Trying to minimize requests to teachers for future LORs. For URichmond, they only require a counselor recommendation, with others being ‘optional’:
Any suggestions whether to send a really good teacher recommendation (assumed)?
PSAT … @ our public high school 9th, 10th, & 11th grade students are required to take the PSAT each year @ the expense of the high school, while 12th grade students go on a field trip.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek that is amazing!
@pittsburghscribe congrats!
<:-P that is seriously my favorite emoji.
D18 is taking the PSAT tomorrow, and right afterward has the county level interviews for ghp. She’s cranky. I’m cranky that they scheduled the interviews on the same day as the PSAT. Who does that?
Wow, a lot of C18s it seems. You guys were busy. Knowing what you know about NM, did most of you have your kid prep for the PSAT?
@Mom2aphysicsgeek WOW! what an amazing accomplishment and experience for your D!
PSAT - Public school in PA — Seniors get to sleep in and arrive at 11 (although some have scheduled meetings with English teachers to work on common app essay) 10th/11th have to take the PSAT, 9th graders have special assemblies to learn about naviance, hear about the APs vs. Honors classes, and learn about weighted and unweighted GPA – I think they also have a drug/alcohol speaker.
Still working on the essay that new English teacher ripped apart - D decided tonight to pick a new topic and started over -ughhhhh We all thought the first one was pretty good :-?
PSAT for Sophomore and Junior students…seniors have the day off! Well sorta…MIT WILL be done tomorrow :-B
Public school in NJ - my Senior goes in at 10am for a Senior class photo and some other graduation class related activity. After everyone is done with PSATs, all grades have their homecoming pep rally.
Private boarding school in NJ - my Freshman doesn’t have classes but he still has after school sports commitments.
So, tomorrow I am taking out my Senior and her friend for breakfast and my Freshman and 3 of his boarding friends for lunch.
PSAT we are a public HS. PSAT isn’t until 11/2 but seniors report at 11. I can’t recall what happens with the juniors who elect. It to test but all sophomores take it.
Alumni interviews
Had coffee today with a friend who does alumni interviews for Penn. She said that the “optional” interview cannot get you in, or rejected BUT declining the opportunity to meet or being high maintenance with scheduling definitely could (get you rejected).
I’ve moved onto stress mode. S17 is officially changing prompts and topics (sort of, it was a component of the first essay). Ugh!!! 13 days until first apps are due 
U Del
I have a dear friend with a S14 at Udel honors college. He loves loves loves it.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek congratulations!!! That is so incredibly exciting and well deserved.
@STEM2017 When we went to the UD open house and information session, we were clearly told that optional does not really mean optional!
Hi all, I’ve been posting on CC for a while but just discovered this thread. I’d love to join the discussion! I’m the mom of an only daughter who is applying to inly 6 (gulp) LACs, one of which is ED. I’m thinking if that one doesn’t work out I might gently encourage her to add a couple of safeties, as she only has two of those right now. The other four are reaches/matches (I say that because her academic rigor and grades are great, but her test scores not so much).
Welcome @IBviolamom. Nice to have you along. If your D has 2 true safeties (like to attend & affordable) then I don’t see the need to add another safety, necessarily. Could maybe look at more matches?
@eandesmom – this is my read on alum interviews also.
“She said that the “optional” interview cannot get you in, or rejected BUT declining the opportunity to meet or being high maintenance with scheduling definitely could (get you rejected).”
Good luck to all the PSAT-takers tomorrow. I’ll keep my fingers crossed! And congrats to your D, @Mom2aphysicsgeek. That is amazing news! And should tell all those critical Russian profs you interviewed with.
My take, and I told her this, is that if you are interested enough to apply and they are interested enough to call or email you to schedule an interview…choosing not to says a heck of a lot about your level of interest.
If you can’t be bothered when the opportunity presents itself, don’t bother applying. At least that’s my take with my kids lol! If you want me to pay for it, take every opportunity there is if it makes sense. Ok sure, it may not make sense to go visit an AO when they visit HS if you’ve already toured but in general, seize the moments you can.
Case Western, CalTech, & Ohio St applications out the door tonight…yay! [-O< =D> :D/
PSAT - 9th, 10th and 11th graders all taking at private high school. Seniors were offered a field trip to one of 3 in-state universities. My son chose none of those so he gets the whole day off. I’m taking him to breakfast and then, I suppose, homework since he’s doing none right now. 
@STEM2017 UD has been adding more and more supplementals to the application in the last years. When S applied in 2010-2011, there was just the common app essay and one essay for Honors. We’ve been seeing only token scholarships given to kids who do not apply to Honors. I don’t know how acceptances have been going with kids with just above average stats (like you said), but I tend to think that writing the supplementals would help him in acceptance.
Major does make a difference. I’m sorry I can’t remember if your S has a major selected.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek I read your news outloud to D–we danced all over the kitchen!
We came home from an IU-B scholarship dinner with some good swag: Indiana-shaped sticky notes and a Camelback water bottle :))
@eandesmom – I agree with you 100%.
My son attends the HS 30 min info sessions for any school he may apply to, even if he had already toured the campus. Today’s school had the students sign an attendance list (different from the one the HS has the students sign to excuse them from class). Since he has not filled out a college’s attendance list before, it does make me wonder how the other schools could possibly know who attended.
Rough week with college visits. He has had one each day with two tomorrow.
And absolutely yes to every interview including traveling to nearby towns (or NYC) to interview with schools we did not visit. It can only help, and he will hopefully learn more about the school from the interviews also.
Public school PSAT for 9th 10th and 11th. SAT for 12th. D is staying home and enjoying the day off.
My D’s school has PSAT tomorrow for all 11th and any 9th/10th that pay to take it. Seniors have the SAT for free but my D opted out and will go to the Library and work on whatever. Lots of benchmarks coming up in a couple of weeks and she’ll be traveling to Puerto Rico to present her paper at a conference around the same time.