@LKnomad I’m so glad that you have documentation to support his statement, but what a pain to have to go through all of this.
Welcome @EskiesAndBoys !
@LKnomad what an odd request! I hope they accept the proof you have, but I have never heard of anything like that.
@palm715 D decided not to go with any lottery schools. She SAYS she’ll be happy anywhere, and I am crossing my fingers that she means it. But I think she’ll be pretty sad if none of her top 3 come through with enough money. She IS happy with the one financial safety-even starting to think that’s her definitive fall back. But we all want our kids to be able to go wherever they want, right? I’m sorry that you and your D are having a rough time.
@ItsJustSchool Unfortunately the UIL competition is music related and will require her instrument. The plan for that weekend is I’ll pick her up a few minutes early from school to miss the crazy after school rush with the car already packed. I’ll do the driving this trip because I drive faster and she can do her homework while I drive. We hope to arrive at the hotel 10:00ish. We’ll check out as we are leaving for the audition which we hope will be over early afternoon drive back home Friday evening. It’s do able just a lot of driving in a short time!
@LKnomad That has to be one of the craziest college app stories I’ve read on CC! Glad you have all that documentation!
I am with @GoodGrief16 on this. Kids spend long hours on those essays and they don’t read them carefully. I would think that for $75-$90 per application they would spend more then just a minute or so per application. The markup they get on those application fees is unbelievable!
My concern is if they were unable to tell that his story was about NOT being in the science fair (yet being asked to prove that he was) that they may not have the critical thinking skills to understand the proof behind his essay, even though we have two blog posts including one with the actual science fair participant request.
@LKnomad As much pain as it sounds, you probably will have to have a cover letter with your proof explaining your support and referencing it back to the essay. I think they just goofed up here and need to have a clear explanation.
@Ballerina016 You are probably right. The timing is just really awful because he is already concentrating on getting all his private school apps in. They are due on the 1st, 3rs, 5th, and 15th. And not this has dropped on his lap and will take some thought as well. If it was just proof of awards or ECs he could go to school and ask for a letter but this was a weird situation. I think they just saw the words science fair, and decided that that was something verifiable. The problem is that was a very complex situation that required several of school meetings and was very delicate.
Realistically, unless a student went beyond the school level most science fairs are not verifiable. If the student ended up going to the state or national level, yes, but most kids don’t. This was just stupid to ask for without really looking into it. But with hundreds of thousands of applications they don’t look carefully. This was the full UC system. Hopefully when they actually are reading for admission they do better. This was just a random verification situation.
Thanks so much for the passport info!! Unbelievably, I hadn’t even googled and assumed it was age 18, and was mulling over how to handle DS16 turning 18 in May if we wanted to do any last travel together this summer! (His passport expires in July.) I have now printed out .pdf applications for each child. It is a royal pain, especially considering the surprise extra fees (e.g. an “acceptance” fee of $25 per passport).
Luckily I found the folder of birth certificates compiled the last time we had to do this. Now to track down DH, DS, and my drivers licenses in one place long enough to make a “one-page same-side copy of both sides of the ID” of each.
Today at the grocery store, a stuffed tiger looked at me meaningfully from the shelf while I was across the aisle getting tissues. He strongly implied that he would be an appropriate “getting into Princeton” gift. He told me (via price tag, I’m not that looney) that he was now marked down to $2.50 after Christmas. So he’s now in the washing machine in preparation for surprising DS16 when he gets back from visiting the grandparents. 
^^^Now why on earth would your son be anywhere near your washing machine? Is he that well trained? :-*
Welcome to the thread…@EskiesAndBoys
LKNomad, I think this is a good sign. I think once you prove the incident really happened UC is going to let your kid in. His case sounded so far far fetched to them they don’t believe it. Now, once they see the whole incident is true they are going to look at this as a challenge he overcame. I could be totally wrong, but this does mean that his app raised some interest. Just my opinion, which usually is wrong.
This also makes me wonder, S wanted to update his app because he signed up for a Spanish class at the local cc for Spring. We were waiting for UC to come back on the 4th. Oh well, too late now.
@palm715, I know I have come on here several times just to vent, feel free, it helps to get it off your chest and I don’t think you could find a more understanding group.
I could only imagine what this must be like with multiple kids.
Tomorrow we submit the rest of S apps. Is that a light at the end of the tunnel?
@Mysonsdad Why is light at the end of my son’s tunnel usually attached to a train. He opened up the application for the more competitive scholarships at one of the LACs he’s already received merit from to find that it requires 5 more essays due Jan 12 th.
@carolinamom2boys - oh no! What a pain. Well, at least he has plenty of practice so hopefully those essays will go faster.
@carolinamom2boys I hear that! S figured his Honors Program application couldn’t possibly be as lengthy as the one to actually get into the university, right? Right? Um…right?
Nope. Three hours after starting it, and twenty minutes before band practice, he finished it. Thank God he was able to recycle two of the essays.
I swear this whole thing is an endurance test!
I think they do this to weed people out. Is your son applying to W and M @petrichor11
@OspreyCV22 - Good point!! But btw “Prince” was in the washer to get his bath. Something I believe any grocery-store toy purchase likely needs. 
I really hope they have time to read those essays. @LKnomad DD just finished one of those 250 words essays you described the other day. It only took her 3 days to write a perfect essay. It took me much shorter to give birth to her.
Hi all, popping in to grab a cup at the water station. We’re near the end of the marathon, with the last 5 miles (and 5 apps) to go. My S has come to a very slow jog, and I’m limping along trying to cheer him from the sidelines. Why is it that I’m the one with all the blisters?
@palm715 @LKnomad hugs to you both. I had my own UGH moment tonight. My S got his app in for his #1 school before Christmas, which was such a relief. He poured his soul into their essays, and I thought his personality really came through. Tonight I happened to look at the Common App copy for that school, and the wrong prompt for his CA essay is displayed!! So it looks like his essay is way off topic, because it was meant for the another prompt. #-o
I suggested that he email the admissions office to let them know that there was a glitch and that the wrong prompt is showing. Would you say this would be the best course of action?
@happymochi - yes I think an email to the admissions office is exactly right in this case!