<p>4beardolls: My son has been accepted, but he’s waiting to pay the deposit and housing registration until the next round of SAT scores comes out. He’s a few points shy of the Presidential scholarship. Still, one of his other schools could offer him a better deal, so nothing is sealed yet. All of his schools had rolling admissions – so far. He has a couple more that he needs to send off, but they require essays.</p>
<p>4beardolls,</p>
<p>many rolling admit schools base housing assignments on the date the housing deposit is paid. Last year, we paid son’s housing deposit to the U MN before he was even admitted to ensure him the best possible housing assignment. It was a $25 non-refundable deposit. We also paid the housing and enrollment deposit to the school he is attending as soon as he was admitted to ensure a good assignment. All but $50 of it would have been refundable had he chosen to not attend that school. I think we deposited at one other school and only got some of it back.</p>
<p>With housing so tight at many state schools, we decided it was worth it to lose some money but ensure a good spot in the housing assignment pool.</p>
<p>4beardolls: You are not behind. Those rolling admit schools are a different animal. If you get in early to those, you may want to send in a housing deposit because there is not enough campus housing for everyone at many of the schools.</p>
<p>(2 years ago, we put down a $250 housing deposit at safety while DD awaited results from RD schools.).</p>
<p>We got an update from our DS’14 who has been visiting Colby - just a few texts while at the gate for the flight home. For those with interest in Colby take this for what it is: “[Colby] is great. Everyone is very nice. The interview was very short. [The food] is really good, yeah. [the dorms] are fine, but mine was really messy.”</p>
<p>Most days I feel like it is 2 steps forward and 3 steps back. He received the first e-mails and snail mail about Congratulations as a NA semi-finalist you are eligible for a full ride (at a school that was already on his list) Awesome news right? S hasn’t opened the application link yet. The deadline is looming and he has to refine his essay some. It will probably need some more tweaking before the first school deadline of Nov. 1. And that school needs a scholarship essay by Nov. 1 also. </p>
<p>Now he just told me that he told his boss that he will go back up to 3 shifts a week as soon as his sport is over. </p>
<p>He doesn’t have a final list and has kind of changed his interests about a major.
I think as it gets closer his indecision is worse because it is REAL.</p>
<p>Hi. My D finished all nine of her applications by 9/9. She wanted to submit all of her applications before school started. It took her about three weeks to write 26 essays, complete three different applications, and put an Art portfolio together with 10-15 different Art pictures. Every school had totally different Art portfolio requirements such as a hard back book, slide room, powerpoint, word, email, descriptions, etc. It was definitely brutal process but she is so happy it is all done!</p>
<p>Good luck everyone in getting them done! It’s an awesome feeling. :)</p>
<p>Thanks for all the responses on the rolling admission (UA) housing. I feel a little better now!</p>
<p>FWIW, middle son is very happily at a school he applied to between Thanksgiving and Dec 1st - and he has merit aid there (Top 30 school).</p>
<p>Not everything needs to be a rush. Rolling admission schools can be the exception (same kid applied to two of those early on as safeties, but never did housing deposits at either - we were content to wait).</p>
<p>In general, our goal is to have everything submitted by Halloween, but it obviously isn’t a hard and fast rule.</p>
<p>Rubyred8, you’re so lucky! I’m green with envy! DD who’s normally so Type A is procrastinating more than I’ve ever seen. Everything but her essays are now done. Those darned essays! As I’m working on a daily basis to quell my newfound friend called Panic Attack, the sage words of Creekland comes to the rescue…thanks Creekland!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Thank you, JJG164981 - that description made my day!!! :)</p>
<p>Our GC had a “workshop” for the senior parents. It’s her first year and she’s struggling. Only a very small fraction of the parents showed. She basically told us to “…make sure you complete the FASFA and consider in-state schools because they are cheaper.” Also, she stressed not to discount a “trade occupation” because they are in demand. Why she even brought that up since this is a very small college prep school is beyond me. The entire evening was a total waste of time for me. Looks like it’s going to be a very long year!</p>
<p>Rubyred - Congratulations to your D! That is so impressive!!</p>
<p>Creekland - so good and reassuring to hear about your middle son! Thank you!!</p>
<p>My first son is at a school he applied to hours before the Dec 31 deadline. He did apply to a rolling admissions school and EA to several others that were on the common app with no supplements. The reason for the last-minuteness of the last app was actually that he added the school to his list at the last minute. But that all worked out in the end.</p>
<p>DS14 is almost done his NMSC app. Just has to fill in activities and awards and such, I think. The essay is done. The brag sheet for the counselor recommendation is done. I will require him to get it finished and submitted tonight. </p>
<p>The essay he wrote is not appropriate for common app, so he’s going to need to start on that next. He has a couple of EA schools with Nov 1 deadlines. My bet is UMDCP comes off the list – it has a Nov 1 priority deadline for merit scholarship consideration, and it’s not on the CA, and has multiple essays to write. Right now it seems like the chances of all that getting done are slim to nil. Also I was really surprised he wanted to apply there at all since he has been leaning heavily toward smaller schools! But he really liked the school spirit and all the little superstitions and customs they have at UMD. We’ll see… :D</p>
<p>mathmomvt, DS also just finished with his NMF application and submitted. I am a little fuzzy on the next step. Does his school handle the next step? We have not seen or heard of ‘counselor recommendation’. Does his high school just handle that? DS just used a previously written essay for the NMF application.</p>
<p>4beardolls, I’m a little fuzzy too. But your DS should ask his counselor what happens next. I am pretty sure the counselor has to do a recommendation, but I’m not sure how that happens. I also need to confirm that the SAT result we sent as one of his free reports before he was named a SF actually got attached correctly to his application. (Luckily, we have a fairly unusual surname, so that should help with getting pieces linked together.)</p>
<p>Ds has 2 applications submitted already. He told me he has made a schedule to get 3 done in October and 2 done in November. he has been really good about emailing teachers re LOR progress. He will wait for EA decision before he submits anymore.</p>
<p>I’m glad I’m not the only one fuzzy about the NMSF application. S set up his account but doesn’t seem to have read any of the instructions about what he has to do or when it is due. I dug out the letter last night, but will have to push if he is going to get it done. He says he is ready to put in his EA app by 1 November, but I’m not sure he read that all the way through, either. It’s going to be a long autumn.</p>
<p>HighHead, on the NMSF application, your DS will need to provide them your e-mail address. They will send you an e-mail for you to set up an account in order for you to provide permission for your DS to apply. On your account, there will be detailed instructions on what your DS need to do to finish the process. However, it did not explain very well the step your school needs to do after your child submits it.</p>
<p>Highhead: The NMSF application is cumbersome, but it can be dome in less than an hour. Does your DS have any college app essays he can cannibalize? the parent permission is a pain because you have to create an account, but other than that it is pretty quick. Best of luck.</p>
<p>Good luck to all those with the NMSF status!</p>
<p>Question from S tonight: “When can I, like, apply? 'Cause people are asking.”</p>
<p>He’s been getting emails from various schools inviting him to apply. One of the schools is actually on his list. I told him “Like now.”</p>
<p>He’s going to run it by his GC tomorrow to confirm then hit submit.</p>
<p>The NMSF app is pretty easy – just took de-procrastinating it. </p>
<p>DS hit the submit button tonight and got an email in reply stating:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Even before seeing that, I had told him to check with his counselor about the next step. I guess he just needs to confirm that she hits send before the due date as well. I am calling tomorrow to make sure they have his SAT score since he sent it early.</p>