@Mom2aphysicsgeek No worries. This is a harsh process overall for most. I cannot speak to the other examples, as I did not see any of their supplements and only heard about their main stats. In my older daughters case, she was slow, methodical and deliberate and put forth her best efforts on each application. She writes well, but her primary focus in terms of interest could have been against her too… as she was a theatre kid trying only for dramatic arts programs. My second daughter’s path may not be any easier, as her primary interest in in film/tv production.
Environment seems to be a possible issue too though. It is routine for the valedictorian and salutatorian at our high school each year to simply move on to a state university. Each year, of the 550-600 graduates, only maybe 1-4 ever seem to move on to a top-25 college. Those that do are usually top athletes who move on to somewhere like Duke or UVa or URMs that get into colleges like Cornell or Dartmouth. They make a very big deal when 1-2 kids here get into Ivies. Less than 50% of the graduates move on to a 4 yr college. That at least has been the pattern over the last 7 years here. Our high school’s College Readiness Index is only 29.2. Its overall data set in terms of its high school profile/ranking is just not that impressive.
It is a two-way street of course, and colleges tend to judge applicants in part as a product of the high schools they are coming from. Coming from a large public high school in FL, for example, and trying to make your way to an elite college may simply be a greater challenge due to those high school programs not having the history or track record with those colleges specifically.
Does anyone know which top-25 or even top-50 colleges that have non-binding early action admissions?
I would wait for the result of October test and send the ones he did well and pay once.
With SAT, you can pay once and send both SAT and SAT Subject test scores, choosing the ones he did best if the colleges allow score choice.
With ACT, we had to pay for every test separately if we want to send more than one test date.
If DS feels good after the October test, you can use 4 free score reports.
You can choose which SAT/SAT subject scores to send even with free reports.
If the colleges want all scores, you can just use free reports every time.
@WhereIsMyKindle Dd is in the same place. My POV is she doesn’t have to love any of the places. They just need to provide her with the skills and opportunities she needs and the ability to bloom where she is planted.
@CT1417 and @WhereIsMyKindle We also don’t have a final college list at this point. My son just came home from his 6 week summer program this weekend. We sat down yesterday and he eliminated 7 schools, but there are still 21 on the list. At this point I think he is going to wait for the National Merit announcement, because that will cut the list one way or the other. He hasn’t even started essays, although he did make an account for the Common App while he was gone.
Of course one of the schools he eliminated last night is one we were scheduled to visit on Friday. So I just replanned out trip on Friday to visit WPI, which is still on the list but will require a longer drive.
I would always check which scores are ** checked to be sent ** whenever sending SAT scores as I believe the default choice is to send all tests ever taken.
This I did not know. Most on D list superscore. So I will want to send all of her ACT scores. And we didn’t know enough the first 2 times she took the test to send the to colleges that are real contenders now. Now I am really hoping for scores at least as good if not better all around for her final ACT in Sept (which she has yet to study for…augghh)
My timeline has her applying EA (spread out between Oct 15th and Nov 30th) to all her schools that offer it and the rest are to be submitted before Dec 15th. We have a big family vacation planned for the week between Christmas and when school starts in Jan and I don’t want any college apps left incomplete before we leave. I am still pretty sure a few of her reaches are going to fall off the list altogether because she will be burned out on apps
University of Chicago (4th)
MIT (7th)
CalTech (10th)
GeorgeTown (21st)
UVA (26th)
Boston College (30th)
Case Western Reserve University (37th)
Northeastern University (47th)
Then, there are Restrictive Single Choice Early Action schools that I would not list.
@carachel2 I sent one across the country to the east coast. I was really proud of her and that she was comfortable going so far. And while I was quite sad the evening I left her, I was all alone that evening with an early flight the next morning. But mosty I was excited for her.
On the other hand S17 is going to fly the coop, and my emotions are already different. He’s a different kid with a different personality. If his current plan works, he will be leaving right after H.S. graduation in June and probably barely coming home for a bit before leaving for college. I’m already starting to feel a bit sad about this. We were fairly close until about a year ago. But he is already so ready to be gone he’s pushing been pushing me away for months. I know this is normal but I’m sad already.
Everyone’s situation is a bit different. Parents are allowed to have their own feeling about this, but I think @thinmints hits it on the head. My child would be mortified if I was posting 30 day tributes to them on FB.
@WWWard – non-binding EA? That depends on how you define top colleges.
MIT, GT, U Chicago, Michigan, UVa (notification not until mid Jan) all offer EA, and do not care if you apply to other schools, but if applying SCEA somewhere, then not allowed to apply EA to the privates.
