I don’t find campus tours all that helpful, but meeting with depts, otoh, have been vital to their decision making process.
For those of you whose kids did the chemistry and/ or bio subject tests - can you recommend the best prep resources online or other?
Thank for your wisdom! We are learning so much from this thread!
@itsgettingreal17 About a month ago I became concerned that we did not have any safeties. The chart you posted and similar charts that I’ve seen are, generally, based purely on % of students admitted. Using additional criteria inserted by our college counselor, I’m going to say my son’s list has: 3 safeties, 2 target and 9 reach. For example, our state school has an acceptance rate of 28% (reach on the chart) but I now understand that the admission rate for my son’s school is 100% so it falls on his list as a safety. Smaller schools fell into the target range and all the rest fell into the reach because who gets into those will be anyone’s guess. Between the 5 safeties/ target schools any of those will be great choices.
@2muchquan,
the list is long because I have had two others go to college. S was able to look at sister’s schools and those around them while visiting. We have done two big trips, and drives around Ca. Also, son works at a camp in Maine, and used days off to look at maine and boston school…
As for Michigan question, they are known for not being generous with aid or merit for OSS. UVA and UNC are better for OOS…
The privates are generally better with Aid and Merit. Tulane will get 30-35 in Merit. Vandy is a no Vandy and Penn are all grant/no loan aid schools. Wake is a bit questionable. we will see what he gets. We should get aid, as I have been out of work for a bit. We have set aside some 529 money for his college. We need either Merit, or merit and Aid, or Aid…Depends on school. When all is said and done,If he gets into a penn and Vandy, Ithink it can work. If not his top two…then net price will matter a lot. UC Berkeley may be our best bet. Mama looms in the background. S thinks I am crazy about that one. Kelley has what he wants in terms of opportunity, an he should get some merit. We will see how much they want him…We are a bit all over the place.
RE: safety, match, etc.
Where do those percentages come from? Short of the state schools that post their auto-admit stats online, can anyone be certain about admission anywhere? I am not being snarky here, but genuinely curious.
Safety – 90%+ chance of admission
Near Safety – 70-90% chance of admission
Match – 40-60% chance of admission
Reach – 15-40% chance of admission
Huge Reach – Less than 15% chance of admission
On paper/Naviance, son could be admitted anywhere in the country. Reality, he could as easily be shut out of everywhere he applies due to the selective nature of the lottery schools and the yield protection (Tufts Syndrome) of the ‘match’ schools.
QOTD: I believe we are at 14 schools currently. There may be an ED and definitely some EAs so she may not have to apply to some RD if we have a decision early enough. A few are unaffordable without merit aid but most will give us enough financial aid if we get the NCP waiver to make them affordable. The most expensive would actually be UCs since we wouldn’t get much aid but we could make it work with direct loans, work, etc.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek Agreed that while for some kids, the campus tour won’t have any value, for some kids the campus tours are a crucial part of the screening process. With my son’s friends, I noticed that those with older siblings didn’t find the campus visits helpful because they’d already been dragged along to college visits with the older siblings and have made visits to their siblings school. The friends who are the oldest of their siblings or are an only child, the visits have been very helpful. Kids are all different so for some, like my nephew, it won’t make or break the process. You can plant him anywhere and it just doesn’t matter. :)) My son is a bit more particular and has to really check out the campus and surrounding area. They will both be outstanding wherever they land they just have very different criteria. I’m not even sure criteria is the best way to phrase it. Just more about each of them having different ways to find their level of comfort.
We have found the campus tours very important and helpful. Ds #1 on paper was not a good fit in person. There are others where she was touring to humor us and ended up really falling in love – It has not just been the buildings or the campus layout, but more about the people, the feeling, the spirit, the organization of the admissions, etc…
@Ynotgo UC Summer School are very rarely taught by full professors. Sometimes assistant Professors (fairly new hires) will take summer school teaching jobs. Most are taught by graduate students who already have their masters & lecturures. This is because most professors are paid to teach 3 quarters and are expected to do their research over the summer. Teaching summer classes don’t pay well enough.
@dustypig welcome back! Or to this thread at any rate 
I am happy to answer any questions about Cal Poly SLO or Seattle Pacific University. We will be at SLO next weekend visiting SD14 for her birthday and an unrelated wedding so if anyone would like me to check on anything, ask away!
We have a much shorter tour list as well, being in the PNW many of the schools on S17’s list are spread out and have decided to largely take an apply, then visit approach. It may knock some valid contenders off the list from even making it to application but upon crunching the travel numbers it just didn’t make sense. Our list is odd, all over the place and doesn’t overlap with a lot due to S17’s interest areas, budget constraints, and geographical wishes but it is an interesting one! Touring is quite important to S, we definitely learned that, but we need to narrow it down to justify OOS trips. It is entirely probable there will be admissions to schools we never end up visiting at all.
Toured, in order, so far
U of Colorado - Boulder. No. Liked but will not apply (too $$$)
Colorado State University. No.
University of Wyoming. Yes.
Western Washington University. Yes.
University of Puget Sound. Yes.
Will see at an upcoming CTCL event in August but not tour. May apply. Will tour if apply/admitted
Beloit
Allegheny
Ursinus
Will tour in fall
Oregon State (expect to like and apply)
Will not tour but likely to apply
University of Vermont
Will not tour, will possibly apply and then tour if admitted
Ithaca College
Ohio University
Bradley University
Alfred University
Temple
Humboldt State
@dfbdfb what a great tour report! S will absolutely not consider anything southern but I love reading about it!
