@labegg I think she’ll be ok with an off period. I was kind of surprised to see University of Tampa on the list along with A&M, those are very different schools!
@3scoutsmom They are very different schools! A&M is too big IMO. But parental rule is you must apply to an in state school. We have visited all of the smaller schools SFA, Sam Houston, UNT, Tech and she has been luke warm on all of them. She is not likely to be be admitted at A&M anyway that ACT score is gonna hurt (and I don’t see it getting much higher that a 27)!
Thanks for the tip about getting in applications as early as possible. So do you suggest that the current juniors create a common app account in the summer? I heard that the account gets rolled over sometime in August and the information is lost.
What are people’s thoughts on parents populating the non-creative sections of the online apps? Obviously not the essays, but the pages of factual info. Address, demographics, that kind of thing. Do you offer to help the kids by doing the busywork and having them concentrate on the essays and short answers, or is it better to have the kids do the entire thing on their own?
The boring sections of th Common App don’t take very long to fill out. My son filled some of it out, and I filled some of it out for him. Just the mundane stuff, like address, birthdays, classes etc.
He worked with me in the summer to fill out the extra curricular sections and wrote his essay.
I think we just filled out everything in August when the common app opened. it did not take that long, really.
The longest part of the app process is the essays for the schools. With some schools you can just submit 1 essay and be done with it. There were 3 or 4 school on my sons list that had the Why Us essay to write too, those took a while because he had to be specific for each school.
You might also have to write some scholarship essays which take time.
No way would I fill out a college application for my kiddos, if they have a question I’ll answer it but I’m not filling in anything for them, I wouldn’t fill out a work applications for them, why would I fill out a college application for them?
Is 11/1 the deadline for all colleges for ED/EA apps? And can you apply to multiple schools for ED/EA?
Usually EA is non-binding and you can apply to multiple schools EA. ED tends to be binding, which means you can only do that for one school. Binding ED means the student will definitely attend the school if admitted; obviously a student can’t say that to more than one school.
Thank you, I phrased my question poorly about ED/EA. I was aware that ED was for only 1 school, but I didn’t know that you can apply to that one ED school plus multiple EA schools.
Sure, as long as it’s not against any school’s policy you can apply to multiple EAs and one binding ED. Best to check the specific policy for each school but I doubt there are many that won’t allow EA if the student is applying ED somewhere else.
Thanks.
My D16 applied EA to several schools (but we made sure they were non-binding) so be sure to check that out before submitting the app.
Also, RIT said it wouldn’t matter as far as merit aid/grants if you applied ED or RegD. I was skeptical and I’ve heard some schools might not offer someone ED and aid since if they are accepted, they have to accept. That was one reason she didn’t apply ED to any schools. Well, that and she had no idea where she wanted to go!
Remember to learn as much as you can about financial aid at any ED school you are considering. If you are admitted, you are expected to attend, but if the school does not calculate that you need as much as you actually need, you won’t be able to afford to matriculate at your ED school. You will have to write them and tell them that you cannot afford it. It can be a tricky situation. Always remember to have at least one financial safety school on your list.
@labegg - don’t sweat the free period. If she were applying to Harvard/Stanford, etc. and was not a recruited athlete, I would advise otherwise. JMHO.
@traveler98 - I would recommend encouraging your kids write the essays over the summer - take the time to let them sit - then edit, so when the applications open up, it is just a matter of loading the essay into the application on-line. I don’t think it really matters who types in name and address and parents names, etc., but some kiddos like to do it themselves. It helps to get all of the required info. written down in one place before starting. Best of luck!
@crazy4info I would suggest approaching the teachers you want recommendations from before the end of the school year. You can do it casually - my son did that and they told him they would be happy to write a letter, but to ask them again at once they got back to school in the fall. At least they had a heads up in advance. They knew the proper timing and had the letters done relatively quickly once they returned to school. Definitely work on your essays over the summer!! And have different sets of eyes take a peek - feedback is important. Good luck. As I mentioned earlier, make sure you apply EA, priority or whatever the school calls it. Kids who waited and applied RD were shut out in a lot of cases and their stats were on target or better than the average. I was shocked at some of my son’s friends’ waitlists and rejections, including our valedictorian.