Tulane, Northeastern, Villanova, Fordham, Babson, Bentley—I am now dropping down a level or two, but again, not sure how you define top.
That’s off the top of my head. Am sure I am missing many.
RE: ACT charging separately to send each test dates’ scores. I had heard that this was the reason Cornell does not come out and say that all ACT scores must be sent the way they require that all SAT & SAT II scores be sent.
Off the topic question. Anyone who has siblings attending the same university? (Not including local CC) I have been surprised recently by how many siblings are choosing to attend the same school with so many out there.
My S17 isn’t even applying to any school’s his sister did. (They have very different interests.) I can’t really imagine it.
Dd would have applied to Bama if she could have found any possible way to make it work. Ds would be a sr during her freshman yr. Those 2 are incredibly close and would have enjoyed being in campus together.
Fwiw, I cannot see any of my other kids caring one way or the other.
Thanks @payn4ward@CT1417 and @stlarenas We will try to put those lists and info to good use and hopefully have an early admit that takes the pressure off
@curiositycat333 My brother just dropped his 1st daughter of 3 (within 5 yrs of age) off at our state flagship this weekend. He is already looking at real estate in the campus area as he is certain all 3 will go there and it would be financially advantageous for them to have a house to share over the 8 yrs. Of course he is just looking right now…but I think this thinking is pretty limiting to the younger two. But like most families in the area, the parents assume, and the kids are pretty much expected to attend the flagship (or possibly a directional campus)
@curiositycat333 – younger son will apply to Cornell, where his brother will be starting his Jr year next week, but I don’t think it is high on his list. He would not be bothered by his brother’s presence there as they would be in entirely different majors and places in life (freshman & senior). I am not pushing one way or the other, other than my preference for a school within reasonable driving distance. (Or along the Amtrak line!)
@WhereIsMyKindle, The ASU’s Tempe honors college is absolutely beautiful. S will be applying there NMSF status dependent. S is interested in CS and math, so I don’t know much about poli sci or global studies, but we were pretty impressed by the school over all and the honors college in particular.
S is not at all interrested in the school D is at, so no doubling up for us.
Plus add us to the list of throwing $50 away for an essay rescore with the ACT. I actually didn’t want to have his essay rescored, but the GC recommended doing it. Oh well… it’s only money! :-S
@itsgettingreal17 - as to Big MAC schools requiring FAFSA, it may depend on who is doling out the merit awards – whether it’s the office of Admissions, the Financial Aid office or, in the case of named awards or academic/talent specific scholarships, committees or departments. Some schools want FAFSA, others don’t care. Others prefer - but don’t require - that you fill out the FAFSA.
Boston University: “Most merit-based awards don’t require that you apply for financial aid, or have calculated financial eligibility. However, we strongly encourage you to complete the forms for need-based aid. Then, if you do receive a merit award, you’ll also be considered for any supplementary financial aid for which you are eligible.”
Rutgers: “There is no separate application to be considered for a merit-based scholarship. We will automatically offer an admitted student the highest monetary award for which they qualify. Notification is subsequent to the offer of admission, and we only notify those student who qualify for a merit-based scholarship. Scholarships are often renewable based on specific academic performance. All students seeking merit-based scholarship are encouraged to file a FAFSA.”
Some schools require it the first year, but not subsequent years. Some schools probably need to document that all applicable sources of funding have been tapped into.
Denison, SCU and others require FAFSA (and, sometimes, CSS) according to this thread:
@CT1417 the coach has a few middies he is bringing in on scholarship at my son’s position. My son can play 2 spots, so the coach likes that. Plus they always need extra midfielders because the kids get hurt,sick, tired, quit etc.
I doubt if my son will be offered a scholarship because at the DII level the coaches only get so many, and he likes to divide it up between the kids who financially need it. We don’t qualify for any aid, but my son’s grades and scores are good enough for some merit there and the coach said he would try to get it for him. The merit money would be way more than the scholarship $$, ha. My kids academic stats help the team, and also likes him because he is a nice kid and not a total knucklehead jock.
The other school is DIII, and he can walk on when he gets there according to the coach, but the coach has been a pain to deal with for some reason. Supposed to meet with him soon too.
The DII guy is the nicest, most helpful, honest coach we’ve met.
That being said, Son17 could just wind up going to BU ( I doubt it, but still considering it) where he has virtually no chance of playing,
Just rolling with it right now. I don’t really care if he plays or not, I just think he might find it fun to be on a team.
This I did not know. Most on D list superscore. So I will want to send all of her ACT scores. And we didn’t know enough the first 2 times she took the test to send the to colleges that are real contenders now. Now I am really hoping for scores at least as good if not better all around for her final ACT in Sept (which she has yet to study for…augghh)
