<p>thanks seattle_mom and glido – he does love that remote!</p>
<p>eyemamom – applications anonymous – I like that – or a support group for parents of high school seniors – oops – it’s right here :)</p>
<p>I told S he has to spend up to an hour each weekend with me going over common app, essay, etc. We had the first session yesterday while the Giants game was on :(</p>
<p>I told him to eyeball each supplement so he can start thinking of what his response would be. I think I’m going to print each supplement’s question on a separate piece of paper and give it to him like homework (vs seeing the question floating there on the screen in the common app site).</p>
<p>I remember one mom telling me this — you break up the tasks into stuff I can help him with and stuff he needs to do. And it focuses the college talk to once a week vs the drip drip drip of nagging.</p>
<p>glido, I agree that he should not even apply.</p>
<p>mathmomvt, my S and I agree on why it is a poor fit, but I am pretty sure that my sister won’t be happy with the reasons. It is a school with strong reputations for X and Y, and in my experience with it (I have been there many times over the years) the reputations are deserved. My S has been around X and Y and he wants something completely different. He is hoping to find a school where most kids are not X and the scene is not Y. I know that my sister would argue that the more X the better and that the reputation for Y is exaggerated.</p>
<p>SomeOldGuy, I am sure BIL could offer some good advice, but given the circumstances I can’t imagine how asking him could not be very awkward. However, I believe that he would be much less offended than my sister as he not only has been a professor for decades but was an adcom for years and he has a pretty sophisticated view of college choices.</p>
<p>Love the remote story and congrats to all who have pressed that submit button!</p>
<p>DD spent yesterday afternoon at a friends house having a homework/college app party - they are a bunch of lovable nerds! She worked on a couple of short answer questions. One was the “activity” question that a few apps have and one was a why X college question for a specific school. I think she’s totally frustrated with her essay so it was easier to concentrate on working on something else! Her first draft came back from her AP English teacher with “which question are you answering?” on it in a couple of places! A rewrite is due tomorrow and she’s really wanted to connect with the teacher to talk before she hands it in but the teacher has been out of school a lot over the past couple of weeks so that is just adding to her frustration. She said she was going to edit it two ways to fit two different questions (failure and adult) and see where that leads. And then take it to last year’s teacher for further ideas. I really hate to see her so frustrated - and cranky! Hopefully once it gets to a better place I’ll have my happy D back for a while!</p>
<p>Oh - and I think we’re down to 10 schools now. She’s got her first shadow day planned for next Monday at Mt. Holyoke so we’ll see what she thinks of it after that. And we get to visit DS11/15 on Sunday and see the house he’s renting with friends! Hopefully the timing won’t interfere with a football game he wants to watch!</p>
<p>Classof2015 - That is too funny with the remote!! Love it. :-)</p>
<p>My S got his “Congratulations and Howdy!” letter from A&M on Saturday… he is one happy Aggie. Now all that’s left is to stress out about scholarships and finaid, heh. He’s so ready to go right now – can’t understand why they’re making him finish his Senior year, lol.</p>
<p>@austinareadad: Im relatively new here, but please take this in the spirit in which its offered.</p>
<p>My wifes father attended UChicago and taught there for a few years. My wifes stepfather attended and taught at Harvard, UChicago, and later taught at and was a department head at Wesleyan. We expected some pushing from them (because they loved their schools), but it has not happened. Recently, over lunch at a diner, my FIL described UChicago, his experiences there, how transformative it was to his life, etc. to DS. At a point in the conversation, he said that he didnt think it was the place for DS. Asked why, he said that DSs eyes lit up when discussing [Highly Selective School] but his eyes were merely polite when discussing UChicago; he did not push further. I like to believe that your BIL would have the same respect for your sons difficult choices.</p>
<p>[rant on] I dont know you or your family. However, I do know that this is a stressful time for kids who are applying to college. Nobody, and I think I can say unequivocally that I mean NOBODY, needs the additional stress of worrying about the feelings of an aunt or uncle (or parent or grandparent) if theyre not being helpful. If theyre adding stress, they are the enemy. Your job is to make this a non-issue for your son; hes got enough things to deal with. This assumes that the child is not contemplating an insane choice. [rant off]</p>
<p>IxNayBob, don’t worry, it is pretty much a non-issue for my S. I mentioned his aunt’s wishes to him and he told me that he would never go there, for the reasons alluded to, and he assigned me the task of dealing with his aunt (in a way so as to not produce hurt feelings or harm relations). I am just fishing for advice here to make that job easier.</p>
<p>His mom (my W) is already making him apply to one school that he would not otherwise apply to and he thinks that fills his quota of catering to others. It’s a lottery school so he isn’t too worried about what happens if he gets in there. His own choices are solid and make a great deal of sense. </p>
<p>I agree that it is highly unlikely that my BIL would be offended. My sister is a different story.</p>
<p>Have any of the “early appliers” done early decision?
