<p>It’s comforting to read that everyone seems to be in the same boat with summer homework to complete, essays to write and colleges to visit. We’re just four days away from our California road trip–six schools in two weeks with some R&R in between. Go2girl has made significant progress her CA essay and I just put together a deadline chart for her to post in her room. Many of the scholarships she hopes to apply to require nominations from her school counselor so that will require some proactivity the first week of school. I’m unclear as to how the counselors make these decisions. I’m sure there will be multiple students applying to the same schools and many may be looking at the same opportunities as she is. As it stands right now, she has thirteen schools on her list and may add a couple after our upcoming visit. She will be applying to three early action and one rolling admissions. All four offers some nice merit aid but two of the four are pretty selective so it won’t be spring until we know if they really are viable candidates. </p>
<p>It is quite absurd that the Common App has not yet fixed the glitches with the writing supplements! I have found that many of the schools have either listed the new supplement questions on their websites or their blogs. </p>
<p>Enjoy the last two weeks of August, everyone!</p>
<p>I have to stop reading school visit reports! I just read the Quinnipiac report and I’m like - maybe we should add that to the list! At some point I have to say, I can’t research and have her apply to every single school.</p>
<p>I thought we might make headway today with d laid up. She made her first big outing to the doctor this morning to change the bandages. She did a little school work, but needed pain meds so she’s asleep now on the couch.</p>
<p>Yesway777…thanks again for the very insightful and inforamative QU review!<br>
Eyemamom…I agree! We have visited 9 schools already with one more tomorrow…4 of those are staying on his list of what is now 10. If I can get my son to 3 more schools I will be thrilled…but I think any day now he is going to say he has seen enough and I’m running out of vacation days.</p>
<p>And the apps are going in! Now, she needs are the counselor recs and her transcripts. Don’t hate us cuz we’re beautiful, hate us because we’re almost done! Ok, one more essay, and I can see taking nearly forever, and d had no summer homework.</p>
<p>I told my son last night that his college counselor had already mailed three transcripts out, so it might be a good idea to finish his apps (at least the first wave of them). He agreed. so hopefully we get the others done this week. Besides only a handful of seniors came to her office since she returned from summer break, so she is giving them whatever they need. So, let’s get busy! Meanwhile, a slew of college mail came the other day. Son '14 got an offer of football tickets from Purdue. Too bad the offer did not include the plane flight to visit.</p>
<p>D got her schedule yesterday. Yep, it’s wrong. An error that the gc fixed last spring is back. The kid does not want to take dual credit American History. So, back to the gc. Maybe if she takes in the counselor recs with her, they’ll get done faster? </p>
<p>You know, we get very little college mail, and most of what we do makes no sense whatsoever. I don’t think any of the colleges that we’ve visited ever sent d mail. We get nothing from anyplace that might be a match. I live in the middle of the country. Pre-cc, I’d never know a lot of these schools existed. And then we get stuff from reach schools. WUSTL Really? Why are these places wasting their money? D’s test score would put her firmly in the bottom quarter of their applicant pool. Is the “game” simply to raise revenue through application fees?</p>
<p>^ haha on the schools we have never heard of thought…
yesterday we got a voice mail on the home phone congratulating k2 on the scholarship to a college we had to play the message 4 times to hear and figure out the name…</p>
<p>K2 is now reading the last of the summer assignments/books. I am still holding out on the shopping. School starts next week and Srs dress up–so K2 had better get on it.</p>
<p>K2 asked for comments/suggestings on editing on the essay for the CA, I did that and hope K2 expands it a bit. Like the comments from the SAt W section. The thoughtws are there, the brevity means that there is room for developing the thoughts a bit more. Just a couple of sentences would flesh it out a bit and K2 is not at risk of writing too much :rolleyes:</p>
<p>The college strategy to encourage apps is all about inflating the apps #s for them, making the selectivity seem more stringent etc. It is a revenue stream for sure</p>
<p>Glad everyone likes the new name! It’s got an SAT word in there and everything.</p>
<p>I’m with fogfog re: schools’ strategy to increase apps. S has gotten his share of mail from schools he would never get into. I’m not interested in having him help boost their rejection rate.</p>
<p>On a sad note, the mom of his friend who has cancer doesn’t sound like she’s doing too well. Some big trip planned to Lourdes. I hope it works.</p>
<p>No, it’s not for the money. They have to recruit all their rejections as well as their acceptances in order to keep their selectivity rating. Top schools need roughly 9 (or more) rejections recruited for each acceptance. They fool many with their personalized mailings.</p>
<p>Sheesh, just about the only mail we get is from the schools the kid has already visited. And, without exception, they are all inviting him . . . to visit! And he did “official” tours & info sessions at each of these schools! Don’t they keep records??? </p>
<p>I suppose. Just sounds downright mean, ya know? Let’s recruit people we can reject. Haha, joke’s on you.</p>
<p>The thing is, D probably would have a long shot. She’s not that far under the middle 50 (usually) and she’s from a racial/ethnic group with a college graduation rate about what native americans have. Is it a hook? Maybe. Still not going to play.</p>
<p>School officially started in our area. With K1, senior year went by in a flash. I plan to enjoy all the little (and big) moments for K2. Goodbye to summer for us! </p>
<p>Congrats to all the 2014 boys who are working on their Eagle Scout projects. We went through this several years ago and I know how much goes into the planning, approval and execution. This is an achievement that will last a life-time.</p>
<p>My dear boy is feeling a little stressed but I know he’ll be ok. He mowed his grandpa’s lawn today (his summer job), then cut out letters for his project from wood, with his grandpa, who is the biggest perfectionist on the planet. These wooden letters are just molds for the aluminum trim letters so they don’t really need to be perfect, but… grandpa is a perfectionist. He put out the call to the troop for help with his project and had about 15 people show up to help shovel out the old rocks. He will shop with his principal tomorrow to buy the materials for his project. </p>
<p>He was pretty tired. He said he only slept 4 hours last night. I suggested he was stressing about the project and he said “No, it was just random insomnia” and then went on and on about everything he still needs to do. Yep, he’s stressed about his project. And studying for two classes he hopes to test out of. But his AP homework is all done! </p>
<p>I picked up that college essay book mentioned earlier in the thread and left it on his computer desk. Maybe I should save it til after his project is done. He is at his dad’s this week. </p>
<p>Me? I have to start colonoscopy prep. Fun stuff.</p>
<p>glido: Fortunately, Son '14 does not have too many essays to do. Most are for honors programs. Most are fairly short, too. Some are due Dec. 1 and are factors in scholarships, so those are a priority. The others can be done around Christmas time. My older son is his kid brother’s biggest cheerleader, pointing out that waiting is never a good thing. Senior year is busy, busy, busy! Nearly every Saturday between now and December is filled with something – mostly cross country meets. My older son told his brother that sometimes, it is better to ask for assistance in managing everything. He did, and I felt like his personal secretary during his senior year – along with mom, cook, driver, etc. But then again, that’s what parents do.</p>
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