost of applications):</p>
<p>MIT
Cooper Union
CalTech
Olin
Harvey Mudd
GATech
Stanford
Princeton
Pomona (3+2 w/CalTech)
Iowa State
University of Florida (state safety school)</p>
<p>Her CAP advisor is not really ready for these type of schools & is accustomed to dealing with kids going to the local community college or state school (as commuters).</p>
<p>Any advice??? help? Recipes for strong drinks? I’m a single mom and this process has been quite the difficult path to navigate on our own. I feel like we are missing out on other lesser known, yet good schools, that might be most apt to admit her and offer the mist generous financial aid packages.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>This is a broad question but what schools do you CCers think are the best non binding EA schools to aim for? </p>
<p>I’m fully aware of how competitive schools such as U Chicago are, but I figure that potentially having an EA acceptance (of any kind really) would lesssen the stress of my senior year, and, if nothing more, help me get over that inevitable rejection early. </p>
<p>I’m undecided on a major (might go down a med school route but who knows?), and have done pitful amounts of research on colleges so feel free to offer any pros and cons of each school - it would help me lot a lot lol.</p>
<p>carimama - Looks like your D is thinking STEM program? If so, Case Western has a great reputation and is generous with merit aid.</p>
<p>Congradts STEM family :)</p>
<p>Wow we are moving along Very Nicely…:)</p>
<p>What’s the thread for the class before us? I wanted to read their stories and I couldn’t find it…</p>
<p>DD went to an ACT study session on science where they fussed at her for not paying attention until she told them she had already made a 36 on that section. We may be ahead of the game but I think the school is behind. The info sessions & the study sessions should have been held last year.</p>
<p>cari, maybe UTDallas?</p>
<p>russ, if you don’t think you’re competitive for an EA school, find a rolling admit school that you’d like.</p>
<p>Leaving this morning to take ds1 to see all the grandparents before he heads out for study abroad. Talk about waterworks … :(</p>
<p>Morning all 
Hope that anyone in the path of Isaac is still staying safe & dry!</p>
<p>russgenious: a school that has rolling decisions can be just as handy as a school that has EA decisions. Note all the Alabama decisions already received on this thread. If you want to share some stats, location/size constraints & program interests, I’m sure some parents would be happy to help.</p>
<p>Welcome carimama! Congratulations on your D starting her senior year. She has a seriously top heavy list there! And lopsided test scores too. An 800 math & female for engineering is great but…my D is lopsided the other way (super high verbal & lower math) and I’ve been blunt with her that her math scores might be the thing that gets her kicked to the curb at the more competitive schools. Has she visited any of the schools? Being a FL girl, is she OK with the idea of “real” winter? Have you run the FAFSA or Net Price Calculator for any of the schools to see what the financial realities will be? </p>
<p>2 things I’d suggest: look at the 25-75% test score stats for each of these schools & see where your D fits comparatively. Being above the 75% is where you generally want to sit for merit aid. For many of the schools on your list, there is no merit aid, only financial aid. </p>
<p>Have you considered University of Alabama? With her SAT score, she already qualifies for the UA Scholar scholarship which is 2/3 tuition, although the engineering focus may change that: there’s an additional $2500/year for engineering majors & I think they might bump up the UA Scholar to Presidential (don’t quote me on that! I’ve got a humanities kid!) but a 32 on the ACT and/or 10 pts more on the CR + Math SAT will get her that anyway. </p>
<p>And we have themed drink days I think today is Wine Wednesday…</p>
<p>AMA: Here’s the link to the class above us: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1373753-parents-college-class-2016-a.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1373753-parents-college-class-2016-a.html</a></p>
<p>carimama-I would add the University of MN to that list. Also, most schools will waive app fees if you apply on line or just check the “I don’t want to pay the app fee” button they usually have. The U of MN-IT isn’t really another “safety” though but still more “safe” than MIT, etc. Have you visited Iowa State? I LOVE that campus!!</p>
<p>Congrats everyone on the acceptances. I would REALLY like to see one at our house but we have another few days before school starts and the GC will send transcripts–and the kids need to get their LOR in order!!</p>
<p>Heading out tomorrow for our final “pre-application” visit tour. I’m excited for this trip. On paper, most of the schools we are looking at are really good fits for the kids. Hopefully they will like them. Heading out to PA/WV. We have 4 visits scheduled and 1-3 drive through’s possible.</p>
<p>^^^Safe travels Steve! What’s on the list for this week’s visits?</p>
<p>Seton Hill, Wheeling Jesuit, Lebanon Valley, Robert Morris, possibly drive throughs at Dickinson, Gettysburg, Mount St. Mary’s.</p>
<p>Welcome to CC and this forum, carimama.</p>
<p>First off, is there any chance your D qualifies for as a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist? (She would need PSAT scores similar to her SAT scores.) If she does, that could change your set of options by bringing NM Scholarship schools into play. </p>
<p>Second, it seems to me she is set with safeties. UF is probably a sure-bet for her and, if not, ISU certainly is. ISU is an excellent choice, by the way, as it has strong engineering programs, a friendly campus, and the possibility of merit aid. She should be comfortable with the idea of Ames, however, as it might be a little disorienting for a FL girl to be in the middle of IA in January.</p>
<p>Generally speaking most of the state flagships around the country will have respectable engineering programs. The strongest are probably at the Big 10 schools where she would be a likely-to-certain admit at all of them except Northwestern and possibly Michigan. Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois are particularly strong in regards to engineering programs. But I think it likely you have considered this route already. UC schools, too. If Stanford and CalTech, why not Berkeley or UCLA? These would be less certain “gets” but not as difficult as most of the schools on her list. Many of the other UC’s have good engineering programs, too, and admit at a lower threshold. I can’t give you odds on fin aid, however.</p>
<p>I also trust you know that 3+2 programs can be found at many liberal arts colleges and not just Pomona, and most of these would be easier targets than Pomona. Any particular reason she is focused there? </p>
<p>GA Tech strikes me as the only “match” on her list. You might want to add a few more. Case Western has already been mentioned. Some additional tech institutes like Rensselaer and Worcester might be considered. I suggest checking out Rose-Hulman, too, as I know they are looking for female students (I don’t know about aid possibilities). And, of course, many of the main flagship U’s already mentioned.</p>
<p>One more mid-range possibility for her you might not have considered: Smith-the only women’s college with an engineering program. She’d get an LAC experience there but in four years. She is a strong candidate for admission and it’s a full-need school, which would help your financial picture. (And, in case it is of concern to her, it’s not a convent – there would be young men around.)</p>
<p>Unfortunately her current profile makes MIT, Cooper, CalTech, Olin, Mudd, Stanford, Princeton, and Pomona high reaches. This does not mean she should not apply to some! Indeed it is at these 100%-need schools you might find your financial needs most likely met, even though there is little chance of merit aid (except at Cooper, where everyone gets a full-tuition scholarship and Olin, where everyone gets half-tuition).</p>
<p>Her odds would improve at these “lottery schools” with a better CR score and strong Subject tests. The ACT also might do her well, as it is 50% quantitative rather than 33% like the SAT.</p>
<p>Trim the list of reaches, add in a few more mid-range schools. You should have a two-prong financial strategy–merit aid at the surer admissions (you’ll need to do research to assess how much is available) and full-need aid at the highly competitive schools. Good luck to her on her tests and in her senior year.</p>
<p>Carrie: You might want to check into UofL’s engineering program. I’m thinking she can get a free ride there. It’s a 3+2 program with great opportunities for paid co-ops all over the world. Graduating with money in your pocket and both an undergrad and masters sounds solid in my book :)</p>