Interesting conversations about annual physical. I have not been in the room with my boys for a few years, but I am fairly confident that it is not that thorough. No one has ever listened to my heart while I am in motion either.
We do not have a marching bad but have every other team sport imaginable. None of these sports exempt students from PE. Have always wished for that.
@MichiganGeorgia – that is interesting news about GT. I wonder what is behind that decision, especially this of all years, with the essay grading debacle. Son took old SAT so not applicable, but interesting nonetheless.
@CT1417 The essay wasn’t in the list. GT used to only consider the math and English sections. I wonder if the change is due to the structuring of the new SAT. No idea.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek — so does that mean GT does not look at the essay score? I confess that I still do not understand the ACT as neither of my boys even considered it. I have heard mention of a composite score vs. a complete score, and my vague understanding is that the complete score includes the essay score but the composite score does not.
If that is correct, does this mean that the ACT essay score has no weight at all? I can’t imagine that since I have read of re-score requests. Or does it have some bearing on the English section score in the way that the old SAT essay score impacted the Writing section score?
Which ACT section had GT ignored historically? Do many schools routinely ignore that same section?
And, since I keep reading of schools not looking at new SAT essay section, I guess it seems surprising to move in the opposite direction.
OK—just looked and see that they do not require essay. Of course, optional = mandatory!
Beginning with 2017 freshman applicants, the essay portion of both exams is optional but recommended.
@STEM2017 – well, at least it is only $25. But does make you wonder about housing beyond freshman year.
I was surprised when I paid the deposit for my older son’s school. It was only $400, and I could have sworn it was $250 back in my day (but I am probably wrong). Contrast that with NYU and their $1000 deposit. I have often wondered how much money they make off that deposit as I feel like I knew a handful of students who deposited at NYU only to clear a waitlist elsewhere.
@CT1417 The ACT ha a composite score which is the average of the 4 subject scores. There is then a writing score. The scores are independent and the composite score does not reflect the writing score in any way.
@STEM2017 That is crazy. It’s one thing to tell admitted students to get their housing information in right away, and another thing entirely to have them apply for housing, pay a non-refundable fee and the student doesn’t even know if they are being accepted. What they should have done was have the kids fill out housing preferences as part of the application if they were concerned about having them as soon as they send out acceptance letters.
@longwood – I wonder how UMD verifies the NMSF status? UMD-CP is on son’s list so hopefully he will stumble across that fee waiver section. One less lottery ticket to purchase!
@STEM2017 --Oh, I agree that it is completely crazy. This entire merry-go-round we are all on is crazy.
Sometimes it the cumulative effect of those little things that is just enough to move a school from the ‘apply list’ to the ‘do not apply list’. No one thing is significant on its own, but little facts start adding up, and then poof! Off the list…
For us UF fell off the list as well for many of the little things. While it is highly rated it is becoming so big that unless you are a superstar you seem to get lost in the bureaucracy. We could not even get a tour, speak to a professor, etc unless it was on their designated days even if we couldn’t come then. Wound up touring on our own but…as much as I love the Gators as a long time FL resident it fell off our app list early. Surprised all of us as it was one of our top choices before doing more investigations.
Not sure if anyone is considering applying to Duquesne. But they used to offer free online application before Dec 15. And they used to give $10k minimum and $20k maximum merit.
Here’s a weird thing that happened to DS (don’t bother reading if University of California stuff makes your eyes glaze over):
He didn’t get included on the list the school/district sent to the UC system for ELC (basically top 9%, though I think the schools send top 15% and the UCs sort them out somehow). He got a letter last spring that said he would probably be on the list after grades were finalized. He was well within the top 5% at the end of junior year. But, apparently there was a computer error in the district office–new computer system and all that.
Our GC tracked it down and got the district office to admit to the error. She is pushing them to figure out how it happened so that it won’t happen again. I told her that my main concern is that someone who actually needs ELC (which gives automatic admission to UC Merced if the student is not admitted elsewhere in the UC sysem) won’t have it.
She contacted the UC headquarters to make sure it wouldn’t cause any problem for DS with admissions to higher-ranked UCs. They said it was too late to add him to the ELC list, but that “when he submits the UC application, he will automatically be reviewed for ELC designation at that time.”
I wouldn’t have dug into this, except he didn’t get a “UC for You” invitation, which goes out to kids with ELC, I found out.
Anyway, our GC was quite apologetic, and it’s completely not her fault. She also apologized to him yesterday at a school cleanup event that counts for NHS hours. It sounds like she called a lot of people on his behalf to figure out what happened and whether it could be fixed.
Ok, so which schools have November deadlines? I know about Case, U Nebraska, and Emory.
Fee waivers - The CO School of Mines application is free and easy, this incentive did encourage my D to apply (this plus the high starting salaries of graduates), the merit is super competitive - character, leadership, etc.
@STEM2017 it doesn’t stop there for the payments to UF. My D16 currently goes there but it was her last choice, so it was frustrating during the process that I had to pay the $25 housing fee (glad she got her app in very early as she was one of the first times to pick her dorm) but they wanted another housing deposit of $225 in march (you find out if you’re accepted in February) but she was still waiting to hear from most of her schools March 31st (ivy day). She also had to apply to the honors program by march and looking back now I am glad I made her do it, but at the time she never thought she’d end up there. She is an NMS so she got a full ride and she had a few good choices of schools to go to that were full pay but at the end of the day she decided to go to UF. Surpringly enough she has been there for a month and she is soooo happy. She said it was the best decision she has made. Whew.
@carachel2 No, it won’t be fixed, but it shouldn’t affect him. I’m more concerned that other kids with lower stats also fell through the cracks. I’m not interested enough to have them explain to me what went wrong with their computer system, however. No idea why he would be singled out.
I am happy my son is finally putting words down on the paper for one of his applications and he has done part of an image for a drawing for another application. He has half done his honor society paperwork so pretty much he has a lot started but nothing completed. He did start national merit too, but pretty much nothing is done to completion. Is this normal for stem boys to have such a hard time with writing. Wow! He has so much in his head, but it just has to be put down on paper. Any pointers. I tried to show him a calender, but It is just hard for him to focus and stick to anyone thing and then he is off to the next thing unfinished. I hope after I go to dinner he can show me how productive he has been. I can hope right.