Because there’s this question on the Common App:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>And the choices are “yes” or “no”. Confusing. It would make more sense if there was “I agree” after the first sentence. And since the previous question was: “are you applying for financial aid?” you would think a “no” answer there would render the 2nd sentence extraneous.</p>
<p>My favorite CA ‘glitch’ appears in the testing section where the applicant is forced to reply No to the question below. Doing so implies that one is an international student who is not required to taking a leaving exam. Failing to check anything leaves the section incomplete.</p>
<p>“International applicants: Is promotion within your educational system based upon standard leaving examinations given at the end of lower and/or senior secondary school by a state or national leaving examinations board?”</p>
<p>DD is on to more important things than the CA essay - choosing which baby picture to submit to the yearbook and coming up with a blurb/quote thing. She’s sent pictures of her favorite pictures to friends for their vote We were looking at them together but it’s so definitely HER choice and not mine! (I’ll use my favorites in an ad for her.) But it is fun looking back and seeing her smiling baby face! And since she’s such a blonde girl who didn’t have any hair to be seen for a while it’s kind of fun to see which one she’s picking! But she can’t be ready to head off to college next year! There are two wonderful LAC’s in two different towns right next to us - I keep saying she’s only allowed to go to those - but not really!</p>
<p>" told him to eyeball each supplement so he can start thinking of what his response would be. I think I’m going to print each supplement’s question on a separate piece of paper and give it to him like homework." - Classof2015</p>
<p>That is exactly what we do. One sheet of paper = one question. Just have to knock those essays out one at a time.</p>
<p>^thanks glido for the support – I feel like this is such a fraught time – I just saw a Hallowe’en ad and I flashed back to 10 years ago when S’s biggest decision was ghost or superhero…</p>
<p>Congrats Crazy4Disney! I’m sure it feels good to be done. We’re still gearing up for final visits, then starting the app process (and hopefully having it finished by Halloween). My guy may not even need the Common App… and seeing all the glitches, I’m sort of rooting for him to cut the one school that uses it exclusively (another has its own or the CA). His GC also has preferences for other apps vs CA due to the issues with the CA. I can see why.</p>
<p>I have that same issue with the testing section…what if your S or D took the SAT or ACT but does not want to report one or the other. Do you just say no (not be truthful) because I thought you did not have to list all scores…very confusing…</p>
<p>I hope there is a break in the stress. Unfortunately, I’m the detail oriented one in the family and everyone has grown to rely on that. Son did all of the work but I felt like every day was a q&a on what was done and needed to be done. Most essays were drafted over the summer. SATs were done to a modestly satisfactory level. GPA was pretty good. Visits were pretty much completed during April break so as to see students on campus and allowing focus on which supplemental essays to write over the summer.</p>
<p>12 schools became 10. One school made such a great impression during our two visits (and their great follow up) that son decided ED. Once the actual writing of the additional “why this school essays” (which son had no tolerance for after carefully writing 6-8 bigger ones over the summer) became an issue, and ED was decided, son applied to only 4 more including one good state school where tuition wouldn’t be a problem if merit doesn’t work out.</p>
<p>Last few weeks has been neurotic with the CA/Naviance communication debacle (GC saying things are in, school saying not, some able to communicate with Naviance, others not) - some schools want transcripts from dual enrollment courses not yet even completed… I gotta say, it’s like 3-4 months of doing your taxes every day!!</p>
<p>Son seems content - I hope it’s just not because there is less work to do!! Standing by for the envelopes we hope are coming. I told him that our goal through all of this was (if he was comfortable with the idea) being VERY done by Thanksgiving so we can relax and have a great family toast. Here’s to hoping!</p>
<p>I see on the U of Alabama threads, parents are gearing up at their computer for the Oct 1st 12pm opening of housing registration for their 2014 fall incoming freshmen.
Please tell me, is my DS that behind with this college process?
He is still trying to reduce his list of colleges from 15 to 10. At least, he finished his common application essay but hasn’t looked at any of the supplemental essays yet.
Are those UA incoming freshmen already been accepted and decided they are indeed going to school there?</p>
