<p>I much prefer to stay in the drinking ice tea by the pool phase. But Spygirl is attending a Summer College App class this week. It’s offered through school and it’s designed to give seniors a start on their apps and essays. We figured it’s better coming from the school’s college counselor than us. </p>
<p>To prepare, DD and I spent most of yesterday filling out the Naviance questionnaire. She worked on her resume and I worked on the parent section. Glad at least that is finished.</p>
<p>Finally was able to get D to consider how to answer the dreaded “How did you overcome adversity in your life?” question that is sure to come up on some of her college applications. No, having a really bad hair day on school picture day doesn’t qualify as adversity… We also talked about how to get admission officers to notice you from a sea of 10,000 applications. Having lived, breathed, and focused on ONE sport for 12 years isn’t unique. So we discussed how she’s grown in her sport and the lessons learned traveling, coaching, teaching, and mentoring young kids. D starts working with her college counselor for the next three weeks writing essays, etc. I’m hoping she’ll dig deep and find some great and inspirational lessons/stories she can fit into 650 words that will help her get into the college she wants to go to. Here we go!</p>
<p>"I might have to take a break from this thread. I read posts about working on applications and start hyperventilating. " -Calla1</p>
<p>I feel that!</p>
<p>For the students who want to apply to for early decision/action, the schedule is tighter, but there really is plenty of time. (Although, having been through this before, I will say there is a tremendous benefit to getting out ahead of it: more time to revise, thanksgiving and Christmas holidays that aren’t consumed by applications.)</p>
<p>For me, I just know that the more by DS gets done early, the more he will enjoy his senior year.</p>
<p>I’m resolved not to make the mistakes I made with D 3 years ago – she did one ED app; got deferred, then had between Dec 15 and Dec 31 to send out 12 apps. She hadn’t even started on any of them. And several were not common app schools.</p>
<p>I am telling S the deadline is Nov 1. He has time now – why not get this out of the way? It’s not as if he will have a sudden flash of insight and maturity once school is underway.</p>
<p>Watch history repeat itself – if he doesn’t get in anywhere from the EA or ED apps, I’ll be spending New Year’s Eve at the kitchen table, helping him think of an answer to the question “why do you want to go here?”</p>
<p>As others have noted, there isn’t that much time if your child is applying ED or EA. Add in a fall sport and that window of time gets even smaller. We are going to be away over winter break so things really need to be finished early, even for RD apps.</p>
<p>My son has one application done and is working on the next set which should be done this week. Then to the common app which should be done before school starts on August 26. After that we will just wait for answers and hope he gets his #1 choice.</p>
<p>Getting him started was a battle of wills. Something about a new GF seemed to always get in the way!</p>
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<p>Thanks, ognopgod, it’s definitely a great feeling for both of us!</p>
<p>And I didn’t at all mean to sound like I was bragging that it’s all done, and cause anyone to panic anymore, I promise. 
I am extremely lucky in that DS knows just what he wants to do, and where he wants to do it, and that he has worked hard to have the stats to be an auto-admit. That is all him. </p>
<p>And the only reason we applied the moment the app was available was because he completely fell in love with the two new dorms they built – and housing apps are first-deposited-first-served. So the quicker he got in the main app, the quicker they will review it and issue an application number – and with that number, hopefully this week, we can put in the housing app and deposit and request one of the new dorms. Only a few Freshmen got in there last year (the first year the new dorms were open), so DS & I just wanted to do whatever we could to improve his odds. :-)</p>
<p>Haven’t posted here in a while. This is my second time going thru the college process and I’m just not as into it. I think the class of 2011 wiped me out & I’m still recovering! Anyway, my S2 just went onto the common app yesterday and told me that it only allows for 2 paragraphs in the 650 word essay. What? I checked out the common app forum here and lots of people are complaining about this and other issues. I wish they left the app alone…it seems like our ride is going to be rougher than I originally thought.
