Thank you @Ynotgo we will definitely check out their webinars.
We are having a tough time with California safeties too. SLO is first choice. She refuses to consider our local cal state ( fullerton)
On the UC side she wants UCSB or UCSB. She has a good shot at either but I don’t know.
Humboldt is a possible solid safety.
@midwest67 I wish finding an affordable option was always that easy. A CC really isn’t an option for some kids. Our Ds was ready for 400 level classes a semester after he graduated from high school. Our Dd is beyond the offerings of French at UAH (they told her to not even apply bc they had nothing to offer her.) She is at jr to sr level Russian right now, a yr before starting.
I am ready to cry right now bc the financial stress of it all is starting to get to me. I mentioned to dh last night that we might end up having to stretch our budget more bc of her limited options. I could see the stress it caused him. Nothing like feeling you can’t provide your kids what they really need. It is so hard weighing the needs of one against everyone else’s needs when there really isn’t any extra to give.
@jeepgirl - When he is logged to mybama and he goes to admissions scholarships, check my application status it asked for his login id. I assume that is the original one. When he does that the only option is to add a new application… Is yours something different?
@Ynotgo most of the reach stem schools also want SAT II scores if you send in the SAT. If you don’t have high ones or they are not strong then I would send just the ACT. ACT 35 is a great score and is very competitive.
@VickiSoCal Sounds like we may have a similar list.
@CA1543 - The breakdown of holistic process is considered to have 5-8 elements to the app - grades, scores (Duke for example has said they consider AP scores also), recommendations, essays, ECs (excelling at something specific), personal circumstances (SES, race, overcoming obstacles). Add to this that the top schools are looking for a wow factor or what goes under their bullet points for that incoming class.
I will light a NMF candle for you and your family! You all are definitely outliers.
Dumb question. Does one have to have an UG degree in order to enter a grad program? In other words, is it an option for your D to skip traditional UG?
@NCComputerNerd He has 2 SAT II scores that are 800s. I will send the SAT IIs even if they don’t ask for them.
Hugs @Mom2aphysicsgeek
@ynotgo - I will go with ACT and any subject tests. Ms S took only ACT one time with 35C(35E,35M,33R, 36S) 31W. He is planning to take SAT in November if he becomes a NMSF. He has taken 3 SAT IIs.
@midwest67 No. She need an UG degree. She really wants to add cultural, Econ, and IR studies, but she equally wants to keep progressing toward superior language skills as well.
@MichiganGeorgia click on that and it will redirect you to your app.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek I will guess that most of us can relate to your feelings. Sending kids to college today is so different than almost 30 years ago when my parents were sending me. I am number 4 of 5 kids. By the time I went through I was the only one in college at that time. The subject of cost was not a factor. Apply where you want and that was it. Now it is so Different. Every time I start to stress, I have to think about something else. Hugs.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek sending hugs as well. I echo @Midwest67 is there any way for her to test in at a higher level, or something? GRE/GMAT?
The education system is broken. It shouldn’t be that everybody is stressed about their college list.
@jeepgirl - Thank you .They recv’d his score and transcript. 
Phew I was busy for a few days and now I’m 387 posts behind! Goodness! I may not be able to catch up.
D17 got a 4 on the calc ab test, which she was happy about, and a 3 on the ap lang, which she was stunned by. We’re going to have that one hand scored, but I think it was probably her extraordinarily messy handwriting that did her in on that one (again). D18 got a 3 on AP world (which is good considering she barely squeaked by with a C), and a 1 on the Comp Sci, so we’re going to cancel that test. She definitely does not want to be a programmer, as we’ve discovered. Well, best foot forward from here!
I have a lot of comp sci to do this week, so I’ll be catching up at weird and random times. Congrats to everyone who was happy with their kid’s scores! And empathy with those who’s kids didn’t do as well as they would have hoped :-??
@VickiSoCal You said UCSB twice! LoL. What other UC is your DD interested in?
@Mom2aphysicsgeek Hugs. It is super stressful. I’m a single mom and while I make a decent salary and we would get decent financial aid from most schools, it is still going to cost a lot (to me!) and I wonder how I will make it work. I live in a high cost of living area and can’t cut back on housing/utilities/etc. so I will have to figure out where the money is going to come from. We didn’t want her to have to take out loans, but she may have to take out the Staffords (or whatever they are called now lol) depending which school she goes to, but I can’t/won’t take out any loans in my name, so the rest will have to come from my income, her working, etc.
But how much of that stress is self induced?
@whataboutcollege We’re not stressed about the college app process in my house at all. I know my son will get into at least one of his choices and will do fine where ever he lands. Stress level 2 out of a scale of 1-10. Stressed more about just getting the stuff done and be over with the process, than the actual results.
I don’t know too many people socially who are struggling with the process either. I sense some of the friends who have high achieving students seem to be the ones most stressed out, because of the super competitive nature of the the tippy top schools. The friends whose kids are applying to a more reasonable list of colleges seem to be fine with the process and possible outcomes.
There is grumbling about tuition price. But there was grumbling about price when I went to school in the 80’s. Back then though, if you didn’t have the $$ for some schools you just went where you could afford and didn’t worry about it. Out of my high school friend group of 20 or so kids, none of us went to super duper school, mostly state flagships. We all ended up doing fine. Every single one of us. The one kid that got into the best school actually is the least " financially" successful.
So, everyone relax! it’s going to work out fine for the kids. All of your kids in this thread are very smart kids and will figure out a plan that works for them.