No sooner do I submit this response, than I get a google doc share request from D '17. Why should we communicate face to face? It’s a supplemental essay for an honors college.
For the first time, I’m just blown away. It’s funny, it’s concise, it’s on topic.
I may need to go over to the bragging thread.
Sorry for the saccharine interruption, back to our regularly scheduled angst.
@SincererLove - Yeah, I hear you on Stanford. My D17 thinks her friend has a decent chance because she’s gone to invitation only camps there or something like that. I think her friend’s major will be in social sciences.
@socalmom007 - MSU just wants the transcripts by the end of this year (after she has already officially been accepted and offered merit aid) or when she is finished at the CC. They did not ask for them at when she applied – just a self report. I’m waiting until I can do them for any college she needs them for which will likely only be two others that she is applying to.
@eandesmom - D would qualify for the 10k merit award but that just brings the tuition down to around the same as WUE. It would still be over 10k more than MSU. Their overall COA is 10k more, so it will be hard for them to be competitive. And they charge differential tuition for juniors and seniors. Thanks for the links. That made it easy to check out.
@jedwards70 - I share your concern. It is a struggle even to get D to agree to the simple UA and local CC apps. She is sure she has found her school. I, like you, hope she doesn’t regret limiting her options come spring, but I’m picking my battles.
@curiositycat333 - It looks like CUBoulder is even more expensive than CSU. MSU is the most affordable OOS we’ve found other than UA (and possibly some other southern universities).
@itsgettingreal17 - D17 got a letter today from a university inviting her to compete for a full ride scholarship, but she is passing. She doesn’t have the leadership/EC’s to be competitive. And doesn’t want to go through the app for the long shot. Not to mention she is not interested in the school since it is not MSU. Good luck to your D for the one she is working on.
@mtrosemom - that is good to hear. I’m glad his GC is supportive. My D would not do well with the stress at an elite, either. The honors college at MSU should suit her needs well. She has done well in high school and deserves to go to the school of her dreams if we can afford it even if it isn’t the GC’s desire for her.
We haven’t even started into essay angst yet, since my D hasn’t even done the CA. She did have a couple little easy ones, but I would barely count those. However, Honors College/Presidential Scholarship App is due Dec. 1, so the essay hell season will be upon us soon.
@NoelleCf --since misery loves company…you will have lots of company!
“so the essay hell season will be upon us soon.”
I’m getting kind of nervous that the Big MAC hunt is going to end up badly, and we’re gonna end up with Chicken McNuggets instead, making things unaffordable. I really wish we were doing this about 5 years ago when the competition wasn’t so fierce.
I find myself subconsciously wanting D to keep schools on the list that she doesn’t want to attend because of the remote possibility merit. That ain’t good. I gotta stop that, since my subconscious is creeping into my words and tone of voice (“are you sure you want to take that off the list?..”). Smile and nod…
JOTD to get my mind off of things:
A pig walks into a bar, orders 15 beers, and drinks them. The bartender asks, “Would you like to know where the bathroom is?” “No,” says the pig. “I’m the little piggy that goes wee-wee-wee all the way home.”
My daughter, for one! With the exception of Colgate (which she’s applying to to see if she can get in, not with any intent of going), she’s applying to school at the USNWR 65±30 level. (Actually extending a bit lower, as I look up where, e.g., Kansas fell this last year.) I think it’s healthy—she knows what she’s looking for, and that’ll be good for her.
Just a note about elite schools: Not all of them are pressure cookers. I wouldn’t discount them all based on that assumption.
Anyway, my D has no interest in elite schools. She knows exactly what she wants - business majors (accounting and international business), Arabic, rah rah school spirit and good D1 football and basketball. D also likes the idea of not paying or paying very little and being a big fish in a small pond. No elite school fits those parameters, but fortunately, many strong flagships do.