Is anyone else experiencing difficulties? I think the kids who leave their apps until the last minute will be in lots of hot water just getting their app formatted.</p>
<p>Hi RenMom! I remember you from the class of 2011 thread. I find the common app site very clunky now. I’m hoping it won’t matter (because everyone’s essays will be scrunched into the 2 paragraph format).</p>
<p>What is “the 2 paragraph format” for the Common App essay? Is it true that one can only write two paragraphs, but can write 650 words?</p>
<p>(Obviously our DS hasn’t tried to upload any essays yet.)</p>
<p>I saw all the comments about the two paragraphs on the Common App essay, and can’t quite figure out where kids got that impression. I think the directions are poorly worded though and it says something about only hitting “enter” once between paragraphs, instead of twice, which kids are interpreting to mean you can only do two paragraphs. DD put her essay in the Common App yesterday and was distressed that you can’t put spaces between paragraphs, which makes it sometimes appear that there are not separate paragraphs, even though there are. But, she was able to make multiple paragraphs.</p>
<p>Any thoughts on whether it hurts your kid’s chance of admission if your high school has a history of enrolling less than 25% of the kids admitted to the college? One of DS’s schools, has about a 25% admit rate from our hs…but on average, less than 25% of the kids end up enrolling. I know for us, it will come down to financial aid, and this school has a history of being stingy, and it could very well be that the kids that didn’t enroll received merit elsewhere. Just wondering if the school will decide that they’re going to get more selective about who they admit, based on school history…</p>
<p>CollegeforTwins - thanks for the tip – I was relying on other people’s posts on the Common App forum re: paragraph breaks. I’m sure you’re right.</p>
<p>In terms of acceptance based on school history, we have a very small school (90 kids in the graduating class) and parental folk lore says “Brown doesn’t like our kids.” But this year (HS Class of 2013) they took 3. And for a long time, there was “the Emory curse”. But D got in. </p>
<p>I don’t know if adcoms at schools keep the same granular tracking system as parents or GCs. </p>
<p>I do think if a small school offered acceptance to 5 kids and all 5 kids didn’t matriculate, they might rethink their offers the next year.</p>
<p>Wrapped up the last visit today (concordia), and D now has until September first to get her apps done. Yes, you read that right, September 1st. Tuition exchange is super-competitive, even at the no-name schools we’re looking at, and every single admissions rep has said, “You need to get that in ASAP.”</p>
<p>On the one hand, I may explode in the next 3weeks. On the other, I can return to leisure mode by Labor Day.</p>
<p>Cross country practice had Son '14 up very early Monday morning. So that meant I was back to school (I teach) earlier than I wanted to be. That’s okay, I’ll sleep someday. Anyway, we stopped into the college counselor’s office (yes, she’s back to work, too). She was just thrilled to hear that Son '14 had turned in two apps, and we left her requests for four transcripts to be sent. She and the other guidance types are really encouraging him to be the example – get your teacher recs, finish up essays, turn in the apps, etc. That way, his senior year will be just a little less insane.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, one of his top schools invited him to a special scholars day in September. He cannot attend, but it is nice to receive an invitation. My husband says that Son '14 should send a thank you note, expressing his regret that he could not attend. This school has been so good about sending him handwritten notes, e-mails and other things. Really makes him feel wanted.</p>
<p>I feel ahead of the game with N over my previous two since he has at least looked at the Common app and his schools’ supplemental essays and started talking about how to approach them, done a few visits with final ones planned and fit in final ACT and SAT dates. He’s also narrowed down his application choices to 6 (probably 1 more will fall) and his school works on college essays with seniors in English classes the first couple weeks of school. I’m more relaxed than I was with my first; second was a music student so that was a whole other thing. He is much more focused than the other two were, and they got into Tulane and Vandy, so I think he will be fine. Enjoying the last of summer!</p>
<p>Wow! Way to go DS of Momreads.</p>
<p>Hello, All!</p>
<p>Checking in! Visiting Rutgers tomorrow and going for an interview at Quinnipiac on Friday. Wish us luck!</p>
<p>Question…I’m going to post this on Common App but wondered what you guys thought…For the blank space at the end for “extra info,” should my D put a note about the one “D” she received in honors Alg 2 in Soph year? Still makes my blood boil as my daughter has won awards in math in middle school, but this one teacher really had it in for my daughter. We had THREE tutors for her for that class…she knew what she was doing and understood the materials, but this teacher would find fault in everything. We had to bring her down to regular math next year, which she practically fell asleep in that class and got an A+ (shock right?). She is back up to honors pre-calc for senior year (and now less confident, but this is life, right?)</p>
<p>Of course…wont put any of that rant in, but a positive, but should we just leave it off altogether? She has all A’s/B’s in every class for everything else…and all A’s in jr year, so on the upward swing. She took APs in 9th grade and all honors, so she is smart.</p>
<p>What should we do?</p>
<p>On another note, you guys might have posted this somehere a hundred pages ago, but where is everyone applying to this year?</p>
<p>I posted but here it is again (for nursing):
-Rochester Institute of Technology (for 5 yr PA program)
-Northeastern U
-Villanova U
-Quinnipiac U
-U Delaware
-U Connecticut
-Rutgers U (maybe…vising tomorrow)
-Local community college nursing program</p>
<p>Still looking at U New Hampshire and U Rhode Island, but the comments on other websites mention partying being the main focus. But nursing programs get high marks, so…thinking of still checking it out.</p>
<p>Looking for more safety schools that are decent size and less expensive than the above. If anyone has any ideas for direct entry nursing schools, please post! (I scour the nursing forum as well, so got some good ideas there.)</p>
<p>Good Morning everyone!!
Today is a good morning in our household as DD has essentially finished her Common App essay, she has been working with her Grade 11 English teacher who is also writing her rec. She really wants to start her supplements but only her safety (Bentley) has supplements up on the Common App website, is anyone else experiencing this issue??</p>