Regarding sending SAT II… Does anyone know … When sending SAT II scores can DS send one score but not another from the same testing date?
@paveyourpath and @srk2017 – the language with listening subject tests are only administered once a year but the language w/o listening exams are administered more frequently. Too tired to look it up right now but I recall seeing language offered in both May & June, at least. I think the listening exams are administered in November.
@What!!!-- yes, your child can suppress one subject test score and send another from the same testing date, as long as the college is not one that requires all testing history. This differs from SAT I where all subsection scores for one date must be sent.
Spanish without listening is offered in October. DS took the blue book practice text and ended up getting 550. Missed lot of vocabulary. He did score 6 in IB SL exam which focuses more on reading comprehension. So he has to figure out its worth spending time prepping for it or focus more on apps. Any suggestions?
Pitying frugal families (no matter how extreme the frugality) seems like the same kind of judgement and sense superiority in reverse.
Bowdoin seems to get rave food reviews.
SAT II’s were as expected, great in math II (800) and lower in physics (770) due to having covered only half the material in school. Decided not to take a third one.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek - I’ll check on my sources, but the rest of the Forbes article looks solid. I seem to remember one of the Financial Aid gurus (Mark Kantrowitz, maybe?) giving the 20% of income figure (and I think it’s 50% on student income, but again, I’ll try to figure out where those numbers come from).
In the meantime, has D17 looked into USC (the one in South Carolina - not California)? They seem to offer quite good merit aid, and have a Russian major. There’s also a highly ranked Honors College.) I don’t recall where you live, but if memory serves, it’s in the south, so it might be closer than some of your D’s other choices. Would USC be an option?
@2muchquan That USC app sure is a hard one if you apply for honors and scholarships!
@WhereIsMyKindle What schools are still on the list, if you don’t mind me asking.
@2muchquan Are you completing the activities and work history section and doing a resume or just uploading the resume? It seems wasted time to me to do both. These apps are unnecessarily complicated. I miss the old days!
@WhereIsMyKindle That is the same approach I have been taking. It is shocking that some schools that profess to have majors offer 2-3 total classes for the major per semester. (For example, NCF has a “Russian major” and fall 2016 is offering 2 classes: Russian 1 and Russian Realism. That is it! There are schools offering it as a minor with better course offerings!) No thanks.
Definitely, definitely, definitely…everyone needs to look at the course schedules, not just the catalogs.
@LoveTheBard USC is on her list. It is currently the closest option. When we removed FSU from the list, I think that is what really struck home. There is absolutely no close viable option unless she doesn’t pursue an actual Russian major offered by a university. Being part of the Big MAC club plus Russian creates a filter that is more like a vacuum. 
Waiting to see if she gets a decent response from Bama’s New College. The main positive with considering this route is the funding and a 5th yr. (They do offer grad level French, too, so that is a bonus.)
On a happy note, she had an outsider read a rough draft of her CA essay, and they said they were blown away! Yay! So all is good on that front. She let me read it yesterday, too, and I thought it was fabulous, but I wasn’t sure if I was being biased. Outside confirmation was a boost she needed yesterday.
I would appreciate thoughts as to whether to just send 2 very good SAT2 scores (Math2 800 BioM 750) or include a 3rd good one (Chem 710). DS will be applying as a science major to STEM schools as well as some Ivies. Only got a 3 on AP Chem (A in the course) so will not be self-reporting, 5 on APBio. He won’t be sitting for a fall retake.
@vandyeyes – if it were up to me, I would probably send the two and skip the Chem.
@itsgettingreal17 Re: USC app (yeah, it’s a bear) D will fill out activities in addition to uploading her resume. Reason being, it asks for an order of importance on the app that can only be implied on her resume. Also, she won’t repeat everything in the app. Probably 3-4 things.
I actually think it’s a ‘good’ app overall. And, you can’t accidentally hit submit. :D/
@2muchquan As I remember from my D15’s apps a few years ago, the order of activities that an applicant chooses on the common app is meaningful. D spent a long time on this, going over things again with a fine-toothed comb and rearranging her app after an initial deferral. Her later apps were much better, with better results to match.
@CaucAsianDad I agree about the non-IRA retirement savings. My husband works hard and we are careful with our money so we’ve done a good job saving. We would prefer, though, that those assets stay ear-marked for retirement. I’m not expecting anyone to shed tears for a family who has considerable savings, but now we have to decide if we limit our kids to less expensive schools (going with the notion that a good student can succeed at most schools) or allowing them to apply widely and possibly spending over $60K per year. It’s very hard to know what to do. We will look at schools that give merit as well, but our counselor is already saying that our S19 is perfect for Carleton!
Hope it’s ok to post here without a 2017 grad!
@vandyeyes Congrats to your S on those great scores. I think that which subject tests to send perhaps depends on which school and major your S is considering. When we toured Carnegie Mellon last spring, the admissions rep was very clear that they want to see subject tests in physics and/or chemistry.
QOTD: I’ve noticed that schools are frequently asking for student’s cell phone numbers on applications, and even on some of the resume templates I’ve seen. I’m wondering what you all think of this? I hesitate, and have not given D17’s cell phone out anywhere yet. The obvious reason being I don’t want her being called randomly throughout the day and have her answer without being able to talk. I think that, in general, it will probably be used more for texting…perhaps until spring when the pressure is on :).
What do ya’ll think?
@2muchquan My D was never called by a school on her cell, but she did get a few texts (I think). The schools really want the communication to be with the student.
@2muchquan , my D knows to put mine for contact. On her resume, she has her own. Or in another application for summer, she put down that she prefers emails rather than phone contact.
For those of you applying CWRU, do you consider it as your safety or match? I thought it is a safety to D, based on our school Naviance data, but I think I might have a distorted understanding of match, safety,etc. I wouldn’t mind someone school me again 
@2muchquan Until now it’s been my cell on everything. But on real applications he gave his number but opted out of texts.
My son ignores everything, schools would find it MUCH more useful contacting me. When I do get calls I typically spend 10 minutes picking their brains. Lucky them. :))
Re: QOTD - We got rid of the landline so D has to give out her cell phone. She has gotten calls for job and summer program interviews and such at all hours and it has never been a problem. Because she knows that this is possible, she answers all calls professionally.