@hadmeathello I am right there with you re: scholarships. It has been stressing me out, as I really want her to get one of her top choices. I have to keep reminding myself that one of her top choices is already within budget, so if nothing else works out, she will be disappointed at first at not “winning,” but she’ll be happy.
Off to update several spreadsheets …
@jkmek15 UMD app says “Please arrange to have all test scores sent directly from the Educational Testing Service (SAT code for Maryland is 5814) or the ACT Program (ACT code for Maryland is 1746)” The use of “or” seems to indicate that you only need to submit all scores for one of the tests, but not both.
@STEM2017 - I believe that, like me, you are a little - I’m not sure if the right word is “on top of things” or “obsessive compulsive / crazy” :-). If so, you might know the answer to this RHIT question.
We just submitted the Rose Hulman app. The portal page says:
“Once an application has been submitted, it cannot be updated. After your application is processed, you will be able to check the status of required documents (checklist items).”
My question is - how long does it take to “process” the application, so that the status of required docs will be shown?
I’ve been checking the portal occasionally (i.e. no more than 4 or 8 times a day 
), and it has been ONE WHOLE DAY!!!
Come to think of it, I’m not sure why I’m here - I better go check the portal again.
^ For a while, I was obsessively checking every portal every day. Get to work, get water/coffee/tea, read the news, check portals. :))
Welcome to all of the new faces! It is great to have everyone here!
That is terrible @paveyourpath.
@jedwards and @carachel2 my D is done as well! I totally agree with how you both feel!
I was making lunch for the girls this morning (I do this on tues and thurs when I don’t have school) and D17 and I were talking about maker spaces. I said jokingly “hey, UA has no maker space, but it does have a lazy river”. D18’s ears perked up and she said “what! A lazy river? Colleges have those?”
Understatement of the year. You must be talking to my wife…and my therapist.
To answer your question. It took a few days to process, but that was back in August when they were processing a few dozen a day. That number is probably much bigger today and the process will likely take longer.
You probably know that you can use your RHIT application ID and password to check on your app status. For my son, it took about two weeks before the first document appeared (transcript) and at that point the status page became meaningful. Before that, it was just an empty screen.
My son’s app became complete yesterday (10/17), so now we wait.
Speaking of obssesive complusive, I was scanning my son’s email to see if there was anything important. Okay, back off, his school email is strictly business. I don’t dare check his personal email. Anyway, I noticed that the new college marketing clickbait is writing… **
** …in the subject line. My reaction was, “What? Son applied to Carnegie Melon?” Click - nope. Even top schools are doing this pathetic stuff. Annoying.
@paveyourpath bummer about the interview. That sounds bad. My son was invited to interview with a local college recently, and we made the decision that he should not go. It probably wouldn’t help his chances much, and if the interview went badly and affected his outcome he would feel terrible. I think it was the right choice for him. He is sort of quiet around new people and he might not be able to convey his strengths properly in that situation.
@STEM2017 @thshadow Hahaha! My kid doesn’t even know how to log into one or two of the portals. And I know what email she gets before she does because I get a text whenever she gets an email from one of the schools on her list!
I wish more schools would send you an email or text when your portal was updated with any new information. MichSt does this, and it’s very nice.
QOTD: Did you provide schools with your kid’s cell phone #?
@RightCoaster,
I have heard others saying the same thing that when the interview is optional, it’s better not go if you don’t have to.
QOTD: phone numbers
No, she gave the home phone.
@paveyourpath – sorry to hear about that interview experience - hope the interviewer does send a positive report though. Alumni interviews I think can be rather scattershot & where not really highly recommended we will skip them even though doing them could be a way to show interest.
Only submitted 2 applications so far. Hopefully 2 more EAs by Nov. 1. LOTS more supps to do for others but REALLY hope this does not stretch out till the holidays. 1 LoR not submitted yet by teacher though had been approved and he seemed eager to do - hopefully soon.
@hadmeathello – we did put DS’s cell phone number on the common app - ok for colleges to contact him. Had gotten advice that this was also a way to show interest.