I always find it interesting in reading past “Parent Class of” threads. I enjoy looking at the acceptances, but also I learn a few things. Parents have posted about how to pack so kids can get their stuff back and forth across the country, yet still be able to store their travel gear in their dorm room (they suggest those square Tupperware like tubs because they fit under the bed, but don’t recommend the thing that sucks air out unless you have one for each coast) I also didn’t know a physical was required before entering college. On that note, I’m game for doing the college listings.
S16 has applied to 4 safeties that were easy apps (not on common app), etc. Now he is faced with his FIRST app that is on Common App (EA), and it is a match by stats/but definitely a reach by low acceptance rate. It is due on Oct. 15th and he STILL doesn’t have a finalized essay for the CA prompts. but does have one essay somewhat done (ok, not great…had to write it for something else, but it can fit for CA sort of), he has a second essay roughed out that he doesn’t particularly like. @grlscoutmom Did I also mention procrastination… and did I also mention procrastination? S does NOT say he’s got this…but no matter…we see only baby steps in the progress arena. He just said “I’m going to bed” (ok sweetie…goodnight, love ya!)…and this has to be submitted in 3 days (I tell him by the 14th at the latest to account for human error, internet fickle-ness, and many other variables. And of course, he has 3 additional activities/obligations the next two evenings - UGH! And at one point this kid (my 4th) was the “easy” kid, always independent in getting school work done, etc. etc. etc…Oh, and did I mention procrastination!!!
Thanks again to all. All this procrastination would be easier to take if there was less attitude attached! Well, either way Wednesday is not so long to wait to see what stays on the list. DH and I have agreed that a safety MUST stay so now I need DH to speak to DS so I am not the only one prodding.
@Cheeringsection I’m serious when I say that I could’ve written your post. Every night it’s like good cop/ bad cop. ( guess whose the bad cop) DS16 is usually attitude free, but when his inner snarky erupts , it fills the room. I too need to engage the husband to elicit a sense of urgency. Unfortunately, DH attended a CC while enlisted in the Air Force, so he has a limited understanding of the application process. I too am at a disadvantage because this is our eldest child , and I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said it was quite sometime since I applied to any schools. Thanks again for all of the wonderful advice and support. As deadlines approach( school deadlines and my imposed ) I’m sure I’ll appreciate CC even more .
S has his early schools done (four private due Nov 1, two state with honors colleges deadlines of 10/15). Of his other five, one’s bitten the dust but may be resurrected if the first don’t pan out and he needs to lower his aim. We checked recs yesterday-- all are in. ACT scores sent: check. Admissions fees: check. Counsellor paperwork: check.
D has two of four done, and will be doing another today after school.
I’m double-checking transcripts today on both kids and doing financial aid paperwork.
Next stop: December. And possibly alcohol.
@petrochor11 how did your child check the recs? Are they on Common App?
@petrichor11 I have gone through this process with 4 kids S11, D13, D14, now S16, but NEVER 2 in the same year! I am so amazed you are so organized, and still sane! Kudos from me!
Everytime I get a “no I am not applying there” I go with it is not like you are guaranteed you will get into your favorite school. I get a “thanks for your confidence in me” and I go that it is not possible to predict where one gets in and so lots of applications are needed for top 20+ schools.
@texaspg That is the conversation in my house with my D to a tee! Since this entire process is a crap shoot with upper tier schools there is just no way to tell where a student will get in or where they will not. No matter how awesome their applications are because EVERYONE’S applications at those schools are awesome! So when I get her to realize that, then we go the other way and thinks she’s just not good enough for any of them (which is so not the case). I will need a professionals couch very soon if this process is not over soon!
I am sure DD will hit her first submit button on either Oct. 31 or Nov. 1. She always hit a submit button at last minute and she won’t change this time, either.
Essays are rolling in our household. I don’t think DD will press the button before the 25th at least, but hopefully will have everything ready. One of the recommenders told her that will let her read recommendation later this week. This is a nice gesture. Still chasing second recommender.
Left to his own devices, my S16 will do everything at the very last minute, also. It is wreaking havoc on sleep, as he ends up staying up later to get the essential work done (which always takes longer than he expects).