Hello All,
Does anyone who has been through the college admissions rodeo before care to weigh-in on this one?
I have read many times that most (or all now? – I don’t know) colleges will accept the SAT or the ACT or both. D18 got a 35 on the ACT which, according to a College Board May 9th 2016 concordance table I’m looking at, is either the equivalent of a 1570 SAT score or in the range of a 1540 – 1590 SAT score.
*I don’t know if the table I’m looking at is the latest and greatest or if it is dated information.
D18’s actual SAT score (she has taken it twice with the same exact score each time) is well below a 1570. She does well in the math and the writing/language sections, but the reading section seems to baffle her (kind of strange because she had a perfect reading score on the ACT).
She wants to apply to a few reach schools & a few of the scholarships like the McDermott/Stamps, etc., but we’re wondering if submitting her SAT score (which is a fine score, but not one that would get her noticed by the reach schools) would be counterproductive.
D18 would have time to study over the summer and retake the SAT in August or October, but I’m not sure if that’s necessary. If colleges or scholarships like the McDermott/Stamps will take just the ACT score then she’s probably fine.
BUT…. Something inside me still wonders if there is some distinct advantage to students who submit both the SAT & ACT?
So that’s my question: Can a student submit just one test (the one he/she did the best on) for college or scholarship applications and not somehow be penalized because he/she did not submit both tests?
This question may sound somewhat elementary to some (so don’t beat me up!!) but hearing from a few experienced folks would definitely help me advise D18 on which way to proceed.
P.S. We’re among the group chasing merit (maybe/hopefully one of the NM scholarships) with a couple of shots at the reach-level colleges/universities/outside scholarships mixed in just because you never know.
@LMHS73 you need to check with the school, most only require SAT or ACT very few require you submit scores from all tests attempted. Most of the schools offering big NM scholarship will likely only require one score and it will be more of a formality, they just want to say they have x number of national merit kids.
@LMHS73 for NM, the student has to prove that they also took the SAT. To be a finalist, you have to hit a certain SAT score but I think it’s not particularly high. They don’t tell you the SAT score needed to proceed from Semi to Finalist. Here’s what is says on their website.
“Do I need to take the SAT to become a Finalist?
Yes. Among the requirements to proceed from Semifinalist to Finalist or National Merit scholarship recipient is that you receive a “confirming score” on the SAT. This score helps validate your PSAT score (i.e. it wasn’t a fluke).”
There’s also this from the College Board is it helps:
"How high of a score do I need for a confirming score?
The confirming score for the class of 2017 was set at a 209 SAT Selection Index (SSI). The SSI is calculated the same way the PSAT SI is calculated. However, it ranges from 60-240 rather than from 48-228 because the SAT extends each section to an 800 point maximum. We do not expect the confirming score to go higher for the class of 2018, but NMSC may decide to peg the SSI to the Commended Student cutoff. NMSC will generally not release the confirming score until after Semifinalists are announced in September.
The easiest calculation of the SSI is from your section scores. Drop a zero, double your EBRW, and add your math score. For example, Student X might have a total score of 1450, with section scores of 720EBRW and 730M. Student X’s SSI would be 2(72) + 73 = 217. It’s possible for a student with a lower total score to have a higher SSI. Student Y has a total score of 1430, with section scores of 750EBRW and 690M. Student Y’s SSI would be 2(75) + 69 = 219. The EBRW score has twice the weight because it is made up of two test scores — reading and writing.
Students can take the SAT as late as December in order to qualify as a Finalist. Students must send an official SAT score report to NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP CORPORATION. Semifinalists will receive Finalist application materials soon after announcements are made."