Happy to share my daughter (first born) HS class of 2017 has completed the application and college visit process. I insisted essays and common app/non common apps done by end of Aug to allow her to focus on her grades and activities of being a Senior. We whittled the list down to 3 schools. She’s so far received acceptance at her safety & second choice school. Now we are waiting for word on her reach school, which happens to be her #1 choice. I am so proud of her! We made a second visit to her #2 school yesterday to meet with profs in her program and while I’m in love w/ the school for her, it is still her 2nd choice… I have to learn to step back & let her make the decisions… This is really the hard part, right? 
I agree on the time commitment. I completely left out one of SD’s closest friends!
In her case, D1, they made their interest known quite early but they REALLY strung out the financial offer till the bitter end which didn’t allow her to commit elsewhere. Luckily it worked out well. They do something rather interesting though, they have the girls do summer session for classes so that fall is just soccer and maybe one class. It was crazy, her friend literally graduated and headed straight to college the next week. She is basically in school year round so we never see her at all now.
My son had a meeting with the guidance counselor and found out he wasn’t third place in the class, but 2nd. He is happy, but that is a lot of pressure to stay at the top. with his 5 AP classes Level 4 anatomy and physiology plus two labs. I hope it keeps going well. So far he is still getting sleep. Still no more applications, but his teacher is making him finally make a college essay. Also it is for a grade. Ya at least some applications will be able to go in.
The one college the teacher said he may want to add to his college list was Harvey Mudd. I thought that school was super hard to get into and very expensive. I wounder if it requires the writing of the ACT since my son didn’t want to take that.
Yes, it is very hard to get in to and they basically don’t offer merit because “everyone who gets in is awesome”
@fun1234 Harvey Mudd has merit scholarships.
https://www.hmc.edu/admission/afford/scholarships-and-grants/merit-based-scholarships/
Don’t know about your son’s GPA but that ACT score should get their attention.
ACT/SAT with writing is no longer required as of this year. They do request two SAT subject tests, one of which must be Math II
https://www.hmc.edu/admission/apply/first-year-students/application-materials/
HMC has merit but my understanding is that it’s really hard to get unless you are URM,First Generation,Female for specific majors where females are underrepresented, etc.
There is a poster on CC whose D goes there and had an almost perfect SAT and I assume high GPA and didn’t get any merit aid.
My son’s GPA is 100 point scale so unweighted it is 96.8 and weighted is 105.6987 He is second in his class because they go by weighted GPA
I think one of @intparent’s daughters goes to Mudd. It’s on our maybe list.
The thing is, pretty much every kid at Mudd is first or second in their class.
That is what I was thinking
Just need to vent. My SIL is an admissions counselor for a selective school and she gave helpful critiques for my D essay. So I go into her room to read her the comments (and they were positive comments!!!) and she practically rolled her eyes like I was bothering her with this. So I huffed out of her room and told her she is on her own - why am I putting so much energy into her college application process when it doesn’t even seem like she cares. UGH ~X(
D’s snapchat feed is ominously silent.
I’m guessing that U Richmond might be my first fail at college picking for her… b-(
@MotherOfDragons Richmond is on our list too. If you can get her to talk I would love to hear her feedback.
Regarding interviews… My take (heard from a few different admission folks) is don’t sweat it if you don’t get offered one of the optional interview (it’s a geographic supply/demand issue), but that it signals negatively upon the applicant if the optional interview is not acted on; I think the unpoken message is: how can a truly interested candidate for admission not wish to avail of an opportunity to learn more about somewhere they’re going to be living for 4 years.
@greeny8 - No parental good deed goes unpunished! :))
@VickiSoCal An exaggeration I bet.
Thanks for interview feedback - will definitely have him do a mock interview and then for a safety school. He has to do 3-4 for certain colleges as it is. So helpful to know it is often considered a positive to do one. Appreciate the help!!
@greeny8 Ugh. I feel your pain. Sometimes you have to wonder if they even want to go to college with all the eye-rolling teenagers can do. Casper moms unite!
@greeny8 if she is anything like my kid, an hour or two later you might get an apology. It is like walking on eggshells trying to figure out what to bring up, when to bring it up, gauging how they will react. I swear I can’t predict it at all!
I had a similar encounter yesterday that went differently BUT it very easily could have gone down with eye rolling and an “I told you I’d get it done and put in the work” in very much a don’t you trust me to do this right kind of way.
Thankless job at times.