@MotherOfDragons I can see where selling VWL now makes a lot of sense. I am sure you made some potential bungalow bookers very happy! And talk about a sellers market for that contract, great timing. The points for those are insane and I wonder if opening up sales for those will limit availability overall at VWL. I’ve only stayed there twice, once in the hotel and then once on points. We have 3 small contracts, SSR, BWV and AUL. I like the flexibility of the small contracts but there are times were a lot of points at one could have been useful. Still, we have used the 11 month booking at all, though admittedly at SSR only for THV. You are right about using them anywhere, SSR was our first contract and I’ve still not stayed at SSR proper! I will be in November for Wine and Dine 1/2 but that’s on a friends points since I am point poor at the moment. It’s funny, we have used as many points for couples only, or girls/race trips as we have for large family ones. Doing our first RCI exchange with them next summer for S17’s grad trip so that should be interesting. I will say, of the 3, the BWV contract is the best investment, would highly recommend it! We would have simply added on there if we could have found a contract that worked, but the small one Aulani is enough for H and I go every other year solo if we ever get caught up and from here, that is a nice option to have. A small GCV would probably be the best option if we wanted to round it out but I don’t know that I see us adding on any more. I also would have preferred OKW to SSR for that first contract as that’s our default resort but so far we’ve not been blocked out other than on a race weekend. I hear you on the cooking. I love the villas for the breakfast option, lazy coffee on the balcony, and for some lunches/snacks. The kids really (really) like one dinner cooked in the villa which I don’t get but it’s a big deal to them so usually we do it.
U of Rochester
Unthread, I read a comment that majority of UofR admits have interviewed. @geogirl1 and others, is this also your experience?
If they require/highly recommend an interview, does it mean on-campus interview? Does it include local/alum interview?
@MotherOfDragons I’m sorry! I thought you knew about BU’s NMF scholarship. I thought I mentioned it last weekend when you said the Rationals were visiting NEU and i saw it wasn’t on the list and is so close but I guess I hit save draft instead of post comment. The nice thing is you know she likes the area so that’s a good start. Granted not as high some other schools merit scholarship money but it is $20K/ yr for the 4 years. Apps have to be in by Dec 1 for any merit $ consideration. My son would happily apply ED, get his $20K/ yr scholarship and be done but I am not comfortable with ED. BU is really fond of ED as a strong demonstration of interest and now also has ED2.
I found for my son touring was very helpful. I don’t feel the need (nor have the time) to tour every school on our list. We have only officially toured 4 schools with him. He has experience on college campuses, summer camps & other things. I like to take my kids to a variety of different types of schools. A small LA school is very different than a large public research school. He was drug on a college tour for his sister 5 years ago, but she was looking at very different schools. S17 really has a hard time considering living in an area he has never visited & a visit really opened his eyes and helped narrow down choices. Current plan is to only going to visit one more before application are in, but will tour again after he is accepted to schools.
“@whatapp???!!” - in general combination of Barron’s and PR are good for SAT II sciences.
DS will probably apply close to 20 schools. 10 BS/MD, couple of Ivies, 3 or 4 our of state and 4,5 UCs, but I consider UC as one
Well said. I figured out a ratio: 3 matches = 1 safety. 
@BigPapiofthree I don’t know much about UNC grant aid but they are not known for being generous with merit aid. They are no longer offering NMF and while they do offer some merit based scholarships they are highly competitive because of the feeder schools that send highly competitive students there. In state students that get into highly selective and Ivies but choose to go to UNC because it’s a top 30 school with a low price tag for an instate student. Also, UNC is required to fill 80% of the entering class with NC residents. I believe UVA does not have that criteria and is 50/50 in-state vs OOS.
@MSHopeful When do you learn whether you get an NCP waiver?? You have mentioned it a lot. Must be stressful not knowing!
@MotherOfDragons & @CT1417 – Re Cornell Co-op - it is pretty much as CT1417 describes - seems students go through out US & some even beyond. They also encourage study abroad but I am not quite sure how extensive that program is. We will be seeking a bit more info. For DS, I think co-op would be very valuable - both to get a sense of types of jobs and what work environments he might prefer as well as to help him gain a better perspective of employer’s/clients or customer (perhaps?) expectations, time frames to complete things, etc., He has a fallback idea of being an IT guy for a school district - ours apparently makes well over $100K and it is a pretty comfortable, fairly low stress environment. 
I do think the college visits are often helpful but basic info sessions are of limited use - DS leaning towards private with smallish classes but schools that have both depth in areas of interest with interdisciplinary opportunities & some hands-on too and that have broader offerings beyond the STEM stuff. Sitting in on classes visits with depts / profs is very useful too when possible & talking to current students. We will see a few more and focus on those that care a lot about demonstrated interest and want interviews.
@MotherOfDragons – don’t recall if you shared where you live but as your DD is very into Arduino & Making - if anywhere NY - the Maker Fair is here Oct 1-2. http://makerfaire.com/. There is one in Detroit next weekend. I have collected lots of info on makers in colleges - programs, spaces etc. but you can google “A Review of University Maker Spaces” to get a relatively recent report.
@Ynotgo – re Princeton - DS liked during visit & totally comfortable with demos on robotics, Rasp Pis etc - but yeah - the eating clubs and social scene likely would not be a good fit for him. And pretty heavy liberal arts core (not sure what AP credits count towards). He loved the dorm he stayed in for a SIG summer program there and the facilities on campus as well as the town. Sometimes he says he is interested so we might consider but have so many already that are reaches /major reaches - not sure any reason to add another and few if an nonlegacy students from our high school have gotten in.
Took 2 hours to complete U PITT SRAR had to spent some time figuringout the categories for some subjects and finding 8th grade transcript for Algebra 2. You all inspired us to work on the application this early! Short essays are under review and have to order test scores.