<p>With older D (3 yrs ago) we sent in a housing deposit to the state U as soon as she could (in Oct, I think) even though it was her “safety”. They don’t guarantee freshman housing and she didn’t want to end up in the “biggest dorm in the US.” It was non-refundable, and in the end, she didn’t attend, but it gave her peace of mind.</p>
<p>With S2, I think we will also send in the housing deposit for his safety as soon as he gets accepted. They have a brand new dorm of all singles/suites that fills up quickly. He probably won’t attend, but at least he’ll have the best dorm if he does.</p>
<p>We’ve been going back and forth with the housing thing for DS too. I would like to reserve housing at his top 3 non-lottery choices but don’t really know the ins and outs of that. DD will be easy since we will have what we need to make that choice plenty early but with the April notification on his lottery school, it’s a lot harder with DS.</p>
<p>our2girls- I agree with you. Seems so one sided! And we are talking about some serious loss of deposits for one of his top choices if he accepts and then declines because he found a better fit later on. One school he applied to wants $200 non-refundable acceptance deposit before you can submit housing app and then another $250 with housing app! </p>
<p>it seems some schools use housing priority as a carrot to get you to commit early. I guess that is good business sense for them.</p>
<p>EXACTLY - That’s why I always just pay the deposit and apply for housing. Most places will refund the deposit if you don’t wind up going there. I paid 3 housing deposits for D2. Fortunately D3 KNEW where she wanted to go and I only had to pay one. Good thing too, because it was $300!!!</p>
<p>I did not see that box on our CA - although, it might have been there and I would have just checked it since the decision was already made this time.</p>
<p>Yds - that’s great!!! crossing my fingers for the scholarship!</p>
<p>My D needs to get on that too, but she’s had a ridiculous amount of busy work and videos from a class she took honors instead of AP because of scheduling conflicts. Oh well. Maybe when she’s on the plane next week. I think I’ll send her with her list of essay prompts, a notebook, and pen. Nothing else. Maybe THAT will help. She does have a 5 hr plane ride each way … LOL!</p>
<p>Congratulations YDS! I am really jealous of how on the ball you are your DS are.</p>
<p>Housing: Luckily, for the majority of schools on S3’s list, they guarantee freshmen housing and you just have to get your deposit in by a certain day (in May) and then EVERYONE goes into a lottery for rooms. So there is no advantage to signing up early.</p>
<p>Thanks, all, but I don’t feel too on the ball. We haven’t even looked at FAFSA or CSS. And he hasn’t begun the supplement for his EA app. This weekend he has an interview, x-country meet and is working, so not sure how much time he’ll have this weekend.</p>
<p>uggg DD has several more opportunities for diversity (NA) fly-ins but insists she can’t miss another day of school. </p>
<p>I have a promise from DD to work on supplement essays for her 2 EA schools this weekend. Her CA essays are done. She claims she is going to do her essays on Sat between practice 7-11 am and Homecoming Game & Dance 3:30-10:30. We shall see.</p>
<p>Oh we did find out Graduating class size is 396 but ranks do not come out until next week.</p>
<p>Dragonfly - I can imagine it’s a lot for your D to catch up with …</p>
<p>D’s has 434 currently listed as the senior class (smallest in our area for public school and her school lists percentages but not official ranks (although the kids know pretty much where they lie in the top 10). There So, it really hasn’t eliminated the competitiveness for the top spot, but it has eliminated the kids whose parents would “shop” for the school their rising senior could transfer into with a GPA unattainable in the school so they became the valedictorian. LOL</p>
<p>I’m curious as to how many of your schools have eliminated class ranking? How large are your senior classes??</p>
<p>My dd’s school does not rank - not even percentages - they have 171 in their class - all girls school. They do announce the “top 3” every year “in alphabetic order” - my dd knows those girls well and she knows her GPA probably makes her somewhere between #5-10 - it really doesn’t matter. The school will report the percentile if a college asks or if it is needed for a scholarship.</p>
<p>On another note - my dd’s Alabama page got the “student” tab today! I think that means she has been accepted - how long does it take for the acceptance to come in the mail? Will that include the notification of scholarship too? I know several of you already have kids that have been accepted so I thought I would ask.</p>
<p>Our HS does not rank and S has about 475 kids in his class. Around 80% will go to college. Typically, about 25 kids from each class will go to top 15 LAC’s or Universities, althoough quite a few of the top kids also go to one of our 2 major state U’s or other state flagships like MI, MN, and WI.</p>
<p>Probably the top kid from last year’s class (with a perfect ACT and national champion in debate), is at our state flagship. The ‘next best’ kid had to settle for Harvard.</p>
<p>Our city does rank but not until Oct. There are 5 high schools but DD’s is one of the larger/ fuller ones at 2000+ students. The top 10 kids from each school have a cap and gown picture in a slideshow on the district webpage with the college they are attending listed. It is really nice for those kids that worked so hard.</p>
<p>I believe here you have to attend the same school all 4 years to be #1 or #2.</p>
<p>MommyDearest - the wire hanger comment cracked me up!</p>
<p>Vitrac - the note is an amazing idea, it made me tear up!</p>
<p>DS had a bad end to the night last night. He thought he had his supplement all done and ready to go when DH told him he didn’t feel one of the essays was good enough. I find DS at the computer in tears at 11:00 and when I try to console him, he tells me to go away and leave him alone so he can rewrite the essay he thought was done. Uggg. So this morning there is a new essay laying on the table for DH to proofread. </p>
<p>YDS - Congrats on the scholarship app and good luck!!</p>
<p>ahsmuoh - Student tab popped up on 9/20, S’13’s Presidential Scholarship letter arrived 9/28. The acceptance came on 9/22 I believe, but it didn’t have anything interesting in it. S’13 still hasn’t done the honors app because he needs to do two essays that will take him eternity. Have you visited yet?</p>
<p>Our HS has a rank on the transcript every year starting mid-year freshman year. S’13 is #5 out of 300+ until they recalculate after midterms. If AP Lit doesn’t do him in, I’m guessing he’ll creep up a spot or two. He needs to say in the to 9 (3%) for a scholarship, so that’s all I care about! They have a banquet for the top 25 kids at the end of the year, but that’s about it.</p>