@lvmjac1 What a balancing act. Please share the experiences that some of my S14’s classmates had. Despite a stellar high school career, one good friend was rejected from all the top 20 liberal arts schools she applied to. She apparently had no matches and only one safety. She’s now at the safety and doing REALLY REALLY well (and saving loads of money she can use towards the excellent grad school she’ll likely be able to go to). Another couple of stand-out guys from the class applied to several Ivies and I’m not sure where else. They also did not get in but were accepted to the honors college of our local, highly-regarded flagship. They are now standing out among the 35,000 students. These were all excellent students, but in our state excellence is not unusual, so it is hard to compete.
The other experience is my S14 who gave up on top tier after his ED rejection. He applied to 9 other less competitive (but still high quality) schools and got into all of them, with significant merit aid. We had no idea what to expect, just hoping for something similar for S16.
S14 used to say, “Don’t put off for tomorrow, what you can put off for the day AFTER tomorrow.”
I’d echo @crowlady’s comments: Looking at our experience with our older son (and his friends/peers) there’s no predicting this in either direction. S14 got far more merit money offers than we ever would have anticipated, and got into one of his sort-of-reach schools (did get rejected from others). And he had some friends with pretty impressive stats/resumes who ended up at their safeties. So cast a wide net in both directions, but certainly don’t shy away from reaches because one’s chances are viewed as hopeless.
Ok so I spoke to the school in question–NO recommendations (out of 3 requested 4 weeks ago). D16 will be on it with the counselor today. They start admission decisions on 11/1.
My H went to a CC here in town and transferred to UW for college. At the time, if you had a certain GPA, that was guaranteed. He never took the SAT or ACT, because they weren’t needed for CC, he couldn’t afford them, and he could take time off from work (he paid the bills at home). So this whole testing, recommendations, deadlines, essays, all of it, is completely foreign to him. He’s let me take the lead with D on the whole process, though he’s happy to become informed about it. I’ve finally managed to convince him that one cannot just “work their way through college” like he did back in the day, when a semester at UW cost less than some car payments.
D is handing out envelopes for her recommendations and transcripts today. I do like having a very small school where that will all come together quickly.
Ok first timer question. Can GC send (attach) transcripts through the common ap? D says that during her mtg with GC she pulled up her transcripts electronically and “did something”. She thinks she sent them? I’ve asked her to clarify to make sure we don’t need to request them.
I think part of the reason D is feeling confident that she’ll have no problem meeting her deadlines is because she’s comparing her workload to a friend that is applying to 25 schools! I can’t even.
BTW, I’ve started running in the mornings. It was a huge stress reliever while I was planning S bar mitzvah last year. It’s coming in handy, again.
She could have sent the transcript electronically through Naviance or a similar program. I would definitely have your D double check ASAP- and make sure none of her schools wanted a mailed copy.
I 2nd the exercise as stress reliever recommendation. I just wish I had time for it every day. If nothing else it is a way to NOT see them spending time on things that really could wait right now.
@grlscoutmom. I just found out that the GC has to “attach” the transcript to the common app. So that may be what your D means
My D16 requested transcripts be sent to all of her schools back on August 2 via the Naviance system that her HS uses. The Naviance system indicated that they had all been sent by Aug. 25. I know that 2 of the non common app schools received her transcripts because she has already been accepted at those schools. D16 submitted apps to some of her CA schools on Oct 1 and we had received notification from several schools that they had not received her transcripts. What the heck? We thought they had all been submitted?
After some digging we discovered that the transcripts had not really been “sent” because the GC had not attached them nor any of the secondary school reports etc. Basically GC had not done her part of the CA process so the transcripts and LORs sat in limbo waiting on the GC. (Who has finally submitted everything on Oct 12).
The interface between Naviance, Common App and GC, who seems a bit intimidated by the whole process, has certainly complicated things for my D16. We would have been golden had we just stuck to the applytexas system that 90% of her graduating class uses.
Yey, an acceptance to a commutable college with her desired major has arrived. Now: 4 acceptances and 9 awaiting adcom decisions.