<p>RE: No-fee app solicitations. While I completely agree with dodgersmom, I have decided to have my son apply to a couple of the no-fee EA schools just to use them as a test. If he were to rely on Naviance and only apply to schools where his GPA is in range, his SAT scores would be a few hundred points higher than the averages quoted on Naviance. He will apply ED as planned plus a couple of EA schools where he has interviewed and they are charging fees, but I am now thinking of having him apply to two of these no-fee EA schools to see if he is accepted. (There are others we are ignoring.) These are two schools that I had on the early list but never went as far as visiting.</p>
<p>This is very unscientific and may not tell me much, but if he should end up rejected by his ED, I want us to be able to make a calculated choice about ED 2. Of course, I am adding to his burden by having him attend a local info session that one of the schools is hosting in a hotel.</p>
<p>beadymom–to answer your question…we are in CT and the solicitations arrive both via email and US mail.</p>
<p>Congratulations to all NMSF’s! DS is one of 5 in his high school who made NMSF. We stopped keeping track of this since he scored 230 so we knew he is in. Now we just need to make sure he completes all necessary work and turn in paperwork on time - which could be a challenge!</p>
<p>The no fee, no essay offers have come by email for DS. They run the gamut of schools. Tulane, Fordham, and Drexel waived the fee, Pitt waived the essay, Minnesota has no fee or essay. Those are from the last three days of emails so there are probably more at the bottom of the virtual inbox.</p>
<p>Congratulations, Glido, 4beardolls (230 - wow!!), and others with NMSF offspring! I briefly wished we lived in a state where the cutoff wasn’t so high, but I do love other aspects of So Cal so will be happy with “commended” status.</p>
<p>Thanks for the support the other day when I was feeling teary about those childhood years that passed too quickly. I’m back to my more normal anxious state about whether he’ll be able to handle leaving.</p>
<p>And… I really hate his essays. Booorrriiinnng. His GC apparently agrees and broke it to him gently that he needs a rewrite. He is not a happy camper. Particularly since he is also currently writing a two page essay for his Science Honor Society application. Despite the holiday, it may be a rough weekend around our house.</p>
<p>CT1417, we were starting to tell DS to apply to a couple of his no-fee schools early (EA) too. I am a little confused by your post though… Did you say your DS is apply ED and EA? I thought if you have a ED school, you can’t apply to any other EA?</p>
<p>Some of those “free application” offers are not as special as they make you feel. For example, Case Western is always free to apply if you apply online. Same with another school that has been offering my son a “free” application (I can’t remember which one). </p>
<p>If you’re doing them just for experimental purposes, and your kid is going to be taking the SAT/ACT again, you could use your free reports on those schools as well to get a truly free app.</p>
<p>4bears—unless I have this completely wrong (and someone please correct me if I do!!), one can apply ED and EA. Some ED 2 deadlines are after RD deadlines, and again, can apply ED 2 while applying RD, but must rescind RD apps if accepted ED.</p>
<p>The SCEA or REA (Single Choice EA and Restrictive EA) schools throw a whole new wrinkle in by saying that you can apply to other schools but not to those whose decision will be binding. So…for example, can apply REA to Boston College but cannot apply ED to Cornell at same time. Applicant would be allowed to apply RD to Cornell even after being accepted REA to BC. There’s a lot of initials there, but I think I have this correct. </p>
<p>Having said all that, one should not take advice from me as I just looked at the Common App site for the first time last night. Yikes! Lots of screens to fill in.</p>
<p>mathmomvt–I had not thought of that. Great suggestion. I need to go look at the CB site, but perhaps someone here knows pricing. My son took SAT twice, but all subsection scores were higher second time so no need to send first score, except for school that demands all scores. He also has one decent SAT II score to send. Do we pay for each test date sent or do we pay per college? If he would like to suppress the first round of SAT scores, but send the second plus one subject test (while suppressing second test taken on same day), is that multiple fees?</p>
<p>He plans to take the SAT I one last time in Oct to try to increase the Math score. Sending those scores blind could be risky as the CR & W could decline. Welcome any logistical insight about score reporting. Thanks all!</p>
<p>My DS has received a couple of the “no fee” apps by email, mostly the same ones mentioned on an earlier post. If it’s from a school we are not considering, we pretty much ignore them. In the case of Fordham, we were already considering it because of the NM money and the fact that it’ a Jesuit school. The fact that it’s a free app is just a bonus.</p>
<p>I have to say, DS was considering Tulane, and the free app probably pushed him over the edge toward applying…DS is hopefully going to be named NMSF (per CC…we have heard nothing from his GC…), and it had been so interesting to see what mail he gets as compared to his twin sister. She has strong GPA with a rigorous courseload, but not the same test scores, and his mail/email ratio compared to hers is about 5 to 1!</p>
<p>Congrats to glido’s and 4beardolls’ NMF kiddos! :)</p>
<p>We have also received the “free app” emails from several schools. D had Tulane on her list but hasn’t visited and hadn’t really researched it other to see that it was in the size range she is going for. Since she got the free app email she has become more interested and will likely apply. We will use one of the free test score reports for this school.</p>
<p>Congrats seattle_mom on your son getting the free app from a school that is on his list!
My son received a few but none of them is on his list. Oh well… I’m also wanting to find out what the NM cutoff score for WA would be for class of 2014. Has your son heard anything from his principal or GC?</p>
<p>Most ED programs prohibit only other ED apps, not EA apps, which makes sense when you consider the “binding” nature of each. A lot of kids apply ED to a lottery school while having EA apps in at slightly less selective privates and some state flagships.</p>
<p>My son, too, has gotten several free apps including Tulane, Drexel, Fordham and Minnesota. Minnesota even called him one night, and he seemed to be interested until he saw how many people attend the school. Way too many, he said. He also received calls and notes from several D3 track and field programs. I told him to keep an open mind with each call or note.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, an update on the transcript situation. The college counselor did resend his transcripts with the correct GPA/SAT to his schools. He heard from Alabama with an invite to the Honors College. That made him happy. His brother introduced him to several HC staffers a couple of years ago. He also met with the Dean about all the opportunities open to him.</p>
<p>Son was also all smiles when his AP Scholar with Distinction award came. All that work his junior year paid off.</p>
<p>College Board charges by the school, not by the test date - so you can send as many or as few SAT test results as you like.</p>
<p>ACT, in contrast, charges for each score you send . . . so multiple test dates can get quite costly for any school that insists on receiving official reports of all scores.</p>
<p>Many colleges will also let you off the hook for “official” reports if the student’s test scores are included on his or her transcript. You’d need to check with each college to find out (and, of course, not all high schools include test scores on student transcripts), but it’s another way to reduce the cost of score reports.</p>
<p>Even lower stat kids get some free app schools. My guy has gotten a few, but generally from schools not named on here.</p>
<p>As is typical for my guys, the schools they are interested in don’t offer free apps. Since they don’t apply to a ton of schools (3 for oldest, 6 for middle, and likely 3 - 4 for youngest) at least it doesn’t break the bank.</p>
<p>We’ve officially decided to wait on apps until after our Oct visits - then he’ll target the schools he likes. He had his meeting with his GC yesterday, so all is on target